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dannho
The Human Condition
8:22pm
BST on June 22, 2009
During my University days two of the most influential books I had read were “Leviathan” by Thomas Hobbes and “Discourse on Inequality” by Jean Jacques Rousseau”. These two writers represent two completely opposite theories regarding the nature of man.
According to Hobbes, man’s nature is evil and his natural condition is one of constant war. The only way out of this condition is the forming of society, where man surrenders all his rights to a sovereign, in order to maintain peace and thus give man the opportunity to progress.
“For the laws of nature (as justice, equity, modesty, mercy, and, in sum, doing to others as we would be done to) of themselves, without the terror of some power, to cause them to be observed, are contrary to our natural passions, that carry us to partiality, pride, revenge and the like.”
“...in the first place, I put for a general inclination of all mankind, a perpetual and restless desire of power after power, that ceaseth only in death.”
“To this war of every man against every man, this also in consequent; that nothing can be unjust. The notions of right and wrong, justice and injustice have there no place. Where there is no common power, there is no law, where no law, no injustice. Force, and fraud, is in war the cardinal virtues.”
“No arts; no letters; no society; and which is worst of all, continual fear, and danger of violent death: and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short.”
"Leviathan"
According to Rousseau, on the other hand, man’s nature is kind until the moment that he is tricked into forming a society. The interaction with other people and the appearance of civilization is what turns man into evil.
The following is a quote from the “Discourse on Inequality”
“The first man who, having fenced in a piece of land, said "This is mine," and found people naive enough to believe him, that man was the true founder of civil society. From how many crimes, wars, and murders, from how many horrors and misfortunes might not any one have saved mankind, by pulling up the stakes, or filling up the ditch, and crying to his fellows: Beware of listening to this impostor; you are undone if you once forget that the fruits of the earth belong to us all, and the earth itself to nobody.”
“Discourse on Inequality”
Myself I tend to agree partly with Rousseau’s theory. Man is indeed kind by nature and civilization tends to corrupt him, but not civilization as a concept but rather as a way of living and thinking. After all civilization is not something that dropped out of the sky on our heads. It’s our own creation and it reflects our own needs. So, maybe it’s not civilization that corrupts man, but instead man that has corrupted civilization?
Any comments on that?
According to Hobbes, man’s nature is evil and his natural condition is one of constant war. The only way out of this condition is the forming of society, where man surrenders all his rights to a sovereign, in order to maintain peace and thus give man the opportunity to progress.
“For the laws of nature (as justice, equity, modesty, mercy, and, in sum, doing to others as we would be done to) of themselves, without the terror of some power, to cause them to be observed, are contrary to our natural passions, that carry us to partiality, pride, revenge and the like.”
“...in the first place, I put for a general inclination of all mankind, a perpetual and restless desire of power after power, that ceaseth only in death.”
“To this war of every man against every man, this also in consequent; that nothing can be unjust. The notions of right and wrong, justice and injustice have there no place. Where there is no common power, there is no law, where no law, no injustice. Force, and fraud, is in war the cardinal virtues.”
“No arts; no letters; no society; and which is worst of all, continual fear, and danger of violent death: and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short.”
"Leviathan"
According to Rousseau, on the other hand, man’s nature is kind until the moment that he is tricked into forming a society. The interaction with other people and the appearance of civilization is what turns man into evil.
The following is a quote from the “Discourse on Inequality”
“The first man who, having fenced in a piece of land, said "This is mine," and found people naive enough to believe him, that man was the true founder of civil society. From how many crimes, wars, and murders, from how many horrors and misfortunes might not any one have saved mankind, by pulling up the stakes, or filling up the ditch, and crying to his fellows: Beware of listening to this impostor; you are undone if you once forget that the fruits of the earth belong to us all, and the earth itself to nobody.”
“Discourse on Inequality”
Myself I tend to agree partly with Rousseau’s theory. Man is indeed kind by nature and civilization tends to corrupt him, but not civilization as a concept but rather as a way of living and thinking. After all civilization is not something that dropped out of the sky on our heads. It’s our own creation and it reflects our own needs. So, maybe it’s not civilization that corrupts man, but instead man that has corrupted civilization?
Any comments on that?
FrankfurtThen I gotta agree with Hobbes: man (human being) is greedy and starts wars and it will never end. As long as there is mankind,there will be war and greediness.
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Athens
Hmm..that´s a tricky one. I guess it´s a bit of both. Because men always struggle to do the right thing...here they think they have to be tough guys,strong and powerful and there they think they want to be weak too but can´t cuz society doesn´t allow them.
Personally I think they should be allowed to be weak too,well,heck,they ARE weak too,nobody can always only be strong.
But I never thought that man´s nature is evil. I think no one is born evil. They might turn evil in their lifes,maybe. But it´s not something that is there right from the start.
All in all it´s probably difficult for men to find their place in life,a path that suits them and makes them happy.
Message Personally I think they should be allowed to be weak too,well,heck,they ARE weak too,nobody can always only be strong.
But I never thought that man´s nature is evil. I think no one is born evil. They might turn evil in their lifes,maybe. But it´s not something that is there right from the start.
All in all it´s probably difficult for men to find their place in life,a path that suits them and makes them happy.