Assignment Code: MPYE-004/TMA/2022-23

Course Code: MPYE-004

Assignment Name: Philosophy of Human Person

Year: 2022-2023

Verification Status: Verified by Professor

Note:

i) Give answer of all five questions.

ii) All five questions carry equal marks.

iii) The answer of questions no. 1 and 2 should be in about 500 words.

1. Explain and examine the idea of intellectual dynamism. 20

Ans) Dynamism is a philosophical concept defined as "the system, theory, or doctrine that attempts to explain the phenomena of the universe through some immanent force or energy". Dynamism, in the study of faith, is a theoretical perspective that holds that all religious (and/or magical) beliefs, practises, and types of associations are underpinned by a single, immanent force or energy, either logically or historically. Other names for this philosophy include animatism, preanimism, dynamistic preanimism, and, very rarely, predeism. The most accurate theoretical description of religious dynamism emerged at the beginning of the 20th century, particularly in the works of R. R. Marett, Marcel Mauss, and Konrad T. Preuss. It greatly influenced both the study of religions generally as well as the study of particular cultural areas, but in the end, it was exposed to criticism. It helped to slow the rise of the evolutionistic animism that was then popular. It has no supporters today in its traditional form. But some of its components continue with varying degrees of vitality.

As a theoretical contrast to other put forth theories on the origin of faith, dynamism was developed. Its conceptual arrangements were shaped by general attitudes toward religion and other human cultural phenomena that were prevalent at the time, by theories to which it objected, and by newly discovered ethnographic information from the nineteenth century.

The idea of evolution, which bases its processes on a historical, typically noncontextually comparison of surface features arranged in logical progression, predominated nineteenth-century religious thought in a significant way. The names of the various theories put forth along these lines—fetishism, naturism, totemism, manism, animism, and so on—were derived from the stage of belief it asserted to be the earliest.

Dynamism reacted most strongly to the idea that early religion consisted of a belief in a variety of supernatural, personal beings that people interacted with. The most well-known version of this theory was developed by British anthropologist E. According to B. Tylor in Primitive Culture (1873), animism (derived from the Latin anima; hence, "preanimism") included both independent spirits and human souls among these beings. Tylor deliberately ignored emotion in favour of intellect when formulating his theory. According to him, the original purpose of animistic beliefs was to provide an explanation for various phenomena, such as life and death, dreams, and apparitions; spirits served as the building blocks of a full-fledged theory of private causation. The same theory, known as manism, was put forth by British social theorist Spencer in Principles of Sociology (1876), which claimed that all higher religious forms were descended from a belief in ghosts (manes). James G. Frazer's work was influential during a time when dynamism was used less clearly. In one sense, R. The Golden Bough was hailed by R. Marett as the finest collection of preanimistic phenomena ever made. Contrarily, many of Frazer's interpretations were viewed with scepticism. Frazer imagined a progression between magic and religion. He ignored any potential effective cause in his discussion of magic and focused instead on external, unchangeable, mechanical sequences of events or laws. Taboo he saw as a sort of negative magic, while religion developed within the wake of magic’s failure and posited the existence of potent superhuman beings whose wills one had to propitiate.

2. What is animal symbolicum? Do you agree that we can define human as ‘symbol-using animal.’ Give reason to your answer. 20

Ans) Humans are frequently described as an animal symbolicum by modern philosophers, which can be translated as "an animal that uses symbols." The fundamental integrative (and subsequently liberative) understanding of how the traditionally referred to "spiritual" and "material" elements fuse together in the human person is brought out by this felicitous expression once again. First off, Maréchal helps us understand how the human being is not just "open" to the world and beyond, but also to the fullness of reality and to God. On the other hand, we can also observe how the outside world, in a sense, assists humans in their search for the Ultimate by pointing beyond itself. A symbol's ability to point to something other than itself is one of its defining characteristics. "All reality is symbolic" in this sense. Again, the human being is a creature that requires symbols. One of our (recently debunked) contemporary myths hold that "modern man" doesn't require symbols (or myths, or perhaps even rites; for more information on how these are further developments of symbol, see Desbruslais, 1984).

It was argued that our ancestors couldn't have developed our sophisticated level of abstract thought because they were too prehistoric. So, they had to turn to symbols, myths, and other such things. But as enlightened moderns, we can ignore such trivialities and get right to the foundation of metaphysics. A comprehensive response to this snobbery isn't appropriate in this context, but we can make a few points in light of Maréchal's research. Humans cannot imagine (much less relate to in any inter-personal depth) a completely disembodied, un-incarnate, and unfleshed reality because they are embodied, incarnate, and flesh. She or he must somehow bring their embodiedness into the relationship as well; otherwise, their personhood would feel an unavoidable element of frustration. After all, Rahner said that we are "spirit in the world," not pure spirits. We must therefore "embody the disembodied" in some way in order to ensure the full meaningfulness of interpersonal relationships. Thus, our physical dimension can participate in the relationship and be fulfilled.

Making a symbol is all that is necessary to "embody the disembodied" right now. Because of this, when you love someone (and love is a disembodied concept in and of itself), you must physically manifest your love for them through handshakes, hugs, gift-giving, going out together, and the like. We also require statues, sacred images, and religious rituals for this reason. All of these contribute to the nature of symbols, and it is crucial that we understand that they are only symbols and not idols. "Symbols must live; idols must perish." But sadly, just as we mechanistic moderns tend to reduce mystery to issues, so do we have a parallel perversion that seduces us into distorting symbols into idols. Other equally clear-cut and undeniable actions taken by people separate them from every other observable reality on our planet. The only thing that can prove these actions took place is another human being. There are numerous ways to list them. Use of a conceptual language, artistic creation, and transcendental religion are the three things we like to group them under. Some people would prefer to use different names for these. Other things would be different things to do. In order to facilitate study and reflection, we prefer to stick to just these three (Desbruslais 1977).

3. Give answer of any two questions in about 250 words each. 2*10= 20

a) Write a note on Aristotle’s idea of Soul. 10

Ans) This opposing school holds that the concepts of "body" and "soul" should be understood as complementary aspects of existence rather than as opposing whole beings. In actuality, as we have already stated, the human person is a composite made up of prime matter and the human soul, which, as a substantial form, "informs" the former rather than "body" and "soul." Aristotle had this perspective on reality, in contrast to his former master. He had a much more sympathetic and appreciative perspective on matter in general as well as the body. Aquinas believed that Aristotle appeared more receptive to the development of Christian doctrine than Plato. However, this significant advantage enjoyed by the Stagyrites exposed a weakness in that same defence. Let Copleston summarise the issue for us: "St. Thomas adopted the Aristotelian view of the soul as form of the body and rejected the Platonic Augustinian view of the relation of the soul to body.

The question then becomes whether the closeness of the union between the soul and the body has not been emphasised to the point where it must be assumed that the existence of the human soul independently of the body is impossible. In other words, isn't personal immortality incompatible with the Aristotelian doctrine of the relationship between the soul and the body? In contrast, if one begins with the Aristotelian theory of the soul, it may appear that immortality must be sacrificed because the soul is so inextricably linked to the body that it is unable to exist separately from the body. Immortality is assured if one begins with the Platonic theory of the soul, but the union of the soul and body is made difficult to understand.

d) Elaborate Skinner’s idea of planned society. 10

Ans) American psychologist Burrhus Frederic Skinner (1904–1990), who was born in Susquehanna, was drawn to the American behavioural school of psychology while still a student and developed a strong interest in the work of Watson and Human as Free Pavlov. After earning his Ph.D. in psychology from Harvard in 1931, he devoted several years to research the central nervous system's operations and animal learning. Deborah, his younger daughter, spent her first two years in his "baby box," a chamber with a controlled environment for infants, without hesitation on his part.

He is best known for his studies on how people learn and his support for what is now referred to as a planned society. He also supports planned instruction, which applies in the classroom the learning principles developed through laboratory research. He is also among the top proponents of behavioural psychology today, which is the study of observable human behaviour. In his well-known work Walden Two (1948), he outlined his ideal society's foundational values. He called for limitations on personal freedoms that impede the growth of the ideal planned society in Beyond Freedom and Dignity (1971), a book that stirred up a hornet's nest.

When it comes to the issues raised by Skinner, we will only make a few broad observations (leaving to the course on Psychological Perspectives the filling in of more details). First off, let's keep in mind that human freedom is not something that must be present in order for a person to be able to stand apart from their surroundings and avoid the possibility of being influenced by programming and other factors.

4. Give answer of any four questions in about 150 words each. 4*5= 20

b) Write a note on the idea of Absurdity. 5

Ans) The philosophical idea that existence in general is absurd is known as absurdism. This implies that the world is not fully comprehensible by reason and is devoid of meaning or a greater purpose. In the context of absurdism, the word "absurd" also has a more specific meaning that describes a conflict or discrepancy between two things but leaves room for debate as to what exactly those things are. These disagreements have a variety of repercussions on both the validity of absurdism and the justifications offered for and against it. The conflict is typically described as a collision between a rational man and an irrational world, between intention and result, or between subjective evaluation and objective worth. The assertion that the entire world is absurd is a key component of absurdism. In this way, it differs from the unarguable and less general thesis that some specific people, situations, or stages of life are absurd. In the academic literature, different aspects of the absurd are discussed, and various theorists frequently focus their definitions and investigations on various aspects.

c) Explain ‘Being-towards-death’ in Heidegger’s Philosophy 5

Ans) The Pre-Socratic tradition is revived by Martin Heidegger, who views humanity as "being-towards-death." Death permeates all aspects of life; it does not occur at the end of it. As soon as I am born, I am a part of the timeline that runs from conception to death. The ultimate condition, the end of my being-thrown, is death. My way of being in the world is through death. All human experience is characterised by this finitude. However, everyone experiences death differently. My death is the only thing that cannot be shared; though it is personal, it cannot be used to represent anyone else. Even when I'm dead, I never have it, so it always escapes me. Death is a part of everything about me, but it eludes me. In response to Heidegger, Emmanuel Levinas asserts that the murderous killing of the other fits the description of death to nothingness. But this emptiness also manifests as a form of impossibility. The Other does not appear as the Other outside of my conscience, and his or her face expresses my moral impossibility of annihilation.

e) Differentiate between ‘freedom from’ and ‘freedom for.’ 5

Ans) A common distinction made by writers is between "freedom from" and "freedom for." The former is what we might refer to as the "first phase" of freedom, during which we strive to free ourselves from everything that burdens us, everything that stifles us, and everything that keeps us from being our authentic selves. For example, "breaking free" from shyness, from the anxieties of stifling and painful childhood experiences that act as a kind of straitjacket on us, from friends, habits, and an environment that sap our willpower are all part and parcel of the process of becoming "free from." But after that, the real work only just gets started. We must decide what objective, what ideals, and what values we will steadfastly and firmly pursue. For some people, this entails seeking a closer relationship with God, developing more mature friendships with other people, or devoting oneself to improving one's country (these possibilities are by no means mutually exclusive).

f) Write a note on Marcel’s idea of availability. 5

Ans) Marcel uses the terms disponibilité and indisponibilité, which can be loosely translated as availability and unavailability. However, Marcel also uses the terms handiness and unhandiness to describe these terms for his English readers. The availability of one's resources, which include those that are material, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual, is referred to as handiness or unhandiness. Thus, availability refers to my level of availability to others and the availability of my resources. Even though it might seem like someone could be selfish with their resources, the reality is that when resources aren't available, their inaccessibility has an impact on both the other person and the self. However, we're going to concentrate on how accessible and unavailable people are to one another. The study of things and how they exist is known as ontology. His approach involves considering and outlining the characteristics of human life as we live it. He is able to understand their fundamental traits in this way.

5. Write short notes on any five in about 100 words each. 5*4= 20

a) Dasein 4

Ans) Martin Heidegger's main goal was to bring up the topic of Being, or how to explain how we can make sense of the world. Additionally, he wanted to reaffirm the idea that despite being challenging to comprehend, this issue was crucial. Heidegger focused his research, however, on a particular kind of Being: the human. Heidegger used the term "Dasein," which is German for "Being there." Heidegger drew attention to the fact that a human being cannot be considered other than as an existent in the middle of a world, that Dasein is "to be there," and "there" is the world, by using the term "Dasein."

c) Somatic Death 4

Ans) In general, somatic death is the cessation of all life processes in an organism (from the Greek soma, body). Although somatic death may not have occurred yet, a person whose heart and lungs have stopped beating is typically considered to be dead clinically. The body's individual cells carry on for several minutes. If the heart and lungs can be made to function once more and provide the cells with the oxygen they require, the person may still live. It becomes nearly impossible to revive or resuscitate a person once the brain cells, which are extremely sensitive to a lack of oxygen, start to die.

d) Plato’s idea of Soul 4

Ans) In Plato's theory of the soul, which was influenced by Socrates' teachings, the psyche was regarded as the essence of a person because it determines how people act. This essence, according to Plato, was the incorporeal, eternal occupant of a person's being. According to Plato, the soul continues to exist and has mental capacity after death. He thought that after a body dies, the soul continuously reincarnates (meta psychosis) in new bodies. The epithymetikon, the thymoeides, and the logistikon were Plato's three divisions of the soul (appetite). The idea that the soul is the source of both lives, and the mind was first put forth by Plato in the annals of philosophy.

f) Cartesian Dualism 4

Ans) Mind-body dualism in philosophy of mind refers to either the idea that mental phenomena are not physical or that the mind and body are separate and distinct from one another. It contrasts with other viewpoints on the mind-body issue, such as physicalism and enactivism, and encompasses a range of perspectives on the relationship between subject and object as well as between mind and matter. Plato believed in multiple souls, and Aristotle agreed. He further developed this idea into a hierarchical structure that corresponded to the distinct functions of plants, animals, and humans: a nutritive soul for growth and metabolism that all three shares; a perceptive soul for pain, pleasure, and desire that only humans and other animals share; and the faculty of reason that is only found in humans.

h) Direct Judgment as a movement 4

Ans) Philosophy is compelled to accept that there is a level of self that is noumenon, a thing-in-itself, that is a prerequisite for perception and understanding but itself beyond perception and understanding. This is the case with Kant's Transcendental Self. The transcendental self is this. This level of self-awareness goes beyond the parameters of common philosophies. The "I" in Descartes' "I think" is analogous to this. The transcendental self is a key component of Kant's "practical reason." Man would not have freedom if he were solely subject to the laws of nature, which by his definition are predetermined. Kant therefore asserts a transcendental freedom, or the notion that the inner self is not constrained by natural laws.