PHILOSOPHY OF MAN

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Definition of Philosophy

• Philosophy is a thinking mode or a method which asks questions about the nature and essence of various realities appearing on our earth (Laehy, 2008)

• Philosophy concerns with questions such as:–What is the meaning of life and activity, freedom

and love?. What does one speak about universe, man, God?

Philosophy of Man?

• Philosophy of man which considers what man himself means. It tries to articulate as best as it can what the being or creature we call “man” really is.

• In the past, Philosophy of Man called:– Philosophical of psychology or rational psychology– Term “psychology” is difficult bec etymologically

“psychology” is “a science of the mind”.– Philosophical anthropology (anthropos in Greek means

“man”. It appears more exact bec it denotes the whole human being, spirit and body, mind and flesh.

Difficulty of Philosophy of Man

Two different perspectives: a) Sciences and b) philosophersa) Specific Sciences dealing with man from

perspectives : his origin, physical characteristics, ways of conduct, achievement, diseases and anomalies. (scientific discipline: biology, history, psychology, embryology, anthropology, sociology theology, etc)

b) Philosophers’ conceptions:1. Plato and Plotinos – consider man a divine

human being2. Epicuros and Lucretius – consider man a short-

lived creature, born by chance and then gone altogether

3. Descartes – human freedom resembles the freedom of God

4. Voltaire – human beings does not essentially differ from superior animals.

5. Hobbes – human beings are aggressive and evil in action

6. Rousseau – human beings good by nature.

The different conceptions of those philosophers have brought out the philosophy of man is a neccessity and possibility of study.

Human Nature and Its Characteristics

• Human nature and its characteristics are as the object of Philosophy of Man1) The existence of nature and characteristics

distinguish human beings from other creatures.

2) Typical characteristics of human conduct are different, eg. Africans and Asians.

3) Men of the same culture may have different concepts about: morally good and morally bad