Human nature as God's purpose

2007 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 443-455 ◽  
Author(s):  
JACOB AFFOLTER

AbstractThis article responds to one of Thaddeus Metz's criticisms of the theory that the meaning of life is to fulfil a purpose assigned by God. In particular, it addresses the argument that only an atemporal God could ground meaning but that an atemporal God could not assign a purpose. In order to do this, the article first argues that Metz's criticisms misread the relevant sense of purpose. It then argues that on a more plausible reading of ‘purpose’, we can see that it is in fact the kind of thing that an atemporal God could assign.

2012 ◽  
pp. 116-123
Author(s):  
Alicja Ślusarska

Retracing in his novel the labyrinthine journey that leads Oedipus from the place of his abomination (Thebes) to the city of his future glory (Colonus), Henry Bauchau fills the emptiness between Sophocles’s Oedipus the King and Oedipus at Colonus. Bauchau’s hero, a powerful king, loses everything and stabs his eyes out when the cruel truth about his real identity is revealed. Blind, homeless, devoid of meaning of life, Oedipus leaves on a journey to pass away anywhere. However, his way to death turns out to be, thanks to benevolent presence of others and art’s liberating power, the road to personal elucidation. The story of Bauchau’s Oedipus, who finally recognizes himself as a truly human, is based therefore on the passage between absence and presence, between darkness and lucidity, on the union of contradictions which symbolize the complexity of human nature. This paper attempts to analyse different representations of absence in Bauchau’s novel. Afterwards, the article focuses on the ways which facilitate Oedipus’s road leading from depersonalization to rediscovery of his own identity.


2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Ester Badilla-Marín ◽  
Ana Estrella Meza-Rodríguez

This article derives from the research project titled “Features of the meaning of life that favor the permanence of teenage mothers in the formal education system”. Its main objective was to analyze the features of the sense of life, motivation and a sense of purpose, as the most influential factors for the retention of teenage mothers in the formal education system. We worked from an interpretive paradigm, with a qualitative approach and phenomenological method. The information was collected by using techniques such as in-depth interviews and focus groups applied to eleven adolescent mothers aged between 14 and 17 years old; they were students in the formal public education system, day mode, from three urban institutions located in San Jose’s Greater Metropolitan Area, Costa Rica. The research was conducted in the months of October and November, 2015. The results allow identifying the traits of the meaning of life: achievement motivation and a sense of purpose as the most decisive factors for these girls to remain in the high school; also the work and the contribution that the profession of counseling can promote is highlighted.


Author(s):  
Joan-Carles MÈlich

RESUMEN: Tomando como telón de fondo la noción de «excentricidad» de Helmuth Plessner se presentan en este artículo las líneas generales de una antropología narrativa. Según ésta, los seres humanos, además de naturaleza biológica y cultural (en muchos aspectos compartida con otros animales), poseemos también condición, esto es, somos capaces de poner en cuestión nuestra naturaleza. De ahí que no sea posible hallar un fundamento «firme y seguro» que oriente de manera definitiva nuestra existencia. Desde esta perspectiva, la gran pregunta pedagógica no es ¿qué somos?, sino ¿cómo podemos orientar nuestras vidas? ¿Qué sentido darles? Para una antropología narrativa este interrogante jamás puede responderse definitivamente. En consecuencia, una pedagogía que tuviese la pretensión de transmitir «el sentido pleno de la vida» tendría unos inquietantes aspectos dogmáticos y totalitarios.ABSTRACT: Set within the backdrop of Helmuth Plessner’s notion of «eccentricity», this article presents the main lines of a narrative anthropology. According to this, human beings, besides our biological and cultural nature (in many aspects shared by other animals), also possess condition; that is, we are capable of questioning our nature. For this reason it is not possible to find a «firm and safe» basis that directs our existence in a definitive way. The great pedagogical question, therefore, is not «What are we?» but rather «How can we orientate our life?»; «What meaning do we imbue it with?» In narrative anthropology this question can never be definitively answered. Consequently, a pedagogy that has as its aim the transmission of «the full meaning of life» would have disquieting dogmatic and totalitarian aspects. Key words: pedagogical anthropology, narration, human nature, human condition, situation, desire, meaning of life.SOMMAIRE: Prenant comme toile de fond la notion d’«excentricité» de Helmuth Plessner, cet article présente les lignes générales d’une anthropologie narrative. Selon celle-ci, les êtres humains, en plus d’une nature biologique et culturelle (partagée avec d’autres animaux), ont aussi une condition, c’est à dire qu’ils sont capables de remettre en question leur nature. Pour cette raison, il n’est pas possible de trouver un fondement «ferme et sûr» qui puisse orienter de manière définitive notre existence. Depuis cette perspective, la grande question pédagogique n’est pas «Que sommes-nous?» sinon «Comment pouvons-nous orienter nos vies?», «Quel sens leur donner?». Pour une anthropologie narrative, cette question n’a jamais de réponse définitive. En conséquence, une pédagogie qui ait la prétention de transmettre «le sens plein de la vie», aurait d’inquiétants aspects dogmatiques et totalitaires.


2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (83) ◽  
pp. 600-617 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anselmo Ferreira Vasconcelos

Abstract This paper sheds more light on the topic of spirituality by clarifying what it embraces by means of a dual approach: it examines the secular literature as well as collecting related teachings and tenets from Spiritism Doctrine. Although the discipline of spirituality is relatively young and its ontology needs consensus, it is noticeable that spirituality adopts different and competing things. It unfolds through the deep understanding about the meaning of life, human nature, and the adoption of a transcendental perspective. It argues that we live in a suitable moment on this planet to take advantage of transformative potential derived from spiritual knowledge for the betterment of the human community. The evidence gathered here shows that by developing our own spirituality we can transform ourselves and our creations, including society and institutions. The approach of this endeavor reveals that both science and religion agree that the spiritual element permeates all things.


2006 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 258-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rolf Reber
Keyword(s):  

1997 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 525-526
Author(s):  
Jack Martin
Keyword(s):  

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