Nature Of Humans (1.2)

Question 1

What did Sigmund Freud believe about human nature

Answer 1

That it is made of 3 parts
1. The Super Ego - the part of human consciousness that contains the influences of our parts or other authority figures in our childhood
2. Id - forms the basic drives for hunger sex and self preservation
3. Ego - both the Super Ego and the Id are controlled by this which is the rational part of consciousness that balances the other two

Question 2

What do humanists believe about the human soul + consciousness

Answer 2

• we do not have a soul because humanists don’t believe in the existence of anything that cannot be proven by science
• once our physical body dies we are gone and have no soul or self that continues to exist
• human nature is explained physically by the way our bodies and brains work
• it is not in our nature to be good (Christianity) but to understand right from wrong (moral awareness)

Question 3

What are Christian beliefs about the nature of human beings ( St Augustine and Thomas Aquinas)

Answer 3

• humans are created in the image of god and are born with some godlike qualities like reason morality and spirituality, we also have free will
• because of Adam and Eve and the tree they ate from we are born with original sin
• Augustine said that humans have a soul which is the spiritual, moral and rational part of a human. He believed that the body and soul is created by god and therefore good
• the soul is immortal because it lives after the death of the the mortal body
• rider of horse analogy — god intended soul to guide body
• Thomas Aquinas — god created us to do good and avoid evil, humans have been given reason
• TA — sin happens because people’s reasons has misinterpreted evil for good. This leads people to pursue apparent goods (money rather than real goods like happiness)