 Knowing man as an individual and as a member

of society is fundamental in the study of values

and ethics.
 To understand the nature of man is a courageous
task owing to his complexity.
 Man is a complex organism, for he is composed
of physical body, intellect, and emotions.
 Science: Man is “homo sapiens”
 Biological Characteristic:

1. Man walk erect on two feet, other animals

wlak mostly on four feet.
2. Man has two full hands in handling things,
while Animals has no free hand.
3. Man has complex brain than animals.
1. Man is rational, has power of reasoning. He can
figures out what is right and what is wrong.
While animals are irrational, they only have
instinct.
2. Man has complex technigques of producing,
procuring, preparing and cooking food. While
animals roam around and eat raw foods.
3. Human beings share curiosity, imitation,
attention, memory and imagination.
 Creation
“And God said, "Let us make man in our image, after
our likeness, and let them have dominion over the
fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and
over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that
creeps upon the earth." So God created man in his
own image, in the image of God created he them;
male and female he created them (Gen. 1:26-27,
RSV).”
 Gen. 2:7 And the LORD
God formed man of the  Formed
dust of the ground, and  Heb. = “Yatsar”
breathed into his nostrils  = “To sqeeze into shape
the breath of life; and man
became a living soul.
 Like a potter squeezing
clay
 The LORD God made
mans body from the dust
 But man was not yet living
 Five truths about man as a person are revealed in
these passages:
 1. God fashioned man from the substance of
creation that preceded him (dust/earth)
 2. Man's life-giving essence is the breath of God, or
spirit.
 3. Male and Female He created them. (equity)
 4. He is made in God's likeness.
 5. He was made lord of creation.
 He became a living being, an organic unity.
(Dualism, body-soul)
 An embodied spirit – As subject, human beings
are also defined by having a human body.
Historically, philosophers have tried to separate
body from mind and spirit, but there is now a
consensus among contemporary Christian
Theologians that the elements are intrinsically
united.
 Teilhard de Chardin:
- “ Man is a being who knows what he knows.”
 Martin Heiddeger:

-“Man is responsible not only of himself but for all

men.”
 Msgr. Fulton Sheen:

-”describes man on three-level structure: body, soul

and spirit”
 His Body = through his senses, makes him aware of the
material universe.

 His Soul = also calls mind or psyche, makes him

responsive to other people and to arts, sciences,
philosophy and law.

 His Spirit = facilitates a communion with God.

 Body - Our meat, bones
and guts
 Breath - The air that we
breathe - Hebrew
“Neshamah”
 Spirit - Gods sustaining
power - Hebrew
“Chayim”
Like Aristotle, St. Thomas Aquinas taught that man
naturally longs for perfection and happiness that
this longing can be realized on earth. (Development of
man’s powers/potentials –Whole Man/Universal Man of Aristotle)
Yet to Aquinas, such a man, though he has attained
the highest possible perfection and happiness on
earth still longs for the INFINITE and the
ETERNAL.
 All the goods of this life such as money, fame,
power, health, talents, and even life itself are
UNSTABLE, LIMITED, and TRANSITORY.
 And even if man had gained all of these, they
cannot make him PERFECTLY happy.
 In the transcendental vision of St. Thomas &
Christian teaching, man in his present state of
existence on earth is mortal, finite, and imperfect;
 “the attainment of union with God, where man is
elevated to the rank of the Divine. (The Immortal,
the Perfect).
 The Transformation
 Present State - Ultimate Destiny
 Imperfect - Perfect
 Finite - Infinite
 Temporal - Eternal
 Natural - Supernatural
 Human - Divine
 The power of transcendence in man:
“Of all creatures of God, man has the unique
power to change himself and the things around
him for the better.”
- Indeed, in accordance with this natural urge to be
perfect and happy, we can improve and even
perfect ourselves.
- Marvelously, man can even transcend himself.
 For Aquinas, “for when man dies he does not
really ceases to exist – he merely transcends his
mortal bodily life, his limitations and
imperfections in space and time – thanks to the
immortality of the human soul.
 A just man at death transcend his mortal state by
good deeds.
 In the light of the wisdom of St. Thomas Aquinas
and Christian teaching we see that man has a
supernatural transcendental destiny. (pls. check
Encyclical “Progression Populorum” which
presented that the highest stage of man’s
pefection attainable through man’s union with the
all-Perfect Being, God.
 Transcendental = “transcendere” means to go
beyond, soar above or surpass.
 To actually reach his supernatural destiny man
should be elevated and empowered by supernatural
grace (love).
 This is the power of love spoken by St. Paul which
elevates human beings to the rank of the Divine to
become children of God and heirs of the heavenly
kingdom.
 “by the Power of LOVE you are made children of God and
participants to the Divine nature.”
 Law commands and compel; love only calls and
invites.
 What is a Person/Human ?
- It can be stated that : “human being is a human person
as every human person is a human being.”
- Three fundamental aspects of human being: (deeper
understanding)
- 1. Human being is bodily, organic, physical
- 2. Human being is also integrated-unity-of-life, a living
being, a living whole, a one, an individual.
- 3. Human being is being with the temporal continuity, a
being with a history, a being in time.
 Unlike physical beauty, moral beauty is unseen by
the senses, but is of the highest rank in the
hierarchy of human values; for in moral
excellence, as in good moral character, lies the true
worth of man.
 Accdg. to Immanuel Kant: “Due to man’s gift of
reason and free will, man is the master of his
actions, and the architect of his own life and
destiny.”
 Man, for Kant, is the only creature who governs and
directs himself and his actions, who sets up ends for
himself and his purpose and freely orders means for
the attainment of his aims.
 Every man is thus an END in himself and should
never be treated merely as a means – as per the order
of the Creator and the natural order of things.
 In no way and by no means should a person be used or
exploited against his will as a means to further the selfish ends
of other person or group of person.
 The principle, that all men should be treated as
ends, and not as means is bolstered by the
fundamental postulate of equality.
 All men are persons gifted with the same basic
rights and therefore should treat each other as co-
equals. (ex. St. Augustine)
 On the basis of equality , human relations should not
be impersonal; but on the contrary, should be inter-
personal.
 We must do good because we must.
 IT IS OUR DUTY TO DO GOOD.
 An action is good only if done and motivated by
the pure sense of duty or out of pure reverence for
the law.
 If done from any other motive, the act may only
be legal but not moral.
 “There is nothing truly good,” Kant says, but the
good will.
 In Kantian sense, it signifies the free will of man
ever motivated and inspired by DUTY.
 Goodwill which acts solely from pure sense of
duty, out of pure reverence for the law, no matter
what the consequences or circumstances may be,
is good in itself. (Ex. Telling the truth)
 Kant envisioned an ideal kingdom where all men
are free, equal, prosperous and happy.
 Three points:
1. Treat every person, including yourself, as an end in himself
and not as means.
2. Always act in such way as to will your action to become a
universal law(ex. Doing good is already part of our nature)
3. Act as a rational and free being from the pure sense of duty.