Ruth Benedict Human Nature

* The Origin of Man * The Nature of Man * The Dominion of Man * The Environment of Man

Ruth Fulton Benedict established a system of discipline of cultural anthropology; which by definition means “a set of strategies and assumptions for studying different cultures” (Benedict 112). Benedict assumed there is a correlation between an individual and the society. In “The Individual and the Pattern of Culture,” she explains her careful examination with her colleagues on three different distinguished cultures: The austere Zuni Pueblo Indians, known to be gentle; the Dobu tribe as violent, brutal; and the reputation of Kwakiutl Indians who values hierarchy. Many people around the world have orthodoxy ways of thinking, especially when morals, values, and ethics differ from their own cultures. Without prejudice, Benedict began her

A variety of hypotheses of social evolution and cultural evolution were not uncommon in Europe. The Enlightenment thinkers who preceded Darwin, often argued that societies progressed through stages of increasing development. Other enlightenment thinkers also emphasized that conflict was an inherent feature of social life. In Thomas Hobbes's 17th century portrayal of the state of nature, it seems to parallel the competition for natural resources described in Darwin’s book. The theory of social Darwinism was very notable at the time because unlike other theories of social change it drew from Darwin's distinctive ideas from the field of biology into social studies.

Our existence and cause for placement has been pondered and debated since the beginning of time. A significant period that which said thinking occurred was the Enlightenment, a time where new ideas were being discovered and discussed. During this era, science and mathematics were exploding, with people including Isaac Newton, Gotfreid Leibniz, and Tycho Brahe revolutionizing what we thought we knew. Their works revealed a scientific approach rather than a religious one, indicating an intellectual revolution. The thinkers of this time began to consider how humans inherently behaved and thought, otherwise known as our human nature. Among the most notable authors and their works representing this is: Thomas Hobbes’ ¨Leviathan¨. Andrew Marvell´s

The artwork I chose from the Year 12 Body of Art Exhibition was from the collection titled Human Nature, created by Kelly Robinson. The assortment of pieces explored many different art forms as well as an array of different techniques. I thought the whole collection showed a wonderful connection between people and nature and how much they work alongside each other in our world. The piece I chose to draw was in the form of a sculpture, using black perspects and the laser cutter in the technology department Kelly was able to make a fascinating and intriguing piece. The sculpture is a silhouette of the side of a girls face, we know this because she has her hair in a bun, over the top and in the foreground leaves are printed onto the face and in

Humanity: What is human nature? What is human purpose? What is the root cause of human problems?

The understanding of human nature is the concept that there is a set of inherent distinguishing characteristics, including ways of thinking, feeling, and acting that all humans tend to possess (Winkler, 1996). My basic view of human nature correlates with

Human nature is an uncertain concept which humans themselves have been grappling with since the beginning of their existence. In its definition, human nature envelops and describes the traits of humans as an entire species. The book Life of Pi by Yann Martel challenges previous conceptions about human nature. Martel instead introduces a human nature which is centered around selfishness, faith, and the will to live through significant animalistic metaphors. Selfishness is a trait which appears throughout the book.

Whichcote and Shaftesbury were proposing a different, more optimistic vision of the human nature which conflicted with the strict Calvinist doctrine of original sin. Whichcote was using such ideas to make a theological point that God had created humans with the capacity for goodness. Shaftesbury in his preface was taking a decisive step of translating these ideas from a theological context into a philosophical one. He was setting down a social and benevolent view of human nature that he was to develop in Characteristics. In his preface to the Select Sermons of Dr. Whichcote he begins his attack on Thomas Hobbes and John Locke which he continued in the Characteristics. They have proposed and propagated that the moral ideas originates from the

One historically important tradition in social and political philosophy is called "Social Contract Theory." It gives a way of thinking about what it means to be human, raising fundamental questions such as: what is human nature, in itself, apart from society? Are people fundamentally

During the early 19th century, scientists, archeologist and other scholars, speculated, studied and disagreed about the development of humans and our origins. Some experts theorized that humans are monogenism and developed into various varieties of species. Others argue that we

The nature of man is the discussion on whether man is inherently good or inherently evil. Along with being just or unjust this discussion incorporates the idea of our freedom and how we obtain true happiness. Greek philosopher, Plato wrote The Republic which speaks on human nature. One important question from The Republic is, “Which kind of good leads to happiness?” (Plato,380BC).

Human beings are part of the animal kingdom, and therefore part of nature. If that is true, then everything they create or destroy is by default "natural". I agree with the statement.

What is human nature? It is very simple. Human nature refers to the patterns of behavior that are typical of our species or our kind. Human undergoes change as all humans grow up they nature seems to change; the environment someone grow up in effects that persons nature. To fully understand human nature Dr. Marvin Harris takes us on trip to time, which makes sense because if we better understand our past and our origin we will better understand our very existence and our nature. We will know more about who we are where we are from and such other questions that puzzle the human mind.

As well as being a devoted biologist, botanist, moral philosopher, psychologist, zoologist and many more things besides Aristotle held a view about human nature that he interwove into his concept of virtue theory, this is described at some length in the text Nicomachean Ethics. It is this view on human nature that I intend to explain and discuss throughout this essay with reference to some more recent philosophers to show that Aristotle’s view was not only linked directly to Athenian society but has managed to stand the test of time. A point I will return to later in a yet to posted article ‘Can we Consider Modern Ethics to be Aristotelian or Nietzschean?’, this article is much better written and argues the points in greater detail. I must admit this was in fact a very early work of mine and although some editing has been made it still lacks the strength some of my later pieces possess.