This lecture from the summer semester of 1961 is the only surviving introduction to philosophical anthropology by Plessner and thus serves as an important reference point for research. It provided Plessner with the material basis for his well-known treatise "Conditio humana" and offers an extremely clear and illustrative introduction to his anthropological conception. The topics covered include the genesis and function of philosophical anthropology, the problem of language and environment, as well as the concept of the person. A discovery!.