INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON
2QTR, WEEK 5
LESSON: My Body
INTRODUCTION
This lesson starts where it should be starting in the philosophical
understanding of the nature of man – the body. In philosophy, it is understood
that man’s nature is duality. That is, the human person is viewed as a
combination of two distinct reality, the body which is material and a non-
material component. In theology, this duality is known as the body and the soul.
In philosophy, the dual component is called a body and a subject.
Phenomenology treats the body-subject as a compliment. The integration of the
two is highly stressed. There union is reflected in the day-to-day activities of the
individual and his/her interactions with the other and the world. In this
background is where embodiment sets in.
What is Embodiment?
In philosophy, embodiment refers to having, or being associated with a
body. It is a feature of existence of many entities and perhaps all entities. The
term embodiment applies only to entities with both have a body and a subject.
For instance, there may exists bodies, such as stones, asteroids that are not
bodies of any particular subjects; perhaps there may be entities which is non-
body form but exist only as a non-material if you call it (i.e., spirit, ghost, angel,
etc.) are not included as ‘embodied’ entities.
Always remember that each topic discussed in philosophy has
philosophical issue related to it. We call this as philosophical problem.
Identifying the philosophical problems are helpful because this limit the scope
of the concept being studied. In embodiment some of the main problems are:
(1) What is the relationship of embodiment to being and to individuality?
(2) Is embodiment a necessary condition of being? Of being an individual?
(3) What is the essence of a body?
(4) How it differs from matter?
(5) What are the theological dimensions of embodiment?
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The Limits of My Body
The fundamental feature of human existence can be summarized in the
phrase “man is a being-in-the-world.” The human person is part of the universal
being, in a cosmic but not in a mystic sense. We can also say that man is only
part of a vast array of entity that exists in the material universe. To exist in this
world whether living or non-living, they must have a body (i.e., material body).
The human person is an embodied subjectivity, in other word, a human person
consists of awareness embedded in his “physical” body.
The human person, being an embodied subjectivity has both limitations
and possibilities. In this lesson, we will only discuss such limitations. Some of
the person’s limitation as a body are:
1. My body is my opening to the world.
▪ The first datum that I am aware of myself is the experience of my body.
▪ My body is my opening to the world; it is thru my body that I communicate
with other bodies and the world.
▪ I cannot directly see my body but I see other’s body.
▪ I can only aware of my body when something goes wrong with it (i.e.,
headache, stomach pain, etc.)
▪ As I develop work skills my life becomes richer but as I become sick or old
these skills are lost and my life loses important meaning. The body which
opens door in my life also closes them.
2. My body gives me perspective.
▪ A human standpoint in the world. I see things around me from my own
standpoint.
▪ My body is mine. I cannot share my body with other body. Whatever I do
good or bad things, it is a product of my body and always attributed to
me. The responsibility is always mine.
▪ My death is mine. I cannot delegate my death to someone. It is always my
own death.
3. My body is a precursor to my existence.
▪ My presence is only available through my body. I can relate with other
bodies because I have a body.
▪ I can only affirm that something exists because I can see its body; the
presence of a body spells its existence;
▪ In death, the embodied subjectivity or the human person disappears, what
remain is the cadaver.
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4. My body can be seen is an object and instrument.
▪ As an instrument: It is thru my body that I extend to the world (i.e., holding
hands; giving alms to beggar, turning the light switch on etc.)
▪ As an object: I am aware of my body as an object of my sensation. I look at
my hands to see if they are dirty; I see myself in the mirror to see if my hair
needs combing. In these cases, the body becomes like an outside object
which I observe.
▪ What are the other things that I can extend my body?
Figure 1. Graphic Summary of the Limits of My Body
References
Moga, Michael D., S.J. (1989). Invitation to wonder: an introduction to
philosophical thought. Manila: Solar Publishing Corporation.
Plummer, Ken. (2016). Sociology: the basics. 2nd ed. London: Routledge.
