Ten Theories of Human Nature

by Stevenson, Leslie; Haberman, David L.

• ISBN13: 9780195169737
• ISBN10: 0195169735
• Edition: 4th
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2099-11-30
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Over three previous editions, Ten Theories of Human Nature has been a remarkably popular introduction to some of the most influential developments in Western and Eastern thought. This thoroughly revised fourth edition features substantial new chapters on Aristotle and on evolutionary theories of human nature; the latter centers on Edward O. Wilson but also outlines the ideas of Emile Durkheim, B. F. Skinner, Nikolaas Tinbergen, Konrad Lorenz, Noam Chomsky, and recent evolutionary psychology. This edition also includes a rewritten introduction that invites readers (even if inclined toward fundamentalism or cultural relativism) to careful, critical thought about human nature; a useful new section that summarizes the history of ideas from the Stoics to the Enlightenment; and a new conclusion that suggests a way to synthesize the various theories.

Author Biography

David L. Haberman is Professor and Chair of Religious Studies at Indiana University at Bloomington.

Table of Contents

Preface

Introduction: Rival Theories and Critical Assessments

Confucianism: The Way of the Sages

Upanishadic Hinduism: Quest for Ultimate Knowledge

The Bible: Humanity in Relation to God

Plato: The Rule of Reason

Aristotle: The Ideal of Human FulfillmentHistorical Interlude

Kant: Reasons and Causes, History and Religion

Marx: The Economic Basis of Human Societies

Freud: The Unconscious Basis of Mind

Sartre: Radical Freedom1

Darwinian Theories of Human NatureConclusion: Toward a Synthesis of the Theories?

Index

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.