The Question of the Person in Three Dimensions: Theology, Philosophy, and Science

Abstract

This article provides a concise historical overview of the concept of «the person» within European culture, examining the formulation of the problem across theology, philosophy, and psychology. The philosophical emphasis on the personal can be traced back to existentialism, which liberated the individual from the hegemony of rationalist thought; however, existentialism failed to produce a systematic theory of personhood. Similarly, personalism — which emerged in response to the cataclysmic events of the early 20th century — served more as a confluence of various humanistic philosophical currents than as a coherent doctrine with a structured scientific framework. Psychology, while frequently employing the term «personality», fundamentally relies on a reductionist interpretation, inheriting the materialistic anthropology characteristic of the 19th century. The article argues that the key to understanding the person lies exclusively in the theological approach, grounded in the mystical‑ascetic tradition of the Church and its dogmatic teachings.