good or evil

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Recommended: Thomas Hobbes vs John Locke comparison

The argument as to whether humans are born good or evil is one that been philosophized for hundreds of years by many of the world’s greatest minds. Are humans born with a particular set of qualities that define their character and how they are perceived in society? Are they born with the power to choose between good and evil? The idea of human nature relies on the theory that there is an engrained set of features which are shared by all humans—components that determine the way people reason and behave. John Locke and Thomas Hobbes are two opposing philosophers who have devoted many years to studying this subject. For Locke, the state of nature— the original condition of all humanity before civilization and order were established —is one where man is born free, equal and have rights that others should respect, such as the right to live and the right to liberty. These rights were essentially derived from natural law— an unwritten law in which every man must judge his/her own actions against. For Hobbes, however, the state of nature is one of constant war; solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short ; it is, in Hobbes’ mind, civilization that separates humans from their primitive state. Hobbes believed that an individual’s only drive in life is to serve themselves above all else. In order to obtain this goal, humans must use conflict as a means of self-gain to take what they desire for their self-serving nature. Although Hobbes’ theory on human nature is…..…John Locke provides one of the best in depth accounts of true human nature, as he suggests that man is not born with any pre-conceived ideals, apart from being born free. Locke theorised that man was born with a clean slate, thus, they have the ability to make decisions that are e...

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...ociety is formed, whereas Hobbes believes that the only way man can function in a society is with the help of a higher power (government) to watch over man.

When looking at the bigger picture, it is evident that it is John Locke who has the better understanding of the topic, his outlook on man includes the same principles that we are taught since birth today; that we are all equal, that no man is greater than another, and we all have natural rights. Unlike Hobbes, Locke did not view man as being born with a set agenda that is self-serving and evil, one only has to look at the good that there is in the world today to realise that we are not born with this pre-conceived notion. Instead, Locke saw the potential in the human species, a potential that had gone unseen by Hobbes as he did not view man as being born with a clean slate with no emotions engrained.

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