Human Nature Good Or Evil - 1053 Words

Human Nature: Good or Evil All ideologies, including some economic ideologies, produce theories of human nature in order to establish fundamental human rights and to establish a more productive form of government. Human nature refers to the distinguishing characteristics of humans, including ways of thinking, feeling and acting; it is the moral principles that construct certain standards of behavior, which every person is entitled to simply because they are a human being. Many philosophers such as Plato, Aristotle, Rousseau, and Locke attempted to address the aspect of human nature directly; however each produced a slightly different definition. Inherently, human nature is neither good nor evil, but categorized into a neutral state until outside influences such as biological genetics, environmental influence, or culture persuades them to become evil or good. One of the fullest and most influential accounts of human nature was provided by Plato. His theory assumes an ideal to which we can aspire to become greater and which allows us to track our progress as human beings. According to Plato, the human condition is one of ignorance, this idea is neatly described in the allegory of the cave. Humans are compared to the prisoners in the cave, witnessing only shadows, yet believing them to be reality. The only liberation from the cave is to advance towards the light, dismissing appearances as deception and searching for true knowledge; only when emerging from the cave in clearShow MoreRelatedAre Humans Good or Evil by Nature?1521 Words   |  7 Pagesthe question Are Human Beings Intrinsically Evil? has been asked by philosophers for many years. It is known as one of the unanswerable questions. Determinists have come to the conclusion that we are governed by the laws of science, that there is nothing we can do about ourselves being evil becaus e we naturally are. Evil is simply the act of causing pain. In this essay I will argue that human beings are born with a natural reaction to fear and chaos to be instinctively evil. The primary evidenceRead More Human Nature: Good Or Evil? Essay906 Words   |  4 Pages Human Nature: Good or Evil? nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Many things can be said about the gallons of blood, miles of entrails and seemingly endless array of bones, muscles and other fascinating odds and ends that we call our human bodies. For instance, as you break down the body into different categories each part can be examined endlessly. Such can be said about a very intricate part of the body. This is the most important part and without it the rest of the body would have no directRead MoreHuman Nature: Good or Evil? Essay1060 Words   |  5 PagesFor centuries many philosophers, as well as most individuals, have pondered on the question what is good and what is evil. More-so philosophers of all ages have also stumbled upon a more in depth question which is if the intuitive knowledge of mans nature is good, or if it is evil. Many have claimed to have an answer to these puzzling questions yet most of their answers were found to be incomplete and inadequate at a later date. Religion also tried to provide a solution but to my understanding onlyRead MoreHuman Nature - Are Humans Naturally Good or Evil?1481 Words   |  6 Pagesthe way humans perceive things, which is part of the intricacy of mankind. During the time men live without a common power to keep them all in awe, they are in that conditions called war; and such a war, as if of every man, against every man. (Hobbes) Hobbes states that Humans are naturally evil and need a powerful government to control them. Is it true? Rousseau thinks otherwise. In reasoning on the principles he (Thomas Hobbes) lays down, he ought to have said that the state of nature, beingRead MoreCastle 1. The Dual (Good And Evil) Sides Of Human Nature.1066 Words   |  5 PagesCastle 1 The Dual (Good and Evil) Sides of Human Nature ENGL 102: Composition and Literature Spring B 2017 Teresa Castle, L26467226 APA Castle 2 Outline THESIS: In their individual short stories Young Goodman Brown,† by Nathaniel Hawthorne and The Rocking-Horse Winner by D. H. Lawrence are more different than similar but â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† and â€Å"The Rocking Horse Winner† use the setting, characterization, and symbolism to depict the reasoning of acting morally or immorally. I. The settingsRead MoreAre Humans Born Evil : Augustine And Hs?ï ¿ ½n Tzu1267 Words   |  6 Pageswhile most things do change, human nature is not one of them. Throughout his piece, Confessions, he describes to the reader how humans are born evil, and cannot change until they have the capacity to do so. Through reading this autobiography and Hsà ¼n Tzu’s piece, Man’s Nature Is Evil, as well as Mencius’s piece, Man’s Nature Is Good, it seems that Augustine agrees more with Hsà ¼n Tzu than Mencius. They both agreed on the ideas that all humans are born evil, they remain evil through adolescence, and eventuallyRead MoreThe Chinese Concept Of Yin And The Dark Knight Essay1324 Words   |  6 PagesChinese concept of Yin and Yang shows how opposite dualities are interconnected and mutually dependant in the natural world. Take the coexistence of good and evil, for example, and you will find that within us all is the source of each.Having the potential to b e both good and evil is part of our human nature. As humans we cannot be perfect, because inherent evil is something that will always be part of humanity. Throughout time, a variety of texts and film have been able to give us the greatest insightRead MoreMencius And Xunzis View Of Human Nature Is Evil868 Words   |  4 Pagesview that human nature (xing) is good, while Xunzi is known for his view that human nature (xing) is evil. This paper will demonstrate the substantive differences between Mencius’ and Xunzi’s ethical thinking that are conveyed through these two slogan-like statements, while also considering the implications of such differences for other aspects of their different views like the self-cultivation process. This paper will begin by explaining Mencius’ reasoning for why our human nature is good followedRead MoreHuman Nature : The Characteristics That Identify People1436 Words   |  6 PagesHuman nature refers to the characteristics that ident ify people. In this case, it involves thoughts, feelings, and behavior that are manifested by individuals and independent of culture. Furthermore, human nature is important when it comes to politics, ethics, and religious perspectives of a particular group of people. This is due to the fact that it presents both positive and negative norms that aid to shape or destroy the society. Moreover, the study of human nature is boosted by the findings ofRead MoreThe Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde1619 Words   |  7 Pagesdissociate the good and evil personalities with the help of a potion. The themes incorporated in the novella are: the existence of dualism in human nature (good vs. evil), repression, physiognomy, reputation, friendship, murder, curiosity about science, religion, violence on the innocent or weak, and death. Though the story is a science fiction, it is fascinating that the same person can have entirely opposing personalities. The protagonist, Dr. Henry Jekyll repres ents the good side of the human personality