The Philosophy of Man

Book excerpt: The questions considered in this book are common to philosophers, psychologists and anthropologists alike: What is man, and how does he differ from the animals? Is it true that man is less ruled by instinct than animals? How is man affected by heredity and environment? In particular, how are masculine and feminine "traits" affected by heredity and/or environment? Are there any relatively clear-cut stages in the evolution of the individual and of the human race? Does man have a mind or soul distinct from the body, and does it entail the possibility of survival after physical death? Questions such as these posed throughout civilized time are examined anew in this book. Originally published by the University of Alabama Press in 1981.