| A Highly Non-Analytical Exploration of Human Nature: An Adaptation of an Essay A notion that man has had for quite some time is their apparent differentiation from the animals (and thus neglecting the fact they are animals) and attributing this to some aspect of their being. Of course, any individual with the slightest biological knowledge undoubtedly knows that the key to the differentiation of man from the other species lies in their DNA. However, various intellectuals have professed that being human is constituted by more than simply having the proper genetic code. They postulate that man is composed of an inherent nature or essence (whose purity many a great philosopher have posited), which places a meaning on being human. A formation of a social contract is also innately human, and the society for by this contract actively defines the human prototype imbedded in an individual’s cognition. People within the populace who do not meet the standards of the prototype are cast aside in various ways and under various titles. Since these elements are rather pervasive throughout the world and time they should be explored in much depth. First, it would be a wise decision to analyze the prototype of a human created by society for once it has been established the other aspects of the human essence can be explored more fully. The human prototype consists of various parts but the most observable is undeniably physical appearance, which is also quite possibly the most important. When an individual does not meet the societal aesthetic expectations then they are often met with abhorrence and are simply cast aside as was the case with the elephant man, lobster man and the bearded lady, who appeared in various side/freak shows. Another aspect that is almost as important as appearance is the general cognitive characteristics of an individual. These characteristics range from intelligence levels, e.g. the exclusion from normal society of those below an IQ of 70, to an individual’s ideals and how closely they resemble the general populace’s such as the McCarthy era’s persecution of suspected communists. The final aspect of this prototype can spawn from ethnocentrism, which excludes those that do not share a common descent with the majority of the population, which is most commonly illustrated by anti-Semitism and Nazi Germany. The prototype conceived by these structures coupled by the human’s inborn power of ignorance cause the myriad types of dismissal of those not meeting it. Society, attempting to neatly rid the majority of the minority, has fabricated multiple methods of expulsion from its ranks. The most prevalent method employed to remove individuals is simple isolation, which can be accomplished in two ways, socially and physically. The latter of these ways is less prevalent in the current age and thoroughly reeks of the inquisition, the Nazis, United States internment camps during World War II and Salem, Massachusetts (which Mister Miller illustrated quite well, might I add). This method physically removes the unwanted individuals from the population and often times subjects them to physical strife, while also ascribing them “jocular” names such as heretic, witch or Jew. The seemed favorite method of illustrating this is usually though a description of Nazi concentration camps and the myriad atrocities performed on Jews of various nationalities, but, of course, the standard method would be excruciatingly unexciting and therefore I shall opt to describe the relocation of Soviet dissidents to Siberia. Actually, “description” is not really the correct word because I will not be mentioning anything about the conditions in Siberia other than it was cold and the living conditions were poor. Anyway, the dissidents were expelled from Mother Russia simply because they expressed vocally or through script their disagreement (hence the title “dissidents”) with the tyrannical rule of the horrendously corrupt government. Contrary to the physical method of isolation, the social method requires much fewer resources and labor, but is just as harsh. This approach consists of an active exclusion of individuals from a range of events and opportunities without actually ejecting them from the populace. A favorite pseudo-contemporary example of this is the McCarthy era, America’s fear-filled age of hypocrisy. In this time of quasi-martial law any suspected Red was tried for numerous unfounded accusations, or was simply blacklisted. Hence, disagreement with the human prototype results in one of two types of segregation, which, though different, are equally detrimental to the lives of those excluded. Ascribing meaning to being human is intrinsically human for it derives from man’s expanded ability to cogitate. Besides being a means to express a juvenile pride, the meaning given to being human embodies man’s volition to achieve the ideal. One will hear few people state that to be human is to err, or to be arrogant or any other negative attribute. One will nearly solely hear that to be human is to be dutiful, to be honest or, essentially, be good. But unfortunately for those who believe to be human means to solely be good, being human also means possessing the capability to do wrong, to exploit and to hurt. To be human means to have the capability to do good and evil and to act on both those capabilities. Man’s callow nature, characterized by its ascription of meaning to being human, is further expounded by its composition of a brutally exclusive social contract. This characteristic most adeptly separates humanity from its kin. |