The Life Principles
The following article summarizes the definition of "person" in the book, Healing the Culture: A Commonsense Philosophy of Happiness, Freedom, and the Life Issues (by Robert J. Spitzer, S.J., Ph.D.). This book provides the curriculum upon which our mission and activities are based.
Defining Personhood
by Marie Harkins and Camille Pauley
Defining what a human person is may seem to be a pretty easy task. But, history is full of examples where certain groups of people have been considered less than human because they didn't measure up to somebody else's standard of what a person should be. This has led to tragic consequences, such as Black slavery in America, the Jewish Holocaust in Nazi Germany, genocide in Cambodia, and forced sterilization and abortion in China. In order to avoid the mistakes of the past, it is important that we come to a complete definition of what it means to be a human person.
How to Define Something
There are four different ways to define something. (These "four ways" are not exactly related to the "four levels of happiness" mentioned in the first article of this series, but each way is necessary for coming to the fullest understanding of what something is.)
"Definition by Appearances" means to define something by its physical manifestation. In other words, we use our five senses to know what something is. What does it look like? Smell like? Feel like? Sound like? Taste like? Of course, this isn't a very satisfactory way to define something, because it's based on descriptions and perceptions rather than on the nature of the object being defined. If I define an acorn by appearances, I would only be able to say that an acorn is hard, green and brown in color, smooth, round, and about an inch tall. But a rock, or a marble, or a plastic acorn could fit that description as well. To get to the real definition of an acorn, we must look to something deeper.
"Definition by Powers" means to define something by what it has the potential to do. For example, an acorn has the potential to absorb water and nutrients, grow, photosynthesize, and reproduce. But lots of plants have these powers. What makes the acorn unique? We need to see how these powers are different from the powers of other plants.
"Definition by Conditions" means to look at the conditions that are necessary to "turn the powers on." The acorn needs soil, nutrients, water, and sunlight in order to grow, photosynthesize, and reproduce. When the conditions are there to turn the powers on, it leads an understanding of what something is for, or what its "end" is.
"Definition by Perfection" is knowing what something is by discovering what its "final end" is. That means asking the question, What was this object meant to be?" or "What will fulfill its highest potential?" This gives us the fullest definition, because it includes everything essential about the object we are trying to define.
For example, an acorn already contains all of the information necessary to form itself as an oak tree. All it needs is for certain conditions to be met (such as the absorption of water, sunlight, and nutrients). In essence, then, an acorn is an oak tree in a state of underdevelopment. "Oak-tree-ness" is already written within the genetic code of the acorn. The acorn already is oak tree, and that is how it is able to manifest itself as an oak tree as its conditions (for water, sunlight, and nutrients) are met.
Subjective vs. Objective Definitions
A subjective definition is one that is grounded in the observer. That means that I am deciding the definition of something (say, an acorn) based on what I think it looks like or acts like.
In contrast, an objective definition is grounded in the object being defined. That means that I am discovering the definition of something (say, an acorn) based on what it reveals about its own "end" or "final purpose." Subjective definitions are lazy definitions, because they don't really get to the heart of the thing being defined. A subjective definition imposes a definition based on what I think the thing appears to be. An objective definition discovers the true definition based on what the thing reveals about its deepest purpose. That sometimes takes time to discover.
If we only look at the physical manifestation of something, or at its apparent powers, we will most likely miss the real essence of what we are trying to define. For example, by all appearances, a compact disc is just a round, plastic disc that doesn't have much use beyond rolling around on the ground or serving as a cup holder (subjective definition). But if we give the compact disc the conditions it needs to reach its fullest potential we discover some amazing things about the object that we couldn't have known by mere appearances. If we insert the disc into the computer it was made for, and turn on a power source, we discover that the round, plastic disc contains valuable information, and perhaps even beautiful music (objective definition).
By focusing exclusively on physical attributes and apparent powers, we limit ourselves to a subjective definitionŠand we miss the whole point. But if we look to the perfection of the object, to what the compact disc was made for, we find an objective definition: "A compact disc is a round, plastic medium which contains electronic information or musical tracks."
Defining Human Persons
Obviously, it would be best for the human community to have the most complete and objective definition of what it means to be a human person. In order to do this, we have to look beyond physical manifestations and apparent powers, and discover the "final end" of the person. What were human beings "meant to be?" What is our highest purpose?
Of course, that all depends on what we think is the highest form of human happiness. As we discussed in the first article, our view of happiness will determine our view of "meaning in life." (If you haven't read about the "Four Levels of Happiness" yet, we encourage you to do that now by clicking here.)
Human Personhood 1
Remember that Happiness Level 1 focuses on physical pleasure and tangible (material) goods. If I am convinced that Level 1 is what makes life worth living, I will probably define the human person as a physical, material being who is meant to enjoy pleasure and avoid pain. I will use subjective appearances to define people. If someone does not look a certain way, or lacks certain physical function, or cannot experience certain pleasures, I may become convinced that he or she is not a person.
Human Personhood 2
Happiness Level 2 is concerned with ego-gratification. So, it focuses on being independent, accomplished, successful, powerful, in control, admired, and popular. If this is what I think it means to be fully happy, I will think that, in order to be fully human, a person has to have the potential to achieve all, or at least some of these subjective things. This puts into question the personhood of the unborn, the elderly, the disabled, the socially marginalized, the poor, and other vulnerable or weaker populations.
Human Personhood 3
Happiness 3 is concerned with contributing to love, goodness, justice, truth, peace, beauty, and unity in the world. If this is what I think the meaning of life is all about, then I will believe that a human person is someone who can participate in the human community by giving and/or receiving love, justice, truth, peace, unity, etc. Since the unborn, the elderly, the disabled, the socially marginalized, the poor, and all other vulnerable people have the potential to participate in these objectives, they would be considered human persons.
Although a Level 3 definition would probably not exclude any human being from personhood, it is not the most complete definition of what it means to be a human person. If we leave our definition at Level 3, and fail to include the very real Level 4 desires of human beings, we risk convincing ourselves that compassion toward someone who is suffering means to take that person's life into our own hands and to end the suffering by doing away with the person.
And so, we need to move to personhood Level 4.
Human Personhood 4
Recall that Happiness 4 is concerned with finding meaning through faith in, and surrender to, Unconditional Love, Truth, Goodness, Justice, Peace, Beauty, and Unity (God). In Level 4, I believe that the meaning of human life is union with the unconditional love of God. Therefore, any being who is created for the unconditional love of God is a person. Since all human beings are made in the image and likeness of God, and therefore created for His unconditional love, all human beings are human persons. A Level 4 definition of personhood, then, defines one's end by the eternal destiny for which each of us was created. A person is defined as any being of human origin possessing a guiding drive toward perfect fulfillment, through relationship with ultimate Love, Truth, Goodness, Justice, Peace, Beauty, and Unity (God).
A Level 3 or 4 perspective of happiness would hold that personhood is not a subjective definition that can be changed as standards of pleasure and competition change. On the contrary, personhood is an objective fact. That is, we are human because of our final destiny, which doesn't change based on what we look like or how we happen to function. If there is ever any doubt about whether or not personhood is present, Level 3 and 4 attitudes direct us to always err on the side of caution rather than take the risk of causing harm to such a valuable being as a human person.
© Copyright 2005 Healing the Culture. All rights reserved. Marie Harkins is past Director of Administration for Healing the Culture and currently contributes to special projects. Camille Pauley is the co-founder and President of Healing the Culture.
The preceding article summarizes the four levels of love in the book, Healing the Culture: A Commonsense Philosophy of Happiness, Freedom, and the Life Issues (by Robert J. Spitzer, S.J., Ph.D.). This book provides the curriculum upon which our mission and activities are based.
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