The definition of human nature plays a very important role in Thucydides" account of the Peloponnesian War. ... According to Thucydides, both of these conflicting ideas stem from this idea of human nature, namely, the inherent goal of the human being is to follow self interest. According to Thucydides, history repeats itself because of human nature. He states that there are "events which happened in the past and which (human nature being what it is) will, at some time or other and in much the same ways, be repeated in the future" (I.22), emphasizing the basic yet ongoing battle of forces w...

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As the author of several well-known works such as "Treatise of Human Nature" (1739-1740), "An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding" (1748) and "Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion," David Hume is one of the most influential figures to hail from Great Britain (Morris). ... Rather than direct our conduct/actions, the abstruse form of philosophy regards "human nature as a subject of speculation" in hopes of finding the "principles that regulate human understanding" (Hume 1). ... Central to the understanding of human nature are two propositions of "relations of ideas"...

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Perhaps Hume's biggest contributions to philosophy come from his first book "A Treatise of Human Nature". In the book, Hume introduces some of his most revolutionary and groundbreaking theories, and these theories help him define and explain how the human brain works. In a "Treatise of Human Nature," Hume states that all complex ideas come from simpler ones, and these simple ideas are formed from impressions we receive through our senses. ... These tools help Hume explain his theories of the human mind in a way so that the average person can understand him. ... In Hu...

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This crisis confronts us with a human self-understanding in relation to nature particular to our time, which has become life threatening to the existence of large sections of mankind as well as of numerous other living beings. ... The human eye is from now on and primarily directed to the interior of the human self and not anymore to the truths of an eternal, cosmic order. ... Human freedom in relation to God and nature, human responsibility concerning one's own salvation become the cornerstones for the secularisation of nature. ... Theologically speaking God's will in creati...

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This question, including the nature of evidence, is one that both W.K. ... Clifford described how dangerous it could be for humans to base a belief on anything but evidence. ... Clifford's argument's strength comes from its relevance to human nature and the human desire to abstain from creating a future predestined to destruction. ... He also claims that our passional nature controls our intellect. ... James says, "Human passions, however, are stronger than technical rules. ...

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It is forever bound to the world by its very nature. ... So I wonder if science at its purest, untainted by intellectual pride and human presumption, would admit its own shortcomings and consider the presence of something beyond its own hands. ... Creation, nature, things we spoke at length about. ... I believe nature should be enjoyed purely and utterly. ... And that picture was nature. ...

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The "state of nature- of human beings was the focal point for many of the 1500th -1900th century philosophers. ... Men were just a part of conflict in nature. ... He wrote that the state of nature is governed by law of nature. ... Locke concluded that humans were by nature free, equal, and independent. ... "Nothing therefore happens in nature which is contrary to its universal laws. ...

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Human reason and freedom can only be source of moral law that is universal and binds everybody. ... Second, it cannot come from basic principles such as cogito because these ideas stay above human reason and cannot be known and represented. ... Will is always conditioned by objects and nature around us. ... Also, since they are innate, they do not come from human reason and are above human freedom, if morality is based on them then our feeling of obligation will become a must rather than a sentiment. ... Our respect to moral law comes from our own nature as a rational being. ...

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The state of human nature, the state of human nature is a state of war and the theory of absolutism. ... The State of human nature is the characteristics or qualities that make human beings different from anything else. ... Hobbes says that humans in nature tend to be curious about the causes of events and we are also anxious about our futures. ... This is still a state of war, only that it is a state of human nature is a state of war. ... The state of human nature, the state of human nature is a state of war and the theory of absolutism. ...

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To begin this line of thought, Spinoza claims that because God and nature cannot be divided, nothing is outside of nature. ... For this reason Spinoza states that "it follows that the human mind is part of the infinite intellect of God (Spinoza, 1992; 70) or put differently, that we are not truly the owners of our thoughts. ... Everything then in the unfolding of nature is necessitated and could not be any other way. ... God therefore is a necessity of his own nature and even he does not have free-will. ... Human action can make a difference however Spinoza is quick to remind us that this ...

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• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Anselm "Why God Became Man" First we must understand that Anselm believed that faith and reason are two sources of human knowledge. ... This concept proves that either by faith or not, the story has no imperfections and by reason we can conclude that God acted in the way he did, by become a Man-God and taking on the lowest form of human nature, born of a woman and died, because it was the best and most fitting way to save man from sin and reconcile man for debt the man could not repay. ... "Do to the immense distance between the natures of God and man one might think that man could n...

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Religious experience must be valued as an important contribution to human life; its truth manifests itself in the wonderful ways in which it enriches human conduct and feelings. ... Without religious ideas, therefore, the quality of human life would suffer greatly. ... Freud acknowledges that through time the roles of Gods and Goddesses have evolved but their tasks have remained generally the same; to protect humanity against the dangers of both nature and fate and to protect humanity against the injuries which threaten us from human society itself. ... Freud suggests that it is natural for h...

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According to Glaucon, in a state of nature men inflict and suffer injustice without restraint. That is simply how human beings are, according to the view he is putting forward. ... According to Glaucon, human nature tends strongly, if not exclusively, towards a desire for self-aggrandizement that really knows no inherent limits. ... Instead, Plato will show (or claim to) that justice is actually the right condition of the human soul or psyche and that it is something demanded by the very nature of human beings. ... Later on, in fact, one of the ways we can examine in order to offer criticisms ...

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According to Hobbes people in the state of nature are equal by nature. ... Hobbes asserts that people are united because of fear of death and social contract provides that power which will control human nature and at the same time provide their safety. ... Besides, he suggested, that the human beings are social animals anyway they would cooperate, since they are so by nature. ... His state of nature is not fixed. ... Human becomes like an animal in the state of nature. ...

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This is to say that theory of anthropocentrism is still evident for stating human beings are the most important entity of the world. ... For them, nature is sacred. ... It could be seen in Taoist philosophy who believed that human beings and nature are co-existence. ... These components include the concept of God, man and nature. ... Unfortunately, man tries to control God and nature. ...

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In the garden, the human condition was simple as it was: 1. Natural - they lived with and in according to nature 2. ... The only problems were forces of nature. ... From life in the garden, humans evolved into life in the city. ... In the city, the human condition was complicated as it was: 1. ...

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The philosophes did not accept the scientific revolutionary notion that the laws of Nature express the will of God. ... The philosophes attacked organized religion because it blocked human reason. ... He travels throughout Europe, South America, and the Middle East, and on the way he encounters terrible natural disasters and even more terrible disasters perpetrated by human beings on their fellow human beings. ... In the state of nature, man is prone to be in frequent competition with his fellow men. ... He joins together with his fellow men to form the collective human presence known as soc...

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The works of Plato and Augustine have many similar and contrasting interpretations of the nature and role of philosophy... Similar to Plato's present that evil does not really exist, Augustine believes that wickedness is not a flaw in God's creation, but instead a misdirection of human will to recognize God's perfection. ... Christ was God in human form, and his death showed God's infinite mercy, as it presented Christians with the fact that God is within reach...

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Daoist believe that the cause for human suffering is attributed to corruption through education and knowledge. ... The fourth norm is keeping to benevolence which is the fearlessness of death and the insignificance of the human world. ... By withdrawing from society, there would be a new focus on nature and the individual self. ... These buildings are causing urban run-off and air pollution that is hurting nature. This is destroying the balance of nature that Daoists are supposed live in and seek to understand. ...

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Simon did not do this so that Piggy would like him; this was simply done for the well being of another human being. It is done out of the good nature of that person. It is easy to say that the nature of mankind is evil, but actually much harder to state that it is good. ... He stated that "society has a corrupting effect on humans and makes them lose or forget the goodness of the Child's Mind, but that it can be recovered." These children lost sight of their good nature while being in a society run by immature adolescence, but if surrounded by a culture with rules and regulation...

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This statement sums up what Heraclitus" philosophy about the nature of being was. ... Heraclitus believed in a universal reason which guides everything that happens in nature and humans, he called this reason God, or logos. ... Heraclitus believed that our sensory perceptions (intuitive feelings) make us aware that changes are indeed occurring in nature. ... Parmenides also rejected change, he assumed that it is impossible for changes to occur if there is nothing from which transitions in nature can occur. ... (Quote derived from The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy) In conclusion...

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Cicero described natural law as the "right reason in agreement with nature of universal application, unchanging and everlasting." ... Both the Aristotelian and Thomist forms of natural moral law are concerned with human purpose as a whole. Aristotle believed that the goal of every human was to achieve "eudaimonia," or all-round flourishing as a human being. ... It is the narrow nature of these precepts that present one of the initial problems encountered when applying natural moral law to business ethics. ... As Kai Nielsen points out "there is no such thing as an essential human nature." ...

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The myth of Zeus's lightening bolts and the necessity to appease the gods with offerings, along with other beliefs, may be said to relate to our human nature. It is our human nature to question; Plato considered the bringing of our existence, the nature of reality, and the notion of the soul. As humans we also seek answers; however the common principle underpinning all religion is the human instinctive intension to seek and possess the ability to influence our fortune on this world and the next. ... Human nature causes us to look to something greater, to question our spiritual placement a...

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Kant and the Theory of Human Knowledge Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) is generally recognized as the greatest philosopher since Plato and Aristotle. During this period philosophers sought to apply the methods of science to the study of human beings. ... Kant views God as omniscient, omnipotent, and benevolent; and immortal human soul; and human free-will. ... The character of his species is this: that nature implanted in it the seeds of discord, and willed that man's own reason bring concord, or at least a constant approximation to it, out of this, In the Idea, this concord is...

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Freud, an aggressive atheist, argues that religion is an idea that we humans have developed as a way of dealing with the powers of nature that can harm us greatly. ... Freud's book starts out with some background of human civilization. ... While we have made continual and great advances over controlling the nature, the management of human relations is not doing well at all. ... In order to defend himself from nature and Fate, Freud states that a man starts out with the humanization of nature. Man gives the nature the characteristics of a father. ...

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• Grade Level: Undergraduate