What is Man?

What is Man?

By Norman Gonzales

As we go through life we constantly strive to make ourselves better, to improve upon the knowledge and virtue that we brought with us the day before.  As parents we seek to have our children accomplish greater feats and to rise to greater heights than we were able to in our lifetimes. For those of us at John Adams Academy, we strive to develop servant leaders and to “inspire” our scholars to become lifelong learners who excel in their pursuits, to unlock the genius within every child. 

Integrating classics into our curriculum is one way that we do this. Socratic dialogue is another.  Classics contain and reveal time worthy values and ideas that can inspire, enrich and entertain.  They can also challenge and test.  Sometimes they force us to re-evaluate our positions, or ponder our previously held beliefs.  Socratic discussions regarding these texts can engage scholars, teachers, and parents alike.

One such classic is a work by Mark Twain called “What is man?”  This essay by Twain melds the two avenues I mentioned; genuinely rich and weighty concepts written in the form of a dialogue. As I read this essay it was reminiscent of Plato’s works in which he delves into the topics through conversations of the characters.

It is set up this way:

“[The Old Man and the Young Man had been conversing. The Old Man had asserted that the human being is merely a machine, and nothing more. The Young Man objected, and asked him to go into particulars and furnish his reasons for his position.]”

After a brief conversation between the two men regarding how a machine of steel is created and operates they arrive from that analogy to their discussion of man.  This provides the first hard idea.

“Young Man: You have arrived at man, now?

Old Man: Yes. Man the machine—man the impersonal engine. Whatsoever a man is, is due to his make, and to the influences brought to bear upon it by his heredities, his habitat, his associations. He is moved, directed, COMMANDED, by exterior influences—solely. He originates nothing, not even a thought.”

The next hard idea is that every action of man is motivated by an impulse for self preservation and comfort, or in other words “securing his own approval.”

“Old Man: Yes. This is the law, keep it in your mind. From his cradle to his grave a man never does a single thing which has any FIRST AND FOREMOST object but one—to secure peace of mind, spiritual comfort, for HIMSELF.”

The young man tries admirably, but never quite completely to overthrow the old man’s propositions.  Through the cordial and prolonged interplay between the Old Man and the Young, Twain brings into the discussion topics of temperament, creation, virtue, goodness, free will.  At first these arguments and positions are shocking, maybe even appearing offensive to some, but are we to be offended when our positions are challenged.  Does the challenge provide us the opportunity to strengthen and steel our resolve?  Do we ever really grow or improve our knowledge and virtue if we refrain from exercising the intellectual muscles of reflection and debate?  For example, assuming that the old man is correct and ‘Man’ has no ability for thought or reason for moving that isn’t derived from an outside force, then there must be something outside of man, outside of creation with independent thought capable of moving man.  Is this an argument for divinity? If Man’s sole purpose for acting is to secure personal satisfaction, then what does that mean for virtue, goodness and character?  Do we as teachers, mentors, staff and board model the 10 core values? If so, do we because of an internal, privately virtuous motive, or as Twain would argue, because of an internal selfish one.

This classic introduces the topics and allows for their discussion.  It also forces us to reflect and review our own positions and choices. In the end after reading this essay and debating its merits, Twain would argue that this essay, not our own initiative, was the outside force which compelled us to do so. What do you think?

Norman Gonzales sits on the Board of Directors for John Adams Academy.  This was taken from the July 2013 board meeting thought of the day.

As always, we welcome your thoughts and comments.