The Notion of the “Human Person” at the Crossroads of the Understanding of Man Within the Life-World Process

Abstract

In contemporary thought the notion of the “human person” plays the role of a point of reference for understanding the human being. The human being is in our times viewed in concrete terms, that is, not as an abstract model of an entity, but as a living individual struggling for survival with organic life-conditions on the one hand, and world-conditions on the other. Concreteness and flexibility in the notion of the “human person” appear to be most appropriate for the accounting of various features of the human individual, which are approached from different perspectives. Fundamentally, this means: first, to grasp and indicate the distinctiveness of the human being with respect to other living individuals and things, and the modalities of organic and social life; second, to appreciate man’s conduct, aims, and rights with respect to the perspectives of his innermost nature. I would venture to say that, in general, too much stress is placed upon the unique accomplishments of the human being and not enough upon his role among other living beings, which this uniqueness compels him to play. That is, in articulating the notion of the “person,” we seek to establish a new meaningfulness (understanding) of the specificity of the human being with respect to his organic conditions as well as to conditions which the world within which be delineates his life-course sets for that course.