Lower and Higher Faculties of the Human Person
This is Module 3, Lesson 4, The lower and higher faculties of the human person. This forms part of the course Philosophical and Ethical Foundations of Values Education.
In Philosophy of Man or Philosophy of the Human Person, there is a discussion regarding the lower faculties and higher faculties that are attributed to beings in the world depending on the type of soul. Let`s look into this in this lesson.
The beings in the world are operating based on the type of soul they have. Di ba we learned that the soul is the principle of life? So, ang mga nilalang dito sa daigdig ay nabubuhay depende sa uri ng buhay o soul na meron sila.
Mayroong tatlong uri ng soul: spiritual, sentient, vegetative.
Vegetative soul and its faculties
Unahin natin ang vegetative.
Ang vegetative soul ay ang uri ng buhay na meron ang mga halaman. Nabubuhay sila pero limitado ang kanilang operations.
The vegetative soul has the ability for nutrition, growth, and reproduction.
The object of nutrition is of course FOOD.
The object of growth is development (or quantitative increase).
And the object of reproduction is the asexual and sexual forms of reproduction.
Sensitive soul and its faculties
The second type of soul is the sensitive soul or sentient soul.
Ito ang uri ng buhay na mayroon ang mga hayop.
The sentient beings are capable of nutrition, growth, reproduction, plus, locomotion and perception or sensation.
The object of their locomotion is movement (mostly instinct-driven). The object of sensation is perception using their senses (mostly instinct-driven also).
Rational soul
The third type of soul is the spiritual soul or rational soul.
Ito ang uri ng buhay na mayroon tayong mga tao.
Dahil sa buhay na ito o sa soul na ito, we are capable of nutrition, growth, reproduction, locomotion, sensation, PLUS, intellection, and volition.
The object of our intellection is TRUTH, while the object of our volition or will is goodness.
So, the three corresponding degrees of souls are: vegetative soul for plants; sensitive or sentient soul for all animals; and spiritual or rational soul for human beings.
These are nested in the sense that anything that has a higher degree of soul also has all of the operations of lower degrees. All living things grow, nourish themselves, and reproduce. Animals not only do that but move and perceive.
Humans do all of them, we nourish ourselves, we grow and develop, we reproduce, we move and act, we can perceive through the senses, and above all, we can think and choose.
So, ‘yong mga operation na proper to the lower types of souls (vegetative & sentient) are considered as lower faculties. And operations proper to the spiritual soul, are the higher faculties.
Application to Values Education
So how can we utilize this in Values Education?
Well, we can use this in many ways. We can use this as a framework to teach values; we can use this as a framework to develop research regarding the values of our students; or, we can use this as a point of departure for a deeper reflection of our human capacities gifted with higher faculties in comparison to those lower types of soul.
Halimbawa, sa point of discussion and reflection: anong mga values ang related sa lower faculties? Puro ba katakawan (nutrition)? Kalayasan (locomotion)? Puro pagtugon ba sa pangangailangan ng katawan, ng sensation, ng laman (sensation)? Kaya bang kontrolin ng ating higher faculties ang ating lower faculties? Or kontrolado na ba ng lower faculties ang ating higher faculties? So, ‘yon, point of departure for reflection and discussion.
Isa pang halimbawa, bilang framework naman ng research sa Values Education, anong dominant values ba ng kabataan ang observable sa classroom or sa school? Under lower faculties ba sila or higher faculties? If under lower faculties, what interventions can we propose? If higher faculties naman, what reinforcement can we propose to maintain and improve them?
So, those are just very scanty examples of how we can utilize this in Values Education.
To recap, we talked about the lower and higher faculties of the human person; the three types of souls (vegetative, sentient, and spiritual); we also talked about the operations proper to each type of soul, and the objects of each operation.
For other modules in this course (Philosophical and Ethical Foundations of Values Education), check the links below:
Module 1: Introduction
Module 2: Philosophies of Man
Module 3: Human Nature
Alternatively, you can watch on YouTube this brief lecture on lower and higher faculties of the human person.
References
- Agapay, R.B. (1991). Ethics and the Filipino, A Manual on Morals for Students and Educators. National Bookstore, Inc.
- De Torre, J.M. (1980). Social Morals. The Church Speaks on Society. Southeast Asian Science Foundation, Inc.
- Esteban, E.J. (1990). Education in Values: What, Why, and For Whom. Sinag-tala Publishers, Inc.
- Farrel, W. and Haly, M.J. (1952). My Way of Life. Confraternity of the Precious Blood.
- Lipio, F.C.O.P. (1998). Conscience: A Catholic Filipino View. St. Paul’s Philippines.
- Morga, M.D. (1993). Toward Authentic Morality: An Ethics Textbook for Philippines. National Bookstore, Inc.
- Montemayor, F.M. (1994). Ethics: The Philosophy of Life. National Bookstore, Inc.
- Peschke, K.H. (1996). Christian Ethics: Moral Theology in the Light of Vatican II. Divine World Publications.
- Reyes, R.C. (1989). Ground and Norm of Morality: Ethics for College Students. Ateneo de Manila University Press.
- Rice, C.E. (1996). 50 Questions on the National Law: What It Is and Why We Need It? Ignatius Press.
