Human Nature, Identity, Ethics and Political Life

1. Human Nature and Social Being

Man is an animal and a social being. A human being is a creature of nature and a social being living in groups and organizations. The human being differs from other animals by the ability to create and transmit culture through language and by the conscious awareness of life.

2. Human Condition and Person

The person and the human condition: We are a group that shares the same human characteristics. Moreover, human beings are persons: we have the ability to orient ourselves socially and to choose. We are relational; we need others.

Person's Identity and Dimensions

Person's identity: We are all different and unique. Identity is formed by three main dimensions:

• Physical: This depends on our genetics and the biological traits we inherit.
• Emotional / Affective: Personality and character—feelings, emotions, and desires that originate within us and shape how we relate to things and to other people. These affect mood.
• Moral / Values: The moral criteria or values developed as a person, which are modified over time.

Questions About Being Human

The questions of the human: Being human raises and seeks answers to many questions about the human condition, moral dilemmas, and technical or cultural issues.

3. Personality

Personality is the set of features that shape the way a person acts and is. It forms the way we behave and how we relate to others and our environment.

Feelings

Feelings: The range of emotions, sentiments, and desires that originate within us and give meaning to our relations with people and things. These affect mood and behavior.

Intelligence

Intelligence: The capacity to learn, to adapt, and to overcome new situations and relate to the environment. Intelligence is not only cognitive; there is also emotional, personal, and social intelligence.

Memory

Memory: Memory helps build personal identity and allows us to have an idea of ourselves. Through memory we can evaluate and also rectify errors.

4. Ethical Space and Conditions

The ethical space are the conditions for the development of the person. Three essential conditions are:

• Dignity: Having minimal material and social conditions and not being treated as a means but as an end in itself.
• Equality: Treating others without unjust distinctions based on sex, race, age, or other characteristics.
• Freedom: The individual is responsible for their actions and should not be completely conditioned by external determinants. Freedom is the capacity to act in different ways, although it has some limits imposed by society.

5. Moral, Ethics, Politics

Moral: Morals are the set of values, behaviors, and habits passed down through a group or tradition. They oblige members of the group and tell us what is considered right or wrong. Moral exigencies are distinct from strictly cultural or social practices.

Ethics: Ethics is the philosophical reflection and critical, rational analysis of morals. It consists of criticizing our own moral standards and those of others, reflecting on our lives, and seeking reasons for why we should stand for one idea rather than another.

Politics: Politics concerns the administration and government of a society. It involves participating in public decision-making, using power and moral authority, and analyzing the ideological principles that underpin political action. Politics seeks to address common problems through reasoned debate and dialogue. However, politics can also be used for individual profit; people form opinions for or against policies based on their beliefs and interests.