《大学基础英语》课程PPT教学课件（三）Lesson 08 We’re Only Human Laura Schlessinger

Lesson EightWe're OnlyHumanLaura Schlessinger

Lesson Eight We’re Only Human Laura Schlessinger

Aboutthe.authorDr.LauraC.Schlessinger was born inBrooklyn,New Yorkin 1947. She has a Ph.D. in physiology from ColumbiaUniversity and a post- doctoral certification in marriage,familyandchild counselingfromtheUniversityofSouthCalifornia,where upon graduation she became a facultymember and taught for five years.Dr Laura Schlessinger isthe recipient of many national awards and the author ofmany New York Times bestsellers. the present text is anexcerpt takenfromthebookCourageandConsciencewithsomeadaptations

About the author ❖ Dr. Laura C. Schlessinger was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1947. She has a Ph.D. in physiology from Columbia University and a post- doctoral certification in marriage, family and child counseling from the University of South California, where upon graduation she became a faculty member and taught for five years. Dr Laura Schlessinger is the recipient of many national awards and the author of many New York Times bestsellers. the present text is an excerpt taken from the book Courage and Conscience, with some adaptations

About the textThis text is about the problem of moral principlesInthis essay,the author's views are clear andsimple:Humanbeingsare differentfromanimals;unlike animalswhosebehaviors arepromptedbyinstinct.humans actinaccordancetotheirfreewilltherefore“weareonlyhuman”cannotbeusedasan excuse for justifying ourwrongdoings.In thisarticle, she mainly focus on howto be a truehuman elevated abovetheanimal kingdom.In heropinion, we need three C's: character, courage,and conscience

About the text ❖ This text is about the problem of moral principles. In this essay, the author’s views are clear and simple: Human beings are different from animals; unlike animals whose behaviors are prompted by instinct, humans act in accordance to their free will; therefore “we are only human” can not be used as an excuse for justifying our wrongdoings. In this article, she mainly focus on how to be a true human elevated above the animal kingdom. In her opinion, we need three C’s: character, courage, and conscience

Structureparagraph 1paragraph3“"We're only human" can't be used as an excuse forourwrongdoingsparagraph 4paragraph 7To rise above the animal kingdom we need threeC's.paragraph 8-paragraph 30The importance andperksofthreeC's

Structure ❖ paragraph 1—paragraph 3 “We’re only human” can’t be used as an excuse for our wrongdoings. ❖ paragraph 4—paragraph 7 To rise above the animal kingdom we need three C’s. ❖ paragraph 8—paragraph 30 The importance and perks of three C’s

Wordstudyabsorbing adj.enjoyable and interestingand holding your attention for a long time:character n.moralstrengthderive v.tocomefromorgetsthfromsthelseforge v. to make, develop or shape sthforgo (forwent, forgone) v. to decide tonot do or not have sth enjoyable. 割爱

Word study ❖ absorbing adj. enjoyable and interesting and holding your attention for a long time ❖ character n. moral strength ❖ derive v. to come from or get sth from sth else ❖ forge v. to make, develop or shape sth ❖ forgo （forwent, forgone) v. to decide to not do or not have sth enjoyable. 割爱

Invoke v. use sth as a reason for one's action 援用...·..为行动依据或理由reciprocal adj.mutrualsolitary adj. alone, used to being alone, fond ofbeing aloneTransgression n.going beyond what is morally orlegally accepted亚当Adam夏娃Eve

❖ Invoke v. use sth as a reason for one’s action 援 用.为行动依据或理由 ❖ reciprocal adj. mutrual ❖ solitary adj. alone, used to being alone, fond of being alone ❖ Transgression n. going beyond what is morally or legally accepted ❖ Adam 亚当 ❖ Eve 夏娃

DetailedDiscussionoftheText1.Nobodyisacknowledgedtohave...victimsin groups (1)People no longer admit that every person has afree will to decide to do or not to do, and thereforeshouldberesponsible fortheir actions orbehaviors. According to the behaviorist theory,humanbehavior is a responseto externalstimulation, and therefore is genes-determined. Inthis sense human beings have no free will, theyare all victims of these external causes as a group

Detailed Discussion of the Text ❖ 1.Nobody is acknowledged to have . victims in groups (1) People no longer admit that every person has a free will to decide to do or not to do, and therefore should be responsible for their actions or behaviors. According to the behaviorist theory, human behavior is a response to external stimulation, and therefore is genes-determined. In this sense human beings have no free will, they are all victims of these external causes as a group

2. As if one's humanness...the animalkingdom (2)Asif the factthatwe'rehumanwere akindof detailedplanwhichdetermineshowwereact to situations.This reactionisinstinctiveandnatural justlikewithallanimals,insects,birds

❖ 2. As if one’s humanness. the animal kingdom (2) As if the fact that we’re human were a kind of detailed plan which determines how we react to situations. This reaction is instinctive and natural just like with all animals, insects, birds

3.We were put on the earth ro rise above theanimalkingdom.（3)God made us to be better than animals. Thissentence guoted from Bible is also what theauthorwants to say4. ...there is something extra ..."survival oftheme”(5)..there is sth special about the human mindwhichcanmakeusgobeyond selfish actionswhich can only be explained by the need forsurvival

❖ 3.We were put on the earth ro rise above the animal kingdom.（3） God made us to be better than animals. This sentence quoted from Bible is also what the author wants to say. ❖ 4. .there is something extra .“survival of the me”（5） .there is sth special about the human mind which can make us go beyond selfish actions which can only be explained by the need for survival

5...self-advancementand self-indulgence andpowerfuldrives (6)..the desireto improve yourself, or achieveyour purposes and the desire to enjoy life arevery powerful, and natural, inborn and instinctive.6.the investment concept (7):ofenpeople dothings to benefit others ,so that some day thosepeople will do things to benefit them in retort, sowhattheydotootherstodayisbasically akindof investment. The author here is very criticalabout this, and she calls it the investmentconcept

5.self-advancement and self-indulgence and powerful drives (6) .the desire to improve yourself, or achieve your purposes and the desire to enjoy life are very powerful, and natural, inborn and instinctive. 6. the investment concept (7):ofen people do things to benefit others ,so that some day those people will do things to benefit them in retort, so what they do to others today is basically a kind of investment. The author here is very critical about this, and she calls it the investment concept