Human Nature Essays

Human Nature Essay
The humans as a whole lead evidently different lives comparing to those of the other animals,
considering the fact that a few rearrangements of human genome can result in a dolphin. Despite of
this genetic resemblance, there are certain traits that clearly differentiate human from the rest, and
this so–called human nature has been one of the favorite topics discussed among people, since 'self'
has been one of the most interesting topics of all time for anyone. Of course, there is no one
characteristic that single–handedly defines what it means to be a human, and there are many of them
that constitute human nature, some of which everyone can agree and others not so much. Some of
these characteristic could be observed in the documentary film...show more content...
However, not using the hands for moving around freed up the hands, and more delicate functions
other than simply sustaining our own weight could be assigned to those hands. As human beings
went through hundred thousand years of evolution, the functions of our hands became more delicate
and complicated, from fashioning simple tools from stones and sticks to using chopsticks and
solving Rubik's Cubes. Following the development of our hands, our brains that control them also
have developed, granting us the intelligence that is unmatched by any other species. Although there
is no one theory that clearly defines what intelligence is or how it develops in one's lifetime, it is
obvious that the rapid development of technology enabled by our vastly superior intelligence gave
birth to our lifestyle that clearly differentiates us from the rest. One of the other characteristics that
define humanity is the usage of language. Although it is known that certain species, such as dolphins
or some primates, can communicate vocally, but human beings are the only animals with
sophisticated systems of communication, which can also be used in written forms, that are agreed
among the constituents of the societies. With language, humans gained the ability to think, or reflect
on what is not immediately available in our environment. We can think, or talk about anything in the
universe as long as it is named in our languages, and we also gained a way
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Duality Of Human Nature
One of the most predominant themes in literature is the duality of human nature. According to the
Merriam Webster Dictionary, dualism is a view of human beings as constituted of two irreducible
elements. Many pieces of literature concentrate on how every human possesses an animalistic and
barbarous nature. In the novel The Strange Case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde byRobert Louis
Stevenson, the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, and the short story William Wilson
by Edgar Allan Poe, the idea of duality is explored deeply and is one of the main themes of these
works.
In The Strange Case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde, Dr. Jekyll is a well–respected scientist in London.
This novel takes place in the Victorian Era, or in the mid–1800s to...show more content...
Jekyll used Edward Hyde as a way to satisfy his secret pleasures without feeling guilty about
whatever Hyde has done. Another way duality is explored in the novel is the fact that if the
balance of good and evil is uneven, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde cannot coexist peacefully. "Hence,
although I had now two characters as well as two appearances, one was wholly evil, and the other
was still the old Henry Jekyll..."(Stevenson 51) This is why near the end of the novel when Hyde's
evilness takes over Dr. Jekyll, its causes their relationship to implode. "This, then, is the last time,
short of a miracle, that Henry Jekyll can think his own thoughts or see his own face..."(Stevenson
61) When Dr. Jekyll allowed Hyde to be exposed to the world too much, Hyde began to have more
control over Dr. Jekyll. This caused Jekyll to eventually give in to Hyde.
Like in Jekyll and Hyde, Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare shows multiple examples of
duality. For example, "In man as well as herbs, grace and rude will;". In this quote, Friar Laurence
compares people to plants in the sense that both man and plants can be good and evil, and how
some herbs can be used for medicine but can also be poisonous. The author also uses double
entendres to display duality. For example, when Juliet is speaking to her mother about

Human Nature Essay
Human nature is loosely defined as the ways of thinking, feeling, and acting that that tend to come
naturally. Our human nature is a mixture of our own personal beliefs and views as well as the
perceptions of our surrounding environment and the society we reside in. It affects the way we
interpret and present knowledge without realizing it, including our thoughts and actions. Since
writing is just a collection of our thoughts and the way in which we interpret the world, our human
nature inevitably seeps into our writing. This paper will argue that the Hesiod's writings, in
particular the creation story of Pandora in both Theogony and Works and Days, are heavily
influenced by the misogynistic views held by the Greek patriarchal society at the time. The
influence of society's misogynistic views on the portrayal of characters and roles are fully
exemplified when comparing the creation story of Pandora to that of her male counterpart and Eve.
The portrayal of Pandora in Hesiod's Works and Days is filled with the philosophy and viewpoints
that men held towards women, greatly influencing her creation. Many of the characteristics
possessed by Pandora mirror the viewpoints that men, and in particular Hesiod, had towards women.
The mere creation of women, by Zeus, was an idea set around the punishment of man for the acts of
Prometheus: "To set against the fire I shall give them an affliction to which they will all delight as
they embrace their own misfortune" (W&D 57–59).

Human Nature Relationship
Throughout today's society there are several different cultural perspectives which form theoretical
and practical understandings of natural environments, creating various human–nature relationship
types. In this essay, I will describe and evaluate different ways of knowing nature and the impact of
these views on human–nature relationships. From this, I will then explore my own human–nature
relationship and reflect on how my personal experiences, beliefs and values has led me to this view,
whilst highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of each and reflecting upon Martin's (1996)
continuum.
Martin's (1996) continuum is a useful tool which can be used to position an individual's perspective
of nature on a scale from one, seeing nature as an object, to five, seeing nature as a subject. At the
low end of the scale, Martin describes a human–nature relationship where nature purely acts as a
playground or gym for humans (Martin, 1996). This relationship type can be associated with
anything where humans have a vantage point (Dyer & Gunnell, 1993), and can be seen within
Christianity. The second lowest relationship outlined on the continuum is where humans begin to
see nature as a beautiful and natural place. This view point of nature can primarily be connected to
people viewing national parks as valuable storehouses and museums (Martin, 1996). From this stage
of Martin's (1996) continuum, it becomes identifiable that from this point onward, humans gain
more respect, appreciation

Humans Nature
Human Nature
Good or Bad?
Whether human beings are instinctually good or evil in an elementary natural state is a question that
has been boggling the minds of even the greatest philosophers. There is a spectrum of theories that
support both good and evil within the human race, each with valid points that explains the range of
our interests, being either for ourselves or for others. However, my personal stance is the sensible
theory of Altruism. Past experiences and observations allow me to take the stance, and support the
argument that humans are caring and genuinely good individuals and have the will and desire to help
those around them. Philosophers such as Mengzi (4th Century BCE) also known as Mencius in the
West, explains...show more content...
These ongoing debates continue into literature and are for example the two philosophical authors
Thomas Hobbes (1588–1679) and Joseph Butler (1692–1752). One philosopher fighting for the truth
of the evil nature within humans, and the other rebutting for the good. Hobbes' book the "Leviathan"
expresses harsh outlines for the nature of human and describes the human life as, "solitary, poor,
nasty, brutish and short." 1 He concluded that humans are antisocial, and that cooperation between
individuals or groups is nothing but self–interest. Joseph Butler however, wanted to reestablish his
belief and published the book "Fifteen Sermons Preached at Roll Chapel." His goal was to prove that
human nature included positive elements. Within his book, Butler states that humans have varying
characteristics pertaining to their nature and this encompasses a measure of self–interest. This
self–interest is a natural attribute that roots back to the human animalistic nature of "survival of the
fittest." This self–interest is also a human quality that does not conflict with benevolence. Butler
arranged these human attributes into a hierarchy with the top being conscience. In regards to
conscience, Hobbes maintained the opinion that acts of kindness

Human Nature Essay
"It is a sin to believe evil of others, but it is seldom a mistake."
–H.L Menckens
From the moment they are born, humans have a naturally evil predisposition. Although the term
'evil' is difficult to define, there are various views on morality. The most commonly referenced one,
Moral Objectivism, holds that moral standards are universally transcendent, and that certain acts are
right or wrong independent of human subjectivity. It is by this unspoken moral code that humanity's
acts are judged. There is some debate whether a fundamental human nature exists, as social and
environmental influences are present from the moment someone is born. But if we can define
human nature, it is beyond doubt, naturally evil. The English philosopher Thomas...show more
content...
The atrocity of acts committed by mankind throughout history demonstrates the dangerous results
when society is unable to restrain the natural evil present in human beings. The words 'humane', and
'civilized', both come from roots that describe society. Their positive connotations associate
humankind with an inherent morality. But it is hard to have faith in our race when throughout
history; we have brutalized each other in such barbaric ways. How can independently thinking,
emotionally compassionate beings take part in massacres like the killings at Columbine or in the
terrorist attacks in 2001? The September 11th bombings took thousands of innocent lives, and
struck fear into the hearts of millions. What shocked the observing world though, was not the
number of dead. It was the senselessness of the cause, the raw savagery of the attacks, the utter
lack of humanity. It begged the question: what happens when the moderating hand of society fails
to restrain a group of radicals? The answer was simple. We saw the innate evil present in each one
of us, in its undistilled, uncensored form. The Columbine killers, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold,
were disillusioned bullies– torn away from society's expectations through a combination of violence
tendencies and psychosis. Their horrific acts were a result of their innate evil nature breaking
through the wall of societal structure. Golding's contention was that in most cases, rules were forced

Human Nature: Good or Evil? Essay
For 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 man's 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 only caused more of an entanglement if anything. According to the current definition
from Webster, good is defined as morally excellent; virtuous; righteous; pious; where as evil is
defined as morally wrong or bad; immoral; wicked. One could...show more content...
Would these people be considered evil and if so how did they become this way? Were they born
this was or was it some sort of external forces that led them to become evil? Well according to Hsun
Tao, another Chinese philosopher, humans were born of an evil nature and with some sort of
guidance from a teacher could learn to become good. He believed that what is natural to human
beings is desire and desire inevitably leads to conflict; since this is evil then so is the nature the
results within. Yet referring back to the young child and well example, why would most people do
the right thing? Is it because they are taught to be good again is it something that is deeper?
However, another Chinese philosopher, Kao Tzu, beleived that human nature is neither inherently
good nor inherently evil but rather a "blank slate" that could be conditioned in both directions.
When an individual is born he/she has no ideas or preexisting behaviors but that through life
experiences and external forces, such as family and friends, that influence ones human nature. Or
according to John Locke "the mind at birth is a blank white sheet of paper on which experience
writes." Religion also claims to provide a solution for whether human nature is initially good or evil
but this of course varies upon the religion. According to Catholicism everyone who has been born is
tainted with original sin which according to the bible is an inclination to evil caused

Human Nature Essay
Is there or is there not human nature? For Charles Darwin the answer is no. Darwin was the first to
introduce the concept of evolution. He believed that humans evolved from the ape and not in the
image of God. Darwin contradicted Aristotle's view that man has a purpose in life –to reason. For
Darwin, man has no purpose. According to Darwin, man began as one of a few species on this
planet, fighting for survival. Man was better equipped with certain traits that allowed him to pass
through the filters of natural selection. Man's physical and intellectual traits allowed him to surpass
all over species, thus becoming the greatest predator and severely diminishing the risk of man
becoming another species prey. Mans climb to the top of the...show more content...
"No matter what we choose we cannot escape responsibility for our choice and guilt for the
consequences" (Sartre notes) For Sartre, "existence precedes essence (243). Man exists, man lives,
and man makes choices. It's through these choices and living that man defines who and what he is.
In the end, "the existential vision of the human condition is tragic, but it is not pessimistic" (notes).
John Locke's philosophy is that human reason and emotion are the right tools to solve problems
confronting mankind. Locke's theory of human nature is a simple one; man likes happiness and
dislikes unhappiness. Locke denies that man is born neither good nor bad. This theory contradicts
the idealist theory that man is born good but is diverged from this goodness by negative
influences in society. Locke believes that man is naturally reasonable and will set out to do what
is best for him even if it invokes temporary pain or pleasure. He argues that man will naturally
impose upon himself laws for his own good and for the good of society. Thomas Hobbes is
atomistic. He believes that man is born equal. By this he means, the bodies and mind of all men
contain equal ability. Because all men posses equal ability they all hope to attain their highest hopes
and dreams. Conflict is introduced when both men want something that neither can

Human Nature Essay
Human Nature
For hundreds of years people have written countless books about war. Some have chosen to write
simply about the events that took place during the war, in the form a historical account, while
others have chosen to write about their own, or other people's experiences. However, many of
them have portrayed war as being glorious and associated it with valor and honor, suggesting that
all participants of war were heroes. In a way these kinds of writings were encouraging warfare by
depicting the act of war and its partakers as being admirable. On the contrary, Slaughterhouse– Five
written by Kurt Vonnegutis an anti–war book. Not only does it reveal the horrors of war, but it also
...show more content...
There are shifts in the tone of the passage. The narrator has a somewhat bitter tone when he is
talking about being left behind by the plane. The line "And I became a non–person in the Boston
fogГўв‚¬В¦with some other non–personsГўв‚¬В¦" (20) shows that he is both frustrated for not being
able to have power over the situation which he and the others are in. The plane that was scheduled
to go to Frankfurt had gone ahead, but a number of people including the narrator himself who were
supposed to be on the plane, were not. The narrator is saddened by this situation, which makes it
seem like they disappeared off the face of the earth, and became non–existent. Once in the motel
room, the narrator's tone display signs of impatience and irritation, as he talks about the time not
passing. The narrator uses hyperbole in the line " The second hand of my watch would twitch once,
and a year would pass, and then it would twitch again" (20) to emphasize on how slowly the time is
passing. "There was nothing I could do about it" (20). This line shows the narrator's helplessness and
his inability to control the situation. Finally, the tone becomes sarcastic after he reads the excerpt
from the Gideon Bible about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. "Those were vile people in
both those cities, as is well known. The world was better of without them" (21).

Human Nature Essay
The Evil Nature of Man: An Essay on Human Nature
People today enjoy the many pleasures life provides, including entertainment and technology, all
the while living longer than ever before. This would not be possible, if it were not for a
government that protects it's citizens from danger and promotes peace. Humans are evil by nature,
and therefore require some form of power in a society that will protect each person. This evil is
described in a interview with a U.S. soldier who after returning from Iraq, found his evil nature to
control his emotions toward Muslims, until he was able to join their group, an become a member of
their society. Thomas Hobbes, an English Philosopher from the 17th century, wrote a book on the
subjects of human...show more content...
Of course with this State, the idea of the third law of nature comes into view, with people of the
State "perform[ing] their covenants made"(45), having each man follow the rules of the State,
which is able to determine for itself what is just and unjust. The violent nature of man is thwarted
through the existence of the State, which every man gives up certain rights to, yet gains security
and peace from, allowing them to live with instead of war, the pleasures of industry, invention,
culture, exploration: all the things that make life worth living (Hobbes 42). This is evidenced by
our culture, where most men and women are able to go about their daily lives, enjoying all the
pleasures in our society, while our government protects each of its citizens from threats. The only
thing we as citizens have to do in return is follow the laws of the government. Another Philosopher,
John Locke, took a view that was opposite of Hobbes. In his work "Of the State of Nature," Locke
feels that since humans were all equal, left to their own devices, they would be able to establish
their own form of government that they themselves could control (48). The argument made starts
off in a form similar to Hobbes idea of two men having the same goal, yet in Locke's

Human Nature Of Humanity
Jane Addams once said, "The good we secure for ourselves is precarious and uncertain until it is
secured for all of us and incorporated into our common life." The same can be said for humanity.
Evidence from history supports the concept that inhumane actions are contagious, and for this reason
compassion and humanity can not be practiced in parts. Practicing humanity and compassion
selectively or in parts creates an inhumane world. Humans must learn to be kind and take care of
each other before much else beneficial can be accomplished. Universal humanity insures that all
human beings do not have to worry about becoming victim to inhumane actions and violence.
Imagine, women, children, and men victims of inhumanity and violence. In order for humanity and
compassion to be of any true importance, humanity and compassion must be universal. History tells
many stories of greed, entitlement, and moral failure. In addition, history also paints the picture of
some horrific effects of selective humanity. One example from history that paints this picture is the
Vietnam War. At the time of the Vietnam War, theUnited States was humane, and aside from civil
displays of disapproval for the war, the people were at peace. There was no war on our home
land, and there were no invasions orand overthrows of our government. These actions were
overseas, but the inhumane and violent reality of Vietnam became reality for even the most
compassionate Americans. The draft was the solution to the desperate war efforts during
Vietnam, and was what sealed the fate of thousands of Americans. Draftees accounted for roughly
30.4% (17,725) of combat deaths in Vietnam (World History Project, USA). These individuals
were every day men. Butchers, bakers, and even candle stick makers, not soldiers. They did not
join on their own free will because war was a foreign affair that did not interest many draftees.
Their number was called, luck of the draw, and just like that these butchers, bakers, and even
candle stick makers, were off to fight a bloody battle in a foreign country that was full of hate, and
violence. The war not only took good hearted men and put them in a position to hurt and kill others,
the war also disrupted the civil peace

Nature And Human Essay
Maria Moiseeva
Professor Ahrens
English 101
13 August 2014
Illusory Freedom
"...Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this
vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves."–Carl Sagan.
If there is only one thing that humanity has to learn, that would be the superior power of compliance
with natural laws. Human species have never had any true freedom. Freedom is illusion. When it
comes to the order of nature, either you align or you suffer.
So, who are we, homo sapiens, a branch of great monkeys, the source of all problems on the Earth,
the reason behind dramatic changes of environment,...show more content...
Where is the "second chance" for the people and other inhabitants of this planet who died from this
man made disasters? These examples prove that there is no such rule of a "second chance" simply
because nature doesn't privilege us with one.
The relationship of humans to the Earth is an evolutionary process. First Homo sapiens are the most
obedient environmentalists of the planet. Many thousands of years ago, our super–monkey brethren
began to discover how to engage nature. We went from being completely at the mercy of the habitat,
gathering our food with some hunting, living and migrating around the natural seasonal
regeneration, to an agricultural revolution, learning how to cultivate food, create more sophisticated
tools to ease labor. In fact, this new awareness and ever–increasing understanding to harness the
processes of nature to our advantage is what has led to the vast technological innovation and

Human Nature Essays

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Human Nature Essays