Thymos and Logic – Why we know, yet do not act

Francis Fukuyama, arguably America’s most profound political scientist, enriched our understanding of man and history by an important notion of Greek origin – „thymos“. This term, used extensively by Plato in „The State“, is well suited to illuminate our present situation. The Greek philosopher speaks of thymos to describe a decisive dimension of human action. In his opinion, man does not obey reason alone; in truth, something else is added, namely will, desire, passion, anger, self-assertion – in short, „thymos“. Whoever ignores this driving force hardly understands human behavior. Thymos and Logic – Why we know, yet do not act weiterlesen

How do humans guard themselves against their own kind?

The German original „Wie schützt der Mensch sich vor sich selbst“ will be published by Meinhard Miegel.

The question is of actual relevance and it is timeless as well, because it applies to man alone; no other biological species needs to guard itself against its own kind. The survival of species was endangered by predators or by a hostile environment. Man alone among all species has evolved to such an uncanny degree that he now threatens his own survival. How do humans guard themselves against their own kind? weiterlesen