On the History of the Concept of Person
Boethius: Die theologischen Traktate (Meiner, 1988). English edition: The Theological Tractates (Loeb Classical Library).
In the sixth century, Boethius formulated the most famous definition of the person: Rationalis naturae individua substantia — an individual substance of rational nature. This definition is the starting point of a centuries-long history of thought that remains unfinished to this day. The bilingual edition from Meiner makes this foundational text accessible.
Richard of St. Victor: Die Dreieinigkeit (Johannes-Verlag, 2002) (On the Trinity; Latin original: De Trinitate).
In the twelfth century, Richard of St. Victor developed a concept of person that goes beyond Boethius: Intellectualis naturae incommunicabilis existentia — an incommunicable existence of intellectual nature. The decisive point is that Richard places greater emphasis on the relationality of the person than Boethius does. Persons do not merely stand side by side, but are ordered toward one another — they exist in a communio amoris, a community of love. This insight is of lasting significance for our understanding of human personhood.
Martin Brasser (ed.): Person. Philosophische Texte von der Antike bis zur Gegenwart (Reclam, 1999) (Person: Philosophical Texts from Antiquity to the Present).
Anyone looking for an overview of the history of the concept of person, without having to dig through specialist libraries, will find the essentials gathered in this collection of sources: from Boethius through Thomas Aquinas and Locke to the thinkers of the twentieth century. The short introductions to the individual texts are helpful and reliable.
Full bibliographic details in the Bibliography.
Further reading: On the Phenomenon of the Oblivion of the Person →