Talk:Human condition

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Suggestion: Any review of the Human Condition really should include a discussion of La Condition Humaine by Malraux (unfortunately translated into English as Man's Fate)... 69.177.128.230 14:47, 26 July 2007 (UTC)

I quite agree. There are existential paradoxes implicit in the term as it is used in modern literature. This is the important meaning of the term. It needs to be disambiguated from biological and economic meanings. Parveson

The claim in paragraph 3 is absurd! Hannah Arendt wrote The Human Condition in 1958, which predates this so-called Film Trilogy. It was also written in English, as opposed to the film trilogy. I recommend this entire article be deleted or redone.

I think the author of this page confused the term "human condition" with the term "the condition of humans" in the section about anthropology and sociology, and how the "human condition" has not changed in poorer countries for centuries.


what is the difference between human nature and the human condition?

I think "human condition" is rather independent of the emotion and preference involved, it merely describes the objective and physical stages of life, overlapping or not; but "human nature" describes more on the thinking, subjective and mental, that is going on inside the human's mind amidst these "human conditions".
For example, if self-preservation is a human nature, one will self-preserve in all human conditions, whether one is a kid or an old person. However, human nature does change along with the changes in human conditions. For example, a kid might be more concern about self-fulfillment (more selfish) than a responsible married person who has to support a family (more selfless). In short, human learns about his/her and other's nature amidst every human conditions as life goes on. --Godric 10:38, Oct 12, 2004 (UTC)
It seems Hobbes used the term as a synonym, many other use it in that manner. http://www.ephilosopher.com/phpBB_14-action-viewtopic-topic-2204.html ->"I think it is just a fashionable way of saying "human nature"" although in that site's discussion there seems to be a wide range of opinions on what it is, not all of them coherent. In any case they seem to be very much related to each other.Dwarf Kirlston 20:56, 19 Mar 2005 (UTC)

I think "Sickness" is missing from the human condition list, any comment?
In Buddhism, there are only four human conditions, birth, aging, sickness, and death. I think the rationale is that childhood-adolescence is considered aging, and love-sex-reproduction is too transient and non-universal to be considered a "human condition", for example, a monk doesn't reproduce; people who die young haven't experienced sex; some people might not have tasted love in their view.
In the mean time, I strongly vote for adding "Sickness" into the human condition list, because sickness is universal to every human, and it happens very early in life, babies get sick all the time. Followups are welcomed. --Godric 10:38, Oct 12, 2004 (UTC)

Contents

[edit] Adding 'sickness' to the list

The term "human condition" is meant to distinguish the term from "animal condition" or "physical condition". All animals are born, get sick and/or get old and die. That which distinguishes humans from animals should be the focus of this article.Parveson 15:07, 10 July 2007 (UTC)parveson

Unsigned comments:

Sickness could be there, so could thirst, sleepiness and a litany of other 'biologically determined events' so it's not a comprehensive list by any means (and it doesn't claim to be).

...surely Buddhist monks are biologically predispositioned to have sex (and all the accompanying emotions etc.)?

"love-sex-reproduction is too transient and non-universal"

Love isn't necessarily associated with sex and reproduction. Everybody that is alive is here as a result of sex, everybody has(or had) sexual desires. What do you mean by transient? Sexual feelings come and go...but so does sickness.

'people who die young haven't experienced sex'

People who die at the prenatal stage haven't experienced most of the items on the list. (In a sence they've experienced birth, aging, sickness and death but why limit the scope of the human condition to these experiences? What is your experience?)

[edit] Human Condition

I believe the human condition talks more about our internalised thought process as humans. What else or how else can we better explain whatever that is? I would agree that the physical experience of Aging, Death, Birth etc fits under the idea of 'human nature' as these are physical things that take course no matter. I would also point out though that these things are not individual to us as humans. Animals are born and age and die and get sick. What It is that I feel is expressed in the idea of 'human condition' is the the wondering, searching, questioning, thinking. remembering, imagining aspects of these events...The intangible aspect of being human. The shared piece of of us that is missing and unexplained that completes us all.

Yes, animals do indeed age, get sick, experience thirst, etc. But, they are not aware of these conditions in the same way in which humans are. It is this awareness that is at the heart of the "human condition." And I speak as a lover of animals and nature. My dog can suffer pain, can suffer thirst or sickness, but he is not aware that he is suffering thirst; he simply is thirsty. At least, I believe that is so. He looks for water. But after he drinks, he does not remember that he was thirsty, he cannot recall his thirst and ponder it or its effects in the same way that we can. That is the difference. It is the awareness of our condition as humans that is the essence of the human condition. A dog, or even a higher primate or ape cannot reach this level of awareness, even though the higher apes are indeed capable of a certain level of abstract thought. 66.108.105.21 07:38, 3 December 2006 (UTC)

"In some of the poorest parts of the world, the human condition has changed little over the centuries."

I dont like this statement, it could as easily be said "In many poor parts of the world the human condition has been traumatised by contact with wealthier parts" -such statements infering relationships between wealth and human condition should be demonstrable or left out.

[edit] HUMAN CONDITION

The human condition simply (well not really simply) is a concept that encompasses all uniquely human experiences in life, our reactions to them and our ability to remember with emotion, and to look to the future with hope. The concept of it is that the Human Condition is uniform for all humans. It IS what makes us human, is it not? Even the fact that we have the capacity to discuss the human condition adds to the idea that it is. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Akidni (talk • contribs) 01:47, 17 March 2007 (UTC).

[edit] Camus

This quote in the self-awareness section needs to be changed: "Without hope, as Albert Camus said, the only serious philosophical question is why we should not commit suicide. Hope gets us up in the morning, and drives us forward every day."

It implies Camus argued in favor of hope, and he never argued such a thing. Hope was just as absurd as suicide to Camus. Hesperides 19:52, 29 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] comedy article?

"the human heart longs for love" ?! please!

this is supposed to be an encyclopaedia not a new age truism site!

DELETE THIS TRIPE!

[edit] Phenomenuiguiyuyuiyion

the word "events" links to the nonexistent article "Phenomenuiguiyuyuiyion," of which I have not heard. It is not in multiple dictionaries. Real word... or prank/ vandalism? -Use the force (Talk * Contribs) 02:06, 29 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Cleanup - Essay Repair

I've cleaned up many pages, but this is my first as a registered used. I have seen the "essay" flag and I have posted some edits of moderate magnitude. I'll continue to re-work this page until the essay flag can be removed. This should be one of Wikipedia's premiere offerings, and I'll try to neutralize the article and remove the strongly Christian tinge. Enjoy. --STABiLiZED 06:03, 24 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Cleanup?

Most of the original content has been deleted since July 2007. The longest remaining paragraph has to do with transhumanism, which is described as something else than the actual human condition; it should be put in an article on that topic instead of here. Evidently the human condition is such a vague and controversial subject that I doubt that this article will ever be "stabilized". Parveson