THE HUMAN PERSON AS AN

EMBODIED SPIRIT
“embodied” is that it is being materialized
or incarnated.

Hence, when we say “embodied spirit”, we

normally thought of a spirit being
incarnated.

However, the idea of the human person as

an “embodied spirit” does not necessarily
refer to the incarnation or materialization of
spirit as an immaterial entity.
Thus, when we say “embodied spirit” we
mean that the body is not separate from the
soul, just as the soul is not separate from
the body.

So, when we say that the human person is

an embodied spirit, we specifically mean
that the human person is the point of
convergence between the material and
spiritual entities, that is, between the body
and soul.
We cannot talk, therefore, of the human
person without the union of body and soul,
just as we cannot talk anything without
union of (as Aristotle would have believe)
matter and form.

Now, to understand the specificity of the

human person as an embodied spirit is
important because aside from the fact that
it enables us to know our potentialities and
limitations,
Aristotle on the Human Person as an
Embodied Spirit
•The human person as an
embodied spirit, that is, again,
as a union of body and soul.
Plato on the Human Person as an
Embodied Spirit
• The nature of the human person
is seen in the metaphysical
dichotomy between body and
soul. This dichotomy implies that
there is an inherent contradiction
between the body and the soul.
• On the other, the body according
to Plato, is material; hence, it is
mutable and destructible. On the
one hand, the soul is immaterial;
hence, it is immutable and
indestructible.
•Plato contends that in the
context of the nature of the
human person, the body’s
existence is dependent on the
soul while the soul’s existence
is independent of the body.
• Plato argues that the soul existed
prior to the body. Plato writes: “… the
gods made the soul prior to the body
and more venerable in birth and
excellence to the body’s mistress and
governor’. Interestingly then, as
Eddie Babor claims, the contention
above made Plato conclude that the
human person is just a soul using a
body.
According to Plato, there are
Three parts of the soul, namely:
•Rational
•Spiritual
•appetitive
For Plato,
•The rational soul is located in
the head
•The spiritual soul in the chest
•The appetitive in the abdomen
• Lastly, it is the rational part of the
soul that enables the human
person to think, reflect, analyse,
comprehend, draw conclusion,
and the like.
• Aristotle disagrees with Plato’s
dualism which implies the concept of
“otherworldliness”.

• Aristotle believes that there is no

dichotomy between the person’s body
and soul. The body and soul for
Aristotle are in a state of unity. They
are inseparable.
How does Aristotle view the human
person as an embodied spirit?
For Aristotle, the general definition of
the soul involves the concept of life.
Thus, the soul for Aristotle is the
principle of life. This suggest,
therefore, that anything that has live
had soul.
There are two general kinds a human
person can be distinguished
1. METAPHYSICAL
• Essential components of a Human Person
• the what of a person

2. EXISTENTIAL
• Essential features of the human way of life
• the who of a person
FACTS : A human person has a human
body but
• There are 3 NON BODILY HUMAN
COMPONENTS that a HUMAN PERSON HAS;
• SOUL
= life giving function
• MIND
= consciousness
• SPIRIT
= nonphysical nature
QUESTION:
• WHAT ESSENTIALLY MAKES
UP A HUMAN PERSON?
There are 3 possible answers
1. UNSPIRITED BODY VIEW

= A human person is essentially just

his or her body and nothing more. No
spirit just body.
2. DISEMBODIED SPIRIT VIEW
= A human person is essentially just his or
her spirits. Body is nonessential component
of a human person. Body will die with no
spirit.

3. EMBODIED SPIRIT VIEW

= Unity of his or her body and spirit.
Human person has both but claims to be
the unity of body and spirit. Nothing
without the other.
3 reasons why embodied spirit is
preferred
1. Maintains Human Freedom

2.Gives Important to the Soul

3. Accommodate Opposing
Views
HUMAN PERSON AS AN EMBODIED
SPIRIT
• The body is not of the essence of the
soul; but the soul by the nature of its
essence can be united to the body, so
that, properly speaking, not the soul
alone, but the composite, is the
species.
• The very fact that the soul in a certain
way requires the body for its
operation proves that the soul is
endowed with a grade of intellect
inferior to that of an angle, who is not
united to a body.

- St. Thomas Aquinas

Summa Theologica
What is transcendence?
= It is the existence or experience
beyond the normal or physical
level

e.g. Spirit and Soul

Transcendence is an ingredient of
anything
Both knowledge and wisdom
requires transcendence.

Religious values explains the

spiritual status of our lives
THERE ARE THREE MAIN SPIRITUAL
PHILOSOPIES
1. HINDUISM

2. BUDDHISM

3. CHRISTIANITY
HINDUISM
= the oldest religion in the world, 1500 A.D.

= no founder

= referred as Sanatama Dharma or Eternal

Religion
Two types of scripture in Hindu:
• Shruti – “what is heard”

• Smriti – “ that which is rememberred”

ATMAN
- Means eternal self
- Refers to the real self beyond ego or false self
- Often referred to as “spirit’ or “soul and
indicates our true self or essence which
underlies our existence
KARMA SAMSARA
•“ ACTION” of • the wheel of rebirth
“DEEDS” every which means the soul
action produces a is reborn from one
life form to another
justified effect depending on their
based on its moral karma from their
worthiness present life.
 MOKSHA
• One attains • The ones who
reach this states no
this when one
longer struggle
has “overcome with the cycle of
ignorance”, life and death. The
and no longer way to get to
moksha is to not
desires
create any karma.
anything at all.
BUDDHISM
-Founder: Siddhartha Gautama
or the Buddha
-4th largest religion
-Core concepts of Hinduism
-No supreme God
• The essence of Buddhism is the
attainment of enlightenment
points to a way of life that avoids
self indulgence and reincarnation
FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS
- To live is to suffer
- The cause of suffering is self-centered
desire and attachments. (Tanha)
- The solution is to eliminate desire and
attachments. (Nirvana=“extinction”)
- To reach nirvana, one must follow the
Eightfold Path.
Eightfold Path
Reincarnation is the concept that
one must go through many cycles
of birth, living, and death. After
many such cycles, if a person
releases their attachment to desire
and the self, they can attain
nirvana.
CHRISTIANITY
-The worlds largest religion
-Monotheistic religion based on the life
and teachings of Jesus Christ
- The Holy Bible is the book of sacred
writings used in both Christian and
Jewish religion. It is composed of two
testaments; the “OLD” and the “NEW”
 TEN COMMANDMENTS
1. You shall have no other 6. You shall not murder
gods before me 7. You shall not commit
2. You shall not make for
adultery
yourself an idol
3. You shall not misuse the 8. You shall not steal
name of the Lord your 9. You shall not give
God false testimony against
4. Remember the Sabbath your neighbor
day by keeping it holy 10. You shall not covert
5. Honor your father and
anything that belongs
your mother
to your neighbor
LIMITATIONS AND POSSIBILITIES FOR
TRANSCENDENCE
•Forgiveness
•Beauty and Nature
•Vulnerability
•Failures
•Loneliness
•Love
Religion is one of the
keystones of society and
civilization. It has made a
significant impact on
developing our world and
made history.
Conventionally, Religion is
continuously making influence
around the world. And it is
necessary for people to become
aware of another spiritual heritage.
Increased knowledge of one
another’s beliefs fosters tolerance
and understanding which is critical
for peace and understanding.