TRADITIONAL RATIONALIST VIEW OF HUMAN SELF

PLATO & HUMAN SELF

 The powerful version of traditional theory of human self-views the human primarily as a
thinker capable of reasoning. Plato considered that this view is well explained in the
thoughts and writings of a man. He did hold that Reason was the highest part of human
nature. Plato`s opinion is that human soul or self has three parts.

1. Reason Thinking Wisdom

2. Spirit Courage Centre of Emotions
3. Appetite Self-Control Centre of Desires

He represented that human capacity to follow relationship from one thought to another in
a manner and accurate way through reason. He said that reason is the rational part of
human self and it possess center in the brain, Spirit possess center of emotions and
Appetite possess center of desires.

CHARIOT`S ALEGORY OF PLATO

 Plato described conflict among Reason, Spirit, and Appetite. In the chariot`s allegory of
Plato, a charioteer and two winged horses. One of the horses is noble race and other is
ignoble. The charioteer controls them with great difficulty. He compares reason to a
Charioteer pulled by the horses of Desires and Aggression. According to Plato through
reason human beings make decisions and Spirit and Appetite serve the reason it means
the role of reason is to control Spirit (emotions) and Appetite (desires).

ARISTOTLE & HUMAN SELF

 Aristotle also said that reason is the human`s highest power but his views are differ in
many ways from Plato. Aristotle claimed that truth about human nature required
knowledge only knowledge of our own world. Both Aristotle and Plato emphasized
reason is major characteristic of human nature more than Spiritual and aggressiveness.
In rationalist view we see ourselves as reasoning being inspire with an immaterial soul,
with a purpose of life.
 TRADITIONAL RELIGIOUS VIEW OF HUMAN SELF
 Augustine held that the human self is a rational self that is immaterial soul and its
purpose is to love & serve God. The religious view fosters the idea of moral self (each of
us is capable of great good, but also great evil). Judeo-Christian view holds that we do
well when we make God the center of our lives; we do wrong when we retreat from this
commitment. According to Judeo-Christian, Humans are made in the image of God. They
have the abilities of will & intellect (love & know). St. Augustine emphasized “the notion
of a will” the will is our ability to choose between good & evil. The human will is the
power of choice over desire attracted to evil & away from God. Augustine, echoing Plato,
held that with God`s help we humans can overcome lust & allow reason to rule over our
lower desires. Augustine borrowing Plato`s view of immaterial & immortal soul. Justify
the Christian “notion of an afterlife”. Augustine argues that the souls of those who love
the perfect, eternal God will rise to heaven.
 Thomas Aquinas agreed with Aristotle modifies that the purpose of human is to achieve
happiness by using their reason to know God.

DARWIN THEORY OF EVOLUTION

 In late 19TH century one the great philosopher Charles Darwin gave the theory of
evolution. The theory of evolution is based on the idea that all species are related and
gradually change over time. According to Darwin, Human beings are evolving from
animals and also said that human beings are material being. Animals and plants are at
some point born with features that different from their parents but they can pass on to
their offspring and these differences are called “Variations.” He said that Human beings
are not unique and argue that there is no soul. He said that law of natural selection is
randomly selection and variation is also selected by nature.

 According to Darwin`s view the human power to reason is not qualitatively unique but
absolutely a more developed version of the cognitive power of nonhuman primates.

 Darwin`s theory of evolution undermined the idea that all living things and their parts
created for an specific purpose. Darwin held, human organs were not only to serve a
specific purpose but developed gradually through accumulation of countless tiny random
variations. He argued that the evolution of a species, like the evolution of each of their
organs, it is the result of chance not the purposeful design.
 THE EXISTENTIALISM CHALLENGE

 Middle of twentieth century, another view of human beings arose to challenge Traditional
western view of human nature. This is called Existentialism. Existentialism denies any
essential human nature in traditional sense, insisting that individuals create their own
nature through free. According to Sartre we cannot say that humans have a fixed rational
nature and a purpose. Sartre thought that there is no such thing as a human nature that is
common to all humans: no such thing is a specific essence that defines what is to be
human. Past philosophers said that each thing which is existing in world has specific
purpose but for Sartre, human being must produce his or her own essence because no
God created human beings in accordance with a divine concept.
Sartre wrote “existence precedes essence"
 He said that there is no God; hence no divine plan there is no determinism. Thus “man is
free”. Sartre wrote man is freedom; in fact, he is condemned to be free.