THE CONCEPT OF HUMANITY AS SEEN IN ALEXANDER POPE’S "ESSAY ON MAN"

A. INTRODUCTION
One of the basic purposes of literary writings is to teach and to give moral values. Poem is one of the forms of literature which is available in giving the idea of morality and humanity in delightful and beautiful form of words – which is not stated clearly but must be interpreted by readers. People, after reading a poem, are expected to have something new that can be learnt and to get moral values from reading and understanding the poem. A poem is called successful, in its function of teaching moral values or presenting the philosophical issues, if readers produce responses from their reading. For example, a poem may give us the idea of how to be a good person, how to treat human being, and so on and so forth. Ideally, after reading the poem, readers try to muse over and practice the moral values gotten from their reading in everyday life.
Alexander Pope’s Essay on Man is the poem that the writer wants to discuss. The writer is significantly interested in this poem specifically because it gives a lot of moral values. After reading the poem, the writer personally responded this poem; there is something that she can learn, and it makes her try to muse over it. Moreover, this poem is very rich because, besides the moral teaching, it also talks about philosophical issues in the eighteenth century. The issues happening in the eighteenth century were identical with the restlessness of the people toward the idea of magic, or primitive customs, and many controversies among religiosity, in this case Christianity.
There are several reasons why Pope Poem’s Essay on man is very interesting to discuss and also proper to be learned. Firstly, Pope’s poem can be appraised as a good poem because it is written based on the basic principle of literature: moral values. Secondly, there are many things that can be learned from this poem because the interpretation of the poem – the implicit meanings – can be applied in daily life concretely. Furthermore, there are philosophical issues that can be seen deeper in the eighteenth century, the century called ‘The Age of Reason’. Lastly, Pope’s poem will influence readers’ idea; again it is possible that this poem can change readers’ attitude or way of thinking.
A.1. The Poem to Analyze
The poem that the writer wants to discuss is ‘Essay on Man’ written by Alexander Pope. The back ground of the poem is influenced by the condition of the people of the time in eighteenth century. The humanity’s concept very strikingly exists in Pope’s work as the mirrors of the society. The poem also shows how individual change comes firstly from oneself, and then develops to a larger scope. The influencing ideas of the content or the thought implicitly presented, the idea of the people in that time can be seen clearly in Pope’s poem. The subject that the writer wants to analyze is about the moral philosophical thoughts which exist and, furthermore, are taught in this poem. The writer also wants to analyze the religious issues happening in eras ‘The Age of Reason’.
A.2. The Problem to Answer
One of the important things in analyzing the paper is stating the problem formulation. The problems shown in this paper as the questions to answer are what the moral teaching given by the author and also what issues exist in Pope’s Essay on Man.
A.3. The Purpose of Discussing the Topic
Surely, every paper-writing has the purpose in analyzing the subject. The topic of this poem is the concept of humanity reflected by the social condition in eighteenth eras and related with the moral teaching to the people at present. In this case, the purpose of discussing the topic is to reveal the moral teaching and the philosophical issues, related to the concept of humanity, which exist in the poem.

B. THEORIES AND METHODOLOGY
B.1. The Moral-Philosophical Approach and the Eighteenth Century Eras
Before going deeper to the explanatory description of the philosophical approach, first of all, it will be wise to understand the meaning of the word “philosophy” itself. Philosophy is “the study of nature and meaning of the universe and of human life” (Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, 1995, p. 986). Therefore, logically, the aim of a philosophical perspective is to be concerned with the nature, universe and the human life, which, in this case, can be seen in the poem.
According to Guerin, the focus of studying moral-philosophy is in the moral teaching and stating what thoughts are presented, instead of scrutinizing more on the intrinsic elements of the poem. “In each instance critics working form a moral bent are not unaware of form, figurative language, and other purity of aesthetic considerations, but they consider them to be the secondary. The important thing is the moral or philosophical teaching” (1999, p. 26).
The philosophers, in this case Plato, Horace, and Samuel Johnson, have different opinion about the moral-philosophy but actually the basic concept or in general is same. Plato, in this view, emphasized moralism and utilitarianism; Horace stressed that literature should be delightful and instructive. Whereas, Samuel Johnson stated the larger function of literature is to teach morality and to probe philosophical issues. In learning philosophical literature, the reader should interpret the literature within a context of philosophical thought of a period or group (Guerin, 1999, p. 25). For example, if the readers want to discuss from the point of view of Jean Paul Sartre and Albert Camus, they should understand first about existentialism because those writers’ works are mostly concerned with existentialism.
Similarly, Pope’s Essay on Man, which is discussed in this paper, can be understood if we know the meaning and also the role of reason in the eighteenth century’s thoughts. The eighteenth century, often called as “the age of reason”, is the time when the intellectual and scientific movements were accelerated, especially in British. In the way of thinking, the people’s ideas changed from the primitive custom into more rational ones. The spirit of the age was the spirit of optimism – of wanting to believe in the best of humanity (Hans P. Guth, p. 423). The literature of “the age of reason” often mirrored the social and political history of the time. In representing the governmental issues, it was patterned by the contest of election and political parties. There were two great parties at that time: the Tories and the Whigs. Their aim was to be the prime minister whose power was under the King. British parliament consisted of two branches: the House of Lords was reserved for the leading of aristocrats of the realm. The second branch was the House of Commons. It was the people not from noble ranks; they could stand in the parliament and be elected. The development of scientific thoughts also occurred in this era. Modern science was changing the outlook of many educated people. There were many scientists born with their discovery especially in machine, so there were many factories and it was the beginning to change England from an agricultural into an Industrial nation.

C. ANALYSIS
In this part, the writer will apply the analytical perspective of historical approach toward the poem in the effort of revealing the concept of humanity by analyzing the meaning of the words containing the moral teaching, and also relating them to the background that is reflecting the condition of the society in eighteenth century.
Structurally, Essay on Man is divided into six stanzas. Each stanza has a close relationship with other stanzas. The analysis is done stanza per stanza. Every line constructing a stanza will be discussed. Below are the discussions.
Know, Nature’s children all divide her care,
The fur that warms a monarch warmed a bear. (Stanza 1, lines 1-2)
In the first stanza, especially in the first line, Pope tries to reveal the idea about to “share something in”. The possessive pronoun “her”, in the first line, refers to the “nature”. The plural noun “children” means the human being or the creatures. “All divide her care” means that nature serves the human being’s needs at the same portion, no less or more, as long as they live in this world. And the human being should realize and preserve all that already given by the world. So the idea of to “share something in” is that the nature serves the human being. After that, mankind should preserve and cultivate the resources wisely, instead of greedily. The second line tells the idea about how the people should share. The prominent focus is in the word “fur” and the verb “warms” which is presented in present tense and “warmed”, which is presented in past tense. It means the people should share firstly from the small part (a bear) then develop into the larger one (a monarch). The moral teaching is that if we want to share with others, firstly we begin from the smaller one, the people around us, and then it will continue and become developed into the larger part, the society.
For forms of government let fools contest,
Whatever is best administered is best. (Stanza 2, line 1-2)
The second and the third stanzas are actually same. The second stanza tends to propose suggestions about the political issues. The first line in the second stanza tells about the reflection of the political situation in the parliament. They, the parties, tried to bring down one another in order to achieve their aim to be the Prime Minister. The second line contain the moral teaching that to be a good person is that we should not follow the uncertain current of the situation around us, but we should be a wise man and use our mind to think rationally to be the best.
For modes of faith lets graceless zealots fight,
His can’t be wrong whose life is in the right. (Stanza 3, line 1-2)
The third stanza tells about the issue of the religion in eighteenth century. Pope uses the term “Zealots” to show people who were fanatic with their religion, and they believe that only their religion is right but the other is wrong. The people in that era fight each other for having different arguments, believe, and, moreover, faith. If we look back to the religious facts happening in the eighteenth century, we might be aware that there were new religions existing, such as the Church of England or the Anglican Church. In that time, church and the state were a single corrupt institution which did not act in the best interest of the people. The moral taught lies in line 2. Pope uses the third person singular possessive pronoun “His”, which means God. This can be defined that God can see a good person and his judgment will not be wrong.
In faith and hope the world will disagree,
But all man kind’s concern in charity. (Stanza 4, line 1-2)
The fourth stanza is obviously related to the third stanza, which tells about the faith. In the first line, Pope wants to explain that people’s beliefs or religions can be different one another. It has already been explained in the first previous page, in the third stanza, that people fight each other because of the different faiths. Pope clarifies in the second line that although they have different perceptions about faith and hope, their aim is actually same, the “charity”. The term “charity” used by Pope symbolizes the mankind’s aim, the goodness, and the way to be a good person, which is by giving the charity, and sharing it to each other.
Order is heaven’s first law; and this confessed,
Some are, and must be, greater that the rest-
More rich, more wise; but who infers from thence
That such are happier shocks all common sense. (Stanza 5, line 1-4)
The Pope poem’s fifth stanza wants to show readers about the issue of the religion. The first line symbolizes the religion’s authority, in this case Christianity, which uses God’s law as their sword to have a power. The second line shows that there are many people who agree and become devotees of the religion, and do what the order from God says. In the third line, Pope shows the comparison between the people who do the heavenly rules from their religion and the people, who do not believe in such kind of the religion but, using their own rational thinking, share the charity to the others. And the result can be seen in line 4, that the people who tend to do their way by using their own rational thinking feels “happier” than the people who follows the order from the religion. Moreover, this idea “shocks” all of the ordinary “common-sense”. Scrutinize this quotation: "I hope all churches and all governments are so far of God, as they are rightly understood, and rightly administered: and where they are, or may be wrong, I leave it to God alone to mend or reform them; which, whenever he does, it must be by greater instruments than I am". (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_age_of_reason (October 8, 2007))
Self-love but serves the virtuous mind to wake,
As the small pebble stirs the peaceful lake:
The center moved, a circle straight succeeds,
Another still, and still another spreads.
Friend, parent, neighbor, first it will embrace-
His country next, and next all human race. (Stanza 6, line 1-6)
This last stanza is the conclusion of Pope’s Essay on Man. Pope used the term “Self-love”, which means the love, or affection, which exists in our common sense and that everybody has it. “The virtuous mind to wake” means causing one’s mind to be opened, knowing and realizing the good and bad things. Pope uses self-love or affection as a tool to make everybody realize things, and reflecting it upon his or herself about to consider whether it is a good or bad thing. Pope shows that the awareness to do the good things firstly comes from individual consciousness. Pope uses a parable: “a small pebble stirs in the peaceful lake” in order to emphasize the meaning of the first line, which is proceeded in lines 2-4. If we see the small pebble stirs in the peaceful lake, we will see that there are many circles which are made. The circle becomes larger and larger spreading externally. Firstly, the small centric circle symbolizes the individual. Next, the circle become larger, this symbolizes the people around us such as our family, friend, and so on. Then, lastly, there comes the largest circle. This symbolizes the society and the country. The interpretation of the parable lies in lines 5-6. Those lines are the continuation from the first lines that after realizing from their own self, next he or she begin to share his or her love to the people around them in the small scope for example begin from the family, after that with their friend. Next, the large scale that is with their country and all human races.

D. CONCLUSION
Human-being is called social creatures, meaning that he or she can not live alone in this world and they need others to share, to fulfill, and to mutually help them. So, to create a good relationship with the others, it can not be separated from the idea of the humanity. Humanity is “the quality of being human” (Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, 1995, p. 582). The Pope’s Essay on Man stated very clearly the idea of the humanity. The first stanza the idea of humanity is in the share each other. A human-being needs others to complete his or her quality of life. In stanzas 2 and 3, Pope Wants to show that human does not always treat the others properly. Most of the time, there are miss-communication, miss-understanding and controversies still happening. The solution that Pope gives to us is stated in the last stanza: that to create a good condition which is full of peace and love, a person must begin the changing from him or herself, then he or she share their love with others, and another with another, until it scopes a larger scale: a country and all of “the human race”.

E. BIBLIOGRAPHY
1.Guerrin, Wilfred L. 1999. A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature. New York: Oxford University Press.
2.Guth, Hans P., 1981. The Literary Heritage. Massachusetts: D. C. Heath and Company
3.Hornby, A. S., 1995. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Oxford: Oxford Univeristy Press.
4.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_age_of_reason (October 8, 2007)

The Poem
from Essay on Man
Know, Nature’s children all divide her care,
The fur that warms a monarch warmed a bear.

For forms of government let fools contest,
Whatever is best administered is best
.
For modes of faith lets graceless zealots fight,
His can’t be wrong whose life is in the right.

In faith and hope the world will disagree,
But all man kind’s concern in charity.

Order is heaven’s first law; and this confessed,
Some are, and must be, greater that the rest-
More rich, more wise; but who infers from thence
That such are happier shocks all common sense.

Self-love but serves the virtuous mind to wake,
As the small pebble stirs the peaceful lake:
The center moved, a circle straight succeeds,
Another still, and still another spreads.
Friend, parent, neighbor, first it will embrace-
His country next, and next all human race