Freedom, Morality, Culture, and Humanization Concepts
Defenders of Freedom
Determinism is not easily acceptable. Thinkers have sought ways to defend the possibility of liberty. There is no doubt that if even a donkey’s will can overcome circumstances, much more so can a being endowed with reason overcome its circumstances, thus not being determined by them. Historically, this theory has been developed as follows:
- Kant claimed a distinction between what can be known through experience and what can be thought. This does not mean our mind cannot consider ideas that are not demonstrable; these ideas can be very important to our lives (like freedom).
- David Hume argued that the only valid sense of freedom is freedom from external constraints.
- Among the closest thinkers is Bergson, who insisted that the physical world and consciousness are two different things. In the world of consciousness, situations are neither equivalent nor repeatable. So, how can we establish laws or predict the outcome of a situation if there has never been another exactly like it?
- Even more recently, Taylor insisted that what characterizes humans is that we are not predefined or finished, but rather we have to continually decide who we are.
Kohlberg’s Moral Stages
Regardless of its origin, it seems indisputable that our moral capacity develops throughout life. Kohlberg distinguished six stages in moral development, divided into three levels:
- Level 1: Preconventional Stage. Individuals lack the capacity to decide based on internalized rules. A child knows no rules initially; any adherence to patterns is based on self-interest (avoiding punishment, gaining rewards).
- Level 2: Conventional Stage. The ability to conform to social norms emerges. The individual begins to discover the existence of rules and regulations, often seeking approval and maintaining social order. This is often the stage of asking “why” about rules, seeking regularities, and not readily accepting challenges to authority.
- Level 3: Postconventional Stage. Individuals understand that rules are social agreements based on underlying principles and values. It is not easy to explain to someone at earlier stages that rules are adopted to achieve agreed-upon aims and values. In fact, this level is so complex that many adults often react based on conventional (or even preconventional) reasoning when faced with moral dilemmas that challenge societal norms. When an adult primarily seeks personal satisfaction or rigidly follows rules without considering underlying principles, they might not be operating at the postconventional level.
Understanding Culture
Culture involves the ability to learn and adapt to new situations. Surprisingly, relatively small genetic differences lead to vast behavioral changes in humans compared to other species, accentuated by the emergence of language. In humans, culture acts like a second nature. No species has a learning capacity as vast or prolonged as the human species. This capability is enhanced by both language and sociability. Language, socialization, and learning are the main factors and the basis for humanizing culture.
Ethics and Morality: What Should I Do?
The question “What should I do?” relates to ethical frameworks (like Kant’s categorical imperative) and has two main perspectives:
- Ethics (Personal Well-being): What should I do to ensure things go well for me? This relates to the pursuit of a ‘good life’ often defined as happiness through understanding. Intelligence supports this by acquiring knowledge.
- Morality (Right Action): What should I do to act correctly? It is important not to forget the clear determination of our priorities. While the ability to use means to achieve a goal is not exclusive to humans, this perspective seeks the ‘good life’ through the moral dimension—the correctness of actions—distinct from mere intelligence or personal happiness.
The Process of Humanization
We realize that humans are relatively recent newcomers to the planet. In an open field environment, natural selection likely favored primates better suited to terrestrial locomotion (bipedalism). This adaptation is a key link (eslabón) in the evolutionary and cultural chain. Bipedalism allows greater control of the surrounding environment and frees the hands. This results in a hand-brain feedback loop, which is fundamental to brain development. *Homo sapiens* is the current link in this evolutionary chain. Increasing encephalization (brain size) contributes to the development of intelligence, language, and socialization. As tasks increased in number and complexity, it became necessary for the human brain to increase its adaptive capacity. A related feature contributing to adaptability and prolonged learning is neoteny (the retention of juvenile characteristics into adulthood).