Febe Buizon Belisario
ABSTRACT:
This article deals with the
origin of man as a created being and is not a product of evolution. Man is not
only a mere creature but he is the crown of the whole creation endowed with
intellect and will. He is finite and composed of the material body and spiritual soul.
He is destined to be happy forever in eternity. But this destiny is not predetermined.
His attainment of eternal life is largely dependent on how he utilizes his
intellect and will. His ambivalent tendencies towards the golden principle of
ethical conduct make it not so easy to do good always and avoid evil, Even his
innate desire for life, love, and truth is often stifled by his being human and
imperfect. This makes his striving for perfection is a lifetime struggle.
Keywords: creation, evolution, vitalism, eternal destiny, happiness
INTRODUCTION:
The title of the article
was selected among the alternative choices after cursory, preliminary readings
of the available sources.
Philosophy of Man is the subject of the
present course. In the process of discussion on the subject, it is found that his
paramount dignity among other existing beings is very striking. Hence his
attribute as the Crown of the whole Creation was chosen as the subject of the investigation.
To delve therefore into the intricacies of his attributes as a rational being
endowed with will, Spiritual Soul, and Free Will, pertinent sources and references
were consulted, read, and cited such as those listed below.
Man is the crown of the
created universe. As the crown of the created universe, man is the apex of
Creation and center of the material world owing to his special prerogatives as an intelligent being composite of material body and spiritual soul endowed with
free will which even the Creator does not interfere in its exercise. He is a contingent and temporal being and yet destined to participate in the eternal
joy and happiness of his Maker.
A crown of the head of a
person is a symbol of honor and dignity accorded to a man who has achieved an
exceptional status. In the ladder of prestige, it signifies the highest level of
honor. In such a case, man is given the highest level of honor by his
creator.
The consideration that man is the crown of the whole creation is based on the Biblical account. It is stated that “man is created in the image and likeness of God, the creator” (Gen. 1:26). Since God does not have an image to be recognized in man, Biblical scholars readily interpret this as the “Spiritual Nature of Man, his Intellect and Will which separate him from the rest of animal creation and make him analogous to God” (New Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture, p.175, p149a).
Man’s
Origin
As early as about
500, BC Greek philosopher Anaximander postulated that Man evolved from simple
species, which was expanded by Darwin and company. However, the theory of
Anaximander was rejected by Aristotle after applying the theory of eternal or
ideal form to the living world. The
Aristotelian ladder of nature as a static hierarchy of perfection is not an
evolutionary concept. However, as science produced more evidence that seemed
to conflict with the Bible, Biblical assertion began to develop. Hence came the
anti-evolution Philosophy known as creationism
(Collier Encyclopedia Vol.9 p.479).
Creationism is a belief
that all living things created separately possess a unique life force
controlled by a Supernatural power called VITALISM. Now whether the Biblical
account on creation took place million years ago or not, man was created in the
image and likeness of his Creator. He is composed of the material body and
spiritual soul endowed with intellect and will.
Under the above-stated title, man’s being the apex of all creation is endowed with encompassing
dignity as expressed by the “Psalmist in Psalm 8:4-8” reads as follows:
“What is man that you think of him?
A mere man that you care for him,
Yet
you make him inferior only to yourself
You
Crown him with glory and honor,
You
appointed him Ruler, over everything you made,
You place him over creation.”
This passage in scripture captures and summarizes the complete endowment God has given him. From this biblical account the philosophers, like St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas built their philosophies of Man.
Man’s Dignity
How
do we see man’s dignity? Man’s dignity is not something to be achieved through
our effort or given by other people or agencies because of our achievement. But
dignity is a gift placed by our creator in ourselves which separates us from
other nonhuman beings. It makes us different from other creatures.
God’s special predilection
for him as being the object of God’s thought and caring has put him on a
pedestal of an exalted position in the hierarchy of earthly creatures. His being
created in the image and likeness of God puts him higher than any other living
thing on earth as he is the only creature endowed with a rational soul and free
will. Because of his intellect, he was appointed to be the master of the earth
and everything on it, (Montemayor p. 35) as pointed out in Genesis
1:27-8 states: “God created man in his own image, in the image of God created him; male
and female created them. And God blessed
them, and God said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the
earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over fish of the sea, and over fowl of
the air, and over every living thing that moved upon the earth.” This biblical text separates man from other
living beings and makes him the crown of the creation.
Man as Free Being
As
a rational being, man is given freedom and free will. He can choose to be or not
to be, to be good or to be bad. However, the biblical text would tell us that such freedom is not a license to do anything
we want. At the outset of his existence, his
freedom was tested in paradise. He was prohibited from eating the fruit of the tree
of knowledge of good and evil. (Gen. 2:16-17). Such prohibition indicates that
though man is given freedom such freedom is limited. Freedom here is
freedom to do good but not freedom to do anything according to your own
desires. Man failed in the first test of freedom. He followed his own
desires. Though he failed, God does not
remove freedom from man. Freedom remains with him and makes him different
from other beings.
Although everything God created was good
including man himself, how come that the first man failed to do good? This
shows that he is not perfect. His dignity as a free being is not predetermined.
He is ambivalent and capable of doing good and bad. This ambivalence is tested in the
golden principle of conduct. ”Do Good and Avoid Evil”. This law of conduct is not man-made but as St.
Augustine call it, the Eternal Law, they are always binding as they are immutable
and absolute which God the Eternal Reason uses to guide and lead all things in
their proper end. “This is the law of conscience admonishing man to be good and
avoid evil. Their compliance or violation became the basis of Eternal Law,
giver to reward or punish the doer”. (Montemayor, ibid p.53).
Man as a Social and
Political Being.
We
cannot deny the fact that man is not isolated, man is connected, not only to
other human beings but also to the environment around him. There is a reciprocal relationship among
them. It is only in and through his
relationship with others, he can develop as a human person. It is always stated
that “No man
is an island” as the saying goes. Man’s development is the product or result of
the interplay of the different factors in man’s surroundings and environment.
His physical, social, and intellectual growth can only be enhanced,
improved, and enriched through
interaction with others sharing the
goods in life which is called ”Bonum est Naturaliter diffusivum” according to
Aristotle. ( Zulueta,2010, p.45). The
good is naturally diffusive meaning, it
is the very essence of good to be shared otherwise it ceases to be good. For
instance, it is the very nature of light to radiate and shine to give heat and
illuminate. But if prevented from radiating, it suffocates and dies or is extinguished. Such is the goods in man whether it be his spiritual and natural
endowment of his material possession. Sharing them with others through social
interrelationships became the medium and channel of his socio-political and
psycho-spiritual development as a person.
Mans's Destiny is Eternal/
Perfect Happiness
Everything that comes into
being has its purpose of existence whether for itself or for one that caused it
to exist. Mans's existence being unique has a very special purpose for his
existence to be perfect and completely happy. So to attain this objective all
his acts are geared toward the end. “But the end of an act oftentimes is not
an end but a means to further end and then this further end became a means to
still further end. But we cannot go on to infinity. There must be an absolutely
ultimate end beyond which there can be no other.” ( Montemayor ibid p.120).
The intimate craving of
man for the satisfaction of his desire for perfect and complete happiness could
only be fulfilled beyond the confinement of his finite condition or state. The
attainment of the three basic realities, LIFE, LOVE, and TRUTH- in their
transcendent state should satisfy the insatiable longing for happiness.
1.
Attainment of Eternal
Life
Though man is created finite and imperfect, he is destined for eternal life. Every temporary and momentary happiness he gains in his earthly life is all imperfect and they are just the foretaste of the perfect happiness in the other life,, for it would be unfair and cruel on the part of God to ingrain in the human heart such desire if there is no way in its final fulfillment and realization
2.
Eternal Love
Man is the product of
God’s gratuitous love because he has no need whatsoever of Man as he is
infinitely perfect and Self-existent. But because God is Summum Bonum, THE ABSOLUTE
AND THE HIGHEST GOOD, it is inherent in HIM to share his goodness with man as
Aristotle used to say; the Summon Bonum est naturaliter Deffusivum. It is the
nature of the Highest Good to be Diffusive to share his goodness with His creature.
Hence, God being the
Eternal Love Himself wants to share his infinite love to man- his finite
earthly children to join Him in heaven.
3.
Eternal Truth
If man’s craving for perfect life and complete love are the
realm of biological and emotional needs, his thirst for knowledge is satisfied
and quenched with the attainment of truth. However, the validity of knowledge
depends on the veracity of the premise on which it is based. These are relative
truths and arbitrary presumptions which crumble after rigid investigation. Thus,
Absolute Certainty is necessary to satisfy the incessant quest for truth. This
could only be attained in Eternal Transcendent Truth which is God.
Conclusion
The title” Man as the
Crown of Creation” has been sufficiently shown and presented as evidenced by the gradual treatment of the topic from the Biblical account to the philosophic-theological culmination.
Indeed, man is fittingly
called the Crown of the Whole Creation because his rational nature is endowed with
intellect and free will and his eternal destiny encompasses all the created
entities and surpasses all contingent qualities of nature on earth. Appropriately
and properly designated, therefore, as Lord and Ruler of the entire creation.
REFERENCES:
Zulueta, FM.2010.INTRODUCTION
TO PHILOSOPHY. National Book Store.
Ramos, Christine
CR.2004. INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY. Rex
Book Store Inc.
Montemayor, F.1995. INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY. REV. ED. National Book Store
Johnston, B.1994. COLLIERS ENCYCLOPEDIA, Vol. 2, 9, 16, 22,
24. P.F. Collier, New York, Toronto,
Sydney
Shines, KH.1978. GOOD NEWS
BIBLE. United Bible Society. Manila
Philippines
Kearn C. OP. 1969. NEW CATHOLIC COMMENTARY ON HOLY SCRIPTURE
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