- Definitions of philosophical anthropology
- Topics covered
- The man (the human being)
- Man as being in the world
- Man how to be with others
- Man as being for the "Absolute"
- Why had the "man himself" not been studied?
- References
The philosophical anthropology is the study of the human being from the philosophical point of view. It is a branch of philosophy that deals with the study of man as a project of being. It is a complex term that encompasses the study of the human being from different perspectives, such as: mythical man, civilized man and scientific man.
For his part, "the mythical man" is that primitive man who develops in a world where he mixes the cosmic with the cultural.
Whereas "civilized man" is one who emerges from the mythical world to the rational world, that is, he no longer mixes the cosmos with culture. He uses experience and opinion to understand his surroundings and to function in the world.
Finally there is "the scientific man", who exists in a period of time where things are known thanks to conclusions obtained through the use of the scientific method.
For this reason, it is said that philosophical anthropology is responsible for the study of man from his essence to the indisputable truths of science.
Definitions of philosophical anthropology
There are few definitions of philosophical anthropology due to its complexity and the novelty of the term. Here are two of them:
According to Edgar Bodenheimer, philosophical anthropology is a discipline that has a more objective conception than anthropology.
In it, subjects concerning man's problems are studied, going beyond the questions of his first stage of life on the planet.
According to Landsberg, philosophical anthropology is defined as the conceptual explanation of the idea of the human being, starting from the conception that man has of himself in a certain phase of his existence.
Topics covered
Philosophical anthropology encompasses issues that externally appear to be distinct and unrelated. However, they are actually deeply united.
The topics referred to are: the origin of life, violence, love, fear, the existence or non-existence of God, selfishness, animals, the sun, the moon, the stars, evolution, creation, among others.
At first glance it seems illogical that such isolated subjects that are studied by different sciences and disciplines can be unified in a branch of philosophy, what can unify them? And what differentiates them from the other sciences?
The answer to these questions is "the man" (the human being) simple to say but difficult to explain.
The man (the human being)
The human being in philosophical anthropology is located in the context of a universe from which it comes. After this universe is helped by man to flourish and develop.
He is also treated as a harmonious being open to other realities, which are: the world, other men and the sacred. For this reason, it is said that man is a being in three realities. A being in the world, a being with others and a being for the "Absolute".
Next, a brief explanation of philosophical anthropology will be made, placing the human being in different contexts.
Man as being in the world
In this context, the way in which man relates to the world in which he lives is studied. Here comes the study of man according to different beliefs of each culture and as with the passing of the years he is moving away from the mythical consciousness.
Here the mythical man and the civilized man stand out. In this aspect, the origin of humanity is studied taking into account the creationist theory as well as the evolutionary theories.
Man how to be with others
When speaking of "man as being with others", the way in which man accepts "others" is studied, either his thoughts, ideas and attitudes.
In this context aspects such as: love, fear, kindness, generosity, friendship, respect, empathy, among others, are studied.
Man as being for the "Absolute"
In this case, absolute is written in capital letters because this term is used as a synonym for God, which human beings have been searching tirelessly since the beginning of their existence.
In this regard, it is highlighted how currently human beings do not consider it necessary to resort to the search for God in order to solve their problems, but now seek to take charge of themselves.
Now man sees himself as being responsible for the world in which he lives, just as Harvey Cox had said in his book "La cité Séculiere". Consequently, man now seeks to solve his problems using scientific and technological advances.
Now, not for this reason it should be believed that man is seen as "God", but that now he does not look for him as a wild card of salvation.
Nowadays it is seen how the human being has found the cure for different diseases that were previously deadly. Here we speak of the "scientific man".
Why had the "man himself" not been studied?
Philosophy has existed for thousands of years and with it subjects related to man are studied. The "man himself" had never been studied.
There are several reasons why during all these years humanity had not deepened in the study of man. Among them are the following:
Philosophy studies issues that have consensus and clarity
By consensus it means that it studies subjects that are universally delimited, of which there is a general idea.
The definition of man has neither consensus nor clarity. It could be said that it is a mortal being and in that aspect there would be a consensus.
The difficult thing arises when some civilizations leave open the idea that a part of him is immortal (the soul) and that he has the power of reincarnation.
In that sense, the term is so ambiguous that you don't even want to think about it too much. For this reason, studies were conducted of all those issues that revolve around him.
It does not fit with the object of study of philosophy
Philosophy consists in the study of first causes and first principles. The human being is neither of them.
References
- Bodenheimer, E. (1971) Philosophical anthropology and the law, retrieved October 11, 2017, from schoolarship.law.berkeley.edu
- Contemporary Jewish Philosophy: an introduction, retrieved on October 11, 2017, from books.google
- Paul Ludwig Landsberg, retrieved on October 11, 2017, from raco.cat
- Philosophical anthropology, retrieved on October 11, 2017, from wikipedia.org
- Philosophy & history, retrieved on October 11, 2017, from web.flu.cas.
- Philosophical anthropology, retrieved on October 11, 2017, from anthropology.iresearchnet.com
- Philosophical anthropology, definition, history, concepts & facts, retrieved on October 11, 2017, from britannica.com