Man the slave & master / by Mark Graubard.

  • Graubard, Mark, 1904-1992.
Date:
1939
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: Man the slave & master / by Mark Graubard. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    45/388 (page 29)
    accuracy is identical with the desire to avoid falsehood and stupidity. It is remarkable how many scientific philosophers are led to correct solutions of problems merely by disregard ing obviously foolish hypotheses. The realm of human conduct especially abounds with vague theories rather than analyses of accurate observation. To disregard these specu lations is the first step towards understanding human nature. With this prelude we may enter into a discussion of 'human nature/ a term it is important to define because when employed loosely it leads to confusion. Since man coins words to symbolize real objects and events, language must correspond to tangible or definable facts, proper ties, phenomena, states, or relationships. Words that are used to define objects never cause difficulties because their meaning is specific and clear. Language which represents ideas, emotions, states, or concepts, however, is readily open to confusion, because its meanings are less concrete and objective. Such terms often impede communication because they are used by people who assign to them different meanings. Since the function of language is communication of ideas, it is necessary to define our terminology as clearly as possible in order that we may be mutually understood. The phrase human nature is used to designate the be haviour of man, or the sum total of his actions. Realizing that human conduct is subject to a multitude of influences which modify it in many ways, we are in a position to observe that the phrase is often used to differentiate the real, basic, and original human reactions from those which have been altered in their process of conditioning. While many definitions are arbitrary, hence used only as long as they meet common acceptance, human nature is definable only after all component elements determining behaviour are analysed.