Is Man Good or Evil?
I. Summary
Is Man inherently good or evil? This is a question that many philosophers, psychologists, and scientists have questioned for centuries. According to Thomas Hobbes men are created so alike that there difference in their strengths and weaknesses are no significant. For example if two men desire a thing they wouldn’t be able to attain it simultaneously, hence they become enemies. The pleasures to achieve the thing sometimes lead their actions to suppress one another in order for him to become satisfied. Man continues to look for power until no other being can overpower him, until he feels safe and contented. According to him the three primary causes of clashes between men are competition, diffidence, and glory. For that reason during the time when men have unequal authority or power they are at a time of conflict. According to another philosopher Nina Rosenstand man is fundamentally selfish. Man has the ability to do acts of greed and generosity. But according to Rosenstand these acts of generosity are done to delight and for us to feel good of ourselves. On the other hand it is stated by Peter Kropotkin that man is basically good because how would primitive mankind survive and develop without any mutual support and unity among the early man. Assistance and cooperation are essential characteristics of the human nature that lead to our survival. In different religions around the world the virtue of compassion is taught. Mencius said that man is born good it is just because of life and the environment that we become bad. He believes that we are good because of our conscience, the human nature, and intuition or instinct. Socrates believes that our ignorance/lack of knowledge leads us to wrongdoing; no person does bad things intentionally.
II. Reaction
In my opinion man is neither good nor evil. I think it is not only a question if man is good or evil but also a question of what each man thinks is good or evil. Everyone on this planet has different
Is Man inherently good or evil? This is a question that many philosophers, psychologists, and scientists have questioned for centuries. According to Thomas Hobbes men are created so alike that there difference in their strengths and weaknesses are no significant. For example if two men desire a thing they wouldn’t be able to attain it simultaneously, hence they become enemies. The pleasures to achieve the thing sometimes lead their actions to suppress one another in order for him to become satisfied. Man continues to look for power until no other being can overpower him, until he feels safe and contented. According to him the three primary causes of clashes between men are competition, diffidence, and glory. For that reason during the time when men have unequal authority or power they are at a time of conflict. According to another philosopher Nina Rosenstand man is fundamentally selfish. Man has the ability to do acts of greed and generosity. But according to Rosenstand these acts of generosity are done to delight and for us to feel good of ourselves. On the other hand it is stated by Peter Kropotkin that man is basically good because how would primitive mankind survive and develop without any mutual support and unity among the early man. Assistance and cooperation are essential characteristics of the human nature that lead to our survival. In different religions around the world the virtue of compassion is taught. Mencius said that man is born good it is just because of life and the environment that we become bad. He believes that we are good because of our conscience, the human nature, and intuition or instinct. Socrates believes that our ignorance/lack of knowledge leads us to wrongdoing; no person does bad things intentionally.
II. Reaction
In my opinion man is neither good nor evil. I think it is not only a question if man is good or evil but also a question of what each man thinks is good or evil. Everyone on this planet has different