WHO AM I?
(THE HUMAN
PERSON AS A
MORAL BEING)
A.BASIC ANTHROPOLOGY
MAN IS A PERSON
MAN IS A SUBSTANTIAL UNITY
MAN IS A SOCIAL BEING
MAN POSSESSES DIGNITY AND
RIGHTS
A. BASIC ANTHROPOLOGY
MAJOR THEMES
1. MAN IS A PERSON
A CONCRETE INDIVIDUAL SUBSTANCE
ENDOWED WITH REASON
2. MAN IS A SUBSTANTIAL UNITY
A UNION OF BODY AND SOUL, AN EMBODIEDSPIRIT
MAN POSSESSES A COMPLETE SPECIFIC/UNIQUE NATURE
MAN IS NOT MERELY AN INDIVIDUAL SUBSTANCE WITH A
UNIQUE EXISTENCE
FREEDOM
TO SELFGOVERN IN
THE
WORLD
RATIONAL
NATURE /
INTELLIGENCE
TO
UNDERSTAND
THE WORLD
ACCORDING TO SAINT THOMAS AQUINAS
THE HUMAN PERSON IS THE MOST PERFECT IN THE WHOLE NATURE
WITH REASON TO UNDERSTAND THE WORLD
AND WILL TO DIRECT HIMSELF TO TRUE GOOD
3. MAN IS A SOCIAL BEING
Man is a relational being. He is open to himself and to others
Hence, man is inter-subjectivity, a community
LOVE
Social Nature of Man
• Founded on nature
• Life a life of comfort and security
• Capacity of speech
“There is no need for means of communication if
man is meant by nature to be alone.”
Social nature to
social obligation
• General not an individual command
• Now, is it wrong to live in solitude?
• It is not wrong for a hermit to live alone if, in his
estimation, he can achieve his individual aims in a
better way by adopting the solitary life.
• Marriage is a general demand but not everyone is
not oblige to marry.
Social contract
“When man enters into a society, he contracts
his freedom because he has to live with other
free beings.” – Jean Jacques Rousseau
What are man’s social obligations as social
being?
• POLITICS
- man needs society, and if he does not
because he is sufficient unto himself, that man
is either a beast or a god.
Extreme notions of man as a social being:
• SOCIALISM / COMMUNISM
- mortal enemy of capitalism
- issue of private property
Socialists propose to abolish capitalism and
private property because they claim these are
the sources of social evils.
Communism
• Is a complicated doctrine which includes a
complex of atheism, evolutionism, historical
materialism; it has a methodology on its own
according to which the future ideal state can
be attained through revolution, dictatorship
suppression of freedom, etc.
• New Order of Society: blind obedience to the
Party
Right to Private Property
• Nature intends men to have private property
to a certain extent for his needs and for those
of his family.
• But, abuse can be perpetrated.
• Therefore, the needs of Ethics, so that men
are made aware of their social obligation to
other men.
Reminders of Ethics:
• Principle of Stewardship
• Universal Destination of Goods
• Common Good
• It stands to reason that if they derive protection from society,
they must be ready to contribute to that society.
• Submit to authority and to the legitimate laws of society
4. MAN POSSESSES DIGNITY AND RIGHTS
THE HUMAN PERSON POSSESSES DIGNITY THAT HAS NO PRICE BUT VALUE
IMMANUEL KANT
TO BE A HUMAN BEING IS TO BE A FELLOW HUMAN BEING
MARTIN BUBER
I EXIST IN THE MEASURE THAT I EXIST FOR OTHERS
FOR AFTER ALL, TO BE IS TO LOVE
E. MOUNIER
THE FACE OF THE OTHER TELLS ME THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE
TO KILL THE PERSON WITH THAT FACE
E. LEVINAS
B. CHRISTIAN ANTHROPOLOGY
MAN IS A CREATURE
MAN IS THE IMAGE OF GOD
MAN IS FALLEN BUT REDEEMED
1. MAN IS A CREATURE
TO BELIEVE IN GOD AS CREATOR
IS TO LOOK UPON COSMIC EVOLUTION AS GOD’S CONTINUING ACTION
THIS VISION SHOULD MAKE MAN RESPONSIBLE, LOVING, AND CARING
TO AFFIRM GOD AS CREATOR
IS TO HIGHLIGHT MAN’S RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
ALL HUMAN ACTIVITIES ARE SEEN AS EXPRESSIONS
OF THE CREATIVE AND PERSONAL ACTION OF GOD
2. MAN IS THE IMAGE OF GOD
Man’s likeness to God is not only in his reason but also in his responsible conduct.
He has the capacity to respond freely to the call of God.
BECAUSE OF THIS REALITY OF MAN
CARE MUST BE TAKEN THAT THERE BE NO MANIPULATION
THAT MAKES MAN LESS HUMAN
THAT VIOLATES THE DIGNITY OF HIS PERSONALITY
MADE TO THE IMAGE OF GOD.
3. MAN IS FALLEN AND REDEEMED
FROM THE DAWN OF HISTORY, MAN ABUSED HIS FREEDOM
SET HIMSELF AGAINST GOD AND
SOUGHT TO FIND FULFILLMENT APART FROM GOD
AS A CONSEQUENCE, MAN BECAME AWARE OF HIS LIMITATIONS
AND HIS ABILITY TO BECOME WHAT HE OUGHT AND DESIRES TO BECOME
MAN’S REASON HAS BEEN CLOUDED AND HIS WILL WEAKENED BY SIN
AND THUS THE IMAGE OF GOD HAS BEEN DISTORTED
THROUGH THE INCARNATION GOD HAS ENTERED HUMAN HISTORY
AND RESTORED THE IMAGE OF GOD IN MAN.
ON ACCOUNT OF HIS GREAT LOVE, HE BECAME WHAT WE ARE
THAT HE MIGHT MAKE US WHAT HE IS
ST IRINAEUS
THE CHRISTIAN RESPONSE TO GOD’S CALL
MUST INVOLVE ENTRUSTING ONESELF COMPLETELY TO THE LORD OF THE FUTURE
EACH MORAL CHOICE IS A STEP OF FAITH INTO THE FUTURE
WHICH PREPARES FOR THE NEXT STEP INTO THE UNKNOWN DESTINY
WHICH GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM