As part of my studies in Lagos business school , I am offering a module called the nature of human beings . we recently discussed the human will and intellect . As humans, we are endowed with two faculties that distinguish us from all other living things: our will and our intellect. These two faculties enable us to make decisions, establish objectives, and pursue them with tenacity. Here , we will investigate the nature of human will and intellect, as well as how they interact to influence our lives.
The will is the faculty through which we make decisions and act. It is our inner strength that enables us to pursue our objectives despite obstacles and difficulties. It is what motivates us to act on our desires, whether for material commodities, personal relationships, or higher ideals like justice and truth.
The will is a multifaceted and complex faculty. It involves our emotions, our desires, and our rational faculties. It is affected by our upbringing, environment, and individual experiences. It is neither an entirely rational nor an entirely irrational faculty. Rather, it is a combination of the two, with our rationality providing the framework for our decisions and our emotions providing the drive to pursue them.
The capacity for self-determination is a defining characteristic of the human will. We have the capacity to make decisions based on our own desires and goals, as opposed to merely reacting to external stimuli. This implies we have the ability to influence our own lives and pursue our own conceptions of the good.
The intellect is the faculty through which we comprehend the surrounding universe. It enables us to rationalize, analyze, and make decisions. It is the source of our understanding and our capacity to learn and develop.
The intellect, like the will, is a complex and multifaceted faculty. It involves both our rational and emotional faculties and is influenced by our experiences and the surrounding environment. It enables us to engage meaningfully with the world, make sense of our experiences, and derive conclusions about the nature of reality.
One of the most important characteristics of the human intellect is its ability to reason abstractly. We are able to think beyond the immediate circumstances of our existence and contemplate abstract concepts such as justice, truth, and beauty, unlike other creatures. This indicates that we have the capacity to engage in philosophy, science, and other intellectual pursuits, and to gain a profound understanding of the world around us.
While the will and intellect are distinct faculties, they are inextricably linked and define our lives together. The intellect provides us with the knowledge and comprehension necessary to make logical decisions, while the will provides us with the motivation and resolve to pursue our objectives.
For instance, if we desire to become a doctor, our intellect will equip us with the necessary knowledge and skills to accomplish that objective. We will study biology, chemistry, and other sciences in order to understand how the human body functions. Our will, on the other hand, will provide us with the motivation and resolve to study diligently, to persevere through the difficulties of medical school, and to ultimately attain our objective of becoming physicians.
GOOD HEALTHY LIVING.