Nature of Man
sexual  We do have a core self not wholly the
Three Perspectives:
1. Man is at best a selfish and aggressive
animal whose predatory instincts are only
partially and occasionally controlled by
some combination of powerful institutions
and happy accidents.
2. Human by nature has the potential to be
good (innate moral sense) but not
necessarily good
3. Man is created in the image and likeness of
God
Morality from the Perspective of other
disciplines
 Early philosophy: Subscribed to the more
social side of human nature without
denying its selfish and wilder side.
 Modern philosophy: men & women are
naturally endowed with anything remotely
resembling a moral sense.
 Psychology: People have instincts, esp.
sexual and aggressive but not moral sense.
Morality is the result of repressing those
instincts.
 Cultural Anthropology or Relativism: Great
variety of social customs, religious beliefs,
ritual practices around the world
suggesting that all morality is relative to
time and place.
 Aristotle: Man is naturally a social being
that seeks happiness
 Aquinas: Man has a natural tendency to be
rational and familial being.
 Adam Smith: Man is motivated by
sympathy as well as self-interest
 Marx: Morality, religion, philosophy has no
independent meaning
 Freud: People have instincts, esp.
and aggressive but not moral sense. product of culture, it includes both a desire
Morality is the result of repressing those to advance our own interest and a capacity
instincts. to judge disinterestedly how these interest
 Analytical philosophers: Moral judgments ought to be advanced.
to the realm of personal preferences. It  We have a moral sense, most people
cannot be verified by science. instinctively rely on it even of intellectuals
 Summers: mores can make anything right deny it but it is not always present in every
 Behavioral: denies that conscience exist aspect of life strong enough to withstand a
 Benedict: all ways of life are equally valid pervasive and sustained attack.
 Competition between moral sense and the
Principles that occurred for social order: senses natural to human. The resolved will
depends on the character, circumstances
1. Rationalistic and individualistic – society
etc.
consists of people pursuing their self-
interest (Hobbes); order exists because Three types of decision:
people want to be ruled.
2. Normative and communal – system of 1. Technical – uses rational, scientific criteria,
benefits and sentiments held by members principles and standards
of society sets limits to what those 2. Ethical – uses standards of morality that
members can do; pursuit of interests, pity tells us what is right or wrong, good or bad
and compassion 3. Aesthetical – does not only refer to art or
society; if it will make the person happy or
Wilson’s Contention result is temporary resolution to the
problem
 People have a natural moral sense, a sense
that is formed out of the interaction of
their innate dispositions with their earliest
familial experience
 To say that people have a moral sense is
not the same as saying that they are
innately good. A moral sense exist is the
same thing as saying that humans, by
nature, are potentially good.
 Moral sense shapes the human behaviors
and the judgment people make on the
behavior of others
 Behavior is the product of our sense
interacting with our circumstances
 Culture will make some difference some of
the times in the lives of most of us and a
large difference much of time in the lives
of a few of us.