Human Nature and values - Essay Example

Ghassan Omar Dr Perkins Phil. 150: Human Nature and Values 18 May Human Nature and Values Philosophy The most important point to be learned from the study of philosophy is the ability to figure out one’s place in the scheme of things under varied circumstances, situations, times and scenarios. I think this is because philosophy attempts to analyze the general and specific problems pertaining to human existence like self, values, mind, matter, reason, knowledge, existence, etc. Still, the crux of the matter is that the entities constituting the focus of the discipline of philosophy will have no relevance, in the absence of the mind that ponders upon them.

As mind as it is generally understood is essentially a human entity, so philosophy is primarily the attempt of the human mind to sort out its place in the situation in which it is placed. 2. Human Nature The most important point to be learned from the study of human nature is the essential commonality and sameness of the human nature, irrespective of one’s race, ethnicity, color, religion or nationality. I think this is so because it is a commonly observed fact corroborated by the commonsense that all human beings want to be happy.

No human being wants to be in pain or experience unhappiness. The interesting thing is that at the fundamental level, the things that make most of the human beings happy are more or less same across cultures, religions and nationalities. The values lying at the core of human happiness are the same, be it at a material, spiritual, philosophical or psychological level. 3. Christian View of Human Nature The most important point to be learned from the study of the Christian view of human nature is to place an unwavering faith in the essential goodness of human nature.

I think this is so because it is a well known fact that intentions do play a pivotal role in the world one intends to create. A great number of human problems originate from a deep seated fear lurking in the human consciousness that encourages an individual to approach others with distrust and apprehensions, even when the available facts do not justify such fear. Hence, if one approaches others with a belief in the essential goodness of human nature, the results will mostly be better and will spare an individual the unwanted anxiety and aggression. 4. Plato’s View of Human Nature The most important point to be learned from Plato’s view of human nature is the need to balance the varied constituents of the human nature to lead a happy and fulfilled life.

I think this is so because according to Plato the human nature is the sum total of varied individual constituents that are the mind, spirit and emotions. Varied permutations and combinations of these constituents give way to varied personality types. So the objective of human existence ought to be to seek a balance of the varied aspects of one’s personality so as to achieve happiness and fulfillment in one’s life.