Aaron Poelker's Journal: Section 2 1.One paragraph summary of the key idea summarizing the topic of the week. The Human Condition is the main idea that we have studied the past two weeks. Quite simply defined in philosophy as “the situation, or condition, in which every human being finds himself or herself by virtue of being human.”(RB p.10). The human condition is a very comforting thought. Everyone has times when they have felt alone in what they think, say, or do and the human condition tells us that everyone regardless of sex, religion, or race experience the same things because of the very fact that we are all human beings. The human condition has been studied throughout the course of history by many famous people and people of great intellect including Blaise Pascal. Blaise simply defined the human condition, man’s condition, as “inconstancy, boredom, anxiety.” (RB p.10). The human condition encompasses many things that many people do not even know that it is considered a “human condition”. Things such as the desire for happiness, boredom, loneliness, or even death. Another notable person who wrote about the human condition is the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius. German philosopher Erich Fromm wrote, “the deepest need of man, then is the need to overcome separateness, to leave the prison or his aloneness...”(RB p.13). All of these men wrote accurate portrayals about the human condition it is up to us to further study these ideas and learn about our own condition.
2. List and explain three of the most important ideas you want to remember from this week.
The idea of transference, a term used in M.Scott Peck's The Road Less Traveled which means:"set of ways of perceiving and responding to the world which is developed in childhood and which is usually entirely appropriate to the childhood environment (indeed, often life saving) but which is inappropriately transferred into the adult environment."
Concupiscence. Concupiscence is one effect of original sin that is with every person. Concupiscence means "that even though human beings desire goodness, we are mysteriously attracted toward evil"(RB p.17)
The idea of free will. GOD gave us the choice to reject Him, sin, or live in the glory of GOD.
3. One image of that reminds you of the topic. Attribute, link, your source.
Source:The Road Less Traveled 4. One good question you should keep with you to ponder.
What maps am i following, and how do I change them if need be?
5. What should you try to do to make you a better person, a more faithful person, from this study.
I think to make myself a better person from this study I need to further investigate my human condition. I need to also think further about my life and how to change certain maps I have made because no matter what I believe in at the time of my death I will come before Jesus to be judged. I should lead my life the way Jesus taught. As I have aforementioned, I should work on the maps I have made and reroute some maps in the effort to lead a more examined life.
