People Are People

Throughout the course of this class we have talked about aspects of humanity ranging from how our brains function, to nature, art, love, law, and our inner journeys.  Being human is a experience that links us all.  Each person has been through an inner journey, has a code of ethics, and has experienced love in some way.  Despite the fact that we all share common experiences and are very familiar with what it is like to be human, defining that experience is very complex. To come up with the definition of what it means to be human we had to look at culture, religion, and how we have developed as a species.  Then, we looked at our connection and relationship with nature and the rituals and importance attached to our sacred spaces.  Next we progressed to how we view three very formative aspects of our society: love, beauty, and art.  After that, we saw how different cultures develop moral codes and ethical standards, then create laws from those.  Finally, as we reflected on those topics, we considered what the meaning of human reality is, and the importance of the inner journey on our experiences as humans.  The common thread through each of these units is the search for meaning.  As humans we want to understand why we are here, it is important for us to know that our lives count for something.  The search for meaning is what links us all as human beings, and also what makes coming up with a concrete definition of what it means to be human impossible.  To find meaning each person has to follow their own personal journey.  That journey is different for each person, and so each person will also have a slightly different view on exactly what it is to be human. Many things could define what it means to be human, to have regret, to suffer, and to imagine are all characteristics of our human experience.  The one factor that connects us all and defines our lives, is seeking.  We all want to find the same thing, meaning.  The only difference is how we go about finding it.  

In the introductory unit we explored what it means to be human through concepts of how we interact with our world cognitively, and how we evolved as a species over time.  Shlain discusses these concepts through the lens of the right versus the left side of our brains.  He states that the right side is often considered female because of its associations with the creative, emotional, and abstract.  The left side is considered male because of its associations with unemotional, linear, and logical ways of thinking.  This was important to our unit and to our class because it allows us to consider the different ways in which a "left brain" person might process the question of what it means to be human compared to how a "right brain" person might process the same question.  Armstrong discusses the role that myth played in the development of human society as we know it today.  From records we have of the burial rituals of early humans we can infer that a belief in the afterlife was a crucial aspect of their society.  This is important because those traditions were incorporated into their understanding of the  purpose they had as humans and where they had come from.  Similarly, Genesis provides a basis for us as humans to understand where we come from.  Interestingly, the language and style of writing in Genesis as it describes the creation of the world has led many to believe that Genesis was made to be told orally.  For example, the detail used in describing early creation would likely have had great impact if told in a setting where those features could have been shown as the speaker was telling the story.  This is important because it shows the connection early people had to nature and to the place that they came from. As humans, our understanding of who we are is impacted by our traditions, our experiences, and the way we view the world be it cognitive (less emotional and more fact based) or affective (intuitive and abstract).

In the "Humans, Nature, and Sacred Space" unit we looked at what it means to be human through our connection to nature, and to our sacred spaces.  In the documentary Australia's Aborigines we learned how the indigenous people of Australia are able to live in harmony with nature, and about the connection they see between the sacred, and nature.  Since they believe the world was formed during the "dreamtime" by animals, nature is sacred to them.  To connect with nature is to connect with the powers of the dreamtime.  In The Tempest nature was portrayed as dangerous and unpredictable, yet also with an element of magic.  The island is almost an entity in itself and holds a magical influence over Prospero, he would have no ability to control it if not for the help of his assistant, Ariel.  the cave paintings at Lascaux also show the connection between humans and nature.  Nature was so valuable and prominent in their culture that the images they chose to paint were of animals and their environment.  While humans for the most part may not have the same deep connection to nature as the Aborigines in Australia or our ancestors, nature still plays an important role in our lives.  As people we came from nature, no matter how far we remove ourselves from the natural world, it will always be a part of who we are.  The poem "Toward Climax" discusses this aspect of human nature.  We have evolved into a place where we feel we no longer need to be a part of nature, until we reach the climax where we will find that despite the damage we have done to it, we cannot survive without nature.  Our sacred spaces tie into this concept because as people nature is often seen as a sacred place.  It has an element of magic and mystery, and also of escape from the complex world we have created.  Our sacred spaces are places we develop out of a need for solitude, reflection, and safety.  Sacred spaces rejuvenate us, give us comfort, shelter, and provide for many of our needs, if our sacred space is not already nature, it most certainly replicates our favorite aspects of nature.

In the "Love, Beauty, and Art" unit we answered the question of what it means to be human through the ways we perceive and classify love, beauty, and art.  In The Picture of Dorian Gray Dorian trades his soul to maintain his youthful appearance and good looks, however his portrait ages and shows the corruption of his soul.  This book pointed to the inherent faults in worshiping youth and beauty, while ignoring the lasting consequences that come from a lack of morals.  The movie, The Shape of Things explores a similar topic through Evelyn, one of the characters.  For her final in college, Evelyn, an art student, takes a man she meets, tricks him into thinking she wants to date him, and changes him to fit society's standards of beauty.  For humans, beauty is very important.  These standards and ideas of what it means to be beautiful connect to our society and reflect the different cultures that we are a part of.  Beauty in that sense is a human concept.  Animals choose mates based on traits that reflect health and genetic strength; human beings view beauty based on culture, personal expression, and how we have been raised. Art is also very subjective in that it can be any form of painting, sculpture, music, dance, or theatre.  As humans, one thing that makes us unique is our ability to communicate complex ideas to one another.  Art is a very important way we do that.  Evelyn's "art" communicates her ideas of what she feels is wrong in society, as well as her idea that there is no such thing as right or wrong.  No matter what form it is in, art is extremely important to human society because not only is it a form of expression and communication, it is form of record keeping in many cultures.  Song of Songs discusses the love between a young couple and gives details about their romantic relationship.  Love is extremely important in human society.  While we are certainly not the only creatures that experience love, we would not be complete without it.  In all of the texts and movies we read and watched during the unit, we saw that love was what made human society bearable.  Love is the standard that human beings set to determine the quality and value of their lives.

 

In the "Law and Ethics" unit, we discussed what it means to be human through the way our society sets up laws and maintains justice, as well as each person's individual code of ethics.  The Stranger talks about law as a result of societal ethics.  Mersault's crime is particularly disturbing not simply because he broke the law, but because his lack of remorse at randomly killing someone, and his lack of genuine grief over his mother's death defy all of the ethics that society has agreed on.  The movie Crimes and Misdemeanors covers a similar topic.  While cheating on a spouse and killing someone are different in terms of legal repercussions and even in how severe we see them being, they both break the laws of what our society views as decent living.  When the doctor in Crimes and Misdemeanors cheats on his wife he is breaking a long established code of ethics that states spouses and people in committed relationships should be faithful to each other.  However, having his mistress killed goes one step further in breaking what society feels is acceptable. The 10 Commandments gives a list of laws for people to follow in order to live a holy life.  These laws deal with maintaining a connection to God, as well as providing a safe and ordered society.  As human beings it is important for us to have laws and ethics because the establish who we are as a society and allow us to feel safe.  We need laws because we need to feel that if someone has done something that goes against our ethics, they will be punished.  Across cultures, human beings have standards and goals for their society that are based off of a fundamental sense of right and wrong.  In many ways, a sense of right and wrong is what makes human beings different from other creatures.

 

In the "Inner Journey and the Meaning of Human  Reality" unit we further attempted to define what it means to be human by exploring the inner journey and the meaning of our experiences as humans.  "Hamlet" talks about the meaning of human reality and the inner journey in terms of suffering.  Hamlet suffers greatly after the death of his father, and sets out to get revenge on his uncle for killing him.  The search for revenge becomes a part of Hamlet's inner journey and dictates everything that he does.  In Plato's Allegory of the Cave the inner journey happens when the person is forced to leave the cave and confront the outside world.  Once they have gained enlightenment, they are no longer able to go back into the cave.  In the story of  Job the inner journey described deals with gaining faith through suffering.  This also points to the meaning of human reality.  For Job, his inner journey began when he lost all of the things he had and was tested by satan.  This led him to question his faith, but his journey led him to a deeper relationship with God and provided him with a relief from suffering.  The inner journey is perhaps the aspect of human reality that makes us most unique as a species.  Human beings are likely the only creatures that strive for such a deep understanding regarding our purpose on earth and what our lives mean.  Through this unit we saw the meaning of human reality to be linked to seeking, and that the ultimate result of the inner journey is come to a complete understanding of who we are and what our purpose in the world is.  As humans, this is the most important journey that we take.

As humans we all experience the same things differently.  We all go through loss, pain, love, and discovery.  Our culture, religion, personality, and upbringing influence the perspectives we have on these experiences.  Everyone wants to have a purpose and a reason behind why they exist.  When we pass on our traditions either written or oral, we are doing so with the hope that the experiences we have had won't be lost.  When we define our sacred spaces and our relationship with nature we are securing our place in the world.  Our views on love, beauty, and art reflect our values, perceptions, and culture.  Creating a code of ethics and law allows us to maintain a sense of order and justice.  And when we look at our inner journey and the meaning of human reality we are connection all the previous events of our life and trying to fit them together to make something of value.  As a class, when we reflected on these subjects we all had similar reactions to certain topics.  For example, when we brought up questions of ethics and right versus wrong, the discussions became very passionate.  We all had different views and beliefs, but each of us had our own personal code of ethics that were very important to us because our ethics are one of the ways we define who we are and what we value.  To me, looking at these reactions demonstrated how everyone can differ in what they believe and how they define their purpose in the world, but we are all still doing the same thing.  People are unique, complex, and at times frustrating.  However, we are also just that, human.  To be human is among many things, a paradox.  It is an experience that is more complex than we could ever fully cover in a semester long class, and yet it is also incredibly simple.  To be human is to question who we are, and once we have done that, to try and reach a conclusion about what that means.  People will always search for meaning.  We will continue to take classes such as humanities and psychology, to read philosophy, and to attempt to define who we are.  Just by taking this class we have defined what it means to be human without ever even trying.