What is Human Nature?

Russell (1 point)

-believed conscience is a learned behaviour (not part of human nature) -the conscience is simply the training of "right" and "wrong" kids get from parents and teachers

Hobbes (2 points)

-humans are born self-interested and only look our for themselves -he believed that humans need a state to maintain law and order, otherwise we would always be in all out war

Huxley (1 point)

-humans are dominated by animal-like desires and we constantly strive for satisfaction and pleasure -he defines human nature as the struggle to conquer the brute within

Definition (1 point)

a general set of distinguishing features that belong to all human beings (distinguish humans from other beings)

Plato (1 point)

described human nature with mind/body dualism and the 3 parts of the soul (appetite, reason, and spirit)

Hegel (1 point)

human nature could not be understood independently from history and culture

Ryle (1 point)

the mind is a complex function of the relationship between mentality and physical activity

Existentialists

we must defined and choose ourselves, there is no blueprint that decides US in advance