The Philosophy Of Human Nature - 1534 Words

The Philosophy of Human Nature For centuries, the world’s most brilliant philosophers, anthropologists, and theologians have curiously pondered the origins of humanity, and posed the tantalizing question: What does it mean to be human? In 1758, Carl Linnaeus, father of taxonomy, biologically classified human beings as Homo sapiens, the last surviving species of the Homo genus. Linnaeus’ distinction was based primarily on physical similarities in the bodily structures of humans and primates, but would quickly incite a great deal of both skepticism and inquisitiveness regarding the evolutionary history of human beings, even 100 years before Charles Darwin’s On The Origin of Species would suggest that human characteristics were a product of†¦show more content†¦French philosopher, Rene Descartes expanded on Plato’s ideas by construing people as â€Å"thinking spirits†, while German philosopher, Karl Marx, implied that human nature was all about social relations, and could b e best observed via the progression of history. Religion also played a major role in these many diverse perspectives. Judeo-Christians believed that humankind originated from God, bore his divine image, and was instructed to â€Å"rule over all creation.† Adversely, Buddhists and Hindus considered consciousness and desire to be the genuine marks of humanness. These many conflicting interpretations leave the true spirit of human nature ambiguously unclear, but do reveal certain indisputable human qualities. One of which, is man’s age-old fascination with morality. Morality, or ethics, concerns the distinction between what is right and wrong or good and bad behavior. One’s definition of moral conduct may have various influences including, but not limited to, his/her religious beliefs, cultural norms, and personal experiences. Religious individuals traditionally believe that morality comes from God. Throughout sacred religious texts from different parts of the world, notably the Christian Bible, the Jewish Torah, and the Holy Quran of Islam, the virtuous commandments of each belief system’s Supreme Being are professed. Religion sets a rigid framework for morality, and gives people a candid motive to obey its principles. However, morals, as well the notion of GodShow MoreRelatedThe Philosophy Of Human Nature1423 Words   |  6 Pagesgoing to learn about four men known and revered for their philosophical teachings on human nature, unfortunately all four have very different opinions. Human Nature what is it? Where does it come from? Why, after so many years do we still not know the answer? The philosophers Mencius, Husun Tzu, Hobbes, and Locke are all very passionate in their beliefs and have written different arguments trying to prove their philosophy is the correct one. My job is to figure out who is the most convincing and who hasRead MoreThe Philosophy Of Human Nature1140 Words   |  5 PagesJack Dufresne Prof. Brandon Philosophy of Human Nature 1 December 2015 Freedom of the Will The will, in its simplest form, is the ability for one to control one’s own actions. Through the will, the morality of the action is entirely decided by the doer. Augustine professes the will simply permits the doer to do evil. In Socrates’ assertion, free will is contingent on self-control because without it, one can find oneself enslaved to a material thing or desire. Based on reading and prior knowledgeRead MoreSchiller ´s Aesthetic Philosophy of Human Nature799 Words   |  4 Pagesthat is essential for all human beings. In other words, the part’’ is missing the whole’’. Friedrich Schiller on the Sixth Letter of his text On the Aesthetic Education of Man in a Series of Letters’’ gives an example of a culture, which was not wanting. This culture, the Hellenic Greeks, seemed to manage a perfect balance between art and wisdom, and their connection to nature, for they realized art and wisdom were not something of their o wn that detached them from nature, but that they were theRead MorePlato s Views On The Philosophy Of Human Nature1984 Words   |  8 PagesIn this essay, I will debate two different stances on the philosophy of Human nature. The first philosophical position that I will evaluate comes from the perspective of the Athenian philosopher, Plato. First and foremost, Plato’s views integrate the idea of dualism. Dualism, in this regard, means that there is a clear separation of the immaterial substance (the mind) and the material substance (the body). Plato views the soul as the entity or part of us that has the ability to reason and allowsRead MoreHuman Nature and Philosophy in Lord of the Flies by William Golding583 Words   |  2 PagesTwo philosophers of different eras tackle the same topic, human nature, and a great argument breaks out. Is man inherently evil, like William Golding believes? Or is man good at heart but inevitably becomes corrupted by the society he lives in, as said by Jean Jacques Rousseau? Both philosophers have very strong opinions and well reasoning for what they believe. Golding’s views are displayed well throughout his novel, Lord of the Flies; a tale about strong minded, young boys stranded on an islandRead MoreTheories of Human Nature 670 Words   |  3 Pages The theme of this course is theories of human nature, theories of human nature is an historical scope of philosophy. Theories of human nature provides a philosophical analysis into human nature through the investigation of issues, including the mind and body, perceptions and conception, freedom and determinism, death and immortality, the relation of the human to nature and the divine, and reason and emotion (Professor Galgan, Course Syllabus). The two articles written by Dr. Galgan, â€Å"Infinity andRead MoreThe Philosophies Are Confucianism, Mohism And Legalism1497 Words   |  6 Pages Religion and philosophy have been argued upon throughout history. Philosophers and religious leaders have opposing views about how society should behave and be controlled. Just as there are many different religions, there are also many different philosophies each with their own idea about how society should behave and governments should rule. Each philosophy also has a different opinion of human nature. Chinese philosophy began in the fifth century BC with Confucius and changed and evolved as otherRead MoreThe Philosophy of Thomas Hobbs Essay1748 Words   |  7 PagesThomas Hobbss philosophy Hobbes Moral: Thomas Hobbes is known best for his political thought and the English philosopher. The vision of Hobbes for the world is still relevant to modern politics. He always focus the problems of social and political order: that how human beings can keep away the terror of civil and difference to live together in peace and got authorize to decide every social and political matter. Otherwise state of nature anticipate us and closely remind us of civil war where thereRead More Comparing the Philosophy of Life in Christianity and Chinese Buddhism820 Words   |  4 PagesComparing the Philosophy of Life in Christianity and Chinese Buddhism Chinese Philosophy not only is the fruit of thinking of the Chinese nation, but also is the important component part of world culture. In Chinese philosophy, there are three main parts: Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. Among them, Chinese Buddhism, which came from India, experienced a course of sinicization under the influence of Chinese traditional culture represented mainly by Confucianism and Taoism , so it keeps theRead MoreThe Theory Of Human Emotion1561 Words   |  7 Pages Human emotion is often defined as the enemy of pure reason and logic as it may inhibit rational decision-making. Though emotions can seem to limit logical reason at times, emotions only transform reason in different ways. Voltaire in his book, Candide, mocks this inevitable combination of emotion and reason, while Rousseau in Discourse on the Origin of Inequality criticizes it for its effects on society. Human sentiments do not simply impede, but rather they change human reasoning in what that may