The Nature of Human Persons: Metaphysics and Bioethics
The Nature of Human Persons: Metaphysics and Bioethics examines what constitutes human nature and personal identity. Jason Eberl compares Thomas Aquinas’s account with contemporary theories and considers how they shape bioethical questions about the beginning and end of human life and survival after death.
At a glance
- Compares Aquinas’s account of human nature with substance dualism, emergentism, animalism, constitutionalism, four-dimensionalism, and embodied mind theory.
- Connects metaphysical theories to questions about human identity, conception, death, and survival after death.
- Frames its discussion through both metaphysics and bioethics.
Reference price: $150.00
Price checked: Nov 14, 2026
View offerAhead of Black FridayExplore the selectionPros and cons
Pros
- The comparison of several theories gives readers a structured way to examine competing accounts of human personhood.
- Its discussion links abstract questions about identity to contested bioethical issues across the human lifespan.
Cons
- At 422 pages, the book requires a substantial commitment and is aimed at readers interested in philosophical or bioethical analysis.
Technical specifications
9 specifications| Publisher | University of Notre Dame Press |
|---|---|
| Publication date | June 25, 2020 |
| Edition | 1st |
| Language | English |
| Print length | 422 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 0268107734 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0268107734 |
| Weight listed | 1.35 pounds |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 5.98 x 1.06 x 9 inches |
Who is it for?
A good fit for
- Readers studying metaphysics, philosophy of mind, or bioethics.
- Students and researchers interested in Thomistic philosophy and debates about human identity.
- Readers examining philosophical arguments about the beginning and end of human life.
Less suited to
- Readers seeking a brief, nontechnical overview or a practical clinical handbook.
Customer reviews on Amazon
- 5 stars
77% 77% - 4 stars
23% 23% - 3 stars
0% 0% - 2 stars
0% 0% - 1 star
0% 0%
Aggregate ratings are favorable, but the small number of ratings provides limited evidence about reader experience. No written feedback is supplied, so specific strengths or concerns reported by customers cannot be identified.
Frequently asked questions
What topics does this book cover?
It examines human nature and personal identity, comparing Aquinas’s account with several contemporary theories and considering related bioethical questions.
Does the book focus on one philosophical tradition?
It places Thomas Aquinas’s account of human nature in comparison with substance dualism, emergentism, animalism, constitutionalism, four-dimensionalism, and embodied mind theory.
How long is the book?
The listing gives a print length of 422 pages.
Alternative options
The Nature of Human Persons: Metaphysics and Bioethics (Notre Dame Studies in Medical Ethics and Bioethics)
$45.00
Contemporary Controversies in Catholic Bioethics (Philosophy and Medicine, 127)
$202.52
The Contingent Nature of Life: Bioethics and the Limits of Human Existence (International Library of Ethics, Law, and the New Medicine, 39)
$169.28
Human Dignity and Bioethics (Notre Dame Studies in Medical Ethics and Bioethics)
$40.00
Bioethics and the Human Goods: An Introduction to Natural Law Bioethics
$32.95
Thick (Concepts of) Autonomy: Personal Autonomy in Ethics and Bioethics (Philosophical Studies Series, 146)
$106.70
The Philosophy of Medicine Reborn: A Pellegrino Reader (Notre Dame Studies in Medical Ethics and Bioethics)
$38.00
Anticipatory Corpse, The: Medicine, Power, and the Care of the Dying (Notre Dame Studies in Medical Ethics and Bioethics)
$30.50
Untangling Twinning: What Science Tells Us about the Nature of Human Embryos (Notre Dame Studies in Medical Ethics and Bioethics)
$38.56
Disputes in Bioethics: Abortion, Euthanasia, and Other Controversies (Notre Dame Studies in Medical Ethics and Bioethics)
$30.00
Notre Dame Studies in Medical Ethics and Bioethics
Neuroanatomy in Clinical Practice: Think Like a Neurologist Through Visual Cases, Lesion Localization, and Diagnostic Decision-Making
$62.65
