Human Nature
The Traditional Western view of human nature has its roots in the philosophies of Plato and Aristotle, both of whom espoused the primacy of reason over passion. Those views in turn impacted the Judeo-Christian belief systems. Among the harshest critics of the Traditional Western view of human nature are feminists, who feel that "the rationalist view, and the Judeo-Christian religious view based on it, are sexist," (101). This accusation is primarily based on the commonly-held belief in the association of males with reason, females with emotions. Underlying this connection is an assumption that reason is inherently superior to emotions; hence men are considered to be superior to women. They are farther removed from the "lower," animal life forms, whereas because women embody passions and bodily pleasures, they are closer in nature to the animal kingdom. The feminist critique of the Traditional Western view is twofold: one, reason is not necessarily superior to emotions; and two, even if reason were superior to emotions, men and women both share the faculty of reason equally.
The Traditional Western view also assumes the existence of an incorporeal self, or soul, that exists separate from the body and which is usually deemed superior to it. Many Traditional Western philosophies espouse the view that the body and soul are not just distinct from one another, but are also antagonistic. The pleasures of the flesh are seen as obstacles to spirituality and rationality. Therefore, the body is mistrusted, its desires denigrated. By denigrating the needs and pleasures of the body, Traditional Western philosophers also denigrate women because of the fundamental connection between women and corporeal passions. This association is so ingrained into Western consciousness that it seems almost impossible to change. Unfortunately, the result is a "profound lack of respect for basic aspects of human nature: the body, the appetites, and the emotions," (102). This is one...
Human Nature Throughout history intelligent human beings have tried to better understand exactly what it is that makes people human. Some of the questions that are most frequently asked has to do with a supposed universal human nature, a basic idea which somehow is a part of all people regardless of culture, ethnicity, gender, religion, or whatever other divisive characterization that can be thought of. Human nature refers to the ability
Human Nature Book Summary Jeeves, Malcolm. (Editor) From Cells to Souls -- and Beyond. New York: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2004. According to Michael Steel in the book edited Malcolm Jeeves entitled From Cells to Souls -- and Beyond, the most critical moral and ethical debate of our time is the relationship of the human being as a 'self' or 'soul' (depending on one's preferred cultural, psychological or religious term for describing
In this regard, Sayer advises that: The distinctiveness [of bourgeois capitalism] lies as much in its organization of production. It is the continuous and rational employment of capital in a productive enterprise for the acquisition of profit, especially in industry which is characteristically modern. Bourgeois capitalism alone has produced a rational organization of labor, which nowhere previously existed. Of course, not everyone has experienced the Horatio Alger "Ragged Dick" rags-to-riches story
Human nature allows a person to demonstrate the cognitive, social and emotional behaviors that enable him or her to function in society and satisfy biological, psychological and emotional needs. The drive to display such behaviors is inborn but is shaped through environmental forces. New behaviors are learned and unlearned through experience and instruction. Functional human beings are able to read the situation, identify their goals and select from a repertoire
Human Nature A Comparison of Hobbes' and Plato's Philosophical Views Trying to understand how a philosopher arrives at the reasoned opinions they put on paper is essential to also understanding what they wrote. The how is often a matter of the people they have borrowed from, but that can be an unreliable method of determining the origins of their philosophy also. Two in particular are difficult to judge using the influences they
He exemplifies by saying that anyone witnessing a child about to fall in a well would immediately turn to rescue the child without seeking any advantages in doing so. But while this position has been argued on the grounds that "such an example is not intended to prove that all men will actually take some action in such circumstances" (Allinson apud Chan 1996), Chan has defended Mencius by emphasizing
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now