ANTHROPOLOGY: Introduction Concept Meaning Importance
Philosophical Anthropology: Basic Concepts and Issues
Introduction
This is aim for teaching students the broad concept of anthropology, its historical context, how it has evolved into what is currently known as philosophical anthropology, and the differences between the two. We're also interested in highlighting the limitations of anthropology, which make philosophy of the human person the best course of study. To add to this conversation, we'd like to look into how the person is viewed in three different civilizations: African, Eastern, and Western.
Definition of Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of man in its broadest sense. This definition is made up of two Greek terms that have been merged to form the notion. The Greek terms anthropos and logos are used interchangeably. As a result, it appears that anthropology has been entrusted with the responsibility of answering the question, "What is man?" Answer to this question is to figure out exactly who that individual is. Is man, for example, a collection of genetic tissues that evolved from an animal into a human being, a direct creation of God made up of spiritual and physical parts, or a self-aware entity that knows what being or existence means? Even though they appear to be straightforward, these are not easy questions to answer. Returning to the basic terms that make up anthropology is a good place to start looking for meaningful solutions. 'Anthropos' and 'logos' are the terms. Let's get back to them.
Anthropology's etymological meaning and construction.
From the etymological definition of anthropology, it appears that there is a distinction between what it signifies and what anthropologists really do. The term anthropology is derived from two Greek words, anthropos and logos, which are rendered directly in English as "man" and "learning." Also, anthropos, in addition to signifying man, can also mean 'humanity,' 'human,' or'mankind.' In the same line, logos or logoi (plural) can refer to logic, discourse, science, or theory (Cf. Unah, 2002:129).
As a result, anthropology, as previously stated, can be defined as the study of man, the science of man, the theory of man, the reason on man, and the discourse on man (Ibid). Anthropology investigates man in terms of his cultural, linguistic, and religious components. However, it appears that there is a distinction to be made between studying man and his actions and studying man in general. To fix this dilemma, we'll most likely need to dig further into the definition of anthropos.
Anthropos
As we've seen, Anthropos is a Greek phrase that encompasses both humans and man. To put it another way, it refers to a human being, whether male or female. It denotes a humanoid being and distinguishes it from other beings like as animals, beasts, angels, and God. It is for this reason that anthropos can be applied to ordinary humans, human beings in particular, and man in general. The early anthropologists and explorers were led into a kind of racial profiling of human beings and their activities as a result of this two-legged definition of anthropology (as individual human beings in particular and as man in general) rather than observing the fact of thinking and minding as a point of departure in the study of human creation because of this two-legged definition of anthropology (as individual human beings in particular and as man in general). Indeed, the name anthropos is thought to include Greek words such as ana and prosopos, with ana meaning up and prosopos meaning face.
Logos
As previously stated, the second component of the etymological construction, logos, can be interpreted or rendered in a variety of ways, including reason, study, science, discourse, and so on. When used in conjunction with anthropos, logos might imply reason on man or, more loosely, reason on human or human person; it can also indicate study of man or study of human person; science of man or science of human person; or discourse on man or discourse on human person, and so on.
Scope of Anthropology
As a result, anthropologists have found it fascinating to try to understand this form of entity, as well as study its culture and way of social interaction. It provides a detailed examination of this species' local life in compared to cosmopolitan life in other human societies. In strict terms, anthropology provides insight in two ways: first, by producing knowledge about why there are cultural differences in the world and the purpose or significance of certain practices among a people; and second, by producing knowledge about why there are cultural variations in the world and the purpose or significance of certain practices among a people. Anthropological studies, for example.
" may cover topics such as the function of caste and wealth in Indian village life, highland people's technology in New Guinea, religion in southern Africa, dietary habits in northern Norway, the political importance of kinfolk in the Middle East, or gender concepts in the Amazon basin (Erickson, 2004:7)."
These, according to Erickson, are the concepts that define anthropology. He also points out that, while we should distinguish between the two concepts, we should be mindful of allowing our favorite notion to shape our perception of reality to the point where we refuse to listen to other viewpoints. Again, interest and training play a role in concept selection, which is why it is not always advisable for a researcher to insist on perceiving the entirety of reality from a particular privileged vantage point (Ibid, pp.19-41).
Many various sorts of activities are bundled together as part and parcel of anthropology, as Erickson's remarks on the scope of anthropology demonstrate. Many subject areas have been plundered by anthropologists as a result of this growth. It appears that anthropologists have focused more on actions involving human beings or man than on what man or the human being truly is. For example, how man gathers his food, his occupations, and how he fashions his tools; his belief systems, his mode of social organization, his relationships, and a variety of other activities that have become associated with specific disciplines can all be found in the study of anthropology, implying that anthropology is an amorphous science or field of study. As a result, anthropology has been unable to provide a coherent knowledge of the human being.
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