Beyond Freedom and Dignity

Author: B. F. Skinner
Publisher: Hackett Publishing
ISBN: 1603840818
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 241

Book Description
In this profound and profoundly controversial work, a landmark of 20th-century thought originally published in 1971, B. F. Skinner makes his definitive statement about humankind and society. Insisting that the problems of the world today can be solved only by dealing much more effectively with human behavior, Skinner argues that our traditional concepts of freedom and dignity must be sharply revised. They have played an important historical role in our struggle against many kinds of tyranny, he acknowledges, but they are now responsible for the futile defense of a presumed free and autonomous individual; they are perpetuating our use of punishment and blocking the development of more effective cultural practices. Basing his arguments on the massive results of the experimental analysis of behavior he pioneered, Skinner rejects traditional explanations of behavior in terms of states of mind, feelings, and other mental attributes in favor of explanations to be sought in the interaction between genetic endowment and personal history. He argues that instead of promoting freedom and dignity as personal attributes, we should direct our attention to the physical and social environments in which people live. It is the environment rather than humankind itself that must be changed if the traditional goals of the struggle for freedom and dignity are to be reached. Beyond Freedom and Dignity urges us to reexamine the ideals we have taken for granted and to consider the possibility of a radically behaviorist approach to human problems--one that has appeared to some incompatible with those ideals, but which envisions the building of a world in which humankind can attain its greatest possible achievements.

What Is Man?

Author: The Pontifical Biblical Commission
Publisher: Darton Longman and Todd
ISBN: 9781913657147
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 240

Book Description
What Is Man? A Journey Through Biblical Anthropology is the English translation of Che cosa è l'uomo?, the Pontifical Biblical Commission's ground-breaking study of what the Holy Scriptures teach about the nature of humanity. This influential report takes as its base the ancient story of creation and loss of Eden in chapters 2 and 3 of the Book of Genesis. It focuses on four themes: human beings created by God; human beings in the garden; the human family; and human beings in history. Each of the themes is divided into sub-themes and each of these is traced through the Scriptures of Old and New Testament. Topics include: the image of God; food as a divine gift; human work; humans and animals; love, family, gender and relationships, including the issues of divorce, adultery, and homosexuality; care for creation; friendship and human solidarity; evil in the world; and the intervention of God in Christ. This volume contains a Thematic Index of more than 200 topics, and is introduced by Cardinal Luis Ladaria SJ, President of the Pontifical Biblical Commission.

Male Vs. Man

Author: Dondre Whitfield
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780310357131
Category : Men
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
Males look to be served. Men look to be of service. Emmy Award-nominated actor best known for his role on Queen Sugar and transformational speaker Dondr Whitfield challenges us to be real men in this provocative look at the power found in serving others. Too many males abuse the power they have. Often those males grow up without healthy role models and so, while they look like men, they act like boys. Only now there are adult consequences to their actions. And many of us are caught in the shifting cultural ideas about manhood, unsure of how to make sound decisions or truly be a man. Every day we find evidence that the role of men at home, at work, and out in the world is deeply misinterpreted. In Male vs. Man, Dondr Whitfield equips us to become men rather than simply "grown males." Men are healthy and productive servant-leaders who bring positive change to their communities. Males are self-serving and stuck in negative cycles that we hear and read about daily. They create chaos instead of cultivating calm. Male vs. Man is an uplifting playbook for men who want to level up. It will help men and women alike understand what real manhood is, based on biblical wisdom as well as hard-earned lessons from someone who has been there. With practical guidance and a strong spiritual foundation, Dondr shows how to cultivate the life-changing spiritual, emotional, and psychological attributes of servant leadership at home, at work, and in our communities.

WHAT IS MAN?

Author: Edgar Andrews
Publisher: Elm Hill
ISBN: 1595543031
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 342

Book Description
In 1906, American humorist Mark Twain published a sixty-page essay entitled “What is man?” Consisting of an interminable dialogue between a senior citizen (who believes that man is just a machine) and a young man (who believes nothing in particular but is open to persuasion), it wasn’t one of his finest books. But at least he tried. Authors since then seem to have avoided the subject like the plague, often tackling the respective roles of men and women in society but seldom asking deeper questions about what it means to be human. When the psalmist asked, “What is man?” (Psalm 8 v.4) he was, I think, seeking an altogether more profound answer. Avoidance of the subject is all the more strange because there has never been a time like our own when curiosity about human origins and destiny has been greater, or the answers on offer more hotly disputed. It’s a safe bet that any attempt to give the “big picture” on the origin, nature and specialness of mankind will be contentious —which might explain why writers have generally fought shy of it. Yet at heart it is the question most of us really do want answered, because the answer defines that precious thing we call our identity, both personally and as a race. The Psalmist did, of course, offer his own answer three millennia ago. Man, he claimed, was created by God for a clearly defined purpose — to exercise dominion over planet earth and (by implication) to ultimately share something of the glory of the divine nature. The rest, as they say, is history, but it’s not a happy tale. As Mark Twain says in another essay; “I can’t help being disappointed with Adam and Eve”. Not surprisingly, then, a large proportion of humanity today are looking for alternative solutions, accepting the challenge of the Psalmist’s question without embracing the optimism of his answer. In this book we are going to consider the alternative solutions on offer by considering what it means to be human against the backgrounds of cosmology (man’s place in the universe), biology (man’s place in the animal kingdom), and psychology (man’s consciousness and mind). Finally, we return to the biblical context, arguing that the Psalmist got it right after all. Don’t let the science-sounding stuff put you off. Like its popular prequel, “Who made God? Searching for a theory of everything”, this book is written with a light touch in a reader-friendly and often humorous style. It is intended specifically for the non-expert, with homely verbal illustrations designed to explain and unpack the technicalities for the lay-person. As Dr. Paul Copan (Pledger Family Chair of Philosophy and Ethics, Palm Beach Atlantic University) says, "Edgar Andrews has a way of making the profound accessible. His scholarship informs the reader about key questions of our time, offering wise guidance and illumination."

What it Means to be a Man

Author: Rhett Smith
Publisher: Moody Publishers
ISBN: 0802487084
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 103

Book Description
We hear the story of David and Goliath and wonder, “Do we have what it takes to slay the giant?” Men today are confronted with many different expectations of who they’re supposed to be and what role they should be filling. By looking at history, the clichés of manhood, and what intimacy with God looks like, this short book will help men (and women) rethink what it means to be a man in today’s culture. Counselor and pastor Rhett Smith works through tough questions like: How can men look up to role models without following their flaws? Is it possible to strike a balance between passivity and aggression? How can men speak up, find intimacy, and take care of others without neglecting themselves? When Christ calls us to follow Him, He paves a path that is different than our cultural expectations, a path that leads us to a relationship with Him and to true knowledge of what it means to be a man.

A Man in Full

Author: Tom Wolfe
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
ISBN: 1429960698
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 756

Book Description
The Bonfire of the Vanities defined an era--and established Tom Wolfe as our prime fictional chronicler of America at its most outrageous and alive. With A Man in Full, the time the setting is Atlanta, Georgia--a racially mixed late-century boomtown full of fresh wealth, avid speculators, and worldly-wise politicians. Big men. Big money. Big games. Big libidos. Big trouble. The protagonist is Charles Croker, once a college football star, now a late-middle-aged Atlanta real-estate entrepreneur turned conglomerate king, whose expansionist ambitions and outsize ego have at last hit up against reality. Charlie has a 28,000-acre quail-shooting plantation, a young and demanding second wife--and a half-empty office tower with a staggering load of debt. When star running back Fareek Fanon--the pride of one of Atlanta's grimmest slums--is accused of raping an Atlanta blueblood's daughter, the city's delicate racial balance is shattered overnight. Networks of illegal Asian immigrants crisscrossing the continent, daily life behind bars, shady real-estate syndicates, cast-off first wives of the corporate elite, the racially charged politics of college sports--Wolfe shows us the disparate worlds of contemporary America with all the verve, wit, and insight that have made him our most phenomenal, most admired contemporary novelist. A Man in Full is a 1998 National Book Award Finalist for Fiction.

What Is a Man?

Author: Waller R. Newell
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0060987588
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 562

Book Description
An anthology of extraordinary scope and depth, What Is a Man? reminds us all of the relevance of the manly tradition and offers a blueprint for men (and women) eager to uphold the honor of our forefathers' legacy. Book jacket.

Kingdom Man Devotional

Author: Tony Evans
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
ISBN: 1624051219
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 208

Book Description
Kingdom Man Devotional is based on the principles and concepts presented in the book Kingdom Man. For the man who wants to be the leader that God has called him to be, this 90-day devotional will help him explore the scriptural mandate to exercise dominion and take responsibility over the various areas of his life. This devotional will challenge and encourage men to embrace their role of provider, protector, cultivator, champion, visionary, and leader, discipling them in the areas of responsibility and spiritual authority. Kingdom Man Devotional challenges and equips men to fully understand their position under God and their position over what God has given them, while challenging them to initiate the practical implementation of leadership principles.

What Is Man?

Author: Theodore Austin-Sparks
Publisher: Book Ministry
ISBN: 1105073343
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 57

Book Description
"To my readers I would say that, although the main subject of the tripartite nature of man is such a controversial one, this book is not entered as a part of the controversy. Such a course would only be to contradict its main contention—that Divine things can only be entered into by revelation and never by reason. Indeed, I have no wish that anyone should read this book unless they are really exercised about reality and spiritual things. I would ask for openness of heart as the one concession to the Spirit of truth if, peradventure, He might be ready to use what is written here for enlightenment. "The book goes out with a prayer which comes from long ago, 'that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him; having the eyes of your heart enlightened' (Eph. 1:17)." T. A-S

What Is Man?

Author: Old Hillbilly
Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
ISBN: 1638448043
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 107

Book Description
The contents of this work deals with life questions that I dwelt with in my journey back to God, questions posed by others as I struggled with my own faith, and yes, demons-I had fallen into several addictions. The contents of the book are the subject of one year's worth of Sunday school teaching of the adult class of the Independent Methodist church of Elkland, Missouri. A man once asked me, "Where have you ministered?" referring to me denominational background. I replied, "I've pastored community churches. Pentecostal churches and Baptist churches." I will never forget his astonished look as he responded, "How did you make that work?" Simple. By sticking to the Word. The most important goal in this book is to stick to the Word. The apostle Paul sets out a mandate for receiving instructions from the ministers of God in Acts17:11. If we adhere to the mandate, we will not be too far off from the truth.