We can see that in putting the question 'what is man?' what we mean is: what can man become? That is, can man dominate his own destiny, can he 'make himself,' can he create his own life? We maintain therefore that man is a process and, more exactly, the process of his actions. If you think about it, the question itself 'what is man?' is not an abstract or 'objective' question. It is born of our reflection about ourselves and about others, and we want to know, in relation to what we have thought and seen, what we are and what we can become; whether we really are, and if so to what extent, 'makers of our own selves,' of our life and of our destiny. And we want to know this 'today,' in the given conditions of today, the conditions of our daily life, not of any life or any man
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Human nature is not fixed; it is defined by actions and possibilities for growth in current conditions.
- In plain terms
- Man is not a fixed thing but a process of becoming.
- What can you take from it?
- See human identity as dynamic and open to change.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What shapes who we are most?
- Can we truly remake ourselves?
Another view
Structural limits can restrict how much individuals can become.
More from Antonio Gramsci
History is at once freedom and necessity.
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