Page 36 - Humanism 2019

So with this basis: what technics are essential to the Meanwhile, man’s tribal structures are forced to stretch
existence of the human being? and contort in order to maintain a common destiny; a
spiritual justification for being. Indeed, by minimizing the
The human being is an animal, Homo animalis. Like all abandonment of members, the development of the
animals, the human being requires its body to exist. It homeless and the invasion of the estranged, man attempts
requires the human musculoskeletal system for to stave off spiritual oblivion.
movement; the human sexual structures for reproduction;
the human respiratory, circulatory and metabolic Mastery of tools and tribal affairs was the chief concern
structures for energy conversion; the human immune of the Roman canon, Humanitas. Humanitas was the first
[f]
system for defense; and the human sensory and Humanism. As such, humanism, at its roots, is a Roman
neuroendocrine systems for messaging. It must be tradition. Humanitas was transmitted through παιδεία
impressed that the human being is a very, very special (paideia; rearing and scholarship), a model passed on to
[f]
beast; it is one with an approximately divine soul. the Romans from the Hellenistic Grecians. With
Nonetheless, it is in the realm of animalitas and requires Humanitas, Romans of the republic exalted Roman virtus
[f]
the human body to exist. In this realm, it is of the primate (virtues) of civility, honor, and freedom. The Romans
kind, Homo primus, and is distinguished from the other considered virtus, and Humanitas more broadly, essential
[f]
primates by the complexity of its thinking process, its to maintaining civilization (their home). With this
sensory and neuroendocrine systems, and the efficacy of reference frame, Homo romanus was considered humane
the solutions it derives. (i.e. Homo humanus) and those who behaved
antithetically to civilization — with normalized raping,
Like other thinking beings, after some input is fed to the pillaging, cannibalising, etc. (i.e. Homo barbarous) —
mind, the human then thinks (appropriates), casting were considered inhumane. In this way, Roman
[f]
judgments on the content of the thought, then performs Humanism could also be described as a nationalism or
behaviors in light of the appropriations. Using this “civilizationalism.” This is the root of Humanism.
process, thinking beings attempt to accomplish their
purposed effect. They attempt to accomplish this by Through the long perspective of history-gazing, it is clear
enabling entities that advance their purposed effect and that Humanism died with the fall of Rome. It remained
disabling entities that disadvantage their purposed effect. dead for a thousand years, only to be reborn by the works
In the language of learning theory, a thinking being of Petrarch and the other great men of the European
rewards its interests and it punishes opposition to its Renaissance. The Renaissance (rebirth) is indeed
[n]
interests. In other words, a thinking being cares. It referring to the rebirth of Humanism in feudal Europe.
[j]
follows that if interest-enabling/disinterest-disabling is the The transition from a feudalist to a humanist societal
function of thinking, that maximally accomplished beings investment profile (i.e., investment in nation-building
adhere closely to this strategy and develop maximally artists, architects, politicians, families and philosophers,
3
effective behaviors to put it into action. The human being, as well as an emphasis on universality through
Homo sapien, is distinct from the other primates in the Christianity and the humanities) promoted a trusting
wisdom of the behaviors it chooses after thinking. society that ceased incentivizing parasitism more than any
other society in the world at the time. [o,p,q,r] This
One way that the human displays its wisdom is through
groundwork allowed for the scientific revolution, the
highly advanced communication. Indeed, it declares its
Enlightenment, and modernity. Sadly, however, in about
essence via language. As Heidegger notes, language allows
the 20th century, the Humanist orientation of the
man to order the world through ratio (reason), and
European peoples deliquesced into the fractional
thereby the “human being preserves the source that
philosophies of communism, fascism, and liberalism, all
determines him” and in doing so man, animal rationale, of which are incomplete and terminal.
4 [f]
opens a chasm between himself and other creatures .
The human being is a magnificent creature, and its unique
Man’s tool use, tribal order and complexity also
technics (complex communication, tool use, and tribal
distinguish it from other creatures. These technics act as
affairs) help us distinguish it from other animals. But as
extensions of the human body and are essential for man’s
man increases its scientific domination over the Earth, it
existence. With tools, man sculpts and defends a home for
insulates itself from the nonhuman world. The tribes of
its tribe, thereby delaying its physical oblivion.
civilization are faced with mounting homelessness and
3 I argue, that the success of “equivalent relations” (i.e. tit for tat) strategy in infinitely iterated prisoner’s dilemma games (but not in subgame perfect
contexts) and the success of “ethnocentric cooperation strategy” (over traitorous, selfish, and humanitarian strategies) in agent-based computer
simulations is because it is a consonant application of this principle in such contexts. [k,l]
4 The questions of “What is language?” and “What is reason?” will be saved for another rainy day.

33 HUMANISM IN THE HEALTH SCIENCES 2019 • VOL. 22