The Philosophy of Human Nature

Internet Bookwatch, Dec, 2008

The Philosophy of Human Nature

Howard P. Kainz

Open Court Publishing Company

70 East Lake Street, Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60601

9780812696196, $29.95 www.opencourtbooks.com 1-800-815-2280

Howard P. Kainz (Professor Emeritus, Department of Philosophy at Marquette University in Milwaukee) presents The Philosophy of Human Nature, a thoughtful, in-depth reflection upon the philosophical controversies concerning the definition and purpose of human nature. From whether human beings are (or can become) free, to whether human instincts differ from animal instincts, to whether human personality traits and intelligence can truly be inherited, and more, The Philosophy of Human Nature tackles age old conundrums with the professionalism of a trained philosopher. At the same time, The Philosophy of Human Nature avoids bogging itself down in needless obfuscation, remaining accessible even to readers who do not have extensive training in philosophy. "Karl Marx, as is well known, analyzed patterns of exploitation taking place in nineteenth-century capitalist systems. In his early philosophical works, he makes an interesting socio-political application of gender dynamics. According to Marx, the male attitude toward females offers us the best indication of their general attitude toward nature, the environment, society in general, and the lower classes in particular. If males take women as objects to be exploited, Marx argued, they tend to have the same attitude toward the environment, the lower classes, and so forth ... Communism, unfortunately, was not spectacularly successful in eliminating female exploitation; but Marx's general observation about attitude patterns may be worth considering." Highly recommended, especially for college library collections.