Introduction

What makes being human so special? How do we differ from other animals? Why are we here? Religion, philosophy and science have been attempting to answer questions like these for thousands of years. Although some of their answers are pretty convincing, none of them are absolutely certain.

Thesis Statement

Society roles have modified the human condition from time to time, by making us be not only us (microcosm), but by making us also act as a whole (macrocosm)

Discussion

The purpose of human life is to find the love that the macrocosm, not the microcosm, is able to welcome. It is to be born, to love and to die in the midst of the great universal love that God, creation, our parents, and the angelic world all acknowledge.

At its most basic, being human is simply about being born into a line of human beings stretching back before living memory. Someone begat them, and that person in turn was begat by another (forgive my slippage into biblical language). Being human then means being born into the continuous community of human beings. This, of course, raises another question - when and how did that line of human heritage begin? When did the pattern of generations passing on accumulated knowledge and shaping the understanding of the next generation begin, and what was there before it all began? Was there a point where a creature that was not, at least by our modern conceptions, human gave birth to a creature that was, and, if so, what sparked the change and how did that first recognizable human find a mate who could be its equal? The question of human origins strictly lies beyond the remit of the discussion, although, it is scarcely possible to separate it entirely from the question of what it means to be human.

There is a tension at the core of my being which, I suspect is within every human being. I am a strange conglomeration of hopes and fears, goodness and evil, kindness and cruelty, potential and powerlessness, wisdom and folly, happiness and despair. I am capable of quite remarkable achievements and knowledge (I claim no special level of achievement for myself - I believe every human being is quite remarkable) and yet am so often marked by failure and ignorance. The tension invades my relationships too - others can be a source of companionship and community or competition and conflict. At a societal level the same tension seems to play out. Different forms of government, however good in principle, all seem to founder on human greed and selfishness.

Newlywed Goodman Brown sets forth at sunset for the nearby forest, where he apparently has an appointment. Leaving Salem village, he promises his wife, Faith, that he will return after this single night. Confused by Brown's odd behavior and mysterious errand, Faith fails to convince him to remain at home, or at least to delay his journey until the following morning. Criticizing her for doubting his purposes, Brown nevertheless seems conscience-stricken about his own ...