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Ten Theories of Human Nature Reviews
Filed under Human Nature1月 28Ten Theories of Human Nature
With over a quarter of a million copies sold since 1974, Seven Theories of Human Nature was a remarkably popular introduction to key points of Western thought. Now completely revised, taking into account the most recent scholarship, and expanded to include Eastern thinkers, Ten Theories of Human Nature is more appealing than ever, with added chapters on Hinduism and Confucianism as well as a new chapter on Kant.The virtues of the book remain the same, compressing into a small space the essence o
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3 Responses to “Ten Theories of Human Nature Reviews”
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Boris Bangemann "boyse" said on 1月 28th, 2012 at 12:06 PM
24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
Short, solid, still some surprises,April 16, 2000 ByBoris Bangemann “boyse” (Singapore) –This review is from: Ten Theories of Human Nature (Paperback)Socrates postulated that only the examined life was worth living. His great inspiring idea was that we can come to know the right way to live if we use our reason properly, and inquire in an open-minded, nondogmatic way.
In this spirit, “Ten Theories of Human Nature” does not restrict its inquiry to five major thinkers of the Western Tradition (Plato, Kant, Marx, Freud and Sartre), but includes three ancient religious traditions (Confucianism, Hinduism, and Christianity) as well as two scientific thinkers (Skinner and Lorenz).
Each of the ten theories is examined under four aspects:
(1) what is its theory about the world?
(2) what is its theory of the nature of human beings?
(3) what is its diagnosis of what is wrong with us?
(4) how can we put it right?
The result is a concise, well-balanced textbook with useful suggestions for further reading. It shows how the focus of each theory on different aspects of human existence branches out into elaborate (sometimes, arcane) systems of thought. It also illustrates how the dominance of very comprehensive theories, especially religious ones, is replaced in time by more scientific, narrow theories which increase our knowledge about human behavior in very particular, small aspects but tend to lose sight of larger, “non-scientific” issues.
While the authors claim at the beginning of their book to present “rival” theories, the book is actually open-minded about the contributions of each theory to the understanding of the human condition: they are adding up, rather than canceling out.
Meeting the ideas of Sartre, Skinner and Lorenz in the context of the book was an interesting experience for me. Surprisingly, I found that Sartre’s ideas about freedom and choice could well form the philosophical basis of the main-stream American self-help book – a thought that any self-respecting French intellectual would definitely hate.
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Yoon Lee said on 1月 28th, 2012 at 1:02 PM
8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
Great introductory book,September 24, 2001 ByYoon Lee –This review is from: Ten Theories of Human Nature (Paperback)I like the way the author analyzes the religions and thoughts that have influenced the course of world history. It doesn’t compare one against the other so the reader is allowed to view the theory in a vacuum. I only wished that the author wrote a chapter on the importance of why we need to engage in such an endeavor that would set the trajectory of our lives. Great book!!!
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David L. Neidert said on 1月 28th, 2012 at 1:41 PM
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
A good one stop read,March 21, 2008 ByThis review is from: Ten Theories of Human Nature (Paperback)I have used this book as an ethics instructor for six years. The book is useful in identifying the multiple influences upon our lives for how we make ethical decisions. Our religious perspectives and understanding of behavioral sciences find residence in our lives, whether we are aware or not. It is through these we are formed and make decisions. Stevenson and Haberman present overviews of Taoism, Hinduism, and Judaism, as well as behavorial sciences and philosophy by examining these theories’ underlying philosophies and intellectual difficulties. While Judaism and Christianity are not separated by chapter [but combined into one], and Islam is not given a full discussion, the book is useful for understanding the complexity of global interaction and how we can relate to the millions of people who hold religious or philosophical premises unlike our own.
