The Philosophical Problem of Human Identity

10.7065/MRPC.201003.0021

Jean-Marie Schaeffer

Western Philosophy ； Ontology ； Dualism ； Nature ； Culture ； Biology ； Naturalism

哲學與文化

37卷3期（2010 / 03 / 01）

21 - 38

英文

A fundamental antinomy pervades modern and contemporary Western philosophical anthropology. On one hand science tells us that humanity is one among the many life forms dwelling on earth and that its destiny is that of a biological species among others. But on the other hand the prevalent philosophical definitions of Man tell us that he transcends all forms of biological life. This philosophical anthropology holds that ontically Man is cut off from all other living beings: only its material substrate (his body) belongs to the ontic class of biological beings. The thesis is backed up by ontological dualism: Man has a body but he is (actually or at least potentially) an eternal Soul, or a non-physical self (cogito), or an ex-static non-naturalistic Dasein. In its cartesian and post-cartesian forms this anthropology is radically gnoseocentric. The ontic exceptionality of Man is founded on the fact that ontologically he is ”the knowing one”: only he can know God, only he is a cogito (animals are only physical machines), only he is inhabiting a World (animals have only an Umwelt). This anthropology implies a strong antinaturalistic epistemology. It must hold that the essence of Man escapes scientific study and can be accessed only by some non-naturalistic method, such as religious revelation, self-evident auto-presentative cogitation or hermeneutical auto-elucidation (Selbstauslegung). This is to say that its cognitive consequences for a better understanding of Mankind are devastating. The paper explores some ways which hopefully could help us to find a way out.