IntroductionFor ages, humanity has been searching for the purpose/meaning of his existence. Through his nature, s/he has the ability to rationalize and reflect on his relationship with other beings in the environment where s/he has been living.
Philosophical Anthropology
* Biologically classified as: HOMO SAPIENS
The “Thinking Wo/Man/” sapiens is the gerund form of the Latin noun sapientia which means “wisdom”
To know, is to know that you know nothing. That is the meaning of true knowledge.
- Socrates
The unexamined life is not worth living.
-Socrates
470 BC
Philosophical AnthropologyThinkers from different ages viewed the human being in various ways:
Homo politicus – “Political Animal/Being”
-Aristotle (384 BC)
Homo viator “Pilgrim Being”
-Gabriel Marcel
French philosopher(7 December 1889 – 8 October 1973
Philosophical Anthropology
Homo homini lupus“human is a wolf to [his/her fellow] human."-Thomas Hobbes (15c) Plautus' Asinaria (195 BC)
Homo festivus – “A celebrant” – Harvey Cox
Philosopher and theologians (May 19, 1929)
We are by our nature creatures who not only work and think, but who sing, dance, pray, tell stories, and celebrate. . . We are Homo Festivus.
Homo faber- “Human the Creator”– Hannah Arendt
Homo mensura- “Human is the measure of all things” - Protagoras
Humans as controlling the environment through tools, referring to the ability of humans to control his destiny and what surrounds him/her
that everything is relative to human apprehension and evaluation, and that there is no objective truth
German-American political theorist (20c)
pre-Socratic Greek philosopher (420BC)
Philosophical AnthropologySeven Anthropological ConstantsA body, cosmos and
environmentAn OtherSocial and institutional
structuresCulture and historyTheory and PraxisA Transcendent or
utopian consciousness
Synthesis of the 6 constants
Edward Schillebeeckx (Novemeber 12, 1914 – December 23, 2009),
Philosophical AnthropologyHuman Person Adequately ConsideredPeople are embodied spirits.
Fundamentally Equal, yet uniquely individual.
Philosophical AnthropologyHuman Person Adequately ConsideredAll humans are historical figures.
All humans relate to others.