Publication Details
Human Being as Animal Rationale and an Embodied Spirit. Thomas Aquinas and Contemporary Thomistic Perspective
(Original title: Člověk jako živočich rozumový a vtělený duch. Tomáš Akvinský a současná tomistická perspektiva)
Filozofia, 66 (2011), 1, 49-58.Type of work: Papers
Publication language: Slovak
Abstract
The paper is focused on the question whether a human person should be treated as a rational animal or an embodied spirit. The first definition of a human being goes back to Aristotle. In his conception human being is the highest animal, i.e. he is on the top of the hierarchy of material beings. The second definition shows human being on the lowest position in the realm of spirits. Here human being is the lowest and the least perfect among spiritual beings, the only spirit who is submerged into material world. The paper presents and discusses the ideas of W. Norris Clarke, who was influenced by James Etzwiller.
Keywords
Thomas Aquinas – Animal rationale – Embodied spirit – Thomism – Human being
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