WHAT ARE YOU?

Human Nature

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Explain the meaning of human nature;

Explain the meaning of rational nature;
Discuss the views on the essence of human nature;
Enumerate and explain the three-fold levels of
human nature;
Enumerate and explain the parts of human nature;
Discuss the cosmocentric, theocentric,
anthropocentric, existential, phenomenological,
and postmodern approaches to the study of human
nature

HUMAN NATURE

HUMAN NATURE

HUMAN

NATURE

- what is common and proper

to man as man

- aka, essence, is whatever a

thing is or that what makes a
thing what it is

Two Types of Essence

Universal

Individual

- that which can be applied to

each and every member of a
class regardless of individual
differences, i.e., rationality
and animality

- essential and accidental

qualities, i.e., age, color,
height, intelligence, and
social background

HUMAN NATURE

Babor (2003)
- anything that is proper and common to man as man and
which he intrinsically possesses right at his conception.

Buller (2005)
It is a set of characteristics, including ways of thinking,
feeling and acting, that all normal human beings have in
common.
Velasquez (2005)
It refers to what it means to be a member of our species,
what makes us different from anything else.

HUMAN NATURE IS

ONE
STATIC
- Absolutely present - It remains as it is in
in all men
every man from
conception to death.

RATIONAL NATURE

RATIONAL NATURE

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE A RATIONAL

NATURE?
It means that we are fundamentally equipped for
UNDERSTANDING and FREELY CHOOSING.
WHAT DOES THE TERM EQUIPPED IMPLY?
It implies that a being of rational nature does not and/or
cannot always think or will at any instant.
BUT, he is nevertheless FUNDAMENTALLY CAPABLE of
thinking and willing, even through some OBSTACLES which
prevent the exercise of these activities.
EXAMPLES:
Normal Man = An Unconscious Man, a Baby, and a Madman

RATIONAL NATURE VS.

KNOWING NATURE

A rational nature is MORE THAN a knowing nature.

It means that we are fundamentally equipped for
UNDERSTANDING and FREELY CHOOSING.

Knowing nature
Only requires the
internal and external
senses
Leads to senseknowledge

Rational nature
Requires the intellect

Leads to intellectual
knowledge

THE ESSENCE OF HUMAN

NATURE

1. Human nature is essentially

good.
2. Human nature is essentially evil.
3. Human nature is essentially
neutral.
4. Human nature is essentially both
good and evil.

HUMAN NATURE IS
ESSENTIALLY GOOD
Evil is external to human nature; it is primarily located in
the environment, socialization, and the complexity of living in
an ambiguous world.

Mencius (372-289
BCE)

je
n

li

yi

zhi

HUMAN NATURE IS
ESSENTIALLY GOOD

COMMISERATION
Com+misery
The feeling of being moved by the conditions/situations
of others.
This is the beginning of

HUMANHEARTEDNESS.
je
n

HUMAN NATURE IS
ESSENTIALLY GOOD

SHAME AND DISLIKE

HIYA
The feeling of being ashamed.

This is the beginning of

RIGHTEOUSNESS.
yi

HUMAN NATURE IS
ESSENTIALLY GOOD

RIGHT AND WRONG

Correct Judgment

This is the beginning of

zhi

WISDOM.

HUMAN NATURE IS
ESSENTIALLY GOOD

MODESTY
Yielding

This is the beginning of

li

PROPRIETY.

MAN IS ESSENTIALLY
EVIL

HSUN TZU

1) Men are born with love of

gain and profit.
2) Men are filled from birth with
envy and hatred for others.
3) Men, at birth, is endowed with
the desires of the senses.

MAN IS ESSENTIALLY
Neutral

NEUTRAL

man is neither good or bad, but

capable of both
there is no innate tendency
The moral capacity of a person is shaped by
education and guidance

NEUTRAL

Yang Hiung
The nature of man is partly
good and partly bad
We may find today an honest
fellow in him whom we find a
betrayer tomorrow

NEUTRAL

Behaviorism
Human nature is neither good
nor bad, but merely the
product of ones environment.
Human behavior is a series of
stimuli and responses

NEUTRAL

Watson (1930)
Unconditioned reflex vs.
conditioned reflex
Skinner (2011)
Operant Conditioning
(rewards and punishments)

NEUTRAL

Social Biological
Determinism
Human behavior is determined
by biological and social
factors
Inherent human instincts are
not to blame for goodness or

NEUTRAL

Social Biological
Determinism
Galton (1869): Intelligence is a
strict form of inheritance.
The better the genes, the
stronger ones mental
faculties

HUMAN NATURE IS
ESSENTIALLY

BOTH GOOD AND

EVIL

BOTH GOOD AND EVIL

Both qualities (good and evil) are

innate in human beings.
Man, by nature, is morally divided,
ambiguous and contradictory. All his
motivations are mixed and his values
tainted with self-interest.

BOTH GOOD AND EVIL

Su Shih
Man, by nature, is unmoral
neither moral or immoral.
But if so, how can an unmoral
being be a moral being at the
same time?

THE LEVELS OF HUMAN

NATURE

LEVELS OF HUMAN NATURE

Babor (2003)
Somatic Level
Behavioral Level
Attitudinal Level

LEVELS OF HUMAN NATURE

Somatic Level
body, substance, constitution,
bodily structure, color, height,
weight (as conditioned by culture
and environment)
Universal and static

LEVELS OF HUMAN NATURE

Behavioral Level
Mode of acting of every man; the
behavior unique to man from
other grades of being.
Universal and static

LEVELS OF HUMAN NATURE

Attitudinal Level
mental reaction of man to a
given stimulus; his opinion,
feeling or mood.
Universal and yet not static
Universal= all men has a set of
attitudes
Not static= subjectively

PARTS OF HUMAN NATURE

COVEYS (2004) WHOLE

PERSON PARADIGM

Whole
Person
Body
Mind
Heart
Spirit

Four
Needs

Four
Four
Intelligenc Attributes
es
To live
Physical
Discipline
Quotient
To learn
Mental
Vision
Quotient
To love
Emotional
Passion
Quotient
To leave a
Spiritual Conscienc
legacy
Quotient
e