Emile Benoit

Beasts in Eden Emile Benoit

Beasts in Eden is a work of Existentialism which does not argue for any particular theory but instead attempts to provide insight into what it means to live a unique and noble human life, the kind of existence that establishes the human being as something quite extraordinary in the natural world. In Benoit's own words: "Aristotle no less, that great philosophical classifier, grouped man as a kind of being distinct from other mammals and referred to this creature as the human being. Within this classification can be found other mundane and often irrelevant distinctions such as race, gender, politics, religion, and the like; however, an important division does exist between two distinctive types within the human personality: the humane and the inhumane. The humane is exemplified by those elements in man which uplift the spirit and demonstrate mankind to be something unique and estimable. The goal then for any individual is to daily act in such a way as to demonstrate his humanity, to show from his many actions that he is a man of character; a man possessed of reason, compassion, and understanding; a man of patience, loyalty, and resolve; a man who will not be swayed by the cynicism or exuberance of his age nor the quantity of competitors lined up against him; a man quite refined in his sensibilities, humble in his intellect, and devout in his study of the Humanities. In short, the goal is for the individual to be a "man" in the highest sense of the word. The inhumane, by contrast, dwells in the cellar of any man's potential. He is the gnarled brute that imposes his will upon the world, the beast that creeps and claws along the alleyways, and the charlatan that lies and deceives himself as well as others. These are two very distinctive species of every man's personality and whichever is fed and nurtured most will ultimately survive."