Philosophical Anthropology

1. Identify the basic concepts of anthropology and philosophical anthropology.
2. Explain the historical development of philosophical anthropology.
3. Discuss the concept of the philosophy of the person from different philosophical traditions.
4. Analyze various theories of the human person.
5. Identify the causes and manifestations of the crises of the human person.
6. Articulate a fundamental ontology of the human person.
7. Demonstrate an understanding of the philosophical perspectives of Plato, Sartre, and Marx on human nature.

13 weeks, about 26 hours in total. Yours will differ.

1. Week 1Module 1: Basic Concepts and Issues of Philosophical Anthropology

   • Unit 1: Basic Concepts and Issues of Philosophical Anthropology · 2 hours

     Read the definition of anthropology and its etymological roots.. Understand the difference between studying man and his activities versus studying man in general.. Identify the key concepts of anthropology as listed by Erickson..

2. Week 2Module 1: Basic Concepts and Issues of Philosophical Anthropology

   • Unit 2: History of the emergence of Philosophical Anthropology · 2 hours

     Study the historical development of anthropology and its various specializations.. Examine the activities of early anthropologists and their observations.. Understand the man-centered and divine-centered conceptions of anthropology..

3. Week 3Module 1: Basic Concepts and Issues of Philosophical Anthropology

   • Unit 3: The Concept of the Philosophy of the Person · 2 hours

     Understand the nature of the human person and the difference between bodily and mental activities.. Differentiate between the descriptive and normative concepts of the human person.. Analyze the constituent parts of the human person and their functions..

4. Week 4Module 1: Basic Concepts and Issues of Philosophical Anthropology

   • Unit 4: Theories of the Person: African and Eastern · 2 hours

     Examine the African conception of human personality, including its cultural uniqueness and social norms.. Understand the descriptive and normative aspects of personhood in African thought.. Compare the African view of the person with the Eastern view..

5. Week 5Module 1: Basic Concepts and Issues of Philosophical Anthropology

   • Unit 5: Theories of the Person: Western · 2 hours

     Study the Western theories of the person, focusing on mental and material states.. Understand the idealist and materialist perspectives on the human person.. Examine the dualistic view of the human person and the mind-body problem..

6. Week 6Module 2: Crises of the Human Person

   • Unit 1: Crises of the Human Person and Causes · 2 hours

     Identify the root causes of the crises of personhood.. Understand the background to the crises and the sources that contribute to it.. Examine the concept of identity crises and its implications..

7. Week 7Module 2: Crises of the Human Person

   • Unit 2: Dimensions or Aspects of the Crises of the Person · 2 hours

     Identify and describe the conflicting definitions of personhood.. Understand the conflicting accounts of human nature and human reality.. Examine the mind-body problem and the debates around freedom and determinism..

8. Week 8Module 2: Crises of the Human Person

   • Unit 3: Manifestations of the Crises of the Person · 2 hours

     Identify the link between European expansionist anthropology and sociocultural prejudices.. Enumerate the forms of determinism associated with socio-cultural prejudices.. Understand how cultural determinism shapes the self-confidence and self-esteem of the human person..

9. Week 9Module 2: Crises of the Human Person

   • Unit 4: A Fundamental Ontology of the Human Person · 2 hours

     Differentiate between Anthropology, Philosophical Anthropology, and Fundamental Ontology.. Understand the uniqueness of Fundamental Ontology.. Identify the universal traits of personhood..

10. Week 10Module 2: Crises of the Human Person

    • Unit 5: The Goal of a Fundamental Philosophy of the Person · 2 hours

      Analyze the structure of thought and its components.. Understand the benefits of understanding the structure of thought.. Highlight the goals of a fundamental philosophy of the person..

11. Week 11Module 3: Philosophical Anthropology

    • Unit 1: Plato's Philosophical Anthropology · 2 hours

      Understand Plato beyond his epistemology and metaphysics.. Understand the idea on education by Plato.. Be able to relate his ideas with human nature..

12. Week 12Module 3: Philosophical Anthropology

    • Unit 2: Jean-Paul Sartre's Philosophical Anthropology · 2 hours

      Understand the core contention of Sartre's philosophical anthropology.. Be able to relate how existentialism and phenomenology functioned in his reflections on man..

13. Week 13Module 3: Philosophical Anthropology

    • Unit 3: Karl Marx's Philosophical Anthropology · 2 hours

      Understand the social and intellectual influences on Marx.. Understand Marx's concept of human nature.. The economic implication of Marx's concept of human nature..