What a Piece of Work: On Being HumanThis is a small book on a large subject: What is special about human beings? Hamlet mused, 'What a piece of work is man! How noble in reason! how like a god!' but went on to speak of 'this quintessence of dust'. Helen Oppenheimer prefers to start with the dust and move to the glory: we really are animals -- and from these animals has come Shakespeare. People are indeed 'miserable sinners' -- and also magnificent creatures. The author does not disguise that she is a Christian theologian whose subject is ethics, but she writes equally for non-Christians. Her invitation to the reader is: Here is a way of looking at things that I find exciting and convincing -- I hope you do too. |
Contents
Only human | 4 |
Appreciation | 15 |
Excellence 4 Fellow creatures | 23 |
Copyright | |
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able affirm allow ancient animals answer appreciate argument aware beasts become beginning believe better bodies called capacity Chapter characteristic Christian claim communication contrast count created creation creatures depend developed distinction divine dogs duties emphasis ethics evidently evil example excellence experience express fact faith feel fellow forgiveness friendship give glory God's grace hand happens Holy hope human idea identify important individual kind language less living look Lord matter means mind moral natural notion offering once one's Oppenheimer ourselves particular people's person positive possible practical praise present Press problem question rational reason recognize relationships responsiveness seems sense side simply sort soul species spiritual stand story suffer suppose surely talk things thought tion tradition true truth turn understanding universe whole wonder worship wrong