humanities

Human Dignity

Michelle  Walker

It amazed me how Pico della Mirandola  understood so much about humanity. He answered so many questions people today still struggle with.  What is the greatest thing on earth was it money or oceans or jewels no but mankind themselves . He  acknowledges the humans races true purpose in life becoming like God. He states Moses as a witness to man as god masterpiece of creation.  he  also seemed to acknowledge multiple cultures in his findings. He quotes Greek, Islam , Hebrews and  prophets and philosophers .   I think I understand only  the surface level of what Pico point  I think I took lot in but I feel like if  I read it again years from now I could still get something new out . almost like scriptures I think his thoughts were truly inspired .  Most stuff I read will be the same every time.  The facts don’t change in my textbooks and the plot in most novels I read only has a surface level of meaning  .  this level of understanding is my current level of depth I posses .

Humans are the measure of the world’s highest standard. This is  because of their limitless potentials to become better.  Humans can also become the basest of all creatures . when they degenerate into brutes.  They lose their divine potential and become worse than animals .I thought this was very insightful and even inspired because humanity is agency . as shown by  Adam and Eve. When  They  partook of the fruit they became agents for themselves with understanding and knowledge of the differences between good and evil. This is when received the gift of agency ,when they received the gift of agency was when they became human.  The dignity of man is mankind’s ability to choose to become better.

 I related this lot to my favorite science fiction show. Which is supposed to take place in the future and yet only understood a little piece of the meaning of being human. The show is called doctor who and a main theme throughout the series is what it means to be human. In the show, humans meet aliens all the time. Some humans become even more than their own self-when they meet another species. They expand their view of the universe. The human steps forward accepting and progressing. Other humans become smaller and less than human shutting off their universe and lashing out becoming brutes. It shows how new knowledge and new experiences can influence us in either direction.  Even so, people in show are supposed to be full of futuristic ideas time travel human colonies across the universe and yet they do not understand the meaning of relationships between humans and the true purpose of the human life.  The shows supposed to be futuristic and yet it devalues many of the human virtues deeming them dated.  They don’t understand humanities true potential. The true potential of a human being is the decision to build for themselves what they will become . as children of God we can become gods .

I love how he points out that lesser angles will never progress. I see this as those who aim only for the lower degrees of glory.   humans who strive toward the godhead  will never be in second place. This man in the 1400’s understood so much more then the majority of us do today the daily media portrays humans still looking for answers  to questions Mirandola saw and explained so long ago.