The Philosophy of Human Nature: Body, Soul, and Senses
The Dual Nature of Man: Body and Soul
Man is a mysterious being composed of body and soul, intimately associated to form a single person.
Man as a Microcosm of Creation
He is a microcosm (a small synthesis of the whole creation). Man has something of all created beings: he has being like stones, life like trees, the sensitivity of animals, and intelligence like the angels. That is to say, he exists like inanimate beings, grows and reproduces like plants, and perceives sensitive objects.
Objects are divided into two categories: sensitive (perceived by the senses) and intelligible (perceived by the intelligence). As an animal, man knows sensible objects and is drawn to them by the sensitive appetite, with its emotions and passions, moving with an immanent (something that emanates from inside) and spontaneous movement.
The Three Dimensions of Human Nature
Man has three dimensions that complement each other to achieve the perfection of the natural order of each human being:
- Vegetative
- Sensitive
- Rational
The Human Soul and the Concept of Person
The human soul is a spiritual substance which, in its being and in its actions, is independent of matter. But while it is united to the body, it uses the bodily organs for the exercise of certain functions.
For all that, the human soul is not a complete substance, nor can it be called a "person". The "I" is neither the body alone, nor the soul alone, but the compound which is the union of both. The soul gives man his entire degree of perfection and also relates him to the act of being by which he exists.
The human soul is not immediately operational. As a substance, it is given to us in the order of being, not in the order of operation. To act, a substance needs powers or faculties (the understanding and the will) which emanate from the essence of the soul as their own root, though we can really distinguish them from the soul and from each other.
The Five External Senses and Their Hierarchy
The external senses are organs that directly perceive the material properties of external things. There are five: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch.
The Hierarchy of Senses by Nobility
By reason of its nobility, sight is the highest sense because of its greater spirituality and remoteness from material objects. Then come, in descending order: hearing, smell, taste, and touch. If by reason of certainty, truth, and light, nothing seems as certain as what we have seen or touched.
The Hierarchy of Senses by Necessity
- For physical life: The primary senses are touch and taste (which are certainly not lacking even in imperfect animals).
- For intellectual and social life: The primary senses are sight and hearing, as nothing causes social isolation as much as blindness and deafness.
The Sensitive Appetite
The sensitive appetite is driven by sensual pleasure and sensual desire.