Human Nature: Midterm

4 views of human nature

Materialist; Rationalist; Religious; No-self view.

How do materialists answer the 3 subquestions?

1. Humans have only one physical part (matter). 2. Humans are determined and do not have free will. 3. There is no best part of being human.

How does rationalism answer the 3 subquestions?

1. According to Plato, humans have three parts: reason (mind), appetite (desires), and spirited element (aggressive/assertive nature). 2. Humans have free will when reason is in control. 3. Reason is the best part of being human.

Definition of to reason

To think reflectively and draw conclusions, looking back and remembering.

Free will

The ability to have made a different choice.

Determined

Could not have chosen another option, route, or decision.

Rationalists believe humans are free if…

Their reasoning is in control.

Plato's 3 parts of humans

1. Reason — mind. 2. Appetite — desires (stomach). 3. Spirited element — aggressive/assertive nature (chest).

Religious answers to the 3 subquestions

1. Humans have a non-material part (soul). 2. Humans have free will. 3. The best part of being human is the ability to love and serve God.

Problems with the religious view

1. The view depends on belief in God. 2. If God knows everything, how can humans be free? If God knows the future and has a plan, this raises questions about free will.

No-self view answers to the 3 subquestions

1. There is no permanent non-material self. 2. Humans can choose what they do, feel, and how they act. 3. There is no predetermined best part of being human; individuals create their own.

Problems with the no-self view

The view raises questions about emotions: are emotions things that overcome us, or ways we choose to perceive the world?

Problems with materialism

1. Some people believe God and a non-material soul exist, although these cannot be conclusively proven. 2. Thoughts, emotions, and consciousness are difficult to explain as purely physical matter. The brain producing mental states does not by itself prove mental states are material.

Mind-body problem

If humans have both material (body) and non-material (mind/soul) parts, how can something non-material cause physical effects on the body?

Descartes' answer to the mind-body problem

Descartes proposed that the pineal gland connects the material body and non-material mind. This explanation has been rejected. Parallelism is another proposed answer: mind and body operate in parallel without directly causing changes in each other.

Value

Something worthy or worthwhile. Examples include family, friends, health, education, and money.

Extrinsic values

Things worthwhile because they help us obtain something else; a means to an end.

Intrinsic value

Something worthwhile for its own sake, rather than as a means to something else.

What is often considered the only intrinsic value?

Happiness, because many other things people pursue are valued partly for the happiness they bring.

Turing Test

Tests whether a machine can imitate human conversation well enough that a person cannot reliably distinguish it from another human. Raises questions about intelligence and consciousness.

Searle's response to the Turing Test

AI can manipulate symbols according to rules without necessarily understanding what the symbols mean.

Basic argument form

Premise 1 (factual claim); Premise 2 (factual claim); Conclusion (the point being argued or proven).

How to critique basic argument form

1. Check whether the premises are true. 2. Ask whether the premises could be true while the conclusion is false. 3. Look for inconsistencies or contradictions.

Argument for scientific determinism

The Big Bang and the principle of cause and effect: events are understood as resulting from prior causes.

Enduring identity

The belief that we remain the same person throughout our entire lives.

3 answers to enduring identity

1. Material continuity: physical characteristics or the body connect us over time, although cells and appearance change. 2. Soul continuity: an unchanging soul preserves identity, but this raises questions about consciousness and thought. 3. Memory continuity: memories and consciousness connect us over time, but memories can be inaccurate or lost.

No-self view

Humans are constantly changing rather than remaining exactly the same. Everything is composite (made of parts) and transient (temporary).

Being-in-itself (existentialism)

The type of existence objects or things have.

Being-for-itself (existentialism)

The type of conscious existence humans can have.

Bad faith (existentialism)

Acting as though you have no freedom or choice, simply doing what you are told rather than recognizing your freedom.

Dualism

The view that humans have two parts: a material body and a non-material mind or soul.

Theist

A person who believes God exists.

Atheist

A person who believes God does not exist.

Agnostic

A person who is uncertain whether God exists.