scispace - formally typeset
Search or ask a question

What are the characteristics that define a human person? 


Best insight from top research papers

The characteristics that define a human person include rationality, practical deliberation, training and refinement of emotion and appetite, capacity for practical rationality, responsibility for the disabled or disadvantaged, human language, creativity, experience of suffering, self-possession, dominion of oneself, and representation of one's role in society . Human beings possess unique attributes such as language and the capacity for thought, which provide the freedom to attain knowledge, project and realize intentions, and act upon the world . However, humans also exhibit behaviors of predation and exclusion, which modulate the notions of humanity and the definition of a human person . The concept of a human person is dynamic, open to the future and actions, and transcends motion and time. It is an entity that constitutes existence and intellectual nature .

Answers from top 4 papers

More filters
Papers (4)Insight
The characteristics that define a human person include consciousness, dynamism, relationships, rationality, ideas and impressions, actions, transcendent/spiritual nature, and an interaction between body and spirit.
The paper discusses the concept of a human person in St. Thomas Aquinas. According to Aquinas, a human person is a rational and free individual, representing their role in society.
The paper discusses several characteristics that define a human person, including the ability to take responsibility for others, the use of language, creativity, and the ability to experience suffering.
Book ChapterDOI
21 Apr 2022
The paper discusses that human beings are characterized by rational activities such as theoretical reflection, practical deliberation, and the training of emotion and appetite. These activities distinguish humans from nonhuman animals and gods.

Related Questions

What are the different personality traits of people?4 answersPersonality traits are broad dimensions of individual differences that relate to the way in which people engage with their social worlds. Research has converged on the view that there are five broad personality dimensions: extraversion, neuroticism, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience. These dimensions encompass a number of lower-order traits such as sociability, energy, shyness, dominance/subordination, proneness to anxiety, irritability, reliability, carefulness, persistence, self-control, cooperativeness, consideration, generosity, kindness, politeness, imaginativeness, insight, and aesthetic sensitivity. Each person is thought to have a particular combination of trait strengths. Personality traits predict a range of outcomes including quality of social and family relationships, marital status and satisfaction, occupational choices, political attitudes, and criminality. The five personality dimensions have been found to be relatively stable across different cultures. The idea of personality traits has been present since ancient times, with Aristotle and Theophrastus describing individual differences in dispositions and character traits. Understanding personality traits can help explain and predict an individual's decisions and behaviors, and can improve decision-making by regulating and overriding dispositional tendencies.
What are the characteristics that a person must have to be considered as a person?3 answersA person must have certain characteristics to be considered as a person. These characteristics include self-consciousness, rationality, moral agency, a sense of self, a notion of the future and the past, the ability to hold values and make choices, and the capacity to adopt life-plans. Additionally, a person must have a sense of wants and beliefs, and possess certain capacities such as being able to be addressed and reply. Furthermore, a person is characterized by rationality, self-awareness, tool-making, seekers of knowledge and meaning, moral and aesthetic sensibilities, and propositional attitudes such as beliefs, desires, intentions, and goals. Lastly, a person is proposed to have self-consciousness and organized subjectivity, which are specific domains of psychology.
What is the importance of freedom of the human person?3 answersThe importance of freedom for the human person is multifaceted. Freedom plays a central role in social processes and is essential for human development and welfare improvement. It allows individuals to expand their choices and access human development indicators, protecting them from natural disasters, social problems, and economic issues. Christian morality emphasizes the ontological relationship between freedom and human consciousness, highlighting the need for self-knowledge and dynamic opening to eternal communion. Medieval and modern thinkers argue that freedom is the dependence of the dynamization of the person on their selfness, and natural inclinations do not limit freedom. Islamic education recognizes the importance of freedom in human life and seeks to provide assistance and relief from oppression. Freedom is considered a fundamental demand within human rights and a lofty value in the development of human nature.
What is personhood?4 answersPersonhood is a concept that encompasses the inherent rights, responsibilities, and moral value of human beings. It is a cross-disciplinary concept that has been explored in various fields such as philosophy, psychology, law, medicine, and anthropology. The definition of personhood has been subject to scrutiny and reevaluation due to advancements in medical sciences. Personhood is not an arbitrary convention but a verity of nature, understood and documented by biologists. It is essential for clinical practice and laboratory research in Perinatal Medicine. Personhood is not solely a state of being, but also involves identity and relationality, with relationships playing a crucial role in defining individuals as unique beings. The understanding of personhood is multidimensional, encompassing psychological, sociological, historical, philosophical, theological, religious, and spiritual aspects. A comprehensive understanding of personhood requires a framework that allows for dialogue and consideration of narratives and personal relationships.
3 How would you describe the human person as a "thinking thing? Why?2 answersThe human person can be described as a "thinking thing" because the ability to think and reason is seen as a core aspect of being human. This idea is based on the Cartesian concept that human beings are essentially thinking things. Being a thinking thing involves not only reflexive awareness of one's own ideas but also the ability to give reasons and defend one's beliefs against objections, thus holding epistemic authority. However, it is recognized that the social order can prevent certain individuals, such as women, from meeting the conditions for holding epistemic authority. In order to address this inequality, the conception of thought as a thinking thing is developed into one that is dialogic, cultivated through upbringing, and dependent on a political order.
How would you describe the human person as a "thinking thing? Why?4 answersThe human person can be described as a "thinking thing" because the ability to think and reason is seen as a core aspect of being human. This idea is based on the Cartesian concept that human beings are essentially thinking things. Being a thinking thing involves not only reflexive awareness of one's own ideas but also the ability to give reasons and defend one's beliefs against objections, thus holding epistemic authority. This notion of being a thinking thing is not just up to each individual, but also depends on certain conditions that may go unsatisfied, particularly for women who face epistemic injustice and are often devalued in terms of their rational capacity. The concept of being a thinking thing is also influenced by one's upbringing, social freedom, and self-confidence, and is dependent on a political order.