Question

Seeking opinions (:

What, in your opinion, is the essence of man? Why?

Answer 1

What is your definition of 'man'

Answer 2

Man as in,
->The human race?
->The idea of a grown and mature male?
->The idea of all males?

Answer 3

Also, the realm of sex and gender as further modifiers within the latter two realms.

Answer 4

Man, as in mankind.
Meaning, nature, and purpose. Those three help sum up essence.

Answer 5

The nature of mankind is to exist. Contrasting with the definition of existence found within the majority of known species, it is not purely to survive. By exist, the nature of humans is to find meaning and purpose, and follow such pursuits or deny it. Such entities can be anything, and numerous. Moral weights can be attributed to these, and ethical systems tend to differentiate across culture and have a volatile tendency in the human race due to the genetic variation (personality traits) empowered by consciousness. These differing moral weights and systems allow for humans to do things that directly inhibit their existence, within the realms of finding purpose and survival...to live. These are the byproducts of being aware, and having the capacity to choose, and be influenced and decide routes for ourselves and others. This allows us to find meaning and purpose in almost anything, even each other.

The notation of morality is only to acknowledge the realms of benevolence and malevolence within humanity. Where ample variation exists, extremities arise. Such paints the history of mankind, with creatures such as Mao, Hitler, and Stalin. Choice allows us to become instruments of natural selection to magnitudes we allow ourselves to become. I cannot call freedom wrong. I think it is beautiful. It's what has allowed us to evolve and become better versions of ourselves. The defining characteristic of our species. Others hold this, such as chimpanzees who take on elements of cruelty, yet the complexities that sit within of consideration upon life finds us in philosophical debates that take us to the unknown, which is where humanity tends towards. Such as how we got here.

I look forward to seeing where man goes, and to see if perhaps we can one day look upon the face of the unknown.

Answer 6

So, ultimately, existence, choice, and freedom. Thank you for your response @Shadow. (:

Answer 7

My response to this is a bit more obscure, and probably slightly disorganized, but I will attempt to explain it, anyway. Lol

Answer 8

To me, the essence of man is found in the realms of the /meaning/ of man, but nature and purpose carry a critical amount of that weight as well.

•Meaning of man (as in the literal and logical defintion): a rational, temporal, contingent being.
•Nature of man: molded by said contingency - born into paradigms, so he questions his own - needs validation and comfort and essentially purpose in life (somewhat rooted in selfishness) for his own sanity.
•This leads us to purpose and it seems our common desire is to ultimately attain happiness, which, more often than not, people inherently believe is found by prolonging morality or attaining immortality (through religion with the belief in an afterlife). And based on this desire, we set individualized, "horizontal", worldly purposes for ourselves.

With that said, my belief is that /language/ is at the root of this all and is the true essence of man. (Seems abstract and scattered, I know, but bear with me.) In logic, the definition of 'man' is a "rational animal". We rationalize our thoughts, actions, existence, etc, through communication. Language. Simply "being" cannot be our essence. We have being but it remains contingent. Essence and attributes are states of being and action is a substantive that moves into time. Whereas language seems almost heaven-sent and ultimately what ties us as a human race in that we all share the ability to learn it, simply because out of all creation, we are distinguished with rationality - "the universal grammar", as Chomsky coined it. Language and sensory are conjoined in the human being and help our kind in determining what is significant and what is palpable - what we understand and what we describe. Language not only supplies us with definitions and signifiers, but with meaning and windows into the content of our own characters (as well as others'). Just as definition and logic get to the essence of any given term, language poses as the essence of mankind.

Answer 9

This was rushed. No hate (:

Answer 10

Nature of man sounds like limbic resonance to me, if you've heard of that.

Answer 11

I'm not yet familiar with it.
Googling rq

Answer 12

Thy manuscript was so deep and you placed so much endeavor into it, I've come to the culmination that I will not let it go unheeded from my scrutiny. You included many immense words in your symposium... more than enough to detract the attention of readers on this site. Your theme or main point in adressing this topic is not very intriguing to many a folk. In conclusion, thy disquisition of the quintessence of Homo sapiens has merited my remuneration of this virtual medallion.

Answer 13

@AP

Answer 14

Get out.

Answer 15

I worked hard on that, especially that last sentence. :(

Answer 16

Bob is just into music it seems lol

Answer 17

I even had to pause righteous brothers' unchained melody :(