NOTES ON MAN

(FFlores, CELegaspi, revised by FFlores 2nd Sem. 2007-08)

A.

Definitions

Man is a being of body and soul, endowed with intelligence and freewill, destined to an end which is God. ( P.Salgado)
Being everything that exist.
Body the material element in man.
Soul (anima) the spiritual element in man
the ultimate intrinsic element by which the body is animated.
life principle that makes living things alive
the principle by which man thinks, feels and wills
principle by which man lives, perceives and understands
Types of Soul and their Functions
1.
2.
3.

Soul of Plants for nourishment, growth and reproduction.

Soul of Animals for nourishment, growth, reproduction, locomotion, and sensation.
Soul of Man nourishment, growth, reproduction, locomotion, sensation, locomotion, rationalization

Intellect faculty of man by which he is capable of knowing and understanding.

Freewill faculty of man by which he can decide.
B.

Theories Regarding the Origin of Man

1.

Theory of Evolution (Secular) man like any other living organism, descended from simple ancestors
whose ancestry can be traced back to an exceedingly simpler form of life.
Evolution process of gradual growth or development of all forms of life. Man is the most complex
product of such development.

a single-cell organism (ultimate beginning of all living things) developed by natural descent to various forms
of life.
Charles Darwin ( British Naturalist) formulated the evolution theory. Theorized that living
organisms developed through natural selection process.
2.

C.

Theological or Creationist Theory - Man originated from God. (Holy Bible, Gen. I: 27) On the 6th day
of creation, man was created in Gods image and likeness to rule over all of His creations. From dust of
the ground, God breath life into his nostrils and man became a living soul.

ESSENCE OF MAN
Essence is that which makes a thing, that thing.
Different Views about the Essence of Man
1.

Rationalistic View points out mans capacity to understand and reason out as his unique attribute
(property/element). It differentiates him from other creatures.

2.

Religious View (Spiritual View) stresses the divine nature of man created by God in his image and
likeness with body and soul.
Soul the spiritual element that enables man to transcend his physical limitations.
- gives him worth and unlimited possibilities.
- makes man a being with great value.
- making man as an end and never to be used as a means.

3.
4.

E.

* labor contracting only policy of the government used man as a means.

Biological View stresses that man is the highest form of life. The peak of evolution
Behaviorist View man is a being that can be manipulated formed, developed in the same way as
other in other animal.
- it believes that all men are by nature similar. They are empty organism with the same neural and
mechanical equipment, waiting to be formed, accidentally or purposely, by forces around them.

Composition of Man
Three Popular Views Regarding the Elements that Constitute Man
1.

Monism man is made up of matter or body and nothing else.

Popular Proponent: the behaviorists
they believe that only the body is factually real. The spiritual nature of man is the working of
the body.
Epiphenomenalism doctrine that views that the mental or the spiritual is the mere by-product of the
physical.
Implication or Effect an individual who believes that man is purely a physical being. He is not
expected to care about what happen to him when he dies. He is not interested in spiritual activities.

2.

Dualism Man is made up of 2 elements matter and spirit or soul.

3.

Tripartite (Christian or Theological View) man is composed of 3 elements body, soul and spirit.
Body the outer or physical element that can be perceived by the senses.
Soul the inner part of man giving life to the body. It activates the mind, emotion and will.
Spirit innermost part of man by which he can recognize and commune with God.
- the immaterial element in man that cannot be experimented.
- the essential part of mans nature, the heart of all human life.
Augustinian (St. Augustine, the Bishop of Hippo) view that man is a great mystery. He cannot be
understood nor be explained but we just believe on this mystery.
Thomasian (St. Thomas Aquinas, the Angelic Doctor of the Church) view man as a creature of
God, composed of Body and soul. These two are separate entities but they interact with each other
regularly. The soul is the first principle of life. Through the Soul, man has intellect (reason) and will
(decision).

F.

Mans Distinctive Traits

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Man uses propositional language, makes sentences and caries on conversations.

Only man is inventive.
Man is a social and political creature
Man is conscious of his history
Man has aesthetic appreciation.
Man is an ethical creature.
Man is a religious being.
- he is related to a transcendent Supreme Being. He worship and communicate with Him. His
relationship is manifested and practiced in religious rites and beliefs.