What Makes Us Human?
Pico della Mirandola in his Oration on the Dignity of Man argues that it is the indeterminacy of Man’s nature that places him above all other animals. It is freedom of choice, that allows him the ability to mold his own nature and makes Man the intimate of Gods. Alas, Sigmund Freud argues that the choices Man makes are controlled by powerful inner drives (the Id), sex being chief among them, that overwhelm the quiet voice of reason (his Ego) and civilization (the Super Ego). Perhaps, however, you prefer the Enlightenment view of man where he starts as a tabula rasa or blank slate at birth and where he then can be molded into something good with the proper environment and education. But what of Nietzsche who argues that the very traditions that most human environments are based on become outmoded, and then divine, and must therefore be killed with a knife? Surely we can rely on Machiavelli, the realist, to get this right. He does argue that Man as Man is capable of being ruled by law but he then goes on to say that Man is also a beast and one must both be a fox and lion to control him. Maybe we should turn to economics to find the answer to what makes us human. Econ. Man is completely rational, weighing the costs and benefits of every decision to determine what course of action gives him the most utility. But, more recently, behavioral economics have concluded—students and teachers take note—that most of us will cheat a little if we think we can get away with it.
So finally, where do you stand on the nature of Man? And is his nature in anyway connected to Imperialism and the year-end play? Food for thought.
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