Human nature in a post-essentialist world
| Abstract | In this paper I examine a well-known articulation of the skeptical view of human nature, a paper by Hull (1986). I then review a recent reply to Hull by Machery (2008). I show that Machery’s account of human nature is not very useful and is scientifically suspect. Finally, I introduce an alternative account of human nature—the “life-history trait cluster” conception of human nature—which I hold is scientifically sound, pragmatically useful, and makes sense of (at least some of) our intuitions about human (or, more generally, species) nature | |||||||||
| Keywords | No keywords specified (fix it) | |||||||||
| Categories | ||||||||||
| Options |
|
|||||||||
Download options| PhilPapers Archive |
Upload a copy of this paper Check publisher's policy on self-archival Papers currently archived: 5,711 |
| External links |
  Try with proxy. Try with proxy. |
| Through your library | Only published papers are available at libraries |
Similar books and articlesEdouard Machery (2012). Reconceptualizing Human Nature: Response to Lewens. Philosophy and Technology 25 (4):475-478.
Richard Samuels (2012). Science and Human Nature. Royal Institute of Philosophy Supplement 70:1-28.
Andrew P. Porter (2004). Material Differences Between History And Nature. International Philosophical Quarterly 44 (2):185-200.
Edouard Machery (2008). A Plea for Human Nature. Philosophical Psychology 21 (3):321 – 329.
Leon Culbertson (2011). Sartre on Human Nature: Humanness, Transhumanism and Performance-Enhancement. Sport, Ethics and Philosophy 5 (3):231 - 244.
Allen Buchanan (2009). Human Nature and Enhancement. Bioethics 23 (3):141-150.
Grant Ramsey (2012). How Human Nature Can Inform Human Enhancement: A Commentary on Tim Lewens's Human Nature: The Very Idea. Philosophy and Technology 25 (4):479-483.
Roberta M. Berry (2009). Pt. 3. The Malleability of Human Nature. Reflections on Secular Foundationalism and Our Human Future / Stephen Erickson ; Nature as Second Nature : Plasticity and Habit / Peter Wake ; The Posthumanist Challenge to a Partly Naturalized Virtue Ethics. [REVIEW] In Mark J. Cherry (ed.), The Normativity of the Natural: Human Goods, Human Virtues, and Human Flourishing. Springer.
Jonathan D. Jacobs (2009). An Eastern Orthodox Conception of Theosis and Human Nature. Faith and Philosophy 26 (5):615-627.
David Heyd (2003). Human Nature: An Oxymoron? Journal of Medicine and Philosophy 28 (2):151 – 169.
Frederick A. Olafson (1995). What is a Human Being?: A Heideggerian View. Cambridge University Press.
Nathan Kowalsky (2006). Following Human Nature. Environmental Ethics 28 (2):165-183.
T. Mcconnell (2010). Genetic Enhancement, Human Nature, and Rights. Journal of Medicine and Philosophy 35 (4):415-428.
Rolston (1979). Can and Ought We to Follow Nature? Environmental Ethics 1 (1):7-30.
Iii Holmes Rolston (1979). Can and Ought We to Follow Nature? Environmental Ethics 1 (1):7-30.
Analytics
Monthly downloads |
Added to index2012-11-07Total downloads13 ( #88,037 of 551,007 )Recent downloads (6 months)8 ( #8,982 of 551,007 )How can I increase my downloads? |
My notes
Discussion
