The man, Philosopy for children of Edicationtal Applications

Man is a creature, i.e., a being created from nothing by the power of God. They are a rational creature, i.e., having reason, intelligence and memory. They can distinguish good from evil, between truth and falsehood, the just and the unjust. Reason is what differentiates man from animals, plants and minerals.

Man is composed of body and spirit. We receive the body from our parents, and the spirit from God. The body is the material part, which we can see and touch. It is composed of different organs and parts such as head, arms, feet, etc.

MARY: That is very easy. They are rational because have intelligence and can think.

A) COMPRENSION TEST. Choose one of these letters: a, b, c. (If the letter turns out in red colour, the answer is correct)

1. God has created man. So man is:
a. creature b. good c. bad
2. Because of having reason, man is:
a. creature b. rational c. animal
3. Man can distinguish good from evil because is:
a. sensitive b. creature c. intelligent
4. Animals and plants have not:
a. senses b. imagination c. reason
5. We receive the body from:
a. parents b. friends c. angels
6. The body is the _____________ part:
a. spiritual b. material c. rational

3. What is the soul?

There is something alive in us, making our arms and feet move; something feeling, knowing, thinking, reasoning and acting freely. But this cannot be done by the body because it is material. We must conclude to be something in us different from our body and that is the soul.

We call it soul, in general, as the basic principle of life for living beings, such as plants, animals and men. But in ordinary language, the word means the human soul.

Human soul is endowed with sensitivity, intelligence and will. Animal soul is neither intelligent nor has free will.

4. Commentary

MARY: I observe that animals, such as dog and cat, are loving and have memory.

JOHN: It is true that animals have sensitivity and feelings, but they can neither speak nor think.

MARY: And have plants got soul too?

JOHN: Of course they have, but it is inferior to that of men and animals. A plant grows, develops and reproduces.

B) COMPREHENSION TEST. Choose the right answer: a, b, c.

1. The body can neither know nor think because it is:
a. spiritual b. material c. mineral
2. What makes we think and reason is:
a. the soul b. the body c. the sensitivity
3. In general, the principle of life is:
a. the body b. the sensitivity c. the soul
4. The vegetative soul can:
a. grows b. thinks c. reasons
5. There is intelligence in the ¬___________ soul:
a. vegetative b. animal c. human
6. Will is characteristic of the ________ soul:
a. vegetative b. human c. animal

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®Arturo Ramo García.-Record of intellectual property of Teruel (Spain) No 141, of 29-IX-1999
Plaza Playa de Aro, 3, 1º DO 44002-TERUEL