Carosilva 1
Eric Carosilva
Professor Pryba
PHI 150
4 May 2015
Comparative Philosophy Essay
How does the Akan view of human nature compare to the views of Mencius and Xunzi on human nature? Human nature is the characteristics of humans and is what makes us truly extinct. Human being have control of their nature. They have control and are capable of showing their true emotions, feelings, and their thoughts. They express different type of feelings, for example, being happy, feeling sad or depressed, feeling stressed, and many other feelings depending on the situation they are in or they are facing. Humans have control of this; they have control of their feelings. Human nature is responsible for all this. In philosophical view, human is nature
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Mencius admits that human nature is morally good. He also explains how we are born with virtues. These four virtues are also known as the “four roots”, which are, righteousness (yi), benevolence (ren), propriety (li), and knowledge (chin). Mencius also states that these virtues become fully developed as we used them in our lives. As our life goes on, he believes that throughout our life and our existence, that these virtues become more effective as we use them and then become fully developed. “We are born with a faculty of moral intuition, giving rise to feelings that correspond with moral character of events. Our faculty of intuition can be developed and clarified, but it can also become clouded selfish desire. We all have a disposition to virtue, but we must protect and cultivate our intuition to make our feelings good guides to what is right.” (2.2 Pg. 46). This quote explains how Mencius argues that we are born with virtues and they develop. He also explains how our feelings intend us to do the right thing and what we believe what is good. Mencius also states another example about a child falling into the well. According to Mencius, if a child falls into a well and we see it happen, our intentions is to help the child who fell instantly. He characterizes that as his view on how human nature is good. It is good by helping out and doing the right thing. Mencius view …show more content…
The Akan is a tribal group from Ghana, Africa. Where they also have strong philosophical thinkers. In Akan philosophy, they believe that human nature is neutral. Basically clarifying that human nature is what it is. Akan thinkers believe that a person is who he or she is because of who he or she has become. In Akan, they also concluded, “A person is what he is because of what he does, rather than that he does what he does because of what he is… For it would appear that for the Akan what a man is is less important than what a man does… a person is what he is because of his deeds.” (6.2.1 Pg. 196). Based on this quote, in Akan philosophy view on human nature is neutral by a person is because of what he does. They clarify that a person is who he is because of what he has become to. It does not matter when the person is from or what he does for a living. He is who is no matter what. That is what thinkers believe in Akan. That is why they recall that human nature is neutral because “it is what is”. Basically, things are what they are, that is how it goes. Akan philosophical view on human nature is also far superior as Mencius and Xunzi
Mencius and Hsun Tzu had different ideas about it. First of all, Mencius believed that human nature is good from the very beginning of their lives. But he also assumes that human nature is linked to other things like inherent qualities such as moral senses. (2016, 2A.6) For example, Mencius describes the sense of sympathy, sense of shame and sense of respect. (2016, 6A.6) According to Mencius these qualities are with us from the first day to our last day. He supports his idea of innate moral senses, with an example of that is a child falling into a well. He asserts that no one can turn their back on a situation like this. (2016, 2A.6) That example was his evidence to support the existence of moral senses. On the other hand, this wasn’t the case for Hsun Tzu he thought something else. Hsun Tzu assumes that human nature is evil and human nature is built upon benefits. (1963, 1) If people gain profit from that event they will be willing to do that because of their desires. Hsun Tzu asserts that this motivation explains human being’s evil behaviour. (1963, 1) In other words that it is a response to desire. Desire is still causing many problems in world. For example, people steal because of desire for money and people gossip because of their desire to see someone in a bad condition. People have desires and this is the source of the evil inside them. And for the last Hsun Tzu thought that nature is not something you can
Hsun Tzu's philosophy is built from the idea that human beings are by nature inherently evil, and the good they produce will only come through their conscious activity. Hsun Tzu believes that if man follows his nature and indulges in his natural desires, without transforming himself by conscious activity he is doomed to fall victim to his evil nature. "Any man who follows his nature will inevitably become involved in wrangling and strife, will violate the forms and rules of society, and will end as a criminal." Despite the pessimistic tone of Hsun Tzu's message he does propose conscious activity as a solution to man's evil. This paper will examine Hsun Tzu's perspective in light of both Mencius
Human nature can be defined as characteristics, feelings, or traits that of all humans share. Human characteristics and traits can differ from personal cultural background and or by the community that you are surrounded in. The significance of your community and culture is that it can be of importance since it could affect you negatively or positively. Human nature is by origin naturally good but is corrupted gradually or abruptly by the community or religion. Individuals from society and society itself can immensely make an impact on people.
“One touch of nature makes the whole world kin”-William Shakespeare. The relationship between humans and nature is that we are a part of nature. As per the study of human evolution, scientists discovered a wealth of evidence that shows how closely we are related to the other primates. We humans are an animal species: primate order: mammalian class: vertebrate sub-phylum. The study of Human genetics gave a proof that we are connected to each other and also to other organisms which are part of nature. The Earth is a natural thing, with all earthly inhabitants originated on earth naturally, that means we as humans are natural.
Mencius believes that the essential element of both pity and compassion. Mencius states that these two competent are the beginning of humaneness.
Human nature refers to the distinguishing qualities that characterize humankind. The history of human nature reveals to us that people tend to be drawn to power. People use power to exert their dominion over the weak or helpless. Power also motivates some people to engage in savagery acts.
The Nature of Man refers to the distinguished characteristics which humans tend to have naturally. They are traits that each and every human being, regardless of their race, religion, gender, and sexual preference, have since the beginning of Man. The true Nature of Man is one of selfishness and evilness.
According to Aristotle, intellectual virtues belong in the ‘rational’ fragment of the soul and moral virtues lie in the ‘irrational’ measure of the soul However, they are both dependant on reason. Although Aristotle recognised many virtues, he was an advocate for the notion of the existence of only four cardinal virtues. His proposal proved to be popular in the society that he lived in, being acknowledged by Plato and other bodies. The four cardinal virtues are: courage, a virtue which ensures control in the interest of goodness, temperance, a virtue which diminishes wants and desires by limiting them to reason, justice, the only virtue that consists of expressing care for other beings. A human that possesses the virtue of justice has the ability to practise this virtue on other human beings and not solely on themselves. The final and one of the most important virtues is prudence, a logical virtue of practical reason by which we separate the good and the methods of achieving it. Aristotle accentuates that virtues are pragmatic skills and hence experience guides us towards becoming more dexterous in avoiding deficiency. Although familiarity with the vices as extremes supports us in our aspiration for the mean, the wider connotations of the doctrine is that only through experience will we as humans come to know the right pretences and
One of the oldest philosophies in Chinese history is Confucianism. At the time of the warring states, Confucius wandered throughout China seeking a ruler who accepted the Confucian way. Since then, his ideas grew and are still relevant today. Throughout time other philosophers, Mengzi and Xunzi, have interpreted Confucius’ teachings and have long debated whether human nature is good or bad. I argue that human nature is not, as Mengzi believes, inherently good, instead, completely self-interested.
Human nature is what tells us apart from each other and makes us distinctly human. Our nature and understanding is what makes us different from animals and other creations due to our ability to think and reason. No other creature on this earth has that given ability. Our reason gives us the upper hand and allows us to reflect on our nature and behaviors that allows us to make changes and transform. For example, when facing adversity, we have the choice to continue with our struggles or terminate the situation; if we witness someone else’s misfortune, we have the option to follow in their footsteps or avoid making the same mistake. Human nature, gives us the capability to express our emotions, love and connect. It also allows us to display emotions and actions that are not always appropriate like hate, rape, murder and war. Despite our positive sides, as humans we are capable of destruction, competiveness and greed. Although, I strongly feel that a person’s environment and upbringing will shape their life choices, it does not automatically define who they are or
Rather, Mengzi regards men as born with a potential property, which could lead to good moral attributes like ren, yi, li, and zhi. On the contrary, Xunzi argues that men are born with an instinct called xing, which could result in immoral attributes like affection and desire . Nevertheless, the fact that men are born with a property leading to goodness does not contradict the fact that men are born with an instinct leading to badness.
Human nature is something that never seems to change. While humans all seem to be different from one another through physical and emotional attributes, their psychological behaviors are all mostly very similar. In the late 18th century and early 19th century, many authors successfully could explain the characteristics of human nature and the effects that it has on everyone and everything surrounding human beings. Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Edgar Allen Poe all convey the behavior of human nature in separate ways. These three authors show the curiosity, drive for perfection, and fear of human nature throughout their texts in detail. With these characteristics being prominent in human nature itself, it
question. Meno states that, "it is easy to say that a man's virtue consists of
Our behaviors that may be said to be our nature is also depend on the circumstances we encounter in our lives. Such as, it is very rare to find someone who was raised in a dangerous area ahs the same time of nature as someone who was raised in very nice calm area where the biggest crime one could commit is littering.
Through time people have always wondered what it is that makes us who we are. It has been our human nature that has kept us intrigued with ourselves, and our relationships with others. With this curiosity came various interpretations as to our human nature, each changing the way we see the societal world we live in. With each interpretation came a new understanding of people and the relationship they hold with each other. Human nature has been one of the most studied elements of the world we live in. From our nature came the interest of how we as humans interact with each other, through the development of our nature some have served and others had ruled. Three philosophers that have focused their political ideas around human nature