Week One: The Human Condition
1) One paragraph summary of the The Human Condition.
Human Condition is the condition "in which every human being finds himself or herself by virtue of being human."(HB 10). The Human Condition is experiences shared by all humans. According to Pascal, all people suffer boredom and anxiety. People are more concerned with the past and the future than the present, preventing us from actually living. All men seek happiness, and in doing so, all complain. People become addicted to attractive things. Marcus Aurelius believed that the lives of people are only small moments. He says "You will soon forget everything. Everything will soon forget you." (The Meditations). Buddha states that suffering is essential to one's life. He believes that the condition of life has been dislocated somehow. Eric Fromm argues that men are born alone. Aware of their separation, people stive to become united.
2) List and explain three of the most important ideas you want to remember from this week.
Concupiscence- Desiring to do something that you know you don't want to do
Maps for life- A person's view of the world and themself that needs to be reflected upon and constantly updated
Evil as a Privation of Goodness- A St. Augustine teaching that evil is not a thing, but rather an absence of goodness
3) One image of that reminds you of the topic. Attribute, link, your source.
Financial Aid
4) One good question you should keep with you to ponder.
Since suffering can be redemptive, is it possible that God allowed evil as an act of love so that we could learn from it?
5) What should you try to do to make you a better person, a more faithful person, form this study?
I need to reflect more on who i am and how i view the world. The only way i can see this happening is by writing my thoughts down daily in a journal to express my views clearly and remember them.