The Importance Of Being Human

“Happiness is in the enjoyment of man’s chief good. Two conditions of the chief good: 1st, Nothing is better than it; 2nd, it cannot be lost against the will” (Augustine 264-267). As human

As Philosophy presents, happiness is the “highest good of a rational nature” and the “state of perfection achieved by the concentration of all goods within it” (page 27, 41). This definition, along with the notion that the supreme cannot be taken away from people, noticeably exhibits that happiness cannot be awarded by earthly gifts from Fortune and is the intrinsic good that lacks nothing outside itself and could achieve everything on its own. True and perfect happiness can only be achieved by the possession of the supreme good in which all goods are possessed. Meanwhile, God is happiness itself because God is the supreme goods as happiness and there cannot be two highest goods which differ from each

Dinesh D’Souza, the author of Staying Human, is originally from Bombay, India. In 1983, he earned his Bachelor’s degree from Dartsworth College. D’Souza is known as a leading conservative thinker, who wrote for numerous magazines, notably the National Review (McGraw-Hill 816). Dinesh D’Souza has generalized Staying Human to inform as well as voice his opinions about the rapidly changing inventions among the human race today, which serves as a rational project to human life in its entirety. D’Souza aimed to point out the specifics in racism and cultural relativism.

The book is neither meant to be a theological treatise nor an academic exposition but a toolkit to unleash human potentials; a resource for intervention in dealing with human life hurts and as a channel of Gods healing and liberation through Jesus Christ.

As Kupperman states, although “happiness” and pleasure are used interchangeably, there is a distinct difference between the two. While pleasure has a direct source of its joy to an object and is typically short lasted at a time, happiness is a general feeling one has over a time period whether it is a season or lifetime. Someone could be happy with only few pleasures or even have experience great pleasure and still lack a positive feeling for life. People would like to experience more “pleasure” if it had the same enjoyed circumstances as before. Kupperman says to determine the most valuable life; it can either be viewed as one with the most pleasure or with the most utility (pleasure minus pain).

It is important because each person deserves respect and each person has their own individual needs. Not every person is the same, and treating a person in the exact same way as everyone else may not be the best way to help show that persons individuality. If you do not recognise and value an individual as a person, you run the risk of devaluing them, and once you’ve done that you also run the risk of them of becoming withdrawn, lacking confidence and upset

According to the classic sense, a life full of happiness is a life that manifests wisdom, kindness, and goodness. However happiness has been twisted by a secular culture and the classic sense has given away to “pleasurable satisfaction”. Pleasurable satisfaction depends on external circumstances going well. Moreland points out that because of this the modern sense of happiness, “pleasurable satisfaction”, is unstable and varies with life’s circumstances. Pleasurable satisfaction becomes increasingly addictive and enslaving if it becomes the dominant aim of one’s life. By contrast, classical happiness brings freedom and power to life as one ought, as one increasingly becomes a unified person who lives for a cause bigger than one’s self. Western culture has been disillusioned into seeking happiness as their main priority in life. Although, happiness is important, when its importance becomes exaggerated, it leads to a loss of purpose in life, and even depression. What Western cultures need to realize is that true happiness can never be achieved. Over the past 50 years, levels of health, wealth, and liberties have increased, but levels of happiness haven’t.

The human life is a long journey, filled with great obstacles. We come across many questions throughout our lifetime. We spend a great amount of time trying to answer and understand questions such as, why do we even exist or wonder what will happen after death. We question why bad things happen to ourselves and the people that we love. We often turn to a higher being or religious figure to help us find comfort and answers to many questions which cannot be resolved within. Selections from Nostra Aetate, Caritas in Veritate: Charity in Truth, and Letter from Birmingham Jail guide us to what it means to live a life of meaning and purpose. Nostra Aetate written by Pope Paul VI reflects the importance and purpose of our life. Charity in Truth by Pope Benedict XVI, aids us to identify what makes us human. Letter from Birmingham Jail supports

The authors seek to elucidate to the masses the concepts of God’s hope, amazing love and the power that emanates from god 's sake to his children. Through the entire work the writers seek to demonstrate through years of experience how people can be in possession of their thought patterns, enhance their decision-making skills to promote the physical and relational self. The book brings out very hefty discussions on life and the various engagements that people make every day of their lives. The book contains concepts like relationships and their dynamics where the authors assert that relationships ought to include God in them because he exists in them (Hawkins & Clinton, 2015 p.112).

“What makes us human?”, is an unanswered question asked by many. Is it because of our ability to have empathy for others? Or is it because of our cognitive ability which allows us to look into the future? One of the main arguments made that separates humans from animals is our communication style; our language. Is language inherently unique to human? To answer such a question, we first operationally define language as; “a system of communication based upon words and the combination of words into sentences” (University of Oslo). The purpose of language is for us to be able to convey an infinite amount of ideas to one another. Sign language in general also falls under this definition as it has a complex system of rules and syntax that allow the signed figures to function as words. Animal communication on the other hand, is operationally defined as, “the transmission of a signal from one animal to another such that the sender benefits, on average, from the response of the recipient” (Pearce 1987). With this in mind, current research has shown that the answer is that language is inherently unique to humans.

Joy, as Reinke explains, is important to the Christian life though. In fact, he goes as far to say that it should be one of the top priorities. But I had never thought about joy as a fight. Before this book, I had always thought of joy as more of an emotion than an actual state of being. But as I read, it finally began to dawn on me how much of a struggle it is to win joy. It is a monthly, daily, hourly

He recommended gaining a rational control over one’s desires, these desires being those that can be harmful to life such as: lust, greed, pride, and power. He argued that the key to human happiness is to turn away from the body and towards the soul. He said that harmonizing the different parts of the soul would produce a divine-like state of inner tranquility that the external world could not alter. A moral life is to be preferred to an immoral life. This view of happiness is linked to other concepts such as justice, virtue, and the ultimate meaning of human existence. Living a moral and just life would lead to a happier life.

Father Himes mentions that there is a difference in being happy and feeling joy. I find that it does not take very much for me to be happy in life, however it is the special moments in life that bring me joy. I am usually joyful when I am going through challenge that specifically makes me have to incorporate all my strengths. I am not talking about challenges like getting a flat tire on the freeway or dealing with plumbing issues. I am talking specifically when

The age old question of what it means to be human can be answered through many viewpoints. There are several specie specific qualities that differentiate humans from any other creature, but with that being said, humans are often compared and contrasted with animals and machines. Some of these specific qualities are the ability to interpret, free will, and the use of language, but what does it really mean to be human?

Encarta Dictionary says that Humanism is a system of thought that centers on human beings and their values, capacities and worth. Encarta also goes on the say that, in philosophy, humanism is an attitude that emphasizes the dignity and worth of an individual. A basic premise of humanism is that people are rational beings who possess within themselves the capacity for truth and goodness. I see myself as a being a humanist through everyday life. I always try to see the good in a person when he/she makes me angry or sad, and say I to myself that maybe that person has had a bad day and living life is difficult at the moment. Socrates was even an early humanist of sorts. He can be quoted as saying, "to know the good is to do the