The Human Condition

Human beings emerge from nature, our life supported and enmeshed in the ecosystem, and at the end of our life, we (or, perhaps, at least, our physical aspects) return to nature.

Our natural status does not erase the truth that each of us as persons possesses an ontological value, an inherent dignity, and a sense of worth that is grounded in our very being and is not merited or earned. We are beings of intense, immense dignity rooted in nature.

This sacred vision of humanity originates in the insight that a purposeful, evolutionary unfolding of the universe has yielded life, goodness, and beauty and that human beings are the personal expression of the Divine impulse in the world.

Human dignity is an ontological status and not in itself a moral status. Philosophical and practical reflection on human nature reveals us as animals of a high degree of self-awareness, rational intelligence, affectivity, the ability for (some degree of) reasoned self-determination and governance, socially natured, with the ability to love, and the self-reflexive capacity for comprehending meaning and purpose.

If what gives us dignity is related to the fact that we are complex wholes rather than the sum of simple parts, then it is clear that there is no simple answer to the question, What is Factor X? That is, Factor X cannot be reduced to possessing moral choice, reason, language, sociability, sentience, emotions, consciousness, or any other quality that has been put forth as grounds for human dignity. It is all of these qualities coming together in a human whole that make Factor X.

– Francis Fukuyama

The human capacities for moral awareness, reasoning, and love of others attest to the ontological nature of the claim of human dignity. Our capacity for gratitude, awe, humility, generosity, love, mercy, kindness, and reasoned justice are functions of a metaphysically significant being.

Yet asserting humans' inherent dignity means not overlooking their potential for evil and destruction. Still, even our innate capacity for such harm attests to the dignity we speak of.

Human dignity is the recognition that human beings possess a unique value intrinsic to their humanity and, as such, are worthy of respect simply because they are human beings. Claims of dignity are asserted as universal, unconditional, inalienable, and overriding of other concerns.

Human dignity is an assertion of something recognized or intuited about human beings. As such, it cannot be proven in the strict sense of the term. Human dignity cannot be demonstrated through deductive argument. Even the most careful and accurate social science analysis won’t strictly yield the concept’s validity either. The argument for human dignity rests in applying illative reason and the corresponding forms of argument and persuasion.

Affirming the inherent dignity of the human person is not speciesism or a denigration of other life forms. Every living being is unique and of value. Each species has its dignity. Yet human self-awareness, reason, language, the engendering of culture, freedom, and capacity for virtue (and vice) call attention to the unique place of the human person within the ecosystem.

Reflecting on human dignity is a testament to that dignity in itself. The complexity of human consciousness allows for such self-awareness and self-reflexiveness. We are the only creatures capable of existential questioning, asking questions of meaning, and yearning to realize ideals and transcendent realities.

Reflecting on human dignity is a gateway to moral understanding and asserting human rights and responsibilities that form our social order. Our dignity demands certain things from us—how we live, eat, dress, work, have sex, entertain ourselves, and relate to others, both humans and nonhumans, in the world around us.

Human beings emerge from nature as persons—free, emotive-rational, conscious subjects. Reflecting on our status as persons also grants insight into our ontological dignity, inherent value, and a sense of worth grounded in our being, not merited or earned.

What does it mean to assert that every human being is a person? The concept of person implies relative independence of being and acting, echoing back to classical Roman law – persona est suri iuris et alteri incommunicabilis – a person is a being which belongs to itself – is self-aware and, to some degree, self-directing, and unique and unrepeatable. (See John Crosby’s The Selfhood of the Human Person)

Personhood implies subjectivity – we are not inert, passive objects in the world – we are centers of awareness (including self-awareness), action, and unrepeatable individuality. Humans, as persons, are not to be instrumentalized or treated solely as means to ends, but in a sense, are always ends in themselves.

Each human carries a rich, vast inner world of memories, meanings, perspectives, affections, particular attachments, accomplishments, and relationships. When any person dies, it is as if an entire universe dies with them. 

It is a mistaken notion that we are immaterial souls trapped in bodies or a dualist hybrid of spirit and flesh. Yes, such language, at times, does help us make sense of certain human realities. But it is more accurate to say that we are unified self-aware flesh, that our existence melds material and immaterial realities, and that the exact relationship of the mind-soul to the body is a mystery.

We are limited, imperfect creatures living in a semi-chaotic, free-flowing world. Aligning our lives with Divine power can overcome many obstacles. We choose our character by rejecting or choosing relationships with life-giving realities.

We tend to lose our sense of place in the world and our inherent connectedness, thus creating cascading imbalances and soul disorientation. Instead of affirming our connection to nature and others, we too often experience fragmentation, alienation, and separation. We live in disequilibrium, harming ourselves, others, and the environment.

An Organic Anthropology

Nature is our contextual-spiritual touchstone, and our connection to it is vital for our thriving. Humanity is inherently part of nature; we do not stand above or outside the ecosystem; we are fully ingrained within it. Our wholeness depends on living harmoniously with our human nature and the ecosystem.

Our lives are woven from the fluid warp and weave of space and time. We flow with the river of life ever forward in time. While distinct from the river, we are still inherently part of it, like a temporary whirlpool in the stream. We emerge from the river's energy, are sustained by it, and eventually fade into it. Our stability is fleeting. Knowing this, one senses the wisdom of not clinging to ever-changing reality.

Embracing the cycles of life and death, dark and light, planting, sowing, harvesting, and attuning ourselves to the rhythms of earth, sun, and moon, we uncover truths about ourselves and the creative, life-giving powers of the universe.

It is here that we grasp the importance of correct human anthropology. It seems a mistaken notion that we are immaterial souls trapped in bodies or some dualist hybrid of spirit and flesh. Yes, such language, at times, does help us make sense of certain human realities. But it is more accurate to say that we are unified self-aware flesh, that our existence melds material and immaterial facts, and that the exact relationship of the mind-soul to the body is a mystery.

Rather than speaking of the human soul as some ghost in the machine, it seems more accurate to talk about the soul in terms of individuation, identity, place, meaning, and purpose—the core reality of the human person and fundamental themes in most religions. The soul, best understood, is an individual's locus of meaning and purpose.

The soul must find meaning and purpose outside itself—in the world, with others, and among objective values. Religious wisdom includes soulcraft, conveying the skills and insights needed to shape the soul to find fulfillment in the world.

Our deepest identity is related to the ecosystem itself—we arise from out of the earth, sea, and sky of our planet. This is an ancient reality and yet a discovery. It is an ancient reality in that it was the worldview of our premodern ancestors. It is a discovery because evolutionary science has confirmed their ancient insights. 

Premodern cultures tended to have ecological, organic worldviews and corresponding natural anthropologies. Ancient cultures grew to understand themselves as a natural part of the more excellent web of life. As such, they were somewhat immune from becoming disassociated and disaffected from nature. In this sense, metamodern spirituality seeks to restore much of the premodern anthropology and its nature-based approach.  

However, the metamodern approach benefits science. Through the lens of evolutionary science, we have a new sense of cosmology as the interrelationship of systems—galactic, planetary, and ecosphere. We are part of nested circles of interwoven realities, from stars to planets, from mountains to rivers, and from humans to more than humans.

Establishing such a unitive awareness of humanity's place in the ecosystem will require an evolutionary consciousness based on a shift from the dividing, separating mind to a consciousness that experiences the universe as an emergent symphony of wholeness—where every part is precious and particular but only makes sense when it takes its place within the whole.

Engaging in such a profound psychic shift can move us from viewing the world as a collection of objects to a relationship with the world as a communion of subjects—a shift from spectator to communion.

Human Wholeness

Despite our current amythia and subsequent uncertainty of cosmic purpose, nihilism is simply not a realistic option; choosing such a path is absurd. We cannot live with integrity as nihilists, for every action we take implies that we find our lives imbued with meaning.

Yet the meaning of life is not some grand mystery revealed on our deathbed with cloudbursts and trumpets—it’s found now—in the present moment. To live for the past or future is to live in futility. We can only live in the present—it is all we have. The past is gone, and the future does not yet exist.

Human fulfillment is found in adherence to values that affirm life and ongoing self-actualization. It requires alignment with nature and its powers. The person engaged in becoming fully alive and fully human, embracing love, wisdom, and happiness, is whole.

Becoming fully human involves transforming the mind and heart from self-centeredness to a sense of one’s self as part of a larger sacred whole and a deep commitment to the human and natural worlds. It is about transforming from a shallow life focused on self to a meaningful life lived outward toward others.

Morality is not imposed on humanity or revealed by a deity or religious authority; instead, it is an integral part of our natural identity. Our moral responsibilities and rights arise from our nature (a reasoned teleological reflection on such) and our relationship to others. This vision offers a formal framework within which moral reasoning can be conducted. Our motivation for virtue is a matter of our integrity, following the logic of our very being.

No one knows what happens when we die. Yet we know that wisdom lies in following the call of partnership with the Sacred Presence, embracing three core sets of spiritual truths – the truth of our interconnectedness, our need for simplicity, and our need to live according to the cycles of nature.

Those living in Western culture are increasingly separated and disconnected from nature today. The argument is not that we don't engage with the environment; we do. Instead, our conscious awareness of the natural world around us is diminishing.

We spend less time in nature, are disconnected from agriculture and how our food is produced, tend to notice the weather only when it's severe, and pay little attention to the seasonal changes around us. It's been a long time since most of us have walked barefoot through the grass.

Many of us spend most of each day inside corporate cubicles, windowless office buildings, and big box stores that offer no view of the world outside. We hurry from our front door to the car and from the vehicle into other buildings. 

Our attention has shifted to our screens—those of our televisions, computers, and smartphones. Our focus has been diverted to the artificial world of social media, mainstream corporate news cable stations, online gaming, and streaming services. The synthetic, online world seems more real to us by the day. 

The coming mainstream release of Artificial intelligence will be even more disruptive. Entire job categories will be lost, our access to information will be more moderated, and AI-generated content will increasingly make it harder for us to tell what is real. 

We are losing our sense of place in the world and our inherent connectedness, thus creating cascading imbalances and soul disorientation. Instead of affirming our connection to nature and others, we too often experience fragmentation, alienation, and separation. We live in disequilibrium, harming ourselves, others, and the environment.

Denying our interconnectedness with nature puts us at risk of peril. If our culture and spirituality are out of balance with nature, everything about our lives is affected; family, workplace, school, community – all eventually become unbalanced – because we are of the same stuff as is nature – neglect or abuse of nature is essentially neglect and abuse of self.

Denying our connectedness to others also risks peril. Humans are inherently natural, social animals – we are children of the Earth, of air, water, and land, who cannot exist without community; we engender culture with our very being. Interconnected/Interdependent on one another, kindness and social cooperation make sense from a practical, evolutionary point of view – we can only truly thrive when others thrive.

Much of our disconnectedness is simply a byproduct of the technologies we use. However, some of it is driven by an underlying ideology of transhumanism, which intentionally seeks to separate humanity from nature. 

Natural Human Morality

The ethical framework of Oran Mor is grounded in the principles of interconnectedness, human dignity, the sacredness of nature, and an understanding of natural moral law. Here is a more detailed explanation of these aspects:

Oran Mor recognizes that all beings and phenomena are interconnected and interdependent. This interconnectedness forms the basis of ethical considerations. Actions taken by individuals have ripple effects that extend beyond their immediate impact, affecting other beings and the environment.

Therefore, ethical choices are guided by the understanding that one's actions have the potential to either contribute to harmony and well-being or disrupt the delicate balance of the interconnected web of life.

Humans experience the capacity of being called by something beyond ourselves, something that both speaks to our nature and is yet embedded there. In moments of quiet honesty, we find ourselves with a given orientation – and that orientation offers itself as an approach to our better selves – it is the voice of our nature calling us toward fulfillment. 

Morality is not imposed on humanity or revealed by a deity or religious authority. Instead, it is an integral part of our natural identity. Our moral responsibilities and rights arise from our nature (a reasoned, loosely teleological reflection on such) and our relationship to others.

Our dignity and ontological status provide something of a given orientation. Our moral responsibilities and rights arise from our nature (a reasoned teleological reflection on such) and our relationship to others.

This vision offers a formal framework for moral reasoning. Our motivation for virtue is a matter of integrity, following the logic of our very being.

The above manner of moral reasoning derives from a tradition of Western ethics called natural law reasoning. Historically, natural law refers to the use of reason to analyze human nature and derive norms for behavior about human flourishing, in Greek, Eudaimonia.

Natural law ethics engages in praxeological analysis of human action regarding goods/values and their role in human flourishing. Yet, in a total sense, natural law reasoning also implies a given philosophical anthropology or view of the human person and implies metaphysics of value and good.

The word natural corresponds to human nature, a sense that there are essential characteristics common to all human persons that constitute them as such. In this sense, nature is a category beyond personality, bodily traits, or individual circumstances – nature is the essential, constitutive aspects that make one human. 

The word law corresponds to a developing body of wisdom concerning those goods and behaviors that aid human flourishing. Therefore, natural law moral reasoning understands human morality as laws (principles, norms) of human nature – a moral law or order ingrained in and derived from a reasoned analysis of human nature and the goals and end states we deem worth obtaining. 

In the natural law tradition, all efforts are made to define flourishing as holistically as possible, not limiting the notion to fleeting emotional states of happiness or brief periods of sensual delight or satisfaction. The idea of flourishing implies a lasting and essential improvement of the human person and thus relates to constitutive aspects of human nature.

It must be noted that natural law ethics provides a framework for conducting moral reasoning – it is a method of thinking about right and wrong. Natural law ethics does not list goods or actions that lead to human flourishing. Questions such as, “What does the natural law say? Or “Does such behavior violate the natural law?” are somewhat misplaced.

One does not consult the natural law as one would a text. Instead, it’s a method of analyzing human nature and gaining insights into human flourishing.

The word insight is significant. Moral truth, strictly speaking, isn’t demonstrated or understood through deductive means. Moral reasoning relies more on the inductive method but also the mental function of insight, the human capacity to intuit or comprehend the nature of things, their essence, and their core meaning. 

Insights require elucidation if they are to be communicated to others. In reasoned conversation, one needs to show or convey the content of one's insights to others, getting others to see what we see. This manner of reasoning requires skill, and conversations based on it can require time. Only some people share insights and are not always immediately grasped. 

Therefore, intelligent people can use natural law reasoning and reach different conclusions. In such cases, appeals can be made using philosophical reasoning, empirical evidence, psychological evaluation, and sociological and cultural studies conducted over time to help evaluate claims of flourishing and betterment.

Morality is an integral part of our natural circumstances and identity and is thus proper to the methodology of both philosophy and the human sciences. While not all forms of immorality yield apparent empirically demonstrable effects, long-term immoral conduct is expected to have some noticeable results on the human person – affecting character, health, or mental health.

Some will claim forms of spiritual harm for behavior deemed immoral. Spiritual well-being is admittedly a vague concept that eludes empirical verification. More philosophically based theological traditions speak of the spiritual as coexistent with the person’s mental, psychological, and affective dimensions.

Claiming that understanding moral truth is a function of reason doesn’t mean the Christian tradition doesn’t significantly contribute to that task. The Christian moral vision, rooted in the gospels and other scriptures, contains specific moral commandments and serves as a source of metaethics, reasons why human flourishing matters, and why people should be concerned with it.

Further, the practice of Christianity—both interpersonally—loving one’s neighbor, seeking justice, promoting peace, and so on—and ritually—engaging the symbol of the cross and dying to self, participating in eucharist, and practicing the hospitality of the table—has the potential to form and influence a person’s moral behavior.

By embracing these ethical principles, followers of Oran Mor aim to contribute to the well-being of individuals, communities, and the planet as a whole.

Life Beyond Death?

Does salvation imply the supernatural concepts of a human soul that lives beyond the body after physical death in some heavenly realm? Is salvation about achieving entry to this everlasting spiritual realm?

It is here that we grasp the importance of correct human anthropology. It seems a mistaken notion that we are immaterial souls trapped in bodies or some dualist hybrid of spirit and flesh. Yes, such language, at times, does help us make sense of certain human realities. But it is more accurate to say that we are unified self-aware flesh, that our existence melds material and immaterial realities, and that the exact relationship of the mind-soul to the body is a mystery.

Rather than speaking of the human soul as some ghost in the machine, it seems more accurate to talk about the soul in terms of individuation, identity, place, meaning, and purpose—the core reality of the human person and fundamental themes in most religions. The soul is the locus of meaning and purpose within an individual. 

The soul must find meaning and purpose outside itself—in the world, others, and objective values. Religious wisdom includes soulcraft, conveying the skills and insights needed to shape the soul to find fulfillment in the world.

Human beings emerge from nature, our life supported and enmeshed in the ecosystem, and at the end of our life, we (or, perhaps, at least, our physical aspects) return to nature. As for life, awareness, or some manner of personal existence that continues after this life is over – one can’t deny such possibilities philosophically. Still, no one can offer any evidence for such either.

We miss the meaning of life if we live it only about the future. We can experience only the now. The past is gone, and the future isn’t yet a reality. To live only for some distant, otherworldly future is to miss the point of living. We should live as if each day matters as much as the day to come. This doesn’t mean not to plan and sacrifice for the future – that’s prudence. It means not neglecting the joys and challenges of today for an uncertain, distant future.

Our earthly-bodily journey will end, and no one knows what happens when we die. Yet we know that wisdom lies in embracing the core spiritual truth that kenotic love opens us toward wholeness now – we need not wait for some sense of cosmic wholeness or salvation that occurs at our death.

Something of us transcends death—our love, generosity, some lingering effects of our efforts—and what else may endure remains a mystery.