What Does It Mean?

The actions of ordinary people can be just as evil or wicked as the horrible crimes of a murderer. Sometimes what we see on the outside is completely different from what is really on the inside. No one is perfect, everyone has their faults and some faults are unimaginable.

What does it mean to be human to you? It can be said that humans have differentiated themselves from the rest of our planets life by having expanded their intellect in incredible ways. We have developed systems of mathematics, philosophies, systems of government, and means of transportation. Now, whether our sense of free will is originated from a divine essence or a sense of determinism, no one can argue that the accomplishments of humanity are not amazing. It is of this free will we have learned of morality and love. But no one person has the same exact beliefs as another. Some people’s beliefs are expanded from hate instead of love though. This would then mean that their is no real definition of justice if everyone sense of just is different, correct?

William Andrew Myers, in his essay “Ethical Aliens: The Challenge of Extreme Perpetrators to Humanism” originally published in Colette Balmain and Lois Drawmer’s volume edition of Something Wicked This Way Comes: Essays on Evil and Human Wickedness (2009), examines “extreme perpetrators” and our need to recognize the human in them. Myers supports his idea of “extreme perpetrators” by defining these people through a few expert opinions, categorizing the three central culprits (murderous dictators, serial killers, and ideological killers), and reasons why we distance ourselves from them but should take the time to understand their differences from humane people. The purpose of Myers’ essay is not necessarily to defend dangerous murders’ actions

Mankind has become more intellectual and creative than ever before. The human has learned to adapt and learn new ways of crafting society to be more functional. New sciences and technologies have developed at an exponential rate and then those new ideas blossom off of other ideas. This growth of ideas is similar to the process of dialectic. As this idea develops, counter ideas known as antithesis develop. The thesis and antithesis struggle between one another and convey about a new idea called a synthesis. The Synthesis contains the best of both, but creates a new antithesis as the synthesis ages. Various sciences have gone deep into human research and the makeup of the human anatomy. Scientists have become further innovative and have been able to clone people and make designer babies. Certain drugs and enhancements can also alter the way we act and think as human beings. Amid all these new alterations and being able to create life we have to ask ourselves, what is a human person? Before advanced science and mind altering drugs people would say in many instances that the person is a mind and a soul. There are many different definitions for what a ‘person’ or in many cases what a ‘human being’ is. I decided the best definition for a person to use would be the philosophical definition, which, is a self-conscious or rational being. This is a definition that makes us try to understand what is and what isn’t a person. However, this definition is simple and shouldn’t be our only

I recently completed an anatomy class, and the professor posed a question to us. He said something along the lines of, "The controller of the entire body, its functions, its thoughts, its nerves, of everything, is the brain. How can we be sure all of that is true? That's simply what the brain is telling us is true." So what does it really mean to be human? Is there a correct answer, or are there wrong answers? Is everything that you personally believe correct because there is no definite answer to this perplexing question?

By the definition, “Humanity,” that amounts to a tautology: humanity is that which makes humans human.” (Festa). The humanity of an individual is reflective of its personality. There are characters who are naturally benevolent; some learn through compassion and while others learn through misery. However, in general some are the opposite of benevolent. For instance, some individuals are indeed inconsiderate, arrogant, and most of

A human being is described as being a creature capable of questioning concepts such as “who am I” and “why am I here” in order to give meaning to their existence. (Creech Ph.D., 2015)

At first, to view the world in opposites of good and evil, it would seem that an ordinary person could never approach or commit himself to the atrocities of a genocidal killer. However, before we draw assumptions, it is necessary to define what an ordinary person is, the context they are in and thus the particular circumstances that would lead or allow him to overcome his moral boundaries and act in such ways. A perpetrator, as horrific as that person may be, is still a human being, and to understand that human being we need to bear this in mind. The transformation of an ordinary man into a genocidal killer involves a process of conditioning and choice under a variety of constraints. I will explore how these ordinary people committed such gruesome acts.

Similarly, humans often have to cope with doubt, and the students come to realize they are “different from the normal people outside; we perhaps even knew that a long way down the line there were donations waiting for us. But we didn’t really know what that meant” (pg. 69) In this quote, Ishiguro suggests that a purpose does not solidify one’s meaning in life. Despite knowing their purpose in life is to make donations, the students remain unfulfilled and continue to search for something that feels meaningful to them.

It was a warm, sunny day in Tampa, Florida when my carpool buddy Christian and I were walking from his car to the Plant High School Club Rowing Team Boathouse on the Palm River for one of our six rowing practices a week.

To be human is to accept anyone and everyone for who they are no matter how they appear or act, even in the eyes of evil. To say the flame of evil is always blown out by a wind of truth is an understatement. The wind is a gust of unity, sometimes truth, but mostly kindness. Everyone has it in them no matter if they decide show it or not.

Human beings are not one-dimensional, nor are they two-dimensional. Every individual is a dynamic, three-dimensional person who should be treated and viewed as such. Just as one cannot view only part of a painting and expect to understand the meaning and subject of it, one cannot fully understand a person without taking the whole view into account. However, it is often assumed that the part glimpsed is indeed the whole picture. Though this is commonly done to a wide variety of people, a high percentage of those who have their intentions misconstrued by way of their actions are considered ‘evil’ or ‘immoral’ people.

In his essay “The Concept of a Person,” Charles Taylor poses the argument that our ability to assess and reassess significances and use them to shape ourselves is what

Humans are complex and difficult to understand, few think the same, and beliefs are everything we truly have that belong only to us. We are stubborn, sometimes heartless, other times benevolent and helpful. Humans are neither only moral that choose immoral choices sometimes, nor all cruel that make a noble choice once in a blue moon. People change with their feelings and experiences. These experiences do not define a being and neither do their actions.

Humanity cannot be defined in two simple terms. Two words are not enough to completely encompass everyone and everything, but that is exactly what humans do. It is the duty of humanity to learn and grow which is why mankind must formulate more concise and clear definitions of good and evil. It is flabbergasting that the human species has not been intelligent enough to learn this lesson yet. Continuing, the current definition of evil is too relative to be the same for every human being. Consider the question, do humans have the right to do whatever they can to survive? Secondly, look at Thomas Hobbes’ point of view on the social contract and finally reflect on William Golding’s Lord of the flies for a unique perspective on human nature in extraneous situations.