The Man A member of the genus Homo, family Hominidae, order Primates, class Mammalia, characterized by erect posture

and an opposable thumb, especially a member of the only extant species, Homo sapiens, distinguished by a highly developed brain, the capacity for abstract reasoning, and the ability to communicate by means of organized speech and record information in a variety of symbolic systems. 1

That is how the dictionary defined man. I am a man and I know that I am a special being because God created me in His own image. God has given me special qualities in order to live a happy and meaningful life. Do you feel the same way? Like bees and herd animals, human beings live together in groups. Unlike bees or herd animals, humans have the capacity for speech or, in the Greek, logos. As we have seen, logos means not only speech but also reason2

Our ability to speak which makes us different from other creatures is our means to communicate with other human beings. This only shows that we are not created just to live alone or just to live for ourselves. We have the power of speech as a bridge to experience and appreciate meaningful relationships with others. According to Locke man is by nature a social animal. 3 Aside from that, I read in an article that the "image" of the Creator is the ability to discern and reason.4 That is why we have the capacity to know what is good and evil.

Our ability to speak and reason makes us unique creatures. Actually there is a linkage between speech and reason as mentioned in an article:

 the linkage between speech and reason is clear: the purpose of speech, a purpose assigned to men by nature, is to reveal what is advantageous and harmful, and by doing so to reveal what is good and bad, just and unjust. This knowledge makes it possible for human beings to live together, and at the same time makes it possible for us to pursue justice as part of the virtuous lives we are meant to live.5 This is why people believe in the political nature of man. According to Aquinas, one of the natural goods to which human beings are inclined is to live in society.6 He believed that political society (civitas) emerges from the needs and aspirations of human nature itself.7 Since we have this nature and inclination aside from the fact that we are rational beings, we really have the tendency to obey the laws which are for the protection of our rights. Laws that tell us what is right and wrong. Natural law and natural rights follow from the nature of man and the world. We have the right to defend ourselves and our property, because of the kind of animals that we are. True law derives from this right, not from the arbitrary power of the omnipotent state.8 Indeed God created us very special. We have the wisdom from Him to know and realize our purpose in living and that is to have the rightful way of life that gives meaning to our being.

References:

1. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/man 2. http://www.iep.utm.edu/aris-pol/#SH7c 3. http://jim.com/hobbes.htm 4. http://www.jewfaq.org/human.htm 5. http://www.iep.utm.edu/aris-pol/#SH7c 6. http://www.iep.utm.edu/aqui-pol/#H2 7. http://www.iep.utm.edu/aqui-pol/#H2 8. http://jim.com/rights.html

Submitted by:

Rosie G. Alvior