Wojtyla published his magnum opus, The Acting Person , in 1969. The English translation, as is well known, has been severely criticized. What particularly characterizes the book is a rich phenomenological examination of how man dynamically enacts his freedom and intelligence in concrete experience. Wojtyla wants us to understand that a careful analysis of human action reveals the person as the dwelling place of dignity, transcendence, and spirituality. Phenomenology manifests these human characteristics in a way superior to both metaphysics and idealism.
Idealism is defective because it represents an a priori determination of man s interiority.
Metaphysics is often unintelligible because of its high degree of abstraction. Neither properly chronicles the experiential complexity of human action as revelatory of the person. It should be added that, despite Wojtyla s predilection for phenomenology, he regards its conclusions as ultimately confirming the truth of metaphysics. From Wojtyla s major works, the book moves to a review of his conciliar participation. Wojtyla s most important contribution, his role in the discussions of the Polish bishops conference, is not available to us.