Sign-In
Cart
Is There a Human Nature?
Paperback
PhilosophyGeneral Christianity
ISBN13: 9780268031596
Publisher: University of Notre Dame Press
Published: Dec 15 1997
Pages: 230
Weight: 0.75
Height: 0.52 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
We humans are deeply convinced that there is something distinct about us as a species, but we have never been able to agree on what it is. In the West, the religion of Israel argued that the will is the fundamental vehicle of our relation to God and therefore the determining characteristic of our humanity. Greek philosophy countered with the view that reason is the definitively human characteristic, since humans are the only self-aware animal. Today that unresolved argument is further complicated by the pluralism of contemporary culture and the surprisingly different ways in which different groups understand themselves.
These essays approach the question in two different ways. The first is a philosophical attempt at definition. Bhikhu Parekh agrees that there is a universal human nature but that there is also a nature which is culture-specific and a third which is self-reflective. Daniel O. Dahlstrom argues that we know our nature only when it is recognized by our culture and that the liberal democratic idea of the state both celebrates and threatens the notion of fundamental human equality. Stanley H. Rosen gives a contemporary interpretation of the classical Greek view in proposing that philosophy is an expression of our humanity, an openness to the human love of wisdom. Knud Haakonssen is not ready to endorse any given orthodoxy regarding human nature but argues rather for openness to experimental views and promising hypothesis. Lisa Sowle Cahill defends a feminist interpretation of Catholic moral theology; we must be able to say that the battering of women is everywhere and always wrong. And Robert Cummings Neville notes that being human means having the obligation to take responsibility for our history.
The second group of essays recognizes that we are what we do as well as what we say we are and asks what it means to be genuinely humane. Glenn C. Loury criticizes Murray and Herrnstein's The Bell Curve as advocacy for a particular elitist view of human nature, which he rejects. Ray L. Hart explores the moral fault and fallenness in human nature. Graham Parkes insists that human nature is not morally privileged but must be seen as part of nature taken as a whole. Tu Wei-ming explores the Confucian idea of filial piety as a key to global ethics. Leroy S. Rouner examines Kierkegaard's psychology of sin, and Sissela Bok uses the metaphor of the lifeboat to see what extreme situations reveal about our nature as human beings.
These essays tend to view true humanity as partly given but largely an achievement. Human nature is now more varied than in the past.
1 different editions
Also available
Also from
Rouner, Leroy S.
Also in
General Christianity
The Early Versions of the New Testament: Their Origin, Transmission, and Limitations
Metzger, Bruce M.
Hardcover
The Destiny of Modern Societies: The Calvinist Predestination of a New Society
Zafirovski, Milan
Paperback
The Death of Christ: The Bible and Popular Culture Vs Archaeological and Historical Evidence
Rutledge, Steven
Hardcover
The Gnostic Secrets of the Naassenes: The Initiatory Teachings of the Last Supper
Gaffney, Mark H.
Paperback
A Child Shall Lead Them PB: Martin Luther King Jr., Young People, and the Movement
Burrow, Rufus
Paperback
Pocket Dictionary of Apologetics & Philosophy of Religion: 300 Terms Thinkers Clearly Concisely Defined
Evans, C. Stephen
Paperback
The Jesus Discoveries: 10 Historic Finds That Bring Us Face-To-Face with Jesus
Johnston, Jeremiah J.
Paperback
When God Doesn't Fix It: Lessons You Never Wanted to Learn, Truths You Can't Live Without
Story, Laura
Paperback
The Elijah Mandate: A Call to Courageous Faith in a Hostile World
Piflaks, Tolik
Tsarfati, Amir
Paperback
Tactics, 10th Anniversary Edition: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions
Koukl, Gregory
Paperback
Torn: Why People We Love Are Leaving the Church and What We Can Learn from Them
Strong, Jeff
Paperback
Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation
Kobes Du Mez, Kristin
Paperback
Jesus & Your Mental Health: Linking God's Word and Modern Science to Find Peace about Mental Health
Maxwell Lmft, Rebecca
Paperback
Magnifica Humanitas (Magnificent Humanity): On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence
Leo XIV, Pope
Hardcover
The Promise of Heaven Bible Study Guide: Why You Can Get Excited about Your Eternal Home
Jeremiah, David
Paperback
Backslide: Reclaiming a Faith and a Nation After the Christian Turn Against Democracy
Jones, Robert P.
Hardcover
Friendship in the Lord: A Catholic Classic on Holy Friendship and Life in Christ a Christian Classic
Hinnebusch Op, Paul
Paperback
Determined to Believe?: The Sovereignty of God, Freedom, Faith, and Human Responsibility
Lennox, John C.
Paperback
The Nag Hammadi Scriptures: The Revised and Updated Translation of Sacred Gnostic Texts Complete in One Volume
Meyer, Marvin W.
Robinson, James M.
Paperback
Sounding the Seasons Enlarged Edition: One Hundred and Ten Sonnets for the Christian Year
Guite, Malcolm
Paperback
The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: How to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the Modern World
Comer, John Mark
Hardcover
Making Your Case for Christ Bible Study Guide: An Action Plan for Sharing What You Believe and Why
Strobel, Lee
Mittelberg, Mark
Paperback
The Case for Christ: A Journalist's Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus
Strobel, Lee
Paperback
The War on Reality: Recovering Truth in a World That Celebrates Lies
Turek, Frank
Hayes, Phoenix
Paperback
Magnifica Humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence
Pope Leo XIV, XIV
Paperback
Evidence That Demands a Verdict Bible Study Guide: Jesus and the Gospels
McDowell, Sean
McDowell, Josh
Paperback
Heaven Is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back
Burpo, Todd
Paperback
Bloodline Deliverance Study Manual: How to Set Yourself, Your Family, and Your Bloodline Free from Demons and Curses
Brewer, Andrea
Brewer, Mike
Paperback
The Official Study Guide to I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist
Geisler, Norman L.
Jimenez, Jason
Paperback
Twelve Ordinary Men: How the Master Shaped His Disciples for Greatness, and What He Wants to Do with You
MacArthur, John F.
Paperback
Becoming Like Jesus Bible Study Guide Plus Streaming Video: A Bible Study on the Beatitudes
Chandler, Matt
Paperback
Love Thy Stranger: How the Teachings of Jesus Transformed the Moral Conscience of the West
Ehrman, Bart D.
Hardcover
Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions-A Reader's Edition of the Book of Concord - 2nd Edition
Concordia Publishing House
Hardcover
Did America Have a Christian Founding?: Separating Modern Myth from Historical Truth
Hall, Mark David
Paperback
Imagine Heaven: Near-Death Experiences, God's Promises, and the Exhilarating Future That Awaits You
Burke, John
Paperback
From Genesis to Junia: An Honest Search for What the Bible Really Says about Women in Leadership
Sprinkle, Preston
Paperback
Help Is Here: Finding Fresh Strength and Purpose in the Power of the Holy Spirit
Lucado, Max
Paperback
All-In-One Holy Bible with Apocrypha: 300 Books in Print Plus Audiobook, Videos, and Thousands of Digital Books
Publishing, Dunatos
Hardcover
The Final Flood: Ancient Supernatural Technology, Fallen Angels, and Taking Your Place in the Noah Generation
Ragland, Larry
Paperback
When People Are Big and God Is Small: Overcoming Peer Pressure, Codependency, and the Fear of Man
Welch, Edward T.
Paperback
Every Moment Holy: Death, Grief, and Hope: (Pocket Edition) (Over 100 Prayers and Illustrations for Finding Purpose & Hope During Seasons of Loss or S
McKelvey, Douglas Kaine
Hardcover
The Two Swords of Christ: Five Centuries of War Between Islam and the Warrior Monks of Christendom
Ibrahim, Raymond
Hardcover
Messiah: A Contemporary Adaptation of the Classic Work on Jesus' Life, the Desire of Ages
Thomas, Jerry D.
Paperback
Praying Their Way: 24 Prayer Practices for Kids and the Adults Who Love Them
Owens, L. Roger
Paperback
Mother Emanuel: Two Centuries of Race, Resistance, and Forgiveness in One Charleston Church
Sack, Kevin
Hardcover
The Hardest Sermons You'll Ever Have to Preach: Help from Trusted Preachers for Tragic Times
Zondervan Publishing
Paperback
Your First Two Years in Youth Ministry: A Personal and Practical Guide to Starting Right
Fields, Doug
Paperback