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The Man

A member of the genus Homo, family Hominidae, order Primates, class

Mammalia, characterized by erect posture and an opposable thumb, especially a memberof the only extant species, Homo sapiens, distinguished by a highly developed brain, the

capacity for abstract reasoning, and the ability to communicate by means of organized

speech and record information in a variety of symbolic systems.1

That is how the dictionary defined man. I am a man and I know that I am a special

being because God created me in His own image. God has given me special qualities in

order to live a happy and meaningful life. Do you feel the same way?

Like bees andherd animals, human beings live together in groups. Unlike bees

or herd animals, humans have the capacity for speechor, in the Greek, logos. As we

have seen, logos means not only speech but also reason2

Our ability to speak which makes us different from other creatures is our means

to communicate with other human beings. This only shows that we are not created just to

live alone or just to live for ourselves. We have the power of speech as a bridge to

experience and appreciate meaningful relationships with others. According to Locke

man is by nature a social animal. 3

Aside from that, I read in an article that the "image" of the Creator is the ability

to discern and reason.4

That is why we have the capacity to know what is good and

evil.

Our ability to speak and reason makes us unique creatures. Actually there is a

linkage between speech and reason as mentioned in an article:

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the linkage between speech and reason is clear: the purpose of speech, a

purpose assigned to men by nature, is to reveal what is advantageous and harmful, and

by doing so to reveal what is good and bad, just and unjust. This knowledge makes it

possible for human beings to live together, and at the same time makes it possible for usto pursue justice as part of the virtuous lives we are meant to live.5

This is why people believe in the political nature of man. According to Aquinas,

one of the natural goods to which human beings are inclined is to live in society.6

He

believed that political society (civitas) emerges from the needs and aspirations of human

nature itself.7

Since we have this nature and inclination aside from the fact that we are rational

beings, we really have the tendency to obey the laws which are for the protection of our

rights. Laws that tell us what is right and wrong.

Natural law and natural rights follow from the nature of man and the world. We

have the right to defend ourselves and our property, because of the kind of animals that

we are. True law derives from this right, not from the arbitrary power of the omnipotent

state.8

Indeed God created us very special. We have the wisdom from Him to know and

realize our purpose in living and that is to have the rightful way of life that gives meaning

to our being.

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References:

1. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/man

2. http://www.iep.utm.edu/aris-pol/#SH7c3. http://jim.com/hobbes.htm

4. http://www.jewfaq.org/human.htm

5. http://www.iep.utm.edu/aris-pol/#SH7c

6. http://www.iep.utm.edu/aqui-pol/#H2

7. http://www.iep.utm.edu/aqui-pol/#H2

8. http://jim.com/rights.html

Submitted by:

Rosie G. Alvior

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/manhttp://www.iep.utm.edu/aris-pol/#SH7chttp://jim.com/hobbes.htmhttp://www.jewfaq.org/human.htmhttp://www.iep.utm.edu/aris-pol/#SH7chttp://www.iep.utm.edu/aqui-pol/#H2http://www.iep.utm.edu/aqui-pol/#H2http://jim.com/rights.htmlhttp://jim.com/rights.htmlhttp://www.iep.utm.edu/aqui-pol/#H2http://www.iep.utm.edu/aqui-pol/#H2http://www.iep.utm.edu/aris-pol/#SH7chttp://www.jewfaq.org/human.htmhttp://jim.com/hobbes.htmhttp://www.iep.utm.edu/aris-pol/#SH7chttp://www.thefreedictionary.com/man