Philosophy of the Human Person and Human Nature

Vocabulary flashcards based on lecture notes covering the nature of the human person, philosophical dimensions of personhood, body-spirit interconnection, embodiment, and transcendence.

Golden Record

A compilation of recordings, messages, images, and sounds of Earth carried by the Voyager 1 and Voyager space probes to describe the human species to interstellar space.

Man

A general term commonly used to refer to the entire human race, synonymous with humanity, mankind, or humankind.

Human

A scientific and biological term referring to man as a species (Homo sapiens sapiens or modern human beings), distinguishing humans from other species.

Human Being

A term used to distinguish man from other animals, emphasizing the uniqueness of humans within the animal kingdom.

Person

A complex philosophical term referring to a human being with recognition of rights, responsibilities, dignity, self-awareness, self-determination, and capacity for relationships.

Personhood

The legal and philosophical state or condition of being a person, which includes recognition of full human dignity and moral worth.

Self-Awareness

The capacity of the human person to consciously know and reflect on their own thoughts, emotions, actions, and identity.

Consciousness

An aspect of personhood referring to the awareness of one's own thoughts and experiences.

Intentionality

The ability of a person to direct their attention toward something consciously.

Reflection

The capacity of thinking about one's own thinking, serving as a core element of self-awareness.

Moral Agency

The ability to evaluate one's actions as right or wrong.

Cogito, ergo sum

René Descartes' famous philosophical statement ('I think, therefore I am') emphasizing that thinking and being aware confirm one's existence as a person.

Rationality

The capacity of the human person to think logically, weigh evidence, analyze situations, and arrive at sound conclusions.

Rational Animals

Aristotle's description of human beings, distinguishing humans from all other living beings through reason.

Interiority

The inner world of a person, comprising thoughts, emotions, values, dreams, conscience, and spiritual depth.

Self-Determination

The capacity and right of a person to govern their own life, making choices and pursuing goals free from undue external coercion.

Autonomy

The ability of a person to act according to their own values, reasons, and judgments.

Free Will

The capacity of a person to make conscious choices among real alternatives with moral awareness and personal accountability.

Deliberation

A component of self-determination where an individual weighs options, reflects on pros and cons, and consults inner values before acting.

Consequences

The results or outcomes that inevitably follow a person's choices, decisions, or behaviors.

Natural Consequences

Direct, unmediated results of actions that occur without external human interference, such as touching fire and getting burned.

Logical Consequences

Reasonable and structured outcomes related to actions, such as losing privileges for breaking rules.

Moral Consequences

Outcomes of an action that affect an individual's internal conscience, values, or trust in relationships, such as feeling guilt after lying.

Social Consequences

The impact of an individual's behavior on other people or society at large, such as a damaged reputation due to cheating.

Morality

The system of principles and values guiding individual choices to determine what is right or wrong, good or bad, and just or unjust.

Eudaimonia

Aristotle's concept of human flourishing, which is attained through the cultivation of habit and virtue.

Natural Law

St. Thomas Aquinas' concept of the moral order embedded within creation that human beings can understand through reason.

Externality

The capacity of the human person to express their inner world outwardly through actions, speech, relationships, and presence in the world.

I-Thou Relationship

Martin Buber's philosophical concept proposing that human beings achieve full humanity through meaningful relationships with others rather than in isolation.

Dignity

The inherent, inalienable worth and equal value of every human person, which cannot be earned, granted, or taken away.

Imago Dei

The theological principle that human beings are made in the image of God, cited by St. Thomas Aquinas as the foundation of human dignity.

Body

The physical, biological form of a human person composed of cells, tissues, and organs governed by natural laws.

Spirit

The intangible, invisible life force or essence of a person, often associated with consciousness, soul, or divine connection.

Dualism

René Descartes' philosophical stance that the physical body and the immaterial spirit (or mind) are separate entities that interact.

Kaluluwa

The spirit concept in indigenous Filipino belief systems that lives in harmony with the physical body and the natural world.

Embodiment

The integration and lived expression of consciousness or spirit through the physical body.

Phenomenology

Maurice Merleau-Ponty's philosophical perspective asserting that humans experience and perceive the world through their embodied physical existence.

Transcendence

Originating from the Latin word 'transcendere' (meaning 'to climb over' or 'go beyond'), it refers to rising above ordinary limits to achieve a higher state of awareness, purpose, or being.

Personal Transcendence

The act of an individual rising above personal trauma, physical limitations, failure, or suffering.

Spiritual Transcendence

Seeking or connecting with something greater than oneself, such as God, the divine, or ultimate truth.