Philosophy | Being human

🧠 Core Theme Study Notes: Being Human 👤

Hello Philosophers! Welcome to the Core Theme: Being Human. This is where the journey into Philosophy truly begins, because before we can ask what is right, what is real, or what is beautiful, we must first ask: What am I?

This chapter is compulsory for all SL and HL students and forms the bedrock of your philosophical understanding. Don't worry if these big questions seem overwhelming; we'll break them down using clear steps and relatable examples.

Introduction: The Philosophical Quest for Self

The core theme "Being Human" is an inquiry into the fundamental nature, essence, and existence of humanity. It explores the concepts that define us—consciousness, identity, rationality, agency, and the relationship between the mind and the physical world.

Why is this important? Examining "Being Human" helps you develop an appreciation for the diversity of perspectives (Assessment Objective 1 & 2) and critically examine your own experiences (AO 3).

Section 1: The Nature of Personal Identity (Who Am I?)

Philosophers define Personal Identity as the set of necessary and sufficient conditions under which an individual existing at one time can be said to be the same individual existing at another time. Essentially, what makes *you* today the same person as *you* ten years ago?

The Problem of Change

We constantly change: our cells replace themselves, our memories fade, and our beliefs evolve. If everything about you changes, what remains constant?

A. The Psychological Approach (Memory and Consciousness)

The most famous advocate for this view is John Locke (17th Century).

• Key Concept: Identity consists of psychological continuity, primarily based on consciousness and memory.
• Locke's View: You are the same person as long as you can recall or link your present consciousness to your past actions and experiences.
• Analogy: Think of your identity as a password manager. Even if the hardware (your body) changes, the unique login data (your memories and consciousness) remains linked across time.

💡 Common Challenge (The Problem of Amnesia): If identity relies on memory, does a person with total amnesia cease to be the same person? Locke suggests identity is transferable, but critics argue this is too fragile a criterion.

B. The Bodily Approach (Physical Continuity)

This view argues that what makes you the same person is the continued existence of your physical body.

• Key Concept: Identity consists of bodily continuity and is tied to the physical structure (e.g., brain and CNS).
• Argument: While cells change, the physical structure, location, and DNA remain uniquely yours. If someone saw your body today, they would identify it as yours, regardless of what you remember.

C. The Narrative Approach (The Self as a Story)

More modern philosophers suggest identity isn't a fixed *thing* (like a mind or body), but an ongoing, constructed story.

• Key Concept: The self is a narrative construct—the way we interpret, organize, and recount our experiences and relationships over time.
• Example: A historian might connect events that happened years apart to create a continuous, meaningful story about a country. You do the same for yourself.

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🔑 Key Takeaway: Philosophical theories of the self try to locate the thread of continuity. Is it in the software (memory/mind) or the hardware (body)?

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Section 2: Mind and Body (The Dualism vs. Monism Debate)

Perhaps the most foundational issue of "Being Human" is understanding the relationship between the non-physical stuff (thoughts, feelings, intentions) and the physical stuff (the brain, the body). This is known as the Mind-Body Problem.

A. Dualism (Two Substances)

Don't worry if this seems tricky at first—it's a very old idea! Dualism claims that the mind and body are two fundamentally different kinds of things, or substances.

• René Descartes is the most famous Dualist.
• The Two Substances:
  1. Res Cogitans (Thinking Substance): The mind/soul. It is unextended, indivisible, and non-physical.
  2. Res Extensa (Extended Substance): The body. It is physical, spatial, and divisible.
• Interactionism: Descartes believed the mind and body interact, perhaps through the Pineal Gland in the brain.

Did you know? Dualism feels intuitive for many people because we often say "I *have* a body," suggesting the 'I' is separate from the body it possesses.

B. Monism (One Substance)

Monism argues that the universe consists of only one fundamental substance. In modern philosophy, this usually takes the form of Materialism.

1. Materialism/Physicalism

All things, including mental processes, are ultimately physical. The mind is not a separate thing, but merely an activity of the brain.

• Identity Theory: Mental states (like pain) *are* identical to specific physical brain states (like the firing of C-fibers).
  • Analogy: Lightning and electrical discharge are the same thing, just described differently. Pain and brain state 'X' are the same thing.
• Functionalism: Mental states are defined by their function (what they *do*), not what they are made of. A mind is like software; it can run on different types of hardware (brains, or potentially complex AI).

Avoid this mistake: Do not confuse Identity Theory (mental state = brain state) with Descartes' Interactionism (mind and body interact). Materialists deny the existence of a non-physical mind entirely.

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Section 3: Defining Human Features (Consciousness, Rationality, and Language)

If we want to understand what "Being Human" means, we must look at the capacities we possess that seem unique or highly developed in our species.

A. Consciousness and Subjectivity

Consciousness is often defined as having "something it is like" to be that organism (Thomas Nagel). It is the subjective, first-person experience of the world.

• Self-Consciousness: This is the critical step—the ability to be aware of one's own awareness, thoughts, and identity. This allows for self-reflection and moral evaluation.
• The Hard Problem: David Chalmers coined this term to describe why physical processes in the brain give rise to subjective experience. Even if we understand every neuron firing, we still don't know *why* it feels like something to be us.

B. Rationality

Humans are often defined as Homo sapiens (wise man) or animal rationale (rational animal).

• Definition: The capacity to use reason, logic, and abstract thought to make judgments, form arguments, and determine the best course of action.
• Connection to Agency: Rationality is necessary for making free choices. If you don't use reason to weigh options, your actions might simply be automatic responses, not free choices.

C. Language

Our sophisticated use of symbolic language fundamentally structures our experience of being human.

• Function: Language allows us to share abstract concepts (like justice, future, freedom), build complex societies, and transmit knowledge across generations.
• Philosophical Importance: Some philosophers argue that our very *thought processes* are dependent on the linguistic structures we inherit (e.g., the way we perceive time or categorize the world).

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🔑 Key Takeaway: Consciousness and rationality are often seen as the primary features that separate human existence from other forms of life.

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Section 4: Freedom and Responsibility (Agency)

When we act, are we truly choosing, or are our actions merely the inevitable results of prior causes? This tension between choice and causality is known as the debate over Free Will and Determinism.

The Stakes of the Debate

If our actions are not free, then concepts like moral responsibility, blame, praise, and justice seem meaningless. If you were determined to steal, can you truly be blamed for it?

A. Determinism (No True Freedom)

Determinism states that every event, including human action, is the inevitable result of prior causes (e.g., physical laws, genetics, environment).

• Hard Determinism: Accepts determinism and therefore rejects the existence of free will. We only *feel* like we are making choices.
• Example: A domino effect. Every time a domino falls, it was caused to fall by the one before it. Your decision to study philosophy today was caused by your interests, environment, chemical state, and so on, back to the beginning of time.

B. Libertarianism (We Are Free)

Libertarianism (in this context, distinct from political libertarianism) claims that human beings do possess genuine free will, and therefore determinism must be false.

• Key Argument: We often experience ourselves making choices, and the existence of moral responsibility is undeniable. A truly free act is one that is not necessitated by prior physical causes. The agent (you) is the sole cause of the action.

C. Compatibilism (Freedom and Determinism Coexist)

Compatibilism (or Soft Determinism) tries to find a middle ground. It argues that free will and determinism are logically compatible.

• Definition of Freedom: For a Compatibilist, freedom does not mean having the ability to choose outside of the laws of nature. Freedom simply means acting without coercion—doing what you want to do, even if the "wanting" itself was determined.
• Example: If you choose to eat an apple because you desire an apple, you acted freely. You weren't forced. Even if your desire for the apple was determined by biology and advertising, the act was free because it aligned with your internal will.

mnemonic: The Three Cs

To remember the positions on Free Will:

• Compatibilism: Can coexist.
• Hard Determinism: Cannot coexist (No freedom).
• Libertarianism: Cannot coexist (Freedom wins).

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🔑 Key Takeaway: Our ability to be held morally responsible relies heavily on which position on free will you accept.

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Quick Synthesis Review: Being Human

This core theme prepares you for the stimulus-based question in Paper 1. When analyzing a stimulus (e.g., a poem, an image, or a short essay), ask yourself these questions:

1. Identity: Does the stimulus address the self as stable (body/mind) or fluid (narrative)?
2. Mind-Body: Does the text imply a separation between thought and physical action (Dualism), or treat them as one (Materialism)?
3. Agency: Does the human character in the stimulus act freely, or are they constrained by fate, society, or biology (Determinism)?
4. Uniqueness: What unique human characteristics (language, reason, consciousness) are highlighted or challenged?