The Western Illusion Of Human Nature

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The Western Illusion of Human Nature

Marshall Sahlins
The Western Illusion of Human Nature Book PDF

Author : Marshall Sahlins
Publisher : Paradigm
Page : 124 pages
File Size : 55,8 Mb
Release : 2008
Category : Social Science
ISBN : UCSC:32106017480564

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The Western Illusion of Human Nature by Marshall Sahlins Pdf

Reflecting the decline in college courses on Western Civilization, Marshall Sahlins aims to accelerate the trend by reducing "Western Civ" to about two hours. He cites Nietzsche to the effect that deep issues are like cold baths; one should get into and out of them as quickly as possible. The deep issue here is the ancient Western specter of a presocial and antisocial human nature: a supposedly innate self-interest that is represented in our native folklore as the basis or nemesis of cultural order. Yet these Western notions of nature and culture ignore the one truly universal character of human sociality: namely, symbolically constructed kinship relations. Kinsmen are members of one another: they live each other's lives and die each other's deaths. But where the existence of the other is thus incorporated in the being of the self, neither interest, nor agency or even experience is an individual fact, let alone an egoistic disposition. "Sorry, beg your pardon," Sahlins concludes, Western society has been built on a perverse and mistaken idea of human nature.

War, Peace, and Human Nature

Douglas P. Fry
War Peace and Human Nature Book PDF

Author : Douglas P. Fry
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 583 pages
File Size : 46,5 Mb
Release : 2015-02
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9780190232467

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War, Peace, and Human Nature by Douglas P. Fry Pdf

"The chapters in this book [posit] that humans clearly have the capacity to make war, but since war is absent in some cultures, it cannot be viewed as a human universal. And counter to frequent presumption, the actual archaeological record reveals the recent emergence of war. It does not typify the ancestral type of human society, the nomadic forager band, and contrary to widespread assumptions, there is little support for the idea that war is ancient or an evolved adaptation. Views of human nature as inherently warlike stem not from the facts but from cultural views embedded in Western thinking"--Amazon.com.

Why We Disagree About Human Nature

Elizabeth Hannon,Tim Lewens
Why We Disagree About Human Nature Book PDF

Author : Elizabeth Hannon,Tim Lewens
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 272 pages
File Size : 54,9 Mb
Release : 2018-06-18
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780192556783

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Why We Disagree About Human Nature by Elizabeth Hannon,Tim Lewens Pdf

Is human nature something that the natural and social sciences aim to describe, or is it a pernicious fiction? What role, if any, does 'human nature' play in directing and informing scientific work? Can we talk about human nature without invoking-either implicitly or explicitly-a contrast with human culture? It might be tempting to think that the respectability of 'human nature' is an issue that divides natural and social scientists along disciplinary boundaries, but the truth is more complex. The contributors to this collection take very different stances with regard to the idea of human nature. They come from the fields of psychology, the philosophy of science, social and biological anthropology, evolutionary theory, and the study of animal cognition. Some of them are 'human nature' enthusiasts, some are sceptics, and some say that human nature is a concept with many faces, each of which plays a role in its own investigative niche. Some want to eliminate the notion altogether, some think it unproblematic, others want to retain it with reforming modifications. Some say that human nature is a target for investigation that the human sciences cannot do without, others argue that the term does far more harm than good. The diverse perspectives articulated in this book help to explain why we disagree about human nature, and what, if anything, might resolve that disagreement.

Owen Barfield

Michael V. Di Fuccia
Owen Barfield Book PDF

Author : Michael V. Di Fuccia
Publisher : Wipf and Stock Publishers
Page : 292 pages
File Size : 55,9 Mb
Release : 2016-10-27
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781498238724

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Owen Barfield by Michael V. Di Fuccia Pdf

In this book Michael Di Fuccia examines the theological import of Owen Barfield's poetic philosophy. He argues that philosophies of immanence fail to account for creativity, as is evident in the false shuttling between modernity's active construal and postmodernity's passive construal of subjectivity. In both extremes subjectivity actually dissolves, divesting one of any creative integrity. Di Fuccia shows how in Barfield's scheme the creative subject appears instead to inhabit a middle or medial realm, which upholds one's creative integrity. It is in this way that Barfield's poetic philosophy gestures toward a theological vision of poiēsis proper, wherein creativity is envisaged as neither purely passive nor purely active, but middle. Creativity, thus, is not immanent but mediated, a participation in God's primordial poiēsis.

What's Left of Human Nature?

Maria Kronfeldner
What s Left of Human Nature Book PDF

Author : Maria Kronfeldner
Publisher : MIT Press
Page : 335 pages
File Size : 47,7 Mb
Release : 2023-10-31
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780262549684

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What's Left of Human Nature? by Maria Kronfeldner Pdf

A philosophical account of human nature that defends the concept against dehumanization, Darwinian, and developmentalist challenges. Human nature has always been a foundational issue for philosophy. What does it mean to have a human nature? Is the concept the relic of a bygone age? What is the use of such a concept? What are the epistemic and ontological commitments people make when they use the concept? In What's Left of Human Nature? Maria Kronfeldner offers a philosophical account of human nature that defends the concept against contemporary criticism. In particular, she takes on challenges related to social misuse of the concept that dehumanizes those regarded as lacking human nature (the dehumanization challenge); the conflict between Darwinian thinking and essentialist concepts of human nature (the Darwinian challenge); and the consensus that evolution, heredity, and ontogenetic development result from nurture and nature. After answering each of these challenges, Kronfeldner presents a revisionist account of human nature that minimizes dehumanization and does not fall back on outdated biological ideas. Her account is post-essentialist because it eliminates the concept of an essence of being human; pluralist in that it argues that there are different things in the world that correspond to three different post-essentialist concepts of human nature; and interactive because it understands nature and nurture as interacting at the developmental, epigenetic, and evolutionary levels. On the basis of this, she introduces a dialectical concept of an ever-changing and “looping” human nature. Finally, noting the essentially contested character of the concept and the ambiguity and redundancy of the terminology, she wonders if we should simply eliminate the term “human nature” altogether.

Why Human Nature Matters

Matteo Mameli
Why Human Nature Matters Book PDF

Author : Matteo Mameli
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
Page : 215 pages
File Size : 48,7 Mb
Release : 2024-01-11
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9781350189775

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Why Human Nature Matters by Matteo Mameli Pdf

Does human nature constrain social and political change, or do social and political changes transform human nature? Why Human Nature Matters argues that the answer to both questions is 'yes'. This philosophical account offers new tools for connecting biological and political perspectives on humanity. The focus is on the construction of human relations and environments, and on the complex materiality of these transformations. The structure and history of the philosophical and scientific debates on human nature show that political praxis and ideas about human nature interact in a variety of ways. Ideas about human nature affect how people live their lives, organize their societies, and imagine their futures. The book explores these processes and their implications for the present state of our species. Appeals to human nature can uphold the status quo or advocate for change, and they can be wielded for exclusion or inclusion. The book proposes ways of thinking about human nature that stress the importance of diversity, plasticity, cooperation, and freedom.

Science Without God?

Peter Harrison,Jon H. Roberts
Science Without God Book PDF

Author : Peter Harrison,Jon H. Roberts
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 304 pages
File Size : 41,6 Mb
Release : 2019-01-03
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780192571540

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Science Without God? by Peter Harrison,Jon H. Roberts Pdf

Can scientific explanation ever make reference to God or the supernatural? The present consensus is no; indeed, a naturalistic stance is usually taken to be a distinguishing feature of modern science. Some would go further still, maintaining that the success of scientific explanation actually provides compelling evidence that there are no supernatural entities, and that true science, from the very beginning, was opposed to religious thinking. Science without God? Rethinking the History of Scientific Naturalism shows that the history of Western science presents us with a more nuanced picture. Beginning with the naturalists of ancient Greece, and proceeding through the middle ages, the scientific revolution, and into the nineteenth century, the contributors examine past ideas about 'nature' and 'the supernatural'. Ranging over different scientific disciplines and historical periods, they show how past thinkers often relied upon theological ideas and presuppositions in their systematic investigations of the world. In addition to providing material that contributes to a history of 'nature' and naturalism, this collection challenges a number of widely held misconceptions about the history of scientific naturalism.

Human Nature in Politics

Graham Wallas
Human Nature in Politics Book PDF

Author : Graham Wallas
Publisher : Transaction Publishers
Page : 344 pages
File Size : 49,7 Mb
Release : 1920
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 1412825695

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Human Nature in Politics by Graham Wallas Pdf

If he had been pressed, Macaulay would probably have admitted that there are cases in which human acts and impulses to act occur independently of any idea of an end to be gained by them. If I have a piece of grit in my eye and ask some one to take it out with the corner of his handkerchief, I generally close the eye as soon as the handkerchief comes near, and always feel a strong impulse to do so. Nobody supposes that I close my eye because, after due consideration, I think it my interest to do so.

Human Beings in International Relations

Daniel Jacobi,Annette Freyberg-Inan
Human Beings in International Relations Book PDF

Author : Daniel Jacobi,Annette Freyberg-Inan
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 395 pages
File Size : 52,6 Mb
Release : 2015-09-11
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9781107116252

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Human Beings in International Relations by Daniel Jacobi,Annette Freyberg-Inan Pdf

Asks how, why and to what ends humans appear in international relations theories and how this makes us interpret world politics.

Sins and Sinners

Anonim
Sins and Sinners Book PDF

Author : Anonim
Publisher : BRILL
Page : 395 pages
File Size : 51,6 Mb
Release : 2012-08-17
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9789004232006

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Sins and Sinners by Anonim Pdf

Asian religious traditions have always been deeply concerned with "sins" and what to do about them. As the essays in this volume illustrate, what Buddhists in Tibet, India, China or Japan, what Jains, Daoists, Hindus or Sikhs considered to be a "sin" was neither one thing, nor exactly what the Abrahamic traditions meant by the term. "Sins"could be both undesireable behavior and unacceptable thoughts. In different contexts, at different times and places, a sin might be a ritual infraction or a violation of a rule of law; it could be a moral failing or a wrong belief. However defined, sins were considered so grave a hindrance to spiritual perfection, so profound a threat to the social order, that the search for their remedies through rituals of expiation, pilgrimage, confession, recitation of spells, or philosophical reflection, was one of the central quests of the religions studied here.

What Is a Human?

John H. Evans
What Is a Human Book PDF

Author : John H. Evans
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 288 pages
File Size : 42,5 Mb
Release : 2016-07-01
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9780190608095

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What Is a Human? by John H. Evans Pdf

What is a human? Are humans those with human DNA, those in possession of traits like rationality, or those made in the image of God? The debate over what makes human beings unique has raged for centuries. Many think that if society accepts the wrong definition of what it is to be human, people will look at their neighbor as more of an animal, object, or machine-making maltreatment more likely. In the longest running claim, for over 150 years critics have claimed that taking a Darwinist definition results in people treating each other more like animals. Despite their seriousness, these claims have never been empirically investigated. In this groundbreaking book John H. Evans shows that the definitions promoted by biologists and philosophers actually are associated with less support for human rights. Members of the public who agree with these definitions are less willing to sacrifice to stop genocides and are more supportive of buying organs from poor people, of experimenting on prisoners against their will, and of torturing people to potentially save lives. It appears that the critics are right. However, Evans finds that few Americans agree with these academic definitions. Looking at how most of the public defines humanity, we see a much more nuanced picture. In a fascinating account, he shows that the dominant definitions are unlikely to lead to human rights abuses. He concludes that the critics are right about the definitions of a human promoted by academic biologists and philosophers, and are therefore justified in their vigilance. However, because at present few Americans agree with these definitions, the academic definitions would have to spread much more extensively before impacting how the general public acts. Evans' book is a major corrective to the more than century-long debate about the impact of definitions of a human.

Islands of History

Marshall Sahlins
Islands of History Book PDF

Author : Marshall Sahlins
Publisher : University of Chicago Press
Page : 202 pages
File Size : 47,7 Mb
Release : 2013-03-06
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9780226162157

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Islands of History by Marshall Sahlins Pdf

Marshall Sahlins centers these essays on islands—Hawaii, Fiji, New Zealand—whose histories have intersected with European history. But he is also concerned with the insular thinking in Western scholarship that creates false dichotomies between past and present, between structure and event, between the individual and society. Sahlins's provocative reflections form a powerful critique of Western history and anthropology.

The Conservation Revolution

Bram Buscher,Robert Fletcher
The Conservation Revolution Book PDF

Author : Bram Buscher,Robert Fletcher
Publisher : Verso Books
Page : 225 pages
File Size : 43,9 Mb
Release : 2020-02-11
Category : Nature
ISBN : 9781788737715

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The Conservation Revolution by Bram Buscher,Robert Fletcher Pdf

A post-capitalist manifesto for conservation Conservation needs a revolution. This is the only way it can contribute to the drastic transformations needed to come to a truly sustainable model of development. The good news is that conservation is ready for revolution. Heated debates about the rise of the Anthropocene and the current ‘sixth extinction’ crisis demonstrate an urgent need and desire to move beyond mainstream approaches. Yet the conservation community is deeply divided over where to go from here. Some want to place ‘half earth’ into protected areas. Others want to move away from parks to focus on unexpected and ‘new’ natures. Many believe conservation requires full integration into capitalist production processes. Building a razor-sharp critique of current conservation proposals and their contradictions, Büscher and Fletcher argue that the Anthropocene challenge demands something bigger, better and bolder. Something truly revolutionary. They propose convivial conservation as the way forward. This approach goes beyond protected areas and faith in markets to incorporate the needs of humans and nonhumans within integrated and just landscapes. Theoretically astute and practically relevant, The Conservation Revolution offers a manifesto for conservation in the twenty-first century—a clarion call that cannot be ignored.

Humans and Their Environment, Beyond the Nature/Culture Opposition

Claude Calame
Humans and Their Environment Beyond the Nature Culture Opposition Book PDF

Author : Claude Calame
Publisher : Transnational Press London
Page : 101 pages
File Size : 43,6 Mb
Release : 2023-04-10
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781801351850

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Humans and Their Environment, Beyond the Nature/Culture Opposition by Claude Calame Pdf

The modern concept of “nature” appeared during the 17th Century: nature as a mechanical object to be submitted to reason man. A long tradition refers to the concept of nature in the Greek phusis. It is referring to a dynamic process that engages in criticizing the modern paradigm of nature as opposed to culture. As it is, the principle of the domination and exploitation by humans of what we consider as nature is at the heart of the ideological, economic and financial models imposed by neoliberal capitalism. Based on the objective of growth, this model shapes and destroys human communities as well as the environment on which they rely and sustain. The climatic urgency as well as the limited capacity of the resources of the earth, require a transition towards an ecosocialism for another world. The anthropological confrontation with the Greek phusis invites to a break with capitalism based on a large scale and speedy use of technologies and with the only objective of financial gain. The result has been destructive productivism. Instead, we have to take into account the complexity of and interactions between human societies and their technical practices in their environment. The survival of one or the other is at stake. In sum, nature is culture. Contents ​​​​​​​Preface to the English Edition. 3 Introduction. 9 Between Nature and Culture. 15 I. Humans and Their Milieu in Ancient Greece. 19 II. From the Enlightenment Philosophers to Modern Anthropologists 37 III. Beyond Anthropological Determinisms: Permeabilities 47 IV. The Human Being and its Environment: Interactive Relationships 57 V. For an Ecosocialist Understanding of Humans and their Milieu. 65

Stone Age Economics

Marshall Sahlins
Stone Age Economics Book PDF

Author : Marshall Sahlins
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 252 pages
File Size : 52,6 Mb
Release : 2020-10-28
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 9781000159875

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Stone Age Economics by Marshall Sahlins Pdf

Stone Age Economics is a classic study of anthropological economics, first published in 1974. Ambitiously tackling the nature of economic life and how to study it comparatively, the book includes six studies which reflect the author's ideas on revising traditional views of the hunter-gatherer and so-called primitive societies, revealing them to be the original affluent society. The book examines notions of production, distribution and exchange in early communities and examines the link between economics and cultural and social factors. It consists of a set of detailed and closely related studies of tribal economies, of domestic production for livelihood, and of the submission of domestic production to the material and political demands of society at large.