Page 35 - Humanism 2019

[c]
science have become the gold standard of modern manifest in full or in part. Therefore, their essence is not
thought. For better or worse, this has left other branches accomplished.
of thinking (philosophy, religion, etc.) vulnerable to
[e]
dismissal as unscientific or irrational. As a resulting With this basis, we are now ready to answer the question:
defense against such scientism, today “thinking” is “What is being?”
sometimes opposed to “feeling.” This is not the Whereas beings are entities, composed of physical
“thinking” that Descartes is addressing. In the context of substances, being is a procedure. As being is a procedure,
Cartesian egos (e.g. Descartes’ ‘I’ left), “thinking” means it follows that being necessarily requires an
cognition, what Heidegger gathers as “ereignis” (destining accomplishable essence. This essence is based in either the
or an event of material properties of
[f]
appropriation). beings, the immaterial
properties of beings, or
Appropriation is the
assumption of oneness, [Being] is what It Is. both. With these
ownership, or requirements, being
responsibility about an becomes a more far-
entity; in the case of reaching and overarching
thinking, the appropriation concept than self. It is what
is about a perception. So when a being is thinking, it is It Is. Being is the
morphing its own subjectivity in response to the content assumption and the “am” in Descartes’ and Kierkegaard’s
of its perception. The process of thinking by proclamations (left). Being is the procedure of existence. It
appropriating is consistent with the mind-body duality of is the prevailing.
2
Descartes’ radical skepticism as it is an entirely immaterial
(of the mind [mens] or spirit [animus]) phenomenon; it What is the human being?
does not describe any physical phenomena in the brain or To answer this, I will address the human being as a kind
the rest of the universe. [a,m] With this foundation, let us with stereotyped qualities that maintain the kind’s
now tackle the next metaphysical question: continued existence. For this reason, I will refer to it in
the singular, and will use objective terms like human
What is being? being, human, man, and it, while abstaining from plural
or individualized terms like they, them, he or she. I will
To answer this question meaningfully, I will preface by
focus on the true essentials of humanity and will disregard
diverging from radical skepticism in two ways and by
the accessory aspects of the human experience. I will
briefly clarifying some etiology terminology.
describe Spengler’s concept of technics, explain human
[i]
Going forward, (1) assume that non-self entities exist, and technics, then discuss Humanism’s place in this schema.
(2) assume the stance of “property dualism” (instead of
The idea of technics is the first major philosophical
Cartesian dualism), meaning the world is made of
development on Western man’s obsession, technology,
physical matter that has both material properties and
[g]
mental (immaterial) properties. The material and mental since τέχνη (techni) of the ancient Greeks. Technics are the
essential substance and properties of a kind’s existence.
[i]
properties are attributes of physical substances.
The concept of technics is built off the observation that
Furthermore, physical substances may also have emergent
[h]
properties with increasing complexity. living beings, such as animals, have stereotyped strategies
that maintain their existence; in other words, they have
Etiology is the study of causation. Causation assumes that strategies that are essential to their being. For example,
[i]
every cause has some effect and every effect is resulting most large herbivores have side-facing eyes that protect
from one or several causes. Actions can be thought of as them from predators; whereas, most large predators have
causes of change, and an accomplishment is the essential forward-facing eyes that hone in on targets. Spengler
[i]
purposed effect of actions. A sequence of actions is a goes on to note that the human being has forward facing
procedure. Some procedures accomplish their essential eyes, as well as hands that wield tools, and large brains
[i]
intended effect. But not all procedures achieve their that think. These properties make the human being’s
intended effect; in such cases their essence, what Aristotle repertoire far less stereotyped than other kinds of organic
calls, “τὸ τί ἐστ,” (to ti esti; the what it is) – in other beings; moreover, the complex nature of these substances
words, the requisite qualities of its nature – are not made allow for emergent properties, such as culture, to exist.

2 Cartesian dualism treats the material (e.g. buildings/workers; brains; storybooks/carolers/men in malls with white beards and red suits) and the
immaterial (e.g. government; minds; Santa Claus) as separate realms.

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