A BIOSOCIAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE NATURE OF THE HUMAN PERSONALITY:
'HUMAN NATURE' AS NATURE OF THE 'MATURE MIND'
The human psyche or 'human nature' is ultimately transpersonal in nature. At its profoundest level ... hidden deep in the subconscious under layers of illusion and false beliefs resulting from programming of social conditioning... human nature is transpersonal, spiritual or 'divine'. The experience of human divinity is known as 'Buddha', 'Brahma','Tao', 'God' and so on. The deepest human motivating force is to return to or connect with this divine aspect of human nature - the Buddha-Self or God-Self. Hence 'religion' from Latin 'religiare' meaning 'to connect'.
Development of the spiritual dimension of human nature depends on education which engages the person's intrinsic motivation for creativity and productiveness or 'work' i.e. 'holistic education'.
In a morally deficient social environment the sensitive individual is subject to uncontrolled spiritual emergence of 'spiritual emergency' or so-called 'schizophrenia'.
"We can certainly now assert that at least a reasonable, theoretical and empirical case has been made for the presence within the human being of a tendency toward, or need for growing in a direction that can be summarized in general as self-actualization, or psychological health, i.e. he has within him a pressure toward unity of personality, toward spontaneous expressiveness, toward full individuality and identity, toward seeing the truth rather than being blind, toward being creative, toward being good and a lot else. That is the human being is so constructed that he presses toward fuller and fuller being and this means pressing toward what most people would call good values, toward serenity, kindness, courage, honesty, love..." (Abraham Maslow Toward a Psychology of Being p.40)
Self-actualisation .. intrinsic motivation for learning which depends on fulfillment of human needs in the context of freedom...as responsible freedom or 'inner freedom'. Inner freedom is an aspect of 'self-transcendance'...
human adaptability depends on moral consciousness or 'morality'...
Is human nature basically good or bad?
Perception of human nature in the Bible... Old Testament and Christianity...
Western culture and mistrust of human nature...
dilemma of human nature or 'human condition'...
human nature as the 'mature mind'...
human nature and crisis of transformation or 'spiritual emergency'...
"A mature person is a 'maturing person' - one whose linkages with life are constantly becoming stronger and richer because his attitudes are such as to encourage their growth rather than their stoppage." (Overstreet The Mature Mind p. 43)
"The old philosophical question "what is the nature of man?" cannot be answered unless man's conscious mind is expanded to its full capacity. Then the answer can be found scientifically." (Abraham Maslow Toward a Psychology of Being p.128)
human nature as 'creative intelligence'...
Darwin and theory of evolution...
basic 'goodness' of human nature...
human nature is defined by love of moral knowledge: universality of'religion as love of morality...
characteristics of human nature are discovered in psychoanalysis...
psychotherapy... psychotherapist Carl Rogers...
science of human nature... what is 'human nature'?... intrinsic motives for behaviour or 'human needs'...
Levels of human consciousness...
human nature and reality as a function of psychology...
transpersonal dimension of human nature... 'transcendental meditation'...
evolution of human nature... Darwin and neo-Darwinism...
thwarted development leads to immaturity of neurotic development or 'neurosis'...
History of perception of human nature... the Bible and human nature "One of the most basic problems of theological and philosophical thought: is man basically evil and corrupt, or is he basically good and perfectable?... The Old Testament does not take the position of man's fundamental corruption. Adam and Eve's 'disobedience' to God are not called sin; nowhere is a hint that this disobedience has corrupted man. On the contrary, the disobedience is the condition for man's self-awareness, for his capacity to choose, and thus in the last analysis this first act of disobedience was man's first step toward freedom. It seems that their disobedience was even within God's plan; for according to prophetic thought, man is able to make his own history because he was expelled from paradise. He is able to develop his own human powers and to attain new harmony with man and nature as a fully developed individual instead of the former relationship with God in which he was not an individual. The Messianic concept of the prophets certainly implies that man is not fundamentally corrupt and that he can be saved without any special act of God's grace... the Old Testament view is that man has both capacities - that of good and that of evil - and he must choose between good and evil, blessing and curse, life and death. Even God does not interfere in his choice; he helps by sending messengers - the prophets, to teach the norms which lead to the realization of goodness, to identify evil, and to warn and to protest. But this being done, man is left alone with his two 'strivings' that for good and that for evil - and the decision is his alone. The Christian development was different. In the course of the development of the Christian Church, Adam's disobedience was conceived as sinful... in fact a sin so severe, that it corrupted his nature and with it that of all his descendents, and thus man by his own effort could never rid himself of this corruption. Only God's own act of grace, the appearance of Christ, who, died for man, could extinguish man's corruption and offer salvation for those who accepted Christ". (Erich Fromm The Heart of Man pp.19-20) Fromm, Erich. Man for Himself: an Inquiry into the Psychology of Ethics. Holt, Rhinehart and Winston, New York, l947
Perception of human nature: "Traditionally, throughout the history of philosophy, theology, psychology, natural desires have been considered annoying and even threatening... Theologians, political philosophers and economic theorists have conceived of various strategies to remove, deny or avoid people's 'unwanted' desires and needs. People's happiness has been considered in terms of improving their conditions with a view to eliminating their needs." (Maslow Toward a Psychology of Being p. 28)
"Throughout human history, great insights are degraded by minds too immature to understand them and put them into practice. One obvious example is the universal degradation of the idea of One God as the source of truth rather than a multiplicity of gods leading to confusion. The concept of God degenerated into a mystery beyond man's comprehension. Even worse 'God' was made into a national possession and rallying point for nations in their wars with other nations. A second example: The Decalogue - Ten Commandments - was a statement of the one moral law for all human beings as opposed to the several 'codes' of laws which applied to separate groups and cultures... How have immature minds degraded the Decalogue? They have turned universal principles into a series of taboos which conceal the original subtle meanings of the commandments. 'Thou shalt not steal' is applied to simple stealing of another person's possessions. Other acts of stealing are justified with different words such as 'imperialism''marketing' etc). (Overstreet, H.A. The Mature Mind p. 95)
"There has been a special tendency in Western culture, historically determined, to assure that (the) instinctoid needs of the human being, his so-called 'animal nature', are base and evil. As a consequence, many cultural institutions are set up for the express purpose of controlling, inhibiting, suppressing and repressing this original nature of man." (Maslow Psychology of Being. p.164) human nature is not bestial,
Western culture is based on the assumption that human nature is not to be trusted In the history of Western culture human nature has been regarded in terms of the supposedly base instincts of so-called 'animal nature'. As a consequence people have been taught to distrust their human nature and cultural institutions have been set up for the express purpose of controlling, inhibiting, suppressing and repressing human instinctive behaviour. Traditional American culture (American Constitution) is based on the perception of human nature in terms of the antagonism between its innate goodness and its innate wickedness or 'evil'. This has led to the mistaken belief in the mutual exclusiveness of the interests of the individual and the society and also the notion that the primary function of civilisation is to control the free expression of human nature. The mistrust of human nature and lack of respect for one's own needs implies lack of respect for the needs of others. When social issues are perceived in terms of the dichotomous perception of human nature then social problems become imposssible to resolve.
American behavioral psychology... 'behaviourism'...
has not been interested in a definition of human nature.
The aim of human life is the unfolding of human powers according to the laws of human development or 'human nature'. .
"Like any other living organism, the human individuum needs favorable conditions for his growth 'from acorn to oak tree'; he needs an atmosphere of warmth to give him both a feeling of inner security and the inner freedom enabling him to have his own feelings and thoughts and to express himself. He needs the good will of others, not only to help him in his many needs but to guide and encourage him to become a mature and fulfilled individual. He also needs healthy friction with the wishes and wills of others. If he can thus grow with others, in love and in friction, he will also grow in accordance with his real self." (Horney, Karen, M.D. Neurosis and Human Growth: The Struggle Toward Self-Realization, 18)
perception of 'human nature'... The "essence of human nature lies in thought or reason' (Descartes)
There is a fundamental paradigm-shift in our scientific understanding of the human psyche and human nature.
"Like other sciences, the 'science' of creative intelligence (science of human nature) makes us aware of an aspect of nature which already exists." (Jack Forem "Transcendental Meditation" Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and the Science of Creative Intelligence. New York: E.P. Dutton & Co., Inc. l974)
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A contemporary version of what used to be called Natural Philosophy would incorporate a scientific inquiry into the nature of human nature as an inquiry into the nature of human values or 'moral science'. The nature of human nature is manifest in the mature mind... as a function of moral development... natural morality. Thus a systematic study of human nature represents both a philosophy and a science of human nature.
The progress of knowledge is based on the ability to clarify the issues and ask good clear questions. There are many instances in the history of science and philosophy where a question was unanswered for centuries until the question was rephrased in such a way that the answer was easy to find. Clarification of a difficult problem is an important step forward because it avoids a lot of fruitless and endless debate... it clears the air for fruitful discussion and resolution of the real problems. Many philosophical questions do not find a correct answer because the question is not correct. There is no correct answer to an incorrect question. A question can often remain unanswered until it is rephrased and the answer can then be discovered. Progress in scientific analysis depends on clarity in the formulation of the question.
The introjective instinct 'Compared to other biological species, the young of human beings "have few and very indefinite instincts. To survive, the human young must acquire large amounts of information from older members of the species, and an instinct to do this is one that humans do have... We are born with 'authority-bearing structures' in our mind - psychological structures specifically receptive to instruction from individuals standing in certain relations to us." '
See Waddington's essay "The Ethical Animal" for an analysis of the transitionfrom biuological to biosocial evolution.
The child introjects - makes a part of himself- "what appear to him as the wishes, demands, hates, scorns, and standards of his psychological parents." Even if they are weak and infantile themselves, their weakness is introjected as if it were strength. The internalized images have a malignant effect on the child's character and personality development
Evolution of human nature Evolution and 'holism'
the drive to ever higher unities... human evolution... evolution of human nature is holistic... Everywhere we look in nature, we see nothing but wholes. 'Holism' is the drive to ever-higher unities. Evolution is the drive to holism... holistic evolution of nature - applies also to the individual's growth and development. Personal psychological growth involves "unfolding of ever-higher-order unities and integrations"..
"As a biological species, the human species is endowed with a genetic make-up which ensures instinctive drives to adaptation for survival of the individual and continuation of the survival of the species.... The 'naked ape' is essentially an exploratory species." (Desmond Morris The Naked Ape)
"Creativeness, spontaneity, self-hood, authenticity, caring for others, being able to love, yearning for truth, are embryonic potentialities belonging to man's species-membership as much as his arms and legs and brain and eyes. This is not a contradiction to the data already amassed which show clearly that living in a family and in a culture are absolutely necessary to actualize what already exists in the embryo. The culture is sun, food and water. The child is the seed." (Maslow Toward a Psychology of Being)
"As a biological species, the human species is endowed with a genetic make-up which ensures instinctive drives to adaptation for survival of the individual and continuation of the survival of the species.... The 'naked ape' is essentially an exploratory species." (Morris D. The Naked Ape)
Human evolution:
"Two general characteristics of the evolutionary process must be kept in mind in any discussion of the origins of human nature. First, evolution is utilitarian - because the main directing force of evolutionary change is natural selection. Secondly, it is opportunistic - because it lacks a prescience of the future." (Dobjansky T. Human Nature as a Product of Evolution in Abraham Maslow (ed) New Knowledge in Human Values. . New York: Harper Brothers 1959. p.78)
"Man became a winner in the evolutionary race because of powers of his brain not of his body." (Dobjansky T. Human Nature as a Product of Evolution. Ed. Abraham Maslow. New knowledge in Human Values. New York: Harper Brothers 1959. 78)
"The unique human quality which has brought about the biological ascendancy of our species is the ability to think in terms of symbols and abstractions. This ability has permitted the development of the peculiarly human mode of communication, by means of symbolic languages." (Dobjansky T. Human Nature as a Product of Evolution. Ed. Abraham Maslow. New knowledge in Human Values. New York: Harper Brothers 1959. 78)
Rousseau...belief in 'noble savagery': "Man is naturally good and only by institutions is he made bad." The natural man is a noble savage, untouched by the evil influences of civilization. (Dobjansky T. Human Nature as a Product of Evolution in New Knowledge in Human Values. Editor Abraham Maslow. New York: Harper Brothers 1959 page 80)
"..Konrad Lorenz (On Aggression), Robert Ardrey The Social Contract), Desmond Morris (The Naked Ape), Lionel Tiger and Robin Fox (The Imperial Animal) ...man's status as a biological species adapted to particular environments. The wide attention received by phylogenetic analysis of anthropological genetics broke the stifling grip of the extreme behaviorists' view of the mind of man as a virtually equipotent 'response machine'.
The correct approach using comparative ethology is to base a rigorous phylogeny of closely related species on many biological traits. Then social behaviour is treated as the dependent variable and its evolution deduced from it. When this cannot be done with confidence (and it cannot in man) the next best procedure ... establish the lowest taxonomic level at which each character shows significant intertaxon variation.
In the primates, these labile qualities include group size, group cohesiveness, openness of the group to others, involvement of the male in parental care, attention structure, and the intensity and form of terrritorial defense. Characters are considered conservative if they remain constant at the level of the taxonomic family, and they are the ones most likely to have persisted in relatively unaltered form into the evolution of Homo.
Characters that shift from species to species or genus to genus are the most 'labile'... the traits proven to be labile are also the ones most likely to differ from one human society to another
The 'conservative behavioural traits' (throughout the order Primates) include aggressive dominance systems, with males generally dominant over females; scaling in the intensity of responses, especially during aggressive interactions; intensive and prolonged maternal care, with a pronounced degree of socialization in the young; and matrilineal social organization.(Edward O. Wilson Sociobiology: The New Synthesis Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, l975 p.550)
The most basic needs ... are hunger and sleep... safety... need to belong to a group and receive love... selfesteem... self-actualization and creativity. ...fosters the fullest development of human potentials, of the fullest degree of humanness. (Kohlberg, L. l969. Stage and sequence: the cognitive developmental approach to socialization. In D.A Goslin, ed. Handbook of socialization theory and research, pp347-480. Rand McNally co., Chicago. 1969 )
"The emergence of man can be defined as occurring at the point in the process of evolution where instinctive adaptation has reached its minimum. But he emerges with new qualities which differentiate him from the animal: his awareness of himself as a separate entity, his ability to remember the past, to visualize the future, and to denote objects and acts by symbols; his reason to conceive and understand the world; and his imagination through which he reaches far beyond the range of his senses. Man is the most helpless of all animals, but this very biological weakness is the basis for his strength, the prime cause for the development of his specifically human qualities." (Fromm Man For Himself 39)
The natural selection of favorable mutations constitutes the driving force of evolution and the 'evolution of human nature'.
Human nature is a product of human evolution: evolution of the brain as a social brain:
"Obedience is no mechanical thing, but a natural force of social cohesion, intimately related to the will, even its sublimation. Obedience of the right kind is a sublimation of the individual's will, a quality in the human soul without which society could not exist. But an obedience without true self-control, an obedience which is not the consequence of an awakened and exercised will, brings whole nations to disaster." (Maria Montessori To Educate the Human Potential 123)
History of human species...
Human nature in the context of human evolution and the instinct for self-preservation... as a social organism the human organism depends on moral consciousness or morality (moral law) for social adaptatation.. The common sense basis for the evolution of all biological species is the instinct for survival of the organism i.e. 'self-preservation'. The instinct for self-preservation is fundamental to the evolution of the human species and therefore of 'human nature'.
"Human evolution is rooted in man's adaptability and in certain indestructible qualities of his nature which compel him never to cease his search for conditions better adjusted to his intrinsic needs" (Fromm. Man For Himself, 23)
The human organism is a social exploratory organism which depends on its capacity to make meaning of experience or 'learn'. Survival of the human organism depends on practical equipment (tools required for adaptation to the environment), anatomical equipment to fabricate the tools (hands with prehensile fingers, eyes with stereoscopic vision), neurological equipment to invent and to learn how to use the tools (physiological processes of the 'brain' and 'brain functions'), psychological equipment for motivation to work or 'intrinsic motivation' (specialized functions of the 'prefrontal lobes') and 'spiritual equipment' for social cooperation ('moral consciousness' or 'conscience'). Developed conscience is the source of human morals or 'values'. Human values are human instincts which evolved as a result of their survival value to the human organism as a social organism which depends on social cooperation for defense and for work. For this reason inquiry about human nature becomes an inquiry about human values i.e. science of value or 'moral science'. Moral science is the analysis of the biological basis of human values.
Moral science involves the study of
the intrinsic and instinctive valuing process as a part of normal personality
development which incorporates the development of the human conscience
as the source of values and the spiritual or 'divine' aspect of
the human personality i.e. 'human nature'.
Julian Huxley protagonist of the idea that human values originate in the genetic makeup of the human species. Parental love is ingrained in the mammalian genetic make-up of man. Parental care of progeny is a characteristic of all mammals. As a social animal, man benefits more from amicable disposition than pugnacious disposition and behavior.
Human nature is defined by moral consciousness, 'moral knowledge' or 'morality' of developed conscience which is required for adaptation to changing social conditions i.e. 'adaptability'.
...of survival value in human evolution "If religion is born with civilisation, its roots must lie deep in human nature. We have had most beautiful proof of an instinctive love of knowledge in the child..." (Montessori 485)
Understanding of human nature leads to understanding of so-called 'dilemmas of the human condition'... (philosophy) philosophical questions rooted in the need to understand... Human condition as 'the condition of being human'... requires guides for living... (religions). The natural guide for living is moral consciousness or 'conscience'...
Human Nature defined by free thought or 'freedom' ('creative intelligence') and moral reason or 'morality' ('social intelligence'):
"The free man acts morally because he has a moral idea; he does not act in order that morality may come into being. Human individuals, with the moral ideas belonging to their nature, are the prerequisites of a moral world order. The human individual is the source of all morality. State and society exist only because they have arisen as a necessary consequence of the life of the individuals. ...the social order arises so that it in turn may react favorably upon the individual." (Steiner, R. Philosophy of Freedom: Philosophy of Spiritual Activity. The Basis for a Modern World Conception. Some results of introspective observation following the methods of Natural Science. London: Rudolf Steiner Press, 1970, 144)
'Moral Universality': Like other species of the animal kingdom, Homo Sapiens, the social human animal, naturally behaves in accordance with an organismic valuing process which enables him to adapt to his changing social environment. "With the recognition of the potential universality of the organismic valuing process of the human being, the perplexing issues of 'values' and ethics could be resolved".
"The insight of moral universality - 'man is a creature of moral law': Mature men can live together in peace and justice because they naturally do what is right and necessary for communal living. The picture of Moses descending from Mt. Sinai bearing the tablets of the law is a symbol of the revelation to man of his own uniquely human nature. Because in the days of Moses men were still mostly immature, morality was first expressed as commands: Thou shalt not. The voice of Moses was the voice of moral reason itself. To lie, steal, covet, commit adultery, dishonor the older members of the group, worship idols, if practised widely and with impunity, would make impossible the sort of social structure within which men could live with confidence. In his moral reason, the mature person would naturally refuse to do these things. (Overstreet, H.A. The Mature Mind)
"A full definition of human nature must include intrinsic values as part of human nature. These intrinsic values are 'instinctoid' in nature i.e. they are needed a) to avoid illness and b) to achieve fullest humaness or growth. The illness resulting from deprivation of intrinsic values - the 'metaneeds' - we may call 'metapathologies'. The highest values, the spiritual life and the highest aspirations of mankind are therefore proper subjects for scientific study and research. They are in the world of nature" (Abraham Maslow)
Human
adaptability depends on moral behaviour or
'morality': moral values are organismic or
'operative values' The
evolution
of human nature is a function of the
natural selection of characteristics which
are of survival value
to the organism as a
social
organism which depends on social cooperation
for survival. Like any
other biological organism, the human organism instinctively makes
choices and decisions according to its own organismic valuing process. In its efforts to adapt to changing social
conditions it lives by values which facilitate its own survival,
adaptation, self-enhancement and the enhancement of the species i.e.
organismic or
'operative values'. Human
operative values are the 'social values' of
morality' - the 'moral values'
or 'spiritual values' which are prescribed by the various religions...'universal
love'.. As natural operative
values spiritual values are instinctive and therefore biologically based. They
enhance the capacity to make
meaning of experience or 'learn'. 'Meaningful learning' is intrinsically motivated
"In some respects, the most audacious of all the great insights that have come into the world was the apparently absurd conviction of Jesus of Nazareth that men must love one another. Insight of Christ for universal love as universal brotherhood: 'A new commandment I give unto you that ye love one another.' 'Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you.' This was the most profound insight into human nature - man's social nature. A commandment for 'universal love'. (Overstreet, H.A. The Mature Mind p.95)
Human
values as intrinsic motives for human behaviour: 'human
needs'
Human values are rooted in the human instincts
for self-preservation expressed as
'intrinsic motives for human behaviour'or
'human needs'.
Human needs include the needs for
social cooperation... biologically based 'social values' or 'human
values'.
The definition of human values as human
needs is
basic to the definition of human nature. Human needs include 'basic
psychological needs' for self-esteem - the 'ego needs' - and the 'higher
psychological needs' for spiritual growth - the 'spiritual needs'
or
'metaneeds'. The metaneeds are the needs for human solidarity, universal
brotherhood as manifestations of human
interconnectedness required for social cooperation upon which human survival
depends i.e. 'spiritual love' or 'agape'.
Metaneeds are the instinctive
human yearnings for
love as 'charity',
goodness,
truth, perfection,
justice, beauty, simplicity, lawfulness, dichotomy transcendence
etc.- the 'metavalues' which constitute the spiritual equipment of the nature of the
human personality or 'humannature'. Metaneeds are functional in
motivation for natural growth and development of the total personality i.e. 'personal
development'. M
Compassion and concern for others is an aspect of human 'happiness'.
Wellness is measured by the degree to which the individual relates to others.
Human values are fundamental to human education for creative intelligence i.e. 'social intelligence' Knowledge of human values - 'self-knowledge' - depends on the long period of normal psychological development in infancy and childhood i.e. 'spiritual growth'. Spritual growth depends on the provision of growth promoting environmental conditions i.e. 'education'. The root of the word 'education' is derived from the Latin 'e-ducare' literally meaning 'to lead forth' in the sense of bringing out from within something which is potentially present. Education is cultivation of the human potential for understanding of reason and wisdom of compassion i.e. 'creative intelligence' of 'compassionate genius' or 'social intelligence'. Education for social intelligence is based on the understanding of human needs as operative values.
Humanistic conscience is based on the knowledge of man's nature. The great tradition of humanistic ethical thought is based on a wholistic perspective of man in his 'physico-spiritual totality'. It is based on the belief that man's aim is to be himself, and that the condition for attaining this goal is that man be for himself. It is based on the premise that one has to know the nature of man in order to formulate valid ethical codes. Based on the validity of man's autonomy, valid ethical norms are formed by man's reason." (Fromm Man For Himself 7)
Human nature defined in terms of 'social
intelligence' of moral consciousness or 'morality' required for
adaptability
"The result of the spontaneous process of self-realization is the 'productive' character orientation as a mode of relatedness to the world. The 'productive' individual recognizes his powers, identifies with them and puts them to productive use. Every human being is born with the biologically innate potential of a productive character. With intense interest in reality, the individual is affected emotionally and stimulated intellectually. The aim of human development is the individual's self-realization of his productive character, experiencing the world both mentally through reason and emotionally through love. 'Love' implies respect, knowledge, care and responsibilty.'Reason' implies an understanding of all dimensions. Knowledge of the productive character orientation is simultaneously knowledge of human nature". (Fromm Man For Himself) .
Self-actualisation is a function of development of human potential through creativity and productiveness or 'work'. The psychological value of work lies in its function as the medium for construction of conscience or 'moral development'. Moral development the individual morality. The degree of moral development determines the extent of effectiveness of adaptation. Adaptation is most effective when it is based on complete moral development and accurate evaluation which leads to adaptive behaviour. Inaccurate evaluation leads to behaviour which is destructive and nonadaptive i.e. human wickedness or 'evil'. Problem of evil as incomplete human development: "We must also face squarely the problem of what stands in the way of growth - evasion fixation, regression, defensiveness - the attractiveness of psychopathology i.e. the so-called problem of 'evil'". (Fromm)
Recognition of the potential universality of morality in terms of development of conscience or 'personal development' could resolve the philosophical issues of human values or 'ethics'.
The construction of a 'model of ethics' or 'system of ethics' is the 'problem of ethics'.
"If life's tendency to grow, to be lived, is thwarted, the energy thus blocked undergoes a process of change and is transformed into life-destructive energy. Destructiveness is the outcome of unlived life. Those individual and social conditions which make for the blocking of life-furtheriing energy produce destructiveness which in turn is the source from which the various manifestations of evil spring." (Fromm Man For Himself 216)
Self-actualisation, freedom and human nature as a function of human values
Basic 'goodness' of human nature: human nature as striving toward unity of personality... "We can certainly now assert that at least a reasonable, theoretical and empirical case has been made for the presence within the human being of a tendency toward, or need for growing in a direction that can be summarized in general as self-actualization, or psychological health, i.e. he has within him a pressure toward unity of personality, toward spontaneous expressiveness, toward full individuality and identity, toward seeing the truth rather than being blind, toward being creative, toward being good and a lot else. That is the human being is so constructed that he presses toward fuller and fuller being and this means pressing toward what most people would call good values, toward serenity, kindness, courage, honesty, love, unselfishness, and goodness." (Robert Hartman. The Science of Value in Maslow A. H. ed. New Knowledge in Human Values Harper, 1959. page 155) (Maslow Toward a Psychology of Being 155)
FREEDOM AND THE MORALITY OF HUMAN NATURE
"...the 'free spirit' - the moral being - is the purest expression of human nature." "We are men in the true sense only in so far as we are free. Knowledge of oneself - self-knowledge - overcomes the division between the subjective self and the objective world. During normal growth and development - with self-knowledge- the individual "brings the concept of himself to expression in his outer existence." (Steiner, R. Philosophy of Freedom: Philosophy of Spiritual Activity. The Basis for a Modern World Conception. Some results of introspective observation following the methods of Natural Science. London: Rudolf Steiner Press, 1970, page 141)
The necessary basis of a scientific value system is the understanding of and respect for the individual's instinctive primary values or needs including basic psychological needs for self-esteem and social needs for spiritual growth.
Modification of organismic valuing process by way of the 'introjective instinct' Compared to other biological species, the young of human beings "have few and very indefinite instincts. To survive, the human young must acquire large amounts of information from older members of the species, and an instinct to do this is one that humans do have... the 'introjective instinct.' We are born with 'authority-bearing structures' in our mind - psychological structures specifically receptive to instruction from individuals standing in certain relations to us... The child introjects - makes a part of himself "what appear to him as the wishes, demands, hates, scorns, and standards of his psychological parents. Even if they are weak and infantile themselves, their weakness is introjected as if it were strength. The internalized images have a malignant effect on the child's character and personality development." (Donald Barr. Who Pushed Humpty Dumpty?: Dilemmas in American Education. Atheneum, New York, l97l)
In order to survive the young of the human species must acquire large amounts of information from older members of the species. The instinct for acquiring externaly imposed values and information is the 'introjective instinct'. The introjective instinct is a particularly human instinct. The child 'introjects' - makes a part of himself- what appear to him as the wishes, demands, hates, scorns, and standards of his psychological parents. If the parents are weak and infantile, their weakness is introjected as strength. Internalized images have a malignant effect on the child's development. During development, the child instinctively modifies his own fluid and changing valuing process (operative values) by incorporating externaly imposed concepts (conceived values). In this way, the natural valuing process is gradually modified by the introjection of parental values and cultural values - the externally imposed conceived values. The modified valuing process tends to be fixed and rigid. Conceived values are value choices made on the basis of symbolized concepts which are learned ie 'conceived values'. Conceived value choices are made in anticipation of the outcome of a chosen behavior. As an example, a human being can choose one of two possible paths of action on the basis of the concept which he has been told to value such as 'honesty is the best policy'. Conceived value choices are introjected. Their incorporation and internalization result in the modified organismic valuing process. Introjection of conceived values explains some of the causes of the formation of character - character orientation. Explains the correlation between character orientation and social structure. Point up the powerful emotional forces which are instrumental in molding the social character and explains the functioning of the society. The personality of the average individual is determined by the socioeconomic and political sructure of the society in which he lives
The definition of human nature is directly related to the age old question 'what is the aim of education?'
Human nature in cultural conte