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Old 01-1-2006, 05:24 PM   #1
nforcer06164
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Default The Development of Man

The following is an essay I wrote for English on the development of man. The ideas that I present are loosely built on Locke's idea of the "Tabla Rasa", as well as Darwin's theory of natural selection. From there, I attempt to explain the creation of society, as well as the origins of religion. When I wrote this, my English teacher told me he was impressed. Trust me, it is really hard to impress this guy. Let me know what you think. I'd really appreciate some feedback. Also, I have a few more essays similar to this if you're interested. Also, don't turn this into a religious argument... that's not what I want to come out of this. Keep an open mind while reading.



“Man is a product of all the material conditions of life that he encounters on the road from cradle to grave; and the mores, folkways, and religious thinking are but the shadow cast on human behavior on this shifting material basis of the society.”

The above quote is a Naturalistic view of man, his origin, and his development. This statement argues that man simply is, and what one person may experience in his lifetime shapes him into what he becomes. The soul and God do not factor into a person’s origin and development because, to put it bluntly, the soul and God do not exist. Although man’s creation may be hard to fathom without including the intervention of some higher power, it can actually be quite easily explained through the simple examination of the aforementioned quote and some deep thought.

Man did not necessarily have to come about through greater intelligence and a higher power. In fact, we would not even be able to question our origin if we did not exist. The chance of our coming into being through the perfect workings of the universe is very minute. Yet, it so happened that we did come into being, and we would not know otherwise if it hadn’t because we would not be present in the universe. The word “material” as it is used in the quote means genetics and environment. So, our existence today is solely based upon our ancestry and the favorable conditions that allowed us to survive as a species.

Of course, those material conditions also make us who we are. The development of an individual is derived from the characteristics he takes on at birth and the effects of the influences of his environment. If an individual is born with features that allow him to thrive and prosper, he will develop differently than one who does not have those features. Also, individuals born in different environments will develop in dramatically different ways. These environmental differences can be almost anything, ranging from climate to other individuals. These are the reasons why every person is unique. Of course, any person can use his intellect to make decisions for himself, but those decisions are minor. Ultimately, that person cannot change his genetics and environment; therefore, he cannot alter his development.

Because of man’s nature, his actions should be based on impulse and quick thought. Though it is natural to react to our environment in such a way, it is unpractical to do so. It decreases the chances of survival of our species as a whole. Therefore, a societal structure was formed to remedy this liability on survival. Of course, this formation of a society had to have a format that would allow the functions of individuals and groups to run smoothly. Therefore, basic rules, regulations, and abstract ideas were set up; in the quote, they are referred to as “mores, folkways, and religious thinking.”

But what are these three things? Each of them has a simple definition that makes it easy to understand why all of them were included. Mores are the moral traditions of a society. Simply put, they are manners; the code of actions that are considered “proper” and “polite”. Folkways are the cultural customs of a particular society. In American culture, for example, Thanksgiving is a widely celebrated holiday within the country that occurs once every year. It is a customary practice of this one society. Religious thinking is exactly what it appears to be. It is the practice of a particular religion which may include the concept of God or some higher power.

Although mores and folkways are important elements in the structure of a stable society, religious thinking is the most in-depth and the most crucial. Religious thinking, according to the quote, is just a derivation of man. This religious thinking was set up to ensure adherence to a moral code so that moral stability could be achieved and a strong, stable society could be formed. The thought that some being was always watching one’s every move, and he would be punished somehow for stepping outside the bounds of what was considered right and good, kept order in the society. This thought endured because it was passed down through generations of people. As it was passed down, its true intention became distorted and came to be massively believed as truth rather than theory. It is easily understood that if one was not taught about a higher power, he would not believe in the existence of such a being. So, it is proven that religious thought is but a tool of man to create and keep an orderly society.

As time goes on, the mores, folkways, and religious thinking of a society change little by little to better control human behavior as material nature changes. From birth, all of these cultural ideas are forced upon us, and we accept them because we know no better than to do so. Adhering to these ideas, we proceed to react to our environment, learning from the experiences that our surroundings enact upon us. Therefore, it is impossible to assume that we are all born with a spirit that contains knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge and wisdom indubitably come from without, not from within. Therefore, the quote is proven true; man is but the product of his genetics and environment that he encounters during his lifetime, and nothing more.
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