Nature and convention

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate Soper
Keyword(s):  
Social Organization ◽  
Human Nature ◽  
Human Behaviour

The nature–convention distinction opposes instinctual or ‘spontaneous’ modes of comportment (those which follow from ‘human nature’) to those which are socially instituted or culturally prescribed. Its philosophic interest resides in its use to justify or contest specific forms of human behaviour and social organization. Since the ‘conventional’ is opposed to the ‘natural’ as that which is in principle transformable, the adherents of a particular order in human affairs have standardly sought to prove its ‘naturality’, while its critics have sought to expose its merely ‘conventional’ status. Relatedly, ‘conventions’ may be associated with what is distinctive to ‘human’, as opposed to ‘bestial’ nature, or denounced for their role in repressing our more ‘natural’ impulses.

Human Nature

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Dupré
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Human Nature ◽  
Biological Theory ◽  
Developmental Plasticity ◽  
Human Behaviour ◽  
Standard Account ◽  
Important Concept ◽  
Process Perspective ◽  
Unpredictable Environment

This sketch of an account of human nature begins with the claim that we should see humans as a kind of process, a life cycle, rather than as a kind of substance or thing. A particular advantage of such a process perspective is that it readily accommodates the developmental plasticity that has been an increasingly important concept in recent biological theory. Human behaviour, on this account, should be understood as providing adaptive and flexible responses to an unpredictable environment. It is, therefore, generally misguided to provide a standard account of human nature in terms of behaviour or behavioural dispositions. If there is such a thing as human nature, it is a uniquely refined propensity for novel and unpredictable behaviour.

An Economy beyond Instrumental Rationality

2021 ◽  
pp. 203-229
Author(s):  
Karl Johan Bonnedahl
Keyword(s):  
Social Organization ◽  
Human Nature ◽  
New Economy ◽  
Instrumental Rationality ◽  
Broad Sense ◽  
Economic Discourse

Treating technology in a broad sense, including elements of social organization, this chapter discusses the role of technology as part of the dominant economic discourse and the instrumental perspective which characterizes modern exploitative human–nature relations. A key point is that values and assumptions of the conventional economy are very influential in determining what development is and should be. As such, they also determine technology and drive unsustainability. Hence, the solutions proposed build on alternative values and assumptions which can lead to a new economy beyond instrumental rationality. Here, the role of technology as respectful and fair social organization increases. Artefacts that create distance between humans and nature are given much less room, while technology as expansionist and exploitative means is dismantled.

Psycho-analysis, Human Nature and Human Conduct

1974 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 99-120
Author(s):  
Ian Gregory
Keyword(s):  
Human Nature ◽  
Human Behaviour ◽  
Analytic Theory ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Philosophical Debate ◽  
Complex Problems ◽  
Human Conduct ◽  
The Future

There is, I gloomily suspect, little which is significantly new that remain to be said about psycho-analysis by philosophers. The almost profligate theorising that goes on within the psycho-analytic journals will, no doubt, continue unabated. It simply strikes me as unlikely that such theorising will generate further issues of the kind that excite the philosophical mind. Though in making such an observation, I recognise that I lay claim upon the future in a manner that many might believe to be unwise. The place of psycho-analysis upon the intellectual map, the implications that psycho-analytic theory and practice have for the various kinds of judgements that we make about human behaviour, have been exhaustively discussed in recent times. Rather more specifically, whether psycho-analysis should be accorded the dignity of being labelled a ‘science’, what the significance is of psycho-analysis for those complex problems bounded by the notions of Reason, Freedom, Motivation, have occasioned much fruitful philosophical debate. It is not any wish of mine to add to the literature on these problems in the forlorn hope that even slightly different answers might be forthcoming.

Western humanism, African humanism and work organisations

2005 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
H J Pietersen
Keyword(s):  
Human Nature ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Human Behaviour ◽  
Comprehensive Approach ◽  
Extant Literature ◽  
Western Humanism

Comparison of Western (WH) and African humanism (AH) shows overlapping and complementary approaches to human nature in work organisations. The extant literature is conceptually, empirically and methodologically inadequate, and fails to consider 21st century employment realities. Shortcomings of WH and AH are presented. A dynamic and mutualistic approach to human nature, that includes both self-assertive (individualist) and self transcending (collectivist) tendencies, is briefly outlined. It provides a more comprehensive approach to humanism, for better understanding of human behaviour at work. There is currently too much rhetoric in the field. More research, especially the use of qualitative and narrative interpretive methodologies is required. Opsomming Vergelyking van Westerse (WH) met Afrika (AH) opvattings oor humanisme in werkorganisasies toon, verskille ten spyt, dat oorvleueling en aanvullende benaderingsmoontlikhede bestaan. Die betrokke literatuur is tans konseptueel, empiries en metodologies onvoldoende. Moderne indiensnemingsrealiteite word ook nie verreken nie. Tekortkominge in beide Westerse en Afrika humanisme word aangetoon. Navolging van ’n dinamiese en resiprokale benadering wat beide self-gelding (individualisties) en self-transendering (kollektiwisties) in menslike natuur insluit, word voorgehou as ’n meer omvattende beskouing wat ’n beter begrip van gedrag in werkorganisasies bied. Daar is heelwat retoriek in aansprake betreffende Afrika humanisme. Verdere navorsing, veral begronde en interpreterende studies, is noodsaaklik.

scholarly journals Violence in the prehistoric period of Japan: the spatio-temporal pattern of skeletal evidence for violence in the Jomon period

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 20160028 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hisashi Nakao ◽  
Kohei Tamura ◽  
Yui Arimatsu ◽  
Tomomi Nakagawa ◽  
Naoko Matsumoto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Nature ◽  
Human Evolution ◽  
Temporal Pattern ◽  
Selective Pressure ◽  
Human Behaviour ◽  
Hunter Gatherers ◽  
Lethal Violence ◽  
Ethnographic Data ◽  
Spatio Temporal

Whether man is predisposed to lethal violence, ranging from homicide to warfare, and how that may have impacted human evolution, are among the most controversial topics of debate on human evolution. Although recent studies on the evolution of warfare have been based on various archaeological and ethnographic data, they have reported mixed results: it is unclear whether or not warfare among prehistoric hunter–gatherers was common enough to be a component of human nature and a selective pressure for the evolution of human behaviour. This paper reports the mortality attributable to violence, and the spatio-temporal pattern of violence thus shown among ancient hunter–gatherers using skeletal evidence in prehistoric Japan (the Jomon period: 13 000 cal BC–800 cal BC). Our results suggest that the mortality due to violence was low and spatio-temporally highly restricted in the Jomon period, which implies that violence including warfare in prehistoric Japan was not common.

scholarly journals Slippery Slopes, Moral Slides and Human Nature

1995 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary Colwell
Keyword(s):  
Human Nature ◽  
Human Behaviour ◽  
Slippery Slope ◽  
Slippery Slope Arguments ◽  
Direct Bearing

Causal slippery slope arguments with moral conclusions are sometimes stronger than we think. Their strength may be missed either by overlooking the problems of human nature which support the arguments or, upon seeing the problems, by underestimating their influence upon human behaviour. This article aims to correct the oversight and the misjudgement by looking in some detail at four interrelated problems of human nature which have a direct bearing upon moral causal slope arguments.

The Neurotic Process As the Focus of Physiological and Psychoanalytic Research

1958 ◽  
Vol 104 (435) ◽  
pp. 518-536 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lawrence S. Kubie
Keyword(s):  
Human Nature ◽  
Human Behaviour

A series of studies published since 1951 attempted to clarify what is meant by the neurotic in human nature. In returning to this problem today, I must beg your indulgence for repeating myself at some points. Apart from the kindness of your chairman in inviting me to discuss the Neurotic Process as my contribution to this symposium, my further justification is the opportunity which it gives me to add a few considerations which may round out the hypothesis and make it more useful, and also to indicate that the neurotic process is the meeting place for the organic and psychological approaches to problems of human behaviour (4, 5, 7, 10).

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