Topic 11 Nature of Human Beings

Question 1

What does human nature mean/

Answer 1

What it is to be human (set apart from god eg)

Question 2

How does the image of God help Christians understand human nature?

Answer 2

• made imago dei -> have certain god like qualities
• can be rational, moral and spiritually aware
• we believe we have free will
• make us different to other animals and make us human (eg bird of prey doesn’t have moral compass)

Question 3

What is the traditional Christian idea that we are fallen/

Answer 3

Humans are inclined to sin, ever since the fall of Adam and Eve, and this is in our nature

Question 4

What were Augustine’s views?

NEGATIVE

Answer 4

Augustine was a dualist

• two parts to a human: body + soul
• soul = rational + controls instinctive desires and actions of body
• after fall of Adam and Eve body became more rebellious + harder to control and refused to obey rational soul
• this rebellion is called concupiscence (when we are drawn to selfish desires)
• eg when people sin they go against their better judgement when they know they shouldn’t do wrong

Question 5

What were Aquinas’ views?

MORE POSITIVE, BUT SIMILAR TO AUG

Answer 5

• everyone created in God’s image = all essentially good
• people never sin deliberately-> fall damaged people’s ability to reason correctly
• people do what they think is right, by mistaking an apparent good for a real goo,d, and do the wrong thing

Question 6

What was Jean Paul Sartre’s view?

NON RELIGIOUS/POSITIVE

Answer 6

• no such thing as human nature
• defined by life choices instead
• way we live life determines our nature
• not internal, like a blank slate
• believed in existentialism : an individuals position is a self determining agent responsible for their character

Question 7

What was Darwin’s view?

NON RELIGIOUS

Answer 7

• process of evolution lead us to becoming who we are
• we are moral and socially competitive due to natural selection, more evolutionary advantageous to be like this
• the way we behave is animalistic

Question 8

What is Freud’s view?

NEGATIVE

Answer 8

• we are inherently aggressive + animalistic
• suppression of these desires by society leads to mental confusion
• we are repressed, aggressive sexual beings, product of an urge to find happiness and love in the confines of society