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Dimensions For A Concept Of Humanity

"Dimensions for a Concept of Humanity"

Domnick Trani

Psychology 33: Theories of Personality

Tuesday/Thursday 10:55-12:40

Professor: Dr. Travis Gibbs

November 29, 2005

Personality is the permanent pattern of traits, dispositions, or characteristics that create a degree of consistency to people's behavior. Personality influences everything that people do in their lives; giving people the idea of what is right and wrong. There are six dimensions in the personality of individuals. The dimensions that will be examined are: determinism versus free choice, conscious versus unconscious determinants of behavior, biological versus social influences on personality, and teleology versus causality. Determinism and free choice deal with whether or not people's life is predetermined, or their choices determine life. Biological and social influences on personality are a paradox concerning what influences our personality, our genetics, or society. The paradox of causality versus teleology is the topic of if the present is determined by our past, or the future. Conscious versus unconscious determinants of behavior deals with the paradox of people's unconscious mind determining their behavior, or the conscious mind determining it.
Determinism versus free choice is the paradox that people's lives are determined by things not of their control, and free choice is the idea of their lives being determined by their behavior, and the things they do. The things people do are influenced by the religion their parents had, which was inherited by them. But, people do not always carry on their parent's religion, because people can be catholic, with Christian parents, and this favors the idea of free choice. When people are raised, they often have their parent's views on politics, as a democrat or republican, because of what their parents told them, which results with their political views are predetermined be their parents. However, many people change their views on politics...