Humanism beyond social constructivism
Programme
Document identifier: oai:DiVA.org:ltu-75941
Keyword: Humanities and the Arts,
Philosophy, Ethics and Religion,
Philosophy,
Humaniora och konst,
Filosofi, etik och religion,
Filosofi,
Humanities,
Posthumanism,
Evolution,
Steven Pinker,
Svenska med didaktisk inriktning,
Swedish and EducationPublication year: 2018Relevant Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
The SDG label(s) above have been assigned by OSDG.aiAbstract: Steven Pinker’s The Blank Slate, with its subtitle The Modern Denial of Human Nature, published 2002, is a book that every person active within the field of humanities should read. The main thesis in the book is that man is not so much a tabula rasa where different social powers form his identity, as nature shaped by evolution. From the perspective of the humanities this more or less biological view is often seen as narrow and reductionist. The humanist alternative is man seen as a social construction shaped by history and the forces that lie within it. Man is culture, not nature. As representatives of the humanities we often see ourselves as an elite with the intellectual tools to see the powers that shape history, society and institutions. The typical humanist sees him- or herself as a critic of contemporary society with the agenda of liberating the oppressed. Intellectuals in the humanities therefore to easily lend themselves to the social engineering of ideologies. This is also one reason why the role of the humanist and the humanities is questioned within contemporary society. In a complex and incomprehensible world we doubt that a political elite can be the Master Planners that shape society towards total equality. The expanding research in genetics shows us that much of our identity is shaped by our biology. To regain its rightful intellectual status and importance, humanism, or perhaps post-humanism, needs to question its role of reshaping the nature of man by social means, and with realism see and accept ourselves as one creature among others fabricated through evolution, and thus ask the interesting questions about such a partly flawed being.
Authors
Ingemar Friberg
Luleå tekniska universitet; Pedagogik, språk och Ämnesdidaktik
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identifier: oai:DiVA.org:ltu-75941
datestamp: 2021-04-19T13:09:35Z
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titleInfo:
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lang: eng
title: Humanism beyond social constructivism
abstract: Steven Pinker’s The Blank Slate with its subtitle The Modern Denial of Human Nature published 2002 is a book that every person active within the field of humanities should read. The main thesis in the book is that man is not so much a tabula rasa where different social powers form his identity as nature shaped by evolution. From the perspective of the humanities this more or less biological view is often seen as narrow and reductionist. The humanist alternative is man seen as a social construction shaped by history and the forces that lie within it. Man is culture not nature. As representatives of the humanities we often see ourselves as an elite with the intellectual tools to see the powers that shape history society and institutions. The typical humanist sees him- or herself as a critic of contemporary society with the agenda of liberating the oppressed. Intellectuals in the humanities therefore to easily lend themselves to the social engineering of ideologies. This is also one reason why the role of the humanist and the humanities is questioned within contemporary society. In a complex and incomprehensible world we doubt that a political elite can be the Master Planners that shape society towards total equality. The expanding research in genetics shows us that much of our identity is shaped by our biology. To regain its rightful intellectual status and importance humanism or perhaps post-humanism needs to question its role of reshaping the nature of man by social means and with realism see and accept ourselves as one creature among others fabricated through evolution and thus ask the interesting questions about such a partly flawed being.
subject:
@attributes:
lang: eng
authority: uka.se
topic:
Humanities and the Arts
Philosophy Ethics and Religion
Philosophy
@attributes:
lang: swe
authority: uka.se
topic:
Humaniora och konst
Filosofi etik och religion
Filosofi
@attributes:
lang: eng
topic: Humanities
@attributes:
lang: eng
topic: Posthumanism
@attributes:
lang: eng
topic: Evolution
@attributes:
lang: eng
topic: Steven Pinker
@attributes:
lang: swe
authority: ltu
topic: Svenska med didaktisk inriktning
genre: Research subject
@attributes:
lang: eng
authority: ltu
topic: Swedish and Education
genre: Research subject
language:
languageTerm: eng
genre:
conference/other
ref
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Published
1
name:
@attributes:
type: personal
authority: ltu
namePart:
Friberg
Ingemar
1960-
role:
roleTerm: aut
affiliation:
Luleå tekniska universitet
Pedagogik språk och Ämnesdidaktik
nameIdentifier: infr
originInfo:
dateIssued: 2018
publisher: Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas
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titleInfo:
title: Humanitites in Transition International Conference
subTitle: Programme
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extent:
start: 30
end: 30
location:
url: https://humanitiesconference.imf.csic.es/sites/default/files/documents/HHT-programme.pdf
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