Editing Self-reflection (section)

===Early writings===
Notions about the status of humanity may be revealed by the [[etymology]] of ancient words for humans. [[Latin]] ''homo'' ([[Proto-Indo-European language|PIE]] ''*dʰǵʰm̥mō'') means "of the earth, earthling", probably in opposition to "celestial" beings. [[Greek language|Greek]] {{lang|grc|ἂνθρωπος}} ([[mycenaean language|mycenaean]] ''*Anthropos'') means "low-eyed", again probably contrasting with a divine perspective.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Willi |first=Andreas |date=2008-09-01 |title=Genitive problems: Mycenaean vs. later Greek |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.13109/glot.2008.84.14.239 |journal=Glotta |volume=84 |issue=1–4 |pages=239–272 |doi=10.13109/glot.2008.84.14.239 |issn=0017-1298|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

From the [[3rd millennium BC|third-millennium]] [[Old Kingdom of Egypt]], [[belief]] in an eternal afterlife of the human [[Egyptian soul|ka]] is documented along with the notion that the actions of a person would be assessed to determine the quality of that existence. A claim of dominance of humanity alongside radical [[pessimism]] because of the frailty and brevity of human [[life]] is asserted in the [[Hebrew Bible]] [[Book of Genesis|Genesis]] 1:28, where dominion of humans is promised, but contrarily, King Solomon who is the alleged author of [[Ecclesiastes]] according to [[Rabbinic literature|rabbinic tradition]],  bewails the vanity of all human effort.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=1958 |title=Book Review: ''Calvin's Doctrine of Man'', by <scp>T. F. Torrance</scp>. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, 1957. 183 pp. $3.00; ''Calvin's Doctrine of the Word and Sacraments'', by <scp>Ronald S. Wallace</scp>. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, 1958. 258 pp. $3.00. |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/002096435801200465 |journal=Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology |volume=12 |issue=4 |pages=501–502 |doi=10.1177/002096435801200465 |issn=0020-9643|url-access=subscription }}</ref>