THE HUMAN PERSON  Closely tried to legal and political

concepts of citizenship, equality and

THE NOTION OF THE PERSON
liberty
HISTORY:
In ancient Rome
“persona” in Latin
“prosopon” in Greek
“the face” or the mask worn by actors on stage
The masks represent the different “persona”
WHAT IS A PERSON?
 The person is seen as more than an
isolated individual body, but as a
dynamically interior person able to grow NEED: MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS
deeply in oneself through the others with
1. Human beings initially set their priorities
whom he or she communicates,
according to their existential needs such
therefore seeing the person in terms of
as food, clothes and sleep. If the
relation to other persons.
existential needs are not met survival is
 “Any entity that has the moral right of threatened and life is in danger
determination” 2. If the existential needs are satisfied the
need for safety is awakened: the desire
 The kind of being that has certain
for protection from the risks to life such
capacities or attributes constituting
as war, sickness, accident,
personhood. Which in turn is defined
environmental catastrophes etc. take
differently by different authors in
center ground
different disciplines cultures in different
3. The next level in the priority pyramid
times and places
according to Maslow’s concern the
LAW social needs: The human being wants to
be with the like-minded people. He
 A person is a human being or a wants to be accepted and loved.
corporation recognized in a law as 4. The following level is concerned with the
having certain rights and obligations self-regard and the esteem of other
PHILOSOPHY: people: The human beings wants to
strengthen his self-confidence and for
 A person is a being characterized by this purpose seeks regards and
consciousness, rationality, and moral recognition from other people.
sense, and traditionally thought of as
consisting of both a body and a mind or
soul
PERSONHOOD:
 The status of being a person
 A controversial topic in philosophy and
law
 5. The top objective is the need for the  Personal liberty, as opposed to bondage
self-realization: the human being wants or slavery
to be able to be himself and to
WILLFULNESS
permanently be able to experience inner
peace, happiness and harmony.  Said or done on purpose; deliberate

THE HUMAN ACTS AND ACTS OF MAN:

THE HUMAN ACT: ITS CHARACTERISTICS
 Knowledge
 Freedom
 Willfulness
KNOWLEDGE
 A familiarity with someone or something,
which can include facts, information,
descriptions, or skills acquired through
experience or education
 Theoretical or practical understanding of
a subject
 Can be explicit (as with practical skill or
expertise) or explicit (as with the
theoretical understanding of a subject)
 Can be more or less normal or
systematic
 In philosophy, the study of knowledge is
called epistemology
 The philosopher Plato famously defined
knowledge as “justified true belief”
However, no single agreed upon
definition of knowledge exists, through
there are numerous theories explain it.
 Knowledge acquisition involves complex
cognitive processes; while knowledge is
also said to be related to the capacity of
acknowledgement in human beings
FREEDOM
 The state of being free at liberty rather
than in confinement or under physical
restraint
 Exception from external control,
interference, regulation, etc.
 The power to determine action without
restraint
 Political or national independence
  Obstinately bent on having one’s way action; it is not a judgement on which
action depends, or to which action is
THE CONSCIENCE
physically joined. Conscience is not an
LATIN WORDS: operative judgement, and properly
speaking cannot be called practical
Cum (with) and scientia (knowledge) thus judgement.
meaning “with knowledge”  It has been called a practical judgement
 An aptitude, faculty, intuition or because the word practical has been
judgement of intellect that distinguishes taken in broad sense. Instead of being
right from wrong understood solely of something active or
 Tends to be defined as the feeling that pertaining to action (its true meaning),
may makes a person believe that certain practical now indicates something
actions, or failures of actions, are referring to, ordered to, action.
inherently wrong  As a practical moral judgement,
 Philosophers, religious leaders, conscience takes the form: “I ought to
psychologist and a variety of others do X” Aquinas points out that when I
have tried to determine the source of make a judgement, I should follow it. But
such emotion, and many arrive at acting on my conscience is not enough.
different answers Like any other kind of judgement—
 In many religions but worship the business, artistic, scientific or athletic—
Judeo/Christian/Islamic god, conscience we base our moral judgements not only
is a God given facility; something that on principles but on evidence, data and
people have with us from birth information. A judgement made without
 In psychological terms conscience is data, evidence or information is a foolish
often described as leading to feelings of one indeed. Thus, Aquinas thought it is
rectitude or integrity when actions as important to inform one’s conscience
conform to such norms. properly as it is to follow it. If I refuse to
look at evidence or information in
“CONSCIENCE IS A MAN’S COMPASS” – forming my moral judgement, I am
Vincent Van Gogh actually refusing to act morally.
DIFFERENT KIND OF CONSCIENCE:
CONSCIENCE AS A “PRACTICAL  ANTECEDENT AND CONSEQUENT
JUDGEMENT” CONSCIENCE
 A practical judgement means as – Judgement is passed before an
operative, efficacious, active judgement action is performed or only after
must be the root and starting point of our the action is done
action. In a word, such a judgement  RIGHT CONSCIENCE
must be necessary result in action, – Judge what is really good as
unless impeded by a contrary, practical good and evil what is really evil
judgement. We must note carefully that  ERRONEOUS
the operation of an intelligent being is – Judges what is bad as good and
always physically begun and determined vice versa
by a judgement  CERTAIN CONSCIENCE
 Conscience is entirely separate from – Subjective assurance of the
action, and that we can act even against lawfulness or unlawfulness of
the dictate of conscience. Conscience, certain actions to be done or to
therefore, does not necessarily lead to be admitted
 DOUBTFUL CONSCIENCE
– Suspends judgement on the
lawfulness of an action and
therefore (it is possible) the action
should be omitted
 SCRUPULOUS CONSCIENCE
– Constantly afraid of committing
evil
– This conscience is a result of a
stubborn character
 LAX CONSCIENCE
– Conscience that tends to follow
the easy way and to find excuses
for mistakes
 SCRUPULOUS CONSCIENCE
– Disturbed conscience trying to
restore good relations with God
by means of sorrow and
repentance