PUP PARAÑAQUE – CIVIC WELFARE TRAINING SERVICE

Page | 1

MODULE 2
The Human Person

Prof. Kenneth E. Abaja

 PUP PARAÑAQUE – CIVIC WELFARE TRAINING SERVICE

Page | 2
I. OVERVIEW.

What is a human person? What is the nature of a human person? How does a person attain
his highest potential that can create a positive result towards society?

Even during ancient times, these questions had been consistently raised and evaluated.
Brilliant psychologists, philosophers, theologians, and even natural scientists had written and
made in- depth analyses on the topic of human nature using wide range of theories and
observations. It is essentially difficult to define man. This perspective aims to revisit and challenge,
in all humility, our perception of human nature; and the possibility of achieving a productive society
through the actualization of a person’s highest potential.

II. MODULE OBJECTIVE

At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:

1. Identify the characteristics of a person.

2. Discuss the Maslow Hierarchy of Needs.
3. Understand the 8 Stages of Development of the Human Person.

III. COURSE MATERIALS

When we talk about the human person, it is obviously everything that pertains to man -
physical, spiritual, emotional and intellectual attributes. There are several definitions of a human
person based on different perspectives:

 Aristotle and Boethius described man as a rational being. As rational being, a person is
able to know, reason out and apply what he knows.
 Theologians describe a human person as a substance of physical and spiritual. Spiritual
in nature because man has a soul and is created by a Superior Being with a divine
purpose. Physical in nature, because a person is created with body and faculty that
correspond to his relationship with society.
 Dictionaries define a human person as a living, self-conscious animal or a thing.

To fully understand the meaning of a person, let us re-evaluate and understand the
characteristics of a person:

CHARACTERISTICS OF A PERSON

Eddie Babor discussed in his book “The Human Person, Not Real But Existing” that the
human person have several characteristics, among which are the following:

1. Rational - Every person is a rational being. This is what distinguishes a person from
all other creatures in the world. As a rational being, a person is free to think and has
the capacity to reason. He can distinguish what is right and what is wrong because he
has intellect.
2. Free - All human beings are born free. A person has the freedom to do or not to do a
specific action. However, every person must be responsible for his own action. In other
words, a person can do whatever he pleases but not to the extent of doing harm to his
co-creatures.
3. Unique - Every person is unique. Every person has his own identity such that no two
persons are the same. Generally speaking, human beings have the same

Prof. Kenneth E. Abaja

 PUP PARAÑAQUE – CIVIC WELFARE TRAINING SERVICE

Page | 3
characteristics and physical features and but no two persons are the same because
every person has its own perception, has different sets of values and priorities in life.
4. Social being - Every person is intrinsically a social being. He cannot detach his “being”
from others and all other creatures in the universe. Human nature is characterized by
his togetherness and relationship towards other creatures; be it a thing, object or his
fellowman.
5. Sexual - All created living things are sexual in nature but the uniqueness of expression
of a person’s sexuality makes it all different. The expression of a person’s emotions,
attitudes, feelings, actions and thoughts in sexual activity best exemplifies his
uniqueness from animals.

Considering the characteristics, and their definitions, given above, it can be deduced that a
human person is the ultimate expression of the Supreme Being that has the freedom, capacity
and ability to reason, reflect and relate to his co-existence.

By understanding the character and the definition of a person, the next question would be
“how are we going to maximize these characteristics to be able to create a positive result?”

There are several guiding principles in realizing a person’s competence and ability. The
totality of the person is best explored in the field of humanistic psychology. This study theorized
that a person’s behavior and relationship with others is shaped by his inner feelings and self-
image.

Prof. Kenneth E. Abaja

 PUP PARAÑAQUE – CIVIC WELFARE TRAINING SERVICE

Page | 4
One of the foundations of humanistic psychology is Abraham Maslow and his theory on the
hierarchy of needs as illustrated below:

Source: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/hide-and-seek/201212/our-hierarchy-needs

The hierarchy of needs has five levels, namely:

1. Physiological Level - oxygen, food, water, and clothing is an essential requirement

for our health and survival. Imagine a world without an oxygen for five seconds, all
living things such as human person will start dying. Excretion is the process of
removing wastes and excess water from our body. It is a private activity that we usually
do in comfort rooms, and it is also a part of Physiological level. It must be satisfied first
before moving to higher levels.
2. Safety - it includes property such as home where we can feel safe because of shelter.
Moreover, Employment and Job Security belongs to "safety level." It is to earn a
livilhood and satisfy his basic needs. If a person does not have a stable job, he will
start to problem where he can get or borrow a money to use for his basic needs.
Therefore, he will not feel secured.
3. Social and Belongingness - includes family, friendship, and sexual intimacy.
Personal relationship with friends, family, and lovers has a big role with our lives
because it will satisfy our social and belongingness level. It is about the connections
and supports between you and the people. By having a healthy social life we can avoid
problems and to feel such loneliness, depression, and anxiety.

Prof. Kenneth E. Abaja

 PUP PARAÑAQUE – CIVIC WELFARE TRAINING SERVICE

Page | 5
4. Esteem - there are two esteem needs: The self-esteem that include achievement,
mastery, confidence and the esteem the person gets from others. These include
recognition, respect, attention etc. When these needs are satisfied, the person feels
self-confident and valuable as a person in the world. However, when these needs are
not met, the person may feel inferior, weak, helpless and worthless.
5. Self-Actualization - it is the highest form of motivation. Maslow describes this need
as reaching the person’s peak potential. Individuals like us mostly feel satisfied when
we realize our full potentials. An example of this is knowing what you really want to
be, such as teaching children in a small town, doctors going to small town to help,
being a volunteer in a community project, and many more. It is about reaching our
potentials and understanding our creativity; whether by becoming a painter, politician,
or actor.

As discussed above, Maslow’s theory pointed out that a person must satisfy first the
other lower needs before he can actually realize his self-worth and potential. Accordingly,
when lower needs are unmet, the person cannot fully devote himself to fulfilling his potentials
(Boeree;1988). He theorized that self - actualization is the driving force of human personality.
Thus, a person cannot appreciate intellectual and aesthetic learning when the person is hungry
and his safety is difficult to obtain. “Artistic and scientific endeavors do not flourish in a society
where people must struggle for food, shelter and safety. The highest motive - self-actualization -
can only be fulfilled after all other needs are fulfilled” (Intro to Psych 10th ed by Atkinson, Smith,
Bem, p. 525).

Following Maslow’s theory, Carl Rogers (1902-1987) in his person- centered therapy theory,
believed that every person has within him an inherent desire towards a positive
transformation and development of his capacity. Furthermore, he came to believe that man
is basically good and inherently possesses a seed of goodness no matter how imprudent his
actions are.

The theory of person - centered therapy of Carl Rogers explained that persons are the only
ones able to change the direction of their lives and which path to take. The therapist’s role is to
act as a “sounding board” while the person himself explores and analyzes his problem (Intro to
Psych 10th ed by Atkinson, Smith, Bem, p 523).

Prof. Kenneth E. Abaja

 PUP PARAÑAQUE – CIVIC WELFARE TRAINING SERVICE

Page | 6
In accordance with the view of Roger’s theory, the writer of this article personally believes
that the therapist being referred to should not be restricted to psychologists only, but must also
be identified with the person’s environment and the people surrounding him. In other words, the
role of our society should be a “sounding board” of our reflections in life to be able for the individual
to realize his problem and create his own solutions for it. It is the individual who will eventually
direct his own life and not the people around him.

Prof. Kenneth E. Abaja

 PUP PARAÑAQUE – CIVIC WELFARE TRAINING SERVICE

Page | 7

The stages of development are patterned sequence encompassing appropriate physical,

emotional and cognitive tasks that the individual must muster in a struggle to adjust to the
demands of the social environment.

Each stage should be viewed as a psychosocial crisis or conflict – and whether the conflict
of a particular stage is successfully resolved or not, the individual is pushed by both biological
maturation and social demands into the next stage. The conflict in each stage involves bipolar
tasks such as trust vs. mistrust.

Prof. Kenneth E. Abaja

 PUP PARAÑAQUE – CIVIC WELFARE TRAINING SERVICE

Page | 8
Trust vs. Mistrust (Age: birth-1)

The conflict is centered on developing trust. This is the most fundamental stage in life
because at this stage, the child is totally dependent to their caregivers for everything they need
to survive. They will develop a sense of trust when the caregivers provide reliability, care and
affection but if the caregiver fails to provide the care and love that the baby needs, they will
develop a sense of mistrust, suspicion and anxiety. Success in this stage will lead to the virtue of
hope. Failing to acquire the virtue of hope will lead to the development of fear resulting to have
an anxiety, insecurities and mistrust around the child.

Autonomy vs. Shame & Doubt (Age: 1-3)

The conflict at this stage focuses on developing a sense of personal control over physical
skills, such as toilet training, and a sense of independence. At this point, children are starting to
perform basic actions on their own and making simple decisions about what they prefer. Success
in this stage will lead to the virtue of will. By allowing children to gain control and make choices,
the parents or caregivers can help the child develop a sense of autonomy. But when the children
are always criticized, overly controlled, or not given the opportunity to assert themselves, they
begin to feel lack of self-esteem and a sense of shame and doubt in their abilities.

Initiative vs. Guilt (Age: 4-5)

The conflict at this stage are particularly lively, rapid-developing years in a child’s life.
During this period, children assert themselves more frequently through interacting with other
children at school. If children are given the opportunity to plan and initiate activities with others,
they will develop a sense of initiative and feel secure in their ability to lead others and make
decisions. On the other hand, if this tendency is suppressed by criticism or control, children might
develop a sense of guilt. Success in this stage will lead to the virtue of purpose, while failure
results in a sense of guilt. Too much guilt can make the child slow to interact with others and may
inhibit their creativity.

Industry vs. Inferiority (Age: 6-11)

The conflict at this stage centers on children comparing themselves with others. In this
stage, teachers begin to take an important role in the child’s life as they teach the children specific
skills. If children receive recognitions from their teachers or peers, they will be industrious or
competent but if children always receive negative feedbacks, they start to feel inferior, losing
motivation and doubting his own abilities. Some failure may be necessary so that the child can
develop some modest and a balance competence and modesty is needed. Success in this stage
will lead to the virtue of competence.

Identity vs. Role confusion (Age: 12-19)

The conflict is centered on developing a personal identity. As they transition from

childhood to adulthood, teens may begin to feel confused or insecure about themselves and how
they fit into society. As they seek to establish a sense of self, teens may experiment with different
roles, activities, and behaviors. According to Erikson, this is important to the process of forming a
strong identity and developing a sense of direction in life. Those who are successful develop
fidelity, a psychological virtue characterized by the ability to relate to others and form genuine
relationships.

Prof. Kenneth E. Abaja

 PUP PARAÑAQUE – CIVIC WELFARE TRAINING SERVICE

Page | 9
If the person wasn’t successful at this stage, the person is not allowed to explore and test
out different identities might be left with what Erikson referred to as role confusion. These
individuals are not sure who they are or what they like. They tend to drift from one job or
relationship to another, never really sure what they want to do with their lives. Instead of feeling
a sense of personal cohesiveness, they are left feeling disappointed and confused about their
place in life.

Intimacy vs. Isolation (Age: 20-25)

The conflict at this stage of life centers on forming intimate, loving relationships with other
people. Success at this stage leads to fulfilling relationships. Struggling at this stage, on the other
hand, can result in feelings of loneliness and isolation. Erikson believed that it was vital to develop
close, committed relationships with other people. As people enter adulthood, these emotionally
intimate relationships play a critical role in a person's emotional well-being. When you are
successful at this stage, you gain the support, intimacy, and companionship of another person.
But sometimes things don't go so smoothly. You might experience rejection or other responses
that cause you to withdraw. It might harm your confidence and self-esteem, making you warier of
putting yourself out there again in the future.

If the person is not successful at this stage it results into loneliness. Loneliness can affect
overall health in other ways. For example, socially isolated people tend to have unhealthier diets,
exercise less, experience greater daytime fatigue, and have poorer sleep.

Generativity vs. Stagnation (Age: 36-64)

The conflict at this stage is the strive to create or nurture things that will outlast them.
During this time, adults strive to create or nurture things that will outlast them; often by parenting
children or contributing to positive changes that benefit other people. Life events tend to be less
age-specific than they are during early-stage and late-stage life. The major events that contribute
to this stage such as marriage, work, and child-rearing can occur at any point during the rather
broad span of middle-adulthood. Generativity is frequently realized through having and raising
children. Those who are successful during this phase will feel that they are contributing to the
world by being active in their home and community.

If the person is not successful at this stage it results into Stagnation. Stagnation refers to
the failure to find a way to contribute. These individuals may feel disconnected or uninvolved with
their community and with society as a whole.

Ego integrity vs. Despair (Age: 65-Death)

The conflict at this stage centers around on questioning whether or not the individual has
led a meaningful, satisfying life. The onset of this stage is often triggered by life events such as
retirement, the loss of a spouse, the loss of friends and acquaintances, facing a terminal illness,
and other changes to major roles in life. Those who feel proud of their accomplishments will feel
a sense of integrity. Successfully completing this phase means looking back with few regrets and
a general feeling of satisfaction. These individuals will attain wisdom, even when confronting
death.

Those who are unsuccessful during this phase will feel that their life has been wasted and
will experience many regrets. The individual will be left with feelings of bitterness and despair.

Prof. Kenneth E. Abaja

 PUP PARAÑAQUE – CIVIC WELFARE TRAINING SERVICE

Page | 10
The definition and characteristics of a person, the presumptions of Carl Rogers, Abraham
Maslow and Erik Erikson that had been analyzed are simply guiding principles and motivations
to better understand ourselves and examine our potentials. As JFT Bugental pointed out, “man’s
life has greater possibilities but not realized”. In other words, there are many opportunities await
each person and he is blind enough not to notice those opportunities.

As discussed previously, the person himself is the best qualified in changing and directing
his life. He has always been given an alternative whether to do or not to do an act but this action
should be accompanied by responsibility.

Being human, our dealings may not always be positive but that does not negate our value
as a person. Self-actualized persons allow their innate positive values to transform further and
realize that by understanding his self-first is the best way that he can effectively relate to others.

Furthermore, every person must be guided by the understanding that he exists in this world
achieving his temporary assignments. Each person should start now by utilizing his gifts and
talents in obtaining his goals to positively transform and help others realize their worth as person
themselves. He must make use of it and fulfill the greatest challenge that the Supreme Being has
bestowed upon him.

WORKS CITED

 Agas, De Leon and Ricafuente. MAPUA CWTS-Module 1

 https://www.verywellmind.com/erik-eriksons-stages-of-psychosocial-development-
2795740
 https://reasonandmeaning.com/2017/01/18/summary-of-maslow-on-self-transcendence/
 https://humanorigins.si.edu/human-characteristics

Prof. Kenneth E. Abaja