There is no Such Thing as the Essential Nature of Man

There is no such thing as the Essential Nature of Man. What is a human identity, why do we have an urge to separate ourselves from animals and seek individualism as a species? Is there such a thing as an essential nature of man? In order to determine this, we must first define what an essential nature is. The dictionary defines nature as: 1. The material world and its phenomena. 2. The forces and processes that produce and control all the phenomena of the material world: the laws of nature. 3. The world of living things and the outdoors: the beauties of nature. 4. A primitive state of existence untouched and uninfluenced by civilization or artificiality. 5. Theology. Humankinds natural state as distinguished from the state of grace.†¦show more content†¦For this reason it requires a leap of faith, it will be difficult to ever prove, there are no experiments or such that we can cite as evidence. So, is there anything that can set us apart from animals? The first and most obvious concern raised when questioning the separation of man from animals is our common ancestry. In terms of evolution, all animals, and humans descended from one single ancestor. This would seem to imply that animals and we are related, at least by out ancestry, meaning that we would share many of our characteristics with them, meaning that there could not be an essential nature of man, because, we are animals. Another, very similar topic is the question of genetics. This raises several implications, it can be an argument for and against for an essential nature. Genetics tell us that our DNA is remarkably similar to that of all animals, it is merely slightly more complex, and there are very small differences between us and certain animals, such as the primates, suggesting that our nature is also analogous to that of animals. On the other hand though, it does separate us from the animals, a clear distinct ion on a genetic level proving us to be different from animals, at least in terms of number of chromosomes, we have more chromosomes than any other animal, we are different in this respect, meaning, that if our nature is related to our genes, then it is indeed specific only to us. This doesShow MoreRelatedEliza Gamble s Supremacy Of The Male1085 Words   |  5 Pagesand early twentieth centuries. Many of her arguments were geared towards Darwin’s point of view of man being ultimately superior over woman. Women have basic functions and characteristics as dictated by nature through evolution. Women are capable of social and emotional intelligence. They also play an important role as human beings and have various characteristics that are represented and essential to mankind. The social roles are an important factor and these issues affect women. 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