''Homo faber'' () is the concept that human beings are able to control their fate and their environment as a result of the use of tools.
Original phrase
In Latin literature,
Appius Claudius Caecus
Appius Claudius Caecus ( 312–279 BC) was a statesman and writer from the Roman Republic. The first Roman public figure whose life can be traced with some historical certainty, Caecus was responsible for the building of Rome's first road (t ...
uses this term in his ''Sententiæ'', referring to the ability of man to control his destiny and what surrounds him: ''Homo faber suae quisque fortunae'' ("Every man is the artifex of his destiny").
In older
anthropological
Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including past human species. Social anthropology studies patterns of be ...
discussions, ''Homo faber'', as the "working man", is confronted with ''
Homo ludens
''Homo Ludens'' is a book originally published in Dutch in 1938 by Dutch historian and cultural theorist Johan Huizinga.
It discusses the importance of the play element of culture and society. Huizinga suggests that play is primary to and a nece ...
'', the "playing man", who is concerned with amusements, humor, and leisure. It is also used in
George Kubler's book, ''
The Shape of Time'' as a reference to individuals who create works of art.
Modern usage
The classic ''homo faber suae quisque fortunae'' was "rediscovered" by
humanists
Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential and agency of human beings. It considers human beings the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry.
The meaning of the term "human ...
in 14th century and was central in the
Italian Renaissance
The Italian Renaissance ( it, Rinascimento ) was a period in Italian history covering the 15th and 16th centuries. The period is known for the initial development of the broader Renaissance culture that spread across Europe and marked the trans ...
.
In the 20th century,
Max Scheler
Max Ferdinand Scheler (; 22 August 1874 – 19 May 1928) was a German philosopher known for his work in phenomenology, ethics, and philosophical anthropology. Considered in his lifetime one of the most prominent German philosophers,Davis, Za ...
and
Hannah Arendt
Hannah Arendt (, , ; 14 October 1906 – 4 December 1975) was a political philosopher, author, and Holocaust survivor. She is widely considered to be one of the most influential political theorists of the 20th century.
Arendt was born ...
made the philosophical concept central again.
Henri Bergson
Henri-Louis Bergson (; 18 October 1859 – 4 January 1941) was a French philosopherHenri Bergson. 2014. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved 13 August 2014, from https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/61856/Henri-Bergson Le Roy, ...
also referred to the concept in ''
Creative Evolution'' (1907), defining
intelligence
Intelligence has been defined in many ways: the capacity for abstraction, logic, understanding, self-awareness, learning, emotional knowledge, reasoning, planning, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. More generally, it can ...
, in its original sense, as the "faculty to create artificial objects, in particular tools to make tools, and to indefinitely variate its makings."
''
Homo Faber'' is the title of an influential novel by the Swiss author
Max Frisch
Max Rudolf Frisch (; 15 May 1911 – 4 April 1991) was a Swiss playwright and novelist. Frisch's works focused on problems of identity, individuality, responsibility, morality, and political commitment. The use of irony is a significant featur ...
, published in 1957.
See also
*
List of alternative names for the human species
*
Artificiality
Footnotes
References
*
Further reading
*
Arendt, Hannah, ''
The Human Condition
''The Human Condition'', first published in 1958, is Hannah Arendt's account of how "human activities" should be and have been understood throughout Western history. Arendt is interested in the ''vita activa'' (active life) as contrasted with t ...
'', Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1958. , .
*
Scheler, Max, ''Man's Place in Nature'', New York: Noonday Press, 1961. , .
External links
Study guide about the novel ''Homo Faber'' by Max Frisch
Concepts in philosophical anthropology
Latin philosophical phrases
Culture
{{Latin-vocab-stub