LO listers,
Interesting that we would have a discussion of the human nature centered
in Judeo-Christian concepts of sin, evil and the image of God. While I
believe that people are not "simply" evil, nor good, but a complex mix of
both, and that traditional Christian thought represents my own. I also
realize that many on the list do not share this paradigmatic view. I
would be interested in hearing from those of you who are from non-Western
religious tradition to speak to the relationship of good and evil in human
nature.
Why, may you ask, is this important? I think that our view of human
nature determines our view of learning. If humans are destitutely evil,
then learning is not really an option. If they are inherently good and
perfectible, then how do we handle the fact in this most advanced century,
there has been more murder and genocide than any time since the Roman era.
Learning is more than the mastery of knowledge. Learning is the mastery
of self in the context of human relationships, organizations and society.
What a religious perspective exposes are the values with which we endow
humanity. And the challenge is to maintain both a realistic perspective
and hopeful, optimistic one for the future.
Thanks,
--Ed Brenegar Leadership Resources brenegar@circle.net
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>