Essay On The Nature Of Humans

There are various controversies surrounding the place of human beings in the nature of things. There are those who propose that humans have great abilities to influence to greater extend how things occur and where (environmental determinism). For example, human beings can divert rivers, build canals, and even control some aspects, such as the occurrence or rain and storms using various technologies. On the contrary, there are those who tend to disagree that human do not have any abilities to control the occurrence of things (Environmental indeterminism). As such, humans are passive beings whose existence is purely to the mercies of nature. However, whether to act or not, is per se a whole different issue. Is there any inherent human nature?
Humans just as any other animals utilize what the environment offers for survival. From this premise, therefore, it is evidently clear that human act not from an inherent trait but in response to what the environment offers. However, the triggering to act is in itself inherent just as it is to all other animals. It is for this reason that those who live near the lakes tend to be majorly fishermen. On the same note, those who live in the fertile regions which are climatically fit for agriculture tend to do agricultural activities as those in plains tend to be pastoralists.
Humans are naturally aggressive than all other animals. They greatly alter their environment as they try to survive something that affects not only the other animals, but also the non-living things. The inherent capabilities of humans to think and reason has made humans, or at least the majority, belief in or venerate a supernatural being. The veneration is divers in that there are many religious affiliations and deities. Whether these deities and religions have truth in them is a subject for discussions.
What then is the purpose of human life? One wonders why humans are on earth. Such a question has as many diverse arguments as there could be. Some argue that the sole purpose to be alive is to seek happiness. How one archives happiness vary greatly from one place to another. It is a fact that each individual on earth seeks to attain the highest levels of happiness. It is for this reason that each person works to achieve such happiness. Others argue that life lacks any objective meaning and as such, humans do not have any objective reason
On human virtues, since the civilization era, humans have changed how they used to interact. Currently, humans live in societies that are more connected than before. Due to this, there are specific moral expectations called virtues that each member has to adhere to. The virtues determine how humans interact with each other and as such how certain things are done. Such virtues may vary from one society to another. However, there seems to be some universally acceptable virtues, such as respect and human rights.
Human rights refer to the inherent rights that all humans ought to receive. They include and not limited to equal treatment in the face of laws, right to life, right to education, right to fair trial, right to access basic needs, such as food, shelter and clothing among others. Human rights do not consider one’s gender, nationality, race, age, religion, language, place of origin, among others.
The human rights seek among other things to uphold freedom of all member of the society. Freedom is the right to think, act, speak, and do as one wishes provided that one does not directly or indirectly jeopardies the others from exercising their freedom. It also involves the absence of external subjection or domination. In basic terms, freedom may mean not being in custody or enslaved. All humans seek to exercise their freedom in a manner that shall enhance their survival in the changing world.