Philosophical Anthropology is the study of the human being from a philosophical point of view. It is a branch of philosophy which is responsible for the study of humanity as a project of being. It constitutes the question of the humanity: the being of the human, it is not the question alone that makes for the distinctiveness of philosophical anthropology, but rather the primacy that is given to that question[I2]. In this respect, philosophical anthropology appears, not just as one branch of philosophy among others, but as actually bringing with it a distinctive conception of philosophy as fundamentally concerned with the human in a way that comes before anything else. (Benjamin and Malpas 2017: 317)
Philosophical anthropology demonstrates the complexities of human beings and his[I3] behaviours that are extremely difficult to comprehend in an entirely accurate way. Besides, according to Edgar Bodenheim[I4], philosophical is a disciple that has a more objective conception than one of anthropology. It studies topics concerning the problems of man[I5], going beyond the questions of his first stage of life on the planet.
Philosophical anthropology is the most fundamental inductive of sciences that focuses on human beings and their behaviour. Also, philosophical anthropology watches human being like a human[I6] camera and listens like a tape recorder to constitute the core elements of human behaviour. (Pertti and Pelto 1978: 53[I7] ).
Philosophical anthropology perceives man as a self-contradictory and mysterious, capable of surpassing his natural limits in quest of reality. It studies man existence, his experience and his anxieties. Every human individual is a micro-universe of meaning and significance[I8].
The significance of Philosophical anthropology
It aims at a new understanding of man’s essential qualities and potentialities. It aims to accomplish this by the development of suitable methods, by a factual illumination of the puzzle in human institutions, and by doubtful research from different branches of sciences. It is an attempt to construct a scientific discipline out of man’s traditional effort to understand and release him. It uses experience and opinion to understand its surroundings and to develop in the [I9] world. [I10]
Philosophical anthropology looks at the most fundamental questions about human nature and human conditions. Taking as its point of understanding the recent scientific understanding of human nature, from anthropology broadly conceived, it goes on to question the effects of these views for constant philosophical questions about human rationality, morality, the possibility of progress, the existence of God and the meaning of life.
Philosophical anthropology is significant because it assists us to understand ourselves better. It also helps us to understand others better, because through the studies we hope to understand ourselves much better. It is in human nature to desire knowledge and understanding. Besides, there is no way to know the man and his behaviour than to understand his life. It provides us with the information of where do we[I11] originates from. Equally so, it helps us to meditate on our nature as human beings and what is our purpose or rather our relationship with the universe.
Indisputably, it highlights human reality it makes it more practical and meaningful by posing questions that most people take them for granted. It responds to the needs of man directly by reflecting on the implications of everyday experience and examining our moral convictions. (Rickman H 1985. P31).
Consequently, it reveals to us the sector of human life which is accessible to our individual experience. It also tries to cover human phenomena. It gives and embraces the complete picture of human life by seeking an understanding of man’s life tendencies. Besides, it studies man’s natural limitations and deals with man’s potentialities, with what he as a free agent makes of himself or is able and ought to make of himself. Thus philosophical anthropology studies both man as a creature and man as the creator of cultural values and man as seen by a scientific observer and man as interpreted by him. (Aussen and Innenasicht[I12] )
Philosophical anthropology interprets philosophically the facts that the sciences have discovered concerning the nature of man and the human condition. It presupposes a developed body of scientific thought. It clarifies the basic qualities that make man what he is and distinguishes him from other beings. This discipline aims at providing a critical intervention with the concept of human values and its underlying ideological roots towards various conceptions of human nature. It aims to take various thematic views on the philosophical perspectives on human nature concerning the formation of human values through ancient and modern traditions.
Moreover, it helps each one of us to become productive members of society by being good people. It instils in us the concept of a good life and good behaviour around others. It helps us to understand who we are and what our role in the universe is. It gives a meaning of what it means to be a person unlike other social sciences that explains what it is to be a human person but does not explain what it means to be a human person.
Philosophical anthropology reflects upon man to understand him in his wholeness, grasping the fundamental principles of his existence in the world and his behaviour. Hence, that, whereas science investigates how the human individual manifests himself toward his environment and his fellow man, Philosophical anthropology asks itself of human being, about the ultimate principles of their existence and activity. (Palumbieri, S 1999: 51-52).
It illumines us to see human beings with different perspective to respect the life that is within ourselves and in other beings. We need to understand our world and the things that we do within it for our cognitive growth but also our mental health. If we cannot understand ourselves, how can we understand anything else? So it tries to help us to understand ourselves well[I13].
Philosophical anthropology divides human’s civilization in three sentiments i. e. 1). Anthropocentric- explaining man as a supreme being and the measure of all things, and therefore cannot be any scope wider this. 2). Cosmocentric, it explain man on the plane of nature of the cosmos; man realizes himself only when he behaves according to the laws of nature. 3). Theocentric, here it explains human being on the plane of God, and therefore man behaves correctly and reaches full realization of himself if he conforms to the laws of God and takes God himself as his model. (Batista, M p14[I14] ).
It explains our ultimate goal as human persons and the mutual relationship between God and man. It explains the religious aspect of human being, by telling us about the history of man before and after the fall. Also, it gives a different perspective of humanity that of salvation history that is the history of God’s relationship with humanity[I15].
Philosophical anthropology according to Batista[I16] intends to unmask the pretexts of self-sufficiency of scientific knowledge and shows that human reality poses the latter case, its objectives are to advance and complete the knowledge of man’s behaviour, though it is partially developed by the experimental sciences. (Batista M p9).
It helps us to fully grasp the longings of human beings, which the human being has been searching without rest since the beginning of their existence. In this aspect, it is emphasized how at present the human being does not consider it necessary to resort in the search of God to be able to solve his problems, but now he seeks to take care of himself.
Emmerich Coreth the Austrian philosopher, opened the question of man in terms of philosophical anthropology, by saying that no other known living creatures ask questions about their existence, their essence, or their place and meaning in the world: “the only man asks questions; he questions everything, even himself, his essence- exceeding the immediacy of what is given, heading to the foundations” (Coreth, 1994: 10) it is thus in such case that philosophical anthropology is needed.
Now man is seen as being responsible for the world in which he lives. Therefore, man now seeks to solve his problems using scientific and technological advances. At present, it is seen how the human being has found the cure of different diseases that were previously mortal. Here we talk about the “scientific man". [I17]
Conclusion.
For these reasons, it is said that philosophical anthropology is responsible for the study of man from its essence to the indisputable truths of science[I18]
Philosophical
Anthropology
is the
study
of the
human
being from a
philosophical
point of view. It is a branch of philosophy which is responsible for the
study
of humanity as a project of being. It constitutes the
question
of the humanity: the being of the
human
, it is not the
question
alone that
makes
for the distinctiveness of
philosophical
anthropology
,
but
rather
the primacy
that is
given
to that question[I2]. In this respect,
philosophical
anthropology
appears, not
just
as one branch of philosophy among others,
but
as actually bringing with it a distinctive conception of philosophy as
fundamentally
concerned with the
human
in a way that
comes
before
anything else. (Benjamin and
Malpas
2017:
317)
Philosophical
anthropology
demonstrates the complexities of
human
beings and his[I3]
behaviours
that are
extremely
difficult to comprehend in an
entirely
accurate way.
Besides
, according to Edgar
Bodenheim
[I4],
philosophical
is a disciple that has a more objective conception than one of
anthropology
. It
studies
topics concerning the problems of
man
[I5], going beyond the
questions
of his
first
stage of
life
on the planet.
Philosophical
anthropology
is the most fundamental inductive of
sciences
that focuses on
human
beings and their
behaviour
.
Also
,
philosophical
anthropology
watches
human
being like a human[I6] camera and listens like a tape recorder to constitute the core elements of
human
behaviour
. (
Pertti
and
Pelto
1978: 53[I7]
).
Philosophical
anthropology
perceives
man
as a self-contradictory and mysterious, capable of surpassing his natural limits in quest of reality. It
studies
man
existence
, his
experience
and his anxieties. Every
human
individual is a micro-universe of
meaning
and significance[I8].
The significance of
Philosophical
anthropology
It
aims
at a new
understanding
of
man’s
essential qualities and potentialities. It
aims
to accomplish this by the development of suitable methods, by a factual illumination of the puzzle in
human
institutions, and by doubtful research from
different
branches of
sciences
. It is an attempt to construct a
scientific
discipline out of
man’s
traditional effort to
understand
and release him.
It
uses
experience
and opinion to
understand
its surroundings and to develop in the [I9]
world
. [I10]
Philosophical
anthropology
looks at the most fundamental
questions
about
human
nature
and
human
conditions. Taking as its point of
understanding
the recent
scientific
understanding
of
human
nature
, from
anthropology
broadly
conceived, it goes on to
question
the effects of these views for constant
philosophical
questions
about
human
rationality, morality, the possibility of progress, the
existence
of God and the
meaning
of life.
Philosophical
anthropology
is significant
because
it assists us to
understand
ourselves
better. It
also
helps
us to
understand
others better,
because
through the
studies
we hope to
understand
ourselves
much better. It is in
human
nature
to desire knowledge and
understanding
.
Besides
, there is no way to know the
man
and his
behaviour
than to
understand
his
life
. It provides us with the information of where do we[I11] originates from.
Equally
so
, it
helps
us to meditate on our
nature
as
human
beings and what is our purpose or
rather
our relationship with the universe.
Indisputably
, it highlights
human
reality it
makes
it more practical and meaningful by posing
questions
that most
people
take them for granted. It responds to the needs of
man
directly
by reflecting on the implications of everyday
experience
and examining our moral convictions. (
Rickman
H 1985. P31).
Consequently
, it reveals to us the sector of
human
life
which is accessible to our individual
experience
. It
also
tries to cover
human
phenomena. It gives and embraces the complete picture of
human
life
by seeking an
understanding
of
man’s
life
tendencies.
Besides
, it
studies
man’s
natural limitations and deals with
man’s
potentialities, with what he as a free agent
makes
of himself or is able and ought to
make
of himself.
Thus
philosophical
anthropology
studies
both
man
as a creature and
man
as the creator of cultural values and
man
as
seen
by a
scientific
observer and
man
as interpreted by him. (
Aussen
and
Innenasicht
[I12]
)
Philosophical
anthropology
interprets
philosophically
the facts that the
sciences
have discovered concerning the
nature
of
man
and the
human
condition. It presupposes a developed body of
scientific
thought
. It clarifies the basic qualities that
make
man
what he is and distinguishes him from
other
beings. This discipline
aims
at providing a critical intervention with the concept of
human
values and its underlying ideological roots towards various conceptions of
human
nature
. It
aims
to take various thematic views on the
philosophical
perspectives on
human
nature
concerning the formation of
human
values through ancient and modern traditions.
Moreover
, it
helps
each one of us to become productive members of society by being
good
people
. It
instils
in us the concept of a
good
life
and
good
behaviour
around others. It
helps
us to
understand
who we are and what our role in the universe is.
It
gives a
meaning
of what it means to be a person unlike
other
social
sciences
that
explains
what it is to be a
human
person
but
does not
explain
what it means to be a
human
person.
Philosophical
anthropology
reflects upon
man
to
understand
him in his wholeness, grasping the fundamental principles of his
existence
in the
world
and his
behaviour
.
Hence
, that, whereas
science
investigates how the
human
individual manifests himself toward his environment and his fellow
man
,
Philosophical
anthropology
asks itself of
human
being, about the ultimate principles of their
existence
and activity. (
Palumbieri
, S 1999: 51-52).
It illumines us to
see
human
beings with
different
perspective to respect the
life
that is
within
ourselves
and in
other
beings. We need to
understand
our
world
and the things that we do within it for our cognitive growth
but
also
our mental health. If we cannot
understand
ourselves
, how can we
understand
anything else?
So
it tries to
help
us to
understand
ourselves
well[I13].
Philosophical
anthropology
divides
human’s
civilization in three sentiments
i. e.
1). Anthropocentric- explaining
man
as a supreme being and the measure of all things, and
therefore
cannot be any scope wider this. 2).
Cosmocentric
, it
explain
man
on the
plane
of
nature
of the cosmos;
man
realizes himself
only
when he behaves according to the laws of
nature
. 3).
Theocentric
, here it
explains
human
being on the
plane
of God, and
therefore
man
behaves
correctly
and reaches full realization of himself if he conforms to the laws of God and takes God himself as his model. (Batista, M p14[I14]
)
.
It
explains
our ultimate goal as
human
persons and the mutual relationship between God and
man
. It
explains
the religious aspect of
human
being, by telling us about the history of
man
before
and after the fall.
Also
, it gives a
different
perspective of humanity that of salvation history
that is
the history of God’s relationship with humanity[I15].
Philosophical
anthropology
according to Batista[I16] intends to unmask the pretexts of self-sufficiency of
scientific
knowledge and
shows
that
human
reality poses the latter case, its objectives are to advance and complete the knowledge of
man’s
behaviour
, though it is
partially
developed by the experimental
sciences
. (Batista M p9).
It
helps
us to
fully
grasp the longings of
human
beings, which the
human
being has been searching without rest since the beginning of their
existence
. In this aspect, it
is emphasized
how at present the
human
being does not consider it necessary to resort in the search of God to be able to solve his problems,
but
now
he seeks to take care of himself.
Emmerich
Coreth
the Austrian philosopher, opened the
question
of
man
in terms of
philosophical
anthropology
, by saying that no
other
known living creatures ask
questions
about their
existence
, their essence, or their place and
meaning
in the
world
: “the
only
man
asks
questions
; he
questions
everything, even himself, his essence- exceeding the immediacy of what is
given
, heading to the foundations” (
Coreth
, 1994: 10) it is
thus
in such case that
philosophical
anthropology
is needed
.
Now
man
is
seen
as being responsible for the
world
in which he
lives
.
Therefore
,
man
now
seeks to solve his problems using
scientific
and technological advances. At present, it is
seen
how the
human
being has found the cure of
different
diseases that were previously mortal. Here we talk about the
“scientific
man
"
. [I17]
Conclusion.
For these reasons, it
is said
that
philosophical
anthropology
is responsible for the
study
of
man
from its essence to the indisputable truths of science[I18]