Human Nature: Soul, Mind, Behavior and Philosophical Views
What Is Man
What is man as first section: the human species or humans. An individual of the species Homo sapiens, without distinguishing whether male or female. For example, "man is born free in dignity and has equal rights."
Human Reality
Human reality: Philosophical and theological traditions offer different accounts:
- Plato: dichotomy (dualism) — the soul is independent of the body. Plato states that the soul is independent, that higher functions (reason, freedom, reflection) are superior; the soul is immortal and belongs to the spiritual realm of mind.
- Aristotle: the soul is the form of the body; soul and body form a unity. For Aristotle, the soul is not a separate substance but the organizing principle (form) of the living body.
- Christian thinkers: teach that the human is the image of God; body and soul are works of God and man is a whole person, a unity of body and soul.
Plato: Soul and Body
PLATO: states that there is a dichotomy or dualism — soul and body. He argues that the soul is independent of the body; higher functions are rightly associated with the soul. Plato holds that the soul is immortal and that the human soul belongs to the spiritual realm of the mind.
Aristotle: Soul as Form
ARISTOTLE: (a disciple of Plato) taught that the soul is the form of the body. Soul and body make a unity (body, soul, and spirit). The spirit can be seen as an emanation from the absolute (the supreme and unconditional idea), while the material body is limitation and can incline to evil when disordered.
Christian Thinkers
CHRISTIAN THINKERS: teach that man is made in the image of God and that body and alma (soul) are works of God; man is a whole person, a unified soul-body being.
A New Vision of Man
A NEW VISION OF MAN: In nineteenth-century Europe there was a clear tendency toward experimentation and pragmatism, rejecting anything not scientifically proven. This shift contributed to a new vision of man.
Spirit and Material Visions
Vision of spirit: emphasizes the immortal soul, reason, reflection, knowledge, feelings, values, and the image of God.
Vision material: emphasizes biological aspects — needs, behavior, and adaptation; man is considered in terms of physiological and behavioral processes.
Some descriptions state that man is like an animal being from the biological perspective; other descriptions emphasize spiritual or rational dimensions.
Objective and Subjective
Objective: refers to reality as it exists independently; objectives are directly observable and can be subjected to external control. Objective knowledge seeks direct demonstration rather than personal interpretation.
Subjective: indicates what belongs to the subject and can only be experienced by that person, the internal way each individual interprets reality.
Introspection and Extrospection
INTROPECTION (Introspection): the first method of study used to obtain psychological knowledge; it has been employed for many centuries.
EXTROPECTION (Extrospection): involves the independent and impartial observer. It values external, objective study and concentrates on observable reactions, focusing on quantitative aspects and the external meaning of behavior.
Conduct and Behavior
WHAT IS CONDUCT: Conduct includes all that the person does, both visible and invisible (internal mental activities and external actions).
Normal and Abnormal Behavior
CONDUCT NORMAL: behavior appropriate to mature and psychologically healthy people.
ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR: behavior that departs from what is typical of mature and psychologically healthy people.
Soul, Mind, Psyche and Conscience
SOUL: an immortal substance of divine origin; it is what makes man truly human in many traditions.
MIND: the intellectual aspect of an individual; the capacities for thinking and reasoning.
PSYCHE: the organized totality of conscious and unconscious processes.
CONSCIENCE: the ability of the person to realize and reflect on his or her own experience.