The human person in Edith Stein’s philosophy

Straipsnyje analizuojama žmogiškojo asmens struktūra Edith Stein filosofijoje. Pristatomos mąstytojos personalistinio ir antropologinio mąstymo įžvalgos. Akcentuojama fenomenologinio metodo reikšmė, apibrėžiant žmogiškąjį asmenį (apimant klasikinę jo struktūrą: kūną, sielą ir dvasią). Gilinamasi, ar, taikant šį metodą, asmens struktūra yra atpažįstama. Analizuojama, kokiu būdu prasmingai išgyvenama žmogiškoji patirtis apie žmogiškąjį asmenį.Edith Stein’s theoretical overview of the human person presented in the article contributes to better understanding of the meaning of phenomenological analysis. The said analysis is carried out by thorough exploration of the subject’s mental reality and soul, i.e. an individual is examined with the aim of bringing out the structure of the human person in the context of the world experienced by him. The structure is presented in compliance with ethical and religious reasoning. The article defines phenomenological analysis as a search for individual’s basic nature through his intersubjective relations. Specific relation, named empatia in Edith Stein’s works, confirms the fundamental correlation of person-I and person-Other. From Stein’s point of view, humans are inevitably connected through a personal-emotional network, primarily ethical and spiritual, due to which each person has a motivated responsibility for another person. That helps to understand the structure of the human person as a three-dimensional construction: the body (corpo), the soul (psyche), and the spirit (spirito). This approach allows understanding better individual’s irreducible value, dignity, and originality, and enables one seeing that one’s personal activity is intentionally directed towards “another person” and the community. Therefore, Edith Stein’s philosophy is undoubtedly significant primarily due to the elevation of the value and significance of the human person