Human Nature: Living a More Fully Human Life
Goodness, Truth & Beauty: the Goals of Human Life
The natural moral law guides us to live lives that are true to our human nature, and it, therefore, orients us toward attaining what is truly good. Reason can conclude by examining human life that one of our most basic goals is to attain what is good, what is true and what is beautiful. Even though we do not always accurately judge what is good and bad, none of us consciously pursue what we identify as bad or aversive. On the other hand, we go through great lengths to attain what we judge to be good and desirable. The intellect is made for truth. Human beings reveal their thirst for truth not only in their curiosity (which some animals also show) but also in their need to find meaning in life’s events. For example, we are the only creatures to ask why we suffer. Animals suffer, but they do not wonder why. For them, the experience of pain is an occurrence of the present. Our suffering touches on eternity – we assume there must be some transcendent meaning to it. Finally, we are naturally though inexplicably drawn to what is beautiful. Not only does beauty bring us joy, but it also draws our thoughts to the transcendent. We seek out beauty, find comfort in it, and find meaning and purpose in it.
The Role of the Faculties
Every aspect of human nature plays a role in attaining what is true, good, and beautiful. Emotions, actions, freedom, and even society are all oriented toward our quest.
Knowing What is Good
We know what is good and what is evil thanks to our faculties for physical and spiritual knowledge. Physically, we use our senses to explore the tangible world and to identify what is good for us or pleasing to us and what is bad for us or aversive to us. The intellect allows us to explore the non-physical world and to know spiritual goods. We can explore and value abstract ideas such as liberty, love, idealism, patriotism, and faith. Non-physical goods are very important for a complete human life.
Human Emotions: Motivated To Attain the Good and Avoid the Evil
It is not enough for us to know what is good or evil. Without proper motivation, we are likely to ignore what we know to be good in favor of what is easy. God instilled that motivation into us when He gave us emotions. In fact, motivation is core to the meaning of the word “emotion.” When they are fully human, emotions motivate us to attain what we have identified as good and to avoid what we judge aversive or evil. The desire for goods that we do not yet possess and our joy when we experience a good that we have attained drives us to seek what is good. We experience disgust or fear toward things that we have judged to be evil but have not yet experienced. We feel sorrow or anger when we face something we judge to be evil move us to avoid those things.
Human Freedom: the Will to Choose What is Good
Of course, we are not enslaved to our emotions. Free will is a key element of human nature. We have the freedom to act or not to act and to choose among possible actions. We have the ability to choose among possible goods so that we can choose the best possible good. This includes choosing between physical and spiritual goods. True freedom does not necessarily come from always choosing spiritual goods over physical goods. It sometimes includes choosing physical goods when there is a physical need, or when a spiritual good can be attained with the physical good (remember, we are an integration of body and spirit).
Human Actions: Attaining the Good and Moving Away from Evil
Once our emotions motivate us to attain something we perceive as good or to avoid something that we perceive as evil, and we have chosen to move, our choice becomes actualized only when we act. Attaining a good or avoiding an evil is the purpose of every action. Sometimes the good or evil is important. Other times it is mundane, such as amusement that we attain from idle actions. However, every action has some goal (called an object).
Human Society
Even human society is oriented toward helping us to attain what is good and avoid what is evil. We help each other to gain what we need. None of us are self-sufficient. Rather, we are interdependent. Other people depend on my skills and knowledge, and I depend on the skills and knowledge of others. Healthy societies create conditions that make it easier for us to find human enrichment. Human culture contributes to that enrichment. The government exists to protect and advance the common good, those goods shared by all members of a society that lead them to authentic human progress. In short, all aspects of human society exist to help society’s members gain what is good and avoid what is evil.
Human Nature Seeks the True, the Good, and the Beautiful
We come full circle, back to knowledge. The knowledge of the physical world we gain through our senses, and the knowledge about the spiritual world we are able to know through our intellect both help us to discern what is good. However, the intellect offers more knowledge than the sense knowledge can give. While an animal can see a sunset and rudimentarily know what is happening, it has no drive to understand why it happens. The intellect’s ability to penetrate into the very nature of the event means that we are moved by curiosity and even awe to attain the truth. The intellect empowers us to consider the true nature of things and even the very meaning of existence. We are made for Truth. Have you ever wondered why you can stand captivated by a beautiful sunset while your dog couldn’t care less? You both have senses with which to witness the event. You both have sense knowledge to know what is happening (Fido probably at least knows the sunset signals the end of day and the beginning of the night). However, animals lack the intellect and will. These two faculties are indispensable for appreciating beauty. The intellect’s ability to consider abstract ideas also means that we are able to see transcendent meaning and value in the aesthetic pleasure of the beautiful colors and patterns we are seeing. The sunset moves our minds to thoughts of peace, relationships, and the love of God.