Are humans born intrinsically good, intrinsically evil, or neutral? Do people only develop these traits after years of upbringing, or have these traits been inbred to our very chromosomes? This debate has gone on since the dawn of mankind. Hobbes and Locke were two writers that concerned their lives with answering this question. Hobbes feels that mankind is inherently evil and that life “is a condition of war of every one against every one.” Man is constantly in opposition with others due to petty jealousies and lack of trust for one another. Man left alone in nature creates war and governments need to be employed in order to maintain a sense of community in society. In opposition, Locke’s views of mankind is extremely optimistic because he feels that the “natural liberty of man is to be free from any superior being on earth.” As long as mankind maintains a sense of freedom in society, peace will prevail among human beings.(1)

When dealing with a species such as humans, not every matter is black-and-white. Every person has free will and does what they do because of the philosophies he or she has come to believe. A good example of the inherent good in the spirit of man is, if one were to see another person drowning, their initial reaction would be either to jump in and help them or, go get help. If man were inherently evil, one may just sit and watch a struggling person with a vicious smirk on their face. But, if man is inherently good, why do people do such terrible things to one another at times?

Man is a creature concerned with only one thing when push comes to shove – staying alive, and providing genetic copies of one’s self in the form of future generations. When under extreme circumstances, man may abandon any personal feelings one may have for an individual that threatens this, or to a lesser degree, man may also strike out against anyone who disturbs his pursuit of happiness in any way. Man has an incredibly devious nature when it is needed. Man is the only creature that will purposely stab its fellow man in the back if he thinks the reason is justifiable; this is just a complex evolutionary mechanism to better enhance mankind’s chance for survival.

With regard to natural law, Hobbes feels that human beings are constantly engaging in violent acts against one another, whereas Locke states that violence is not acceptable due to the freedom given to individuals. In reference to the natural characteristics of mankind, Hobbes states that mankind is evil and constantly in opposition with the rest of mankind, unlike Locke, who maintains a sense of optimism regarding man’s interactions with each other.(2) While mankind-as-a-whole may not be able to be judged one way or the other, mankind is in fact in opposition to its own kind on a daily basis. Living in a capitalist democracy people are rewarded for exceptional behavior. The more money you make for yourself, the more bright lights surrounding your name, the higher you will be held in regard by your fellow man. With the ever-quickening world whirling around man, man must constantly adapt to new technologies, new ideologies and, must find ways to separate one’s self from the “rat race”. It is no wonder that people may be callous towards one another while engaged in such a heated battle on an every day basis.

While man may not be inherently good or evil, he may lean one way or another due to one’s upbringing. If a man is pushed to succeed, he may develop passive-aggressive tendencies. If a man is taught to love his fellow man and show mercy to the less fortunate, it is likely that the man will turn out good and righteous. While man is born neutral in ideology and philosophy, the inescapable need to make one’s self heard and to provide a easy living for his family will make a man able to be good or evil at any turn, wherever is needed. If a man must use backhanded behavior often in his pursuit of happiness, then the man is considered, for all intent purposes, an evil man; the same is true for good behavior.

Man is a very adaptable creature, it does whatever it needs to do to both survive, and to better its situation. Good and evil are held equally in the heart of man and these terms are only an objective way of classifying one’s intention. Man is neither inherently good nor evil; man is simply a species that is forced to do what it must to survive and create an acceptable condition of life for itself. Good and evil are ideals; man is simply lost somewhere in between.

(1)Pagewise Inc.. “The philosophies of Hobbes and Locke.” . 2002. . 08/05/04 .

(2)Pagewise Inc.. “The philosophies of Hobbes and Locke.” . 2002. . 08/05/04 .