THINKERS ON

HUMAN NATUREPrepared by: Gaca, Ann Rozelle C.

Peña, Roxanne Marie G.

Activity: What’s your personality

type?

For each pair of letters,

choose the side that seems

most natural to you, even if

you don’t agree with every

description.

ARISTOTLE

Men are inherently unequal.

Man is a social animal.

Reason is limited to naturally

ruling elements.

Man has political nature.

THOMAS HOBBES

Men are naturally equal

Capacities

Desires and goals

Right to self-preservation

Man is not naturally sociable

Societies are created by men

Societies are products of

agreements, covenants or

contracts

Man is a power seeker

Selfish interests

Preservation of their lives

All men possess reason

Reason is not exclusive to

rulers or few men

Conclusion

EqualCapacities

SameDesires

Competition

DominationWarPreservation

of Life

SocialContract

JOHN LOCKE

All men possess reason

Doesn’t have to be educated

Innate

Before society

Man is free

Natural liberty = Independent

from another person's control

Men are equal

Species and rank

Power

Faculties/Capacities

Property = life, liberty and

estates

Conclusion

Man

Rational

Equal

Free

JEAN JACQUES ROUSSEAU

Man is self-sufficient

Independent

Can obtain his needs without

help

No social force to join others

Man is innately good

Compassionate

Doesn’t see others as

enemies

Man doesn’t possess reason

No moral or religious standards

Cannot conceive himself as good

No concept of good and bad, right

and wrong, and just and unjust

Men are not equal

Natural or physical

differences

Conclusion

Goodness

Inequality

Self-sufficiency

Independence

Amorality

No Speech

No Reason

ADAM SMITH

Men are self-interested and

individualistic

Driven by selfish interests

Men are led by an "invisible

hand" to satisfy the

interests of others

Contribute to the good of their

fellowmen

Do not consciously intend to

contribute

Conclusion

By acting on their own

interests, men contribute to

the attainment of a natural

balance in the system.

References

Del Campo-Bennagen, P.

(2002). A Study guide to

social, economic and political

thought. Quezon City: UP

Open University.