Looking for an Honest Man - Leon R. Kass

The author, trained in medicine and biology, discusses the purpose of a humanistic education by tracing his own search for ‘wisdom about the meaning of our humanity’. As with Diogenes, this search starts with a quest for the idea of human nature. Furthering this inquiry into the field of science, the author argues that science, and especially medicine, does not concern itself enough with the human whole. Contrary to some views of the Enlightenment, progress in science and technology does not constitute the grand solution to human problems. Rather, contemporary science risks becoming dehumanized and separate from real life which could pose social and political dangers, as envisaged by Rousseau. A ‘more natural science’ needs to do justice to ‘life as lived’ and, second, offer a richer account of ‘our animality [and] the human difference’. Emulating Aristotle, the author states that the ‘ethically excellent human being acts for the sake of the noble, for the sake of the beautiful’ whilst always being prudent. In the search for our humanity, the works of ‘countless generations of past seekers’ will provide unparalleled insight. This ought to remind us that we ‘owe a comparable gift’ to the generations following us.

© National Affairs (Washington, DC)