The Human Place in the Cosmos - Max Scheler, Eugene Kelly (Introduction), Manfred S. Frings (Translator), Karin S. Frings (Translation)

Rating: ★★★★
24/07/13

It is the first time I read Scheler. This work, originally entitled Die Stellung des Menschen im Kosmos (1928), was a bit tough to follow. “A bit tough”, who am I kidding? It was painfully difficult, I'm not that familiar with philosophic anthropology, but I want to.
Well, he tries to explain the little detail that is the essence of man, his relationship with animals and plants, and his metaphysical origin and place. He writes about the idea of human nature, according to different conceptions on the matter. He explains the main difference between a man and an animal, rejecting both doctrines of a same theory. Intelligence, spirit, freedom. Man is the being who can say "no", the ascetic of life, unlike the animal that always says "yes" to reality, no matter what. 
It was a complex read that left me with more questions than certainties.