For thousands of years human being tried to understand what does it mean to be human, what makes oneself a human being, and how can ‘humanity’ be best described. Though the answers seem vivid and one can find the definition in any dictionary, these questions are still unanswered. Another issue connected to the one in question is the question of human morality, or, to be more specific, morality as a description and definition of a human being. Does morality influence the life, acts, and thought of a human being? What if it is the only thing that affects people? All these questions are essential and need an answer. In this paper I will do my best to research, study, and respond to these still unanswered issues.

First of all, let us clarify what is a human being and what does it mean to be one. According to the Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, “human is a bipedal primate mammal.” In other words, the official definition states that a human is simply an animal. People have always been fascinated with this question; in particular what makes humans so special. Some have tried to separate human beings in terms of physical, psychological or genetic features. The trouble with this is that these are simply often different points on a variety rather than a solution. “While some religious people believe humans were created 6,000 years ago, or view humans as the sole possessors of souls, it is quite frankly naïve and ignorant to characterize the depth of all religious thinking in this way” (Wilkinson). Within the Christian tradition, some have suggested that the key to being human is our ability of rational thinking, freewill, our moral sense or our ability to admit our own death. Nonetheless, the overwhelming view which can be found in the early chapters of Genesis is that human beings are defined in terms of relationship, and, especially, their connection to God. Being made in the image of God is about being given the gift of intimate relationship with God, and some kind of accountability in the physical world. “The fact that human beings are special in terms of relationship allowed early astronomers such as Huygens to speculate about other worlds without having nightmares about his Christian faith” (Wilkinson).

Now let us define morality and discuss what it really means. According to the Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, “morality is conformity to ideals of right human conduct.” This definition is extremely vague and does not illustrate or depict anything special. If we think about it we can come up with the following meanings of this term: in its first descriptive usage, morality means a code of conduct held to be trustworthy in matters of right and wrong, whether by society, philosophy, faith, or personal principles; in its second, normative and universal, sense, morality refers to an ideal code of conduct, one which would be espoused in preference to alternatives by all normal people, under particular circumstances; in its third usage morality is synonymous with ethics, the systematic theoretical study of the moral sphere of influence. The decision to be selfish or unselfish is not just a choice of the moment but is a fundamental part of character, as it is one of the first, if not the first, value that is formed by the increasing intelligence of a baby. Nature delivers a human with a deficient set of values along with the ability to request assistance and help. The history of the results of infantile demands insensibly teaches the first lessons of life, which become the base for understanding all other events. At a more mature stage in life many selfish people may wish to be thought unselfish, but this springs from self-seeking motives and is part of being egotistical; for well before the age of reason has been reached, this question has been irreversibly determined by childhood. The decision to be moral or immoral is not a conscious decision but is resolved in early childhood before consciousness has fully developed. Therefore, unless unselfishness is imbued during infancy by enforcing a code of discipline, the subsequent adult must become self-interested, and thus morally wrong.