The Nature of the Law of Nature :: Philosophy Science Essays

The Nature of the Law of Nature Humans are complex beings. They adapt, learn, have intelligence and free will, can reason, feel emotions, and have a conscience. Although such qualities and attributes raise humans above the rest of other life forms, it is questionable as to where the idea of a conscience and emotions come from. What exactly is it that stimulates our responses to certain situations and problems? The answer lies in human nature. What we as humans feel is right or wrong is somehow dictated by something beyond merely the individual. The underlying question, therefore, becomes what that outside influence is: nature, our inherent human qualities themselves, or some man-made composite of other people and experiences? In more specific terms, the question is whether or not our morality and our adherence to a moral code is something fixed and constant throughout humanity itself. Francis Bacon stated that nature must first be obeyed before it can be put to use, and the same concept applies to humans. Before an y judgment can be made about people, groups, ideas, or beliefs, one must first have a standard to compare this behavior to. If there is no real Law of Nature, then no standard is set, and one thing cannot be compared to another because the standard is only set by opinion, not by fact. In reality, the Law of Nature is a reality which is independent of man-made ideas, although the way in which humans think is definitely influenced by the environment. Let us first address the issue of the impact of the environment on a person’s moral development. In Bonfire of the Vanities, author Tom Wolfe quotes physiologist Josà © Delgado, saying that â€Å"each person is a transitory composite of materials borrowed from the environment† (Wolfe 512). This concept is significant because it demonstrates that people take from the environment certain aspects which eventually come to mold their characters. The idea of a composite also shows that we are not merely independent individuals, but, as O’Malley describes, we are social beings (O’Malley 104). However, this does not mean that our inherent human nature is dictated by the environment; remember, Delgado says that the composite is transitory. If each person is not constant, then that person’s instincts do not change, merely his own rationale. C.S. Lewis described the scenario of a man who sees a drowning person and has two instincts: to help him or to go on, a nd usually the instinct which is more self-protective is stronger (Lewis Ch.