The True Nature of Man
The True Nature of Man
Man is inarguably the simplest yet most complex creation whose concrete nature is still unknown. Once upon a time, individuals hit a snafu in regards to whether the true nature of mankind is intrinsically good or evil. At one end of the spectrum, the advocators of congenital human righteousness assert that as man is the creation of God, he must be pure and just by nature. Alternately, those who regard humankind as essentially foul hold the beliefs that man was created to sin and corrupt. However, how can one possibly presume that the estimated seven billion people on this planet are either entirely good or bad? It is impossible, and the fact of the matter is that humans are simply human.
As with any controversy, it is crucial to address the opinions of the opposing side in order to probe their potentially correct reasoning. Those who have the ability to generalize and place all of humanity under one category believe that all men are born either innately virtuous or corrupt. Proponents of whole human decency use the argument that one simply cannot be birthed as a “bad” person, and that each and every individual is intended to do good in this world. For instance, philosopher John Locke contended that all people are written off as just and moral. In a metaphorically unparalleled universe, there lived a man named Thomas Hobbes who couldn’t disagree more. His spoiled views of man compelled him to believe that humans simply acted by their exact fraudulent nature if left to fend for themselves. Both these men, however, attempted to view our grayish world with black and white lines. At opposite poles, these two perspectives fail to identify the exactitude of humans’ true nature—which is nothing more than they are human.
As the incongruity in complete inherent goodness or badness in man is explored, one is prompted to reminisce many of the prominent figures in history who have absolutely transformed our world—in both salutary and harmful ways.
Man is inarguably the simplest yet most complex creation whose concrete nature is still unknown. Once upon a time, individuals hit a snafu in regards to whether the true nature of mankind is intrinsically good or evil. At one end of the spectrum, the advocators of congenital human righteousness assert that as man is the creation of God, he must be pure and just by nature. Alternately, those who regard humankind as essentially foul hold the beliefs that man was created to sin and corrupt. However, how can one possibly presume that the estimated seven billion people on this planet are either entirely good or bad? It is impossible, and the fact of the matter is that humans are simply human.
As with any controversy, it is crucial to address the opinions of the opposing side in order to probe their potentially correct reasoning. Those who have the ability to generalize and place all of humanity under one category believe that all men are born either innately virtuous or corrupt. Proponents of whole human decency use the argument that one simply cannot be birthed as a “bad” person, and that each and every individual is intended to do good in this world. For instance, philosopher John Locke contended that all people are written off as just and moral. In a metaphorically unparalleled universe, there lived a man named Thomas Hobbes who couldn’t disagree more. His spoiled views of man compelled him to believe that humans simply acted by their exact fraudulent nature if left to fend for themselves. Both these men, however, attempted to view our grayish world with black and white lines. At opposite poles, these two perspectives fail to identify the exactitude of humans’ true nature—which is nothing more than they are human.
As the incongruity in complete inherent goodness or badness in man is explored, one is prompted to reminisce many of the prominent figures in history who have absolutely transformed our world—in both salutary and harmful ways.