Human Order: A Philosophical Synthesis

Philosophers over the years have posited a number of different human faculties that guide human action: e.g. reason, passion and will. The goal of this paper is to take ideas from the history of philosophy to put some of these elements into a hierarchy such that higher ones typically master lower elements. In particular, a six-fold categorization of these faculties is outlined, with the most general in a mastery relation over the more specific. The resulting ordering is a simplified diagram of the human psyche for the purposes of planning and executing action. It is argued that a single basic diagram can accommodate a number of historical philosophical, religious, political, sociological and economic ideas, including definitions of morality and value.

Link to New Version (PDF, 1Mb), substantially enhanced (22nd July 2012). Comments most welcome!!!