TOPIC 1:

Nature of Human
Beings
• Religious perspective
• Biological perspective

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NATURE OF HUMAN BEINGS

 what is a human being?

 Do humans have something like a nature?

 If so, in what does human nature consist?

 To say something about what a human being

essentially (or in nature) is, implies saying
something about what humans ought to be

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NATURE OF HUMAN BEINGS: ISSUES
 What specifically makes the human being as a species
different from other species?
 What does it mean to be a person?
 Do human beings have free will?
 How does one understand morality, religion, and
culture?
 How are these elements related to language and to
human self-consciousness (subjectivity)?
 Is religion necessarily connected to humanity?
 Are humans able to act on reasons and principles that
cannot be reduced to causes?
 What is one to think of death?
 What is the basis for human dignity?
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NATURE OF HUMAN BEINGS

 What is human nature?

 It is not simply a question of how humans are

to understand this or that case, but an
articulation of how humans understand, or
ought to understand, themselves.

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HUMAN NATURE –COMMON VIEWS
 The first common view that addresses human nature views the
human as an evolving animal. In this view the basic nature of
the human is materialistic that had no divine plan for the
creation of the human on earth.
 The second view is that the human is a spiritual being. The soul
is over emphasized in this view while the body is nothing more
than an illusion that should be neglected or tortured in order to
free the soul from the shackles of materialism.
 A third approach regards the human as an intellectual being with
an over emphasis on the intellectual qualities of the
human. This view regards intellect as the master of everything
and as the ultimate judge over revelation.
 Fourthly, there is the view that a human is a sinful being. Sin in
this case is essential in human existence, as mankind inherited
sin and is desperately looking for salvation. 6
BUDDHISM ON HUMAN NATURE
 Buddhists believe that all humans are caught in the
Wheel of Dharma. Humans go through many lifetimes
in a cycle of birth and death; this creates situations
which can result in consequences. This happens until
the person is able to free him or herself from the
wheel.
 This belief is similar to the Hinduism belief of dharma
and karma. The only way to get freed from the Wheel
of Dharma is to be free of desire; desire is believed to
be the root of suffering. The Four Noble Truths are
very important to Buddhism.
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BUDDHISM ON HUMAN NATURE
 The Four Noble Truths are very important to Buddhism.
 The first Noble Truth is Dukka: The Noble Truth of Suffering. This states that
life is full of suffering and unhappiness. There is occasional happiness but
they do vanish over time.
 The next truth is Samudaya: The Noble Truth of the Cause of Suffering. This
states that the reason behind suffering is desire.
 The third truth is Nirodha: The Noble Truth of the End of Suffering. This truth
states that a person can end the suffering by becoming aware of his or her
own desires and ending them.
 The last and fourth truth is Magga: The Noble Truth of the Path. This truth
states that by changing one’s thinking and behavior a new awakening can
be reached called the Middle Way. This awakening can be followed in the
Eightfold Path. The Eightfold Path or the Wheel of Law is eight steps for
eliminating dukkha or suffering. If one follows this path then they can put an
end to his or her own karma and be released from continuous rebirths.
There are Five Precepts which ensure right behavior.
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CONFUCIANISM ON HUMAN NATURE
 Confucianism was founded in China. It is a way of life taught by
Confucius. It has greatly influenced spiritual and political life in
China; its influence has also reached Korea, Japan and Vietnam.
 The main principle in this religion is ren or humaneness, showing
great character in accord with li or ritual normas, zhong or loyalty
to a person’s true nature, shu or reciprocity, and xiao or filial
piety. All of these four main principles are called constitute de
(virtue).
 It is associated to have a great optimistic view of human nature;
there is a great belief in this religion that human can become
awe-inspiring sages and worthies. And those humans are
teachable, improvable and can be perfected through the means
of personal and communal endeavor. It doesn’t have any specific
rituals or practices.
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HINDUISM ON HUMAN NATURE
 Hinduism was founded in India. It is India’s dominant religion
and is polytheistic.
 Hinduism is based on the belief of Dharma, Karma, and
Samsara. Dharma is ultimate moral balance of all things. Hindus
believe that each person has the responsibility to balance his or
her own dharma. Dharma includes many areas of life: religious,
social and familial.
 Karma is that a person has to bear the consequences whether it
is good or bad for his or her actions. Hindus believe that living
an ethical and moral life with undisturbed dharma will lead to
happiness for the person.
 Samsara is reincarnation. It is the cycle of life, death and
rebirth; in rebirth the person carries his or her own karma with
them. Each life cycle presents an opportunity for the person to
balance. Good thoughts and actions can liberate a person. 10
HINDUISM ON HUMAN NATURE
 When a person becomes purified he or she goes to Moksha.
Moksha is heaven for Hindus. It is achieved by living a life filled
with religious devotion and moral integrity with no attachment
or interest in material things. It can take many lifetimes to
reach this.
 The Vedas are considered to be one of the most important
sacred scriptures in Hinduism. In Hinduism there is a trinity of
the foremost gods: Brahman, Vishnu and Shiva.
 Brahma is the creator; all gods were originated from him.
Vishnu is the preserver and maintains a balance between good
and evil powers in the universe. He said to have ten avatars or
incarnations. Shiva is the destroyer. He is also known as the
purifier.
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ISLAM’S VIEWS OF HUMAN NATURE
 The Islamic view of the nature of man is also realistic and well-
balanced. Human beings are not believed to be inherently
sinful, but are seen as equally capable of both good and evil.
Islam also teaches that faith and action go hand-in-hand.
 God has given people free-will, and the measure of one's faith
is one's deeds and actions. However, human beings have also
been created weak and regularly fall into sin. This is the nature
of the human being as created by God in His Wisdom, and it is
not inherently "corrupt" or in need of repair.
 This is because the avenue of repentance of always open to all
human beings, and Almighty God loves the repentant sinner
more than one who does not sin at all.
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CHRISTIANITY ON HUMAN NATURE
 Some Christians have also taught the doctrine
of "original sin," in which all humans are born
not only with a predisposition to sinful behavior,
but with an inherently sinful nature. The result
is that every person is born deserving eternal
damnation, whether or not they have actually
committed a sin yet.
 The doctrine of original sin has been especially
emphasized by St. Augustine and most of the
Protestant Reformers; it is rejected by Jews,
Muslims, and some Christian denominations. 13
NATURE OF HUMAN BEINGS
 In Hinduism and Buddhism human nature is partly
understood from the perspective of the self as part of all
that is, and given the task of becoming the non-self.
 both Hinduism and Buddhism affirm that human beings
are related to all that is and, simultaneously, how the
self is essentially divine.
 To overcome individuality and to become part of the
encompassing world is the aim of human life.
 This can be done by transcending the world of the
senses.
 This aim is realized when the self dissolves into the
whole after death, but also can be anticipated in
different forms of meditational practices.
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CONFUCIANISM ON HUMAN NATURE

 Confucianism is characterized by a highly

optimistic view of human nature. Although
Confucius himself lived a rather ordinary life,
the faith in the possibility of ordinary humans
to become awe-inspiring sages is deeply rooted
in the Confucian heritage. T

 he insistence that human beings are teachable,

improvable, and perfectible through personal
and communal effort is typically Confucian 15
NATURE OF HUMAN BEINGS

 Islam is the religion that most strongly stresses

the distinction between God and the world;
humanity is seen as dependent upon God and
God's will.
 God is the creator of humans. The aim of
humanity is to realize this dependence and live
accordingly—i.e., in gratitude toward God.
 . In Islam, sin is understood as disobedience
(ma'siya) and not as rooted in human nature.

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NATURE OF HUMAN BEINGS :
PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVE

 From the ancient Greek philosopher Plato

onwards, the human being alone is able to
understand and grasp rationally the world as it
is in itself, beyond every change.
 Thus, human nature is closely linked to the
ability to think, and to act with thinking as a
guide.

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NATURE OF HUMAN BEINGS :
PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVE

 The central struggle in a person's life is to gain

control over the physical by means of the rational.
 As a consequence, Plato sees the flourishing of
human nature in its ability to control life with
rational means.
 He assumed a dichotomy between body and soul.
The soul is the site of reason, and as such it is
understood as eternal and (partly and potentially)
independent of the body

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NATURE OF HUMAN BEINGS :
PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVE

 Animals are without reason and hence to be

understood according to mechanistic causation
only.
 This view separates the human being sharply
from the rest of nature, and suggests that what
is specifically human cannot be investigated by
the same principles that were utilized by the
emerging modern natural sciences.

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NATURE OF HUMAN BEINGS
BIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

 Recently, the discussion about human nature has

taken a new turn as new developments in biology,
especially genetics, contribute to what can be
called an essentialist view of human nature.
 This implies that what a human being is, or is to
become, is determined by his or her genetic
dispositions.
 Thus, there is an identification of human nature
with the given genetic conditions. T
 his view puts little emphasis on the social impact
on the formation of humans.
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NATURE OF HUMAN BEINGS
BIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

CHARLES DARWIN’S THEORY OF EVOLUTION

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REFLECTION - PHILOSOPHY VIEWS
 The Traditional Theory of Human Nature
The Blank Slate
 The first is the doctrine of the blank slate itself. This states that we have no inherent or inborn
talents or temperaments because the mind is shaped completely by the environment,
parenting, culture, and society. The doctrine of the blank slate denies the existence of innate
ideas, which are with us from birth, shape our psychological profile and determine the sort of
people we become.
The Noble Savage
 The second is the idea of the noble savage which holds that evil motives are not inherent to
people but come from corrupting social institutions. This was developed by the eighteenth
century Enlightenment philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who held the noble savage to be
the natural expression of humanity and in particular the general will. The general will, Rousseau
says, applies to all humanity for it comes from all humanity. Things like civilisation, laws and
social conventions distort and corrupt the true natural expression of the general will.
The Ghost in the Machine
 The third is the notion of the ghost in the machine, which holds that the most important part of
us is somehow independent of our biology. A prime example of this is Descartes’s doctrine that
we are thinking things, independent from but intimately related to our biological bodies. This
means that our ability to have experiences and make choices cannot be explained by our
physiological makeup and evolutionary history.
Steven Pinker is a distinguished research psychologist. He is Peter de Florez Professor in the Department of Brain and 22
 Cognitive Sciences at the MIT
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