The Human Condition: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Human Nature

This insightful new text uses examples from fiction and film to show how theories about human nature can be applied. By linking abstract theory to "real life" through story telling and story analysis, Nina Rosenstand offers a remarkably effective way of helping students understand, interpret, and evaluate our condition. This carefully crafted text will inspire students to keep asking what it is to be human.

Preface

PART I: STORIES OF WHO WE ARE

1. The Story-Telling Animal

A Human Condition? / The Narrative Urge / Primary Readings: Paul Ricoeur, Oneself As Another / Richard Hanley, The Metaphysics of Star Trek / Narrative: Star Trek: The Next Generation: "The Measure of a Man" / Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Book / Ursula Le Guin, The Telling

2. Stories of Human Origins

Where Do We Come From? Mythological Explanations / The Generally Accepted Story Today / Primary Readings: Darwin, Descent of Man, excerpt / Narrative: Roger McBride Allen, Orphan of Creation

PART II: MOSTLY DESCRIPTIVE APPROACHES

3. The Sociobiological Challenge

Darwin's Legacy / Are Humans Aggressive by Nature? / Are Humans Selfish By Nature? / The Weapon and the Basket / Primary Reading: Ardrey, from African Genesis / Midgley, from Beast and Man / Narratives: Lord of the Flies / 2001, A Space Odyssey / Review

4. Determinism and Free Will

Can We Choose Our Actions? / The Case For Free Will / Primary Readings: Aristotle, from Nicomachean Ethics Book III, Ch.1. / Sartre, from "Existentialism Is a Humanism" / Narratives: Hans Christian Andersen, "The Ugly Duckling" / Henrik Pontoppidan, "Flight of the Eagle" / A Clockwork Orange / Aldous Huxley, Brave New World / Review

5. The Human Race

The Human Races? / Race: Descriptive Turned Normative / Theories of the Biology of Race / The History of Race as a Concept / Philosophy of Race Today / Primary Readings: From Ethnicity and Race / Naomi Zack, from Thinking about Race / Narratives: Mississippi Masala / American History X / Review

6. Different Gender, Different Nature?

Race and Gender, Same Issue? / Gender Differences: Nature or Nurture? / Three Non-Western Views of Gendered Nature / Early Western Views of Gendered Nature / England and Continental Europe before the Twentieth Century: / Modern Western Feminism: "Classical" and "Difference" / An Alternative Interpretation of Gendered Nature: Louise Antony / Primary Readings: Plato, from The Republic Deborah Tannen, from You Just Don't Understand / Louise Antony, from "Human Nature" / Narratives: American Indian and other myths: Can Women and Men Live Without Each Other? / Alice Walker, from Foucault's The Temple of My Familiar (novel) / Adam's Rib / Review

7. Minds, Bodies, Selves

Having a Mind, a Body, and a Self / Consciousness Developing: Rival Theories / What Is a Mind? / A Sense of Body / A Sense of Self / Primary Reading: Descartes, from Meditations, / Maxine Sheets-Johnstone: from Primacy of Movement / Narratives: Being John Malkovich / Franz Kafka, "The Metamorphosis" / Peer Gynt / Memento / Review

PART III: MOSTLY NORMATIVE APPROACHES

8. Stuck Between Good and Evil?

From Descriptive to Normative Theories / Plato: The Troubled Soul / Aristotle: The Purpose of Human Life / St. Augustine: The Human Soul is Weak / St.Thomas Aquinas: The Natural Law / Nietzsche: Beyond Good and Evil / The Question of Souls, and the Capacity for Good and Evil / We¿re Only Human: Good and Evil in Films and Literature / Primary Readings: Plato, from The Republic / Aristotle, from On The Soul / Aquinas, from Summa Theologica / Nietzsche, from Thus Spoke Zarathustra / Narratives: The Destiny of the Soul / What Dreams May Come / The Alter Ego / Robert Louis Stevenson, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde / Hans Christian Andersen, "The Shadow" / Beyond Good and Evil? / Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and Punishment / The Eternal Return of the Same / Ken Grimwood, Replay / Albert Camus: The Myth of Sisyphus / Review

9. The Political Animal

Plato's Ideal State / Aristotle: The Political Animal / The Social Contract Thinkers / Karl Marx: Human Nature Will Change / Hayden White: Cultural History Is Storytelling / Primary Readings: Plato, from The Republic / Aristotle, from Politics / Jean-Jacques Rousseau, from The Social Contract / Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, from "The Communist Manifesto" / Narratives / William Golding: Lord of the Flies / Dances With Wolves / Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged / The Grapes of Wrath / Review

10. Personhood: The Community of Equals

Theories of Human Nature as Political Statements / What Does It Take to Qualify For Personhood? / Primary Readings: Descartes: from Discourse On Method / Kant: from Grounding / Roger Fouts, from Next of Kin / "Declaration on Great Apes" / Francine Patterson and Wendy Gordon, from "The Case for the Personhood of Gorillas" / Narratives: El Norte / Bicentennial Man / Bibliography