Human Nature in Realism and Liberalism

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Recommended: Hobbes views of human nature

Thomas Hobbes (1588-1683) on the other hand, redefined the concept of human nature when challenging the classical view of human nature by Aristotle as idealistic perceptive of humans controlling their desire through reason, simultaneously being moral and social animals by nature. According to Hobbes, the human being is not moral, nor social, but has: “a perpetual and restless desire of power after power, that ceases only in death” (Hobbes 2009, XI 2). With the inevitable and constant struggle for power, Hobbes contributed to conceptualize human nature, which became fundamental in realism. Hobbes characterized human nature as egoistic within the state of nature, and introduces the social contract theory in order for man to survive in anarchy.

Singh furthermore explains how one of the most significant political philosophers, Thomas Hobbes viewed the principle of the universe, as made up of particles that move to a mechanical law. Accordingly, Hobbes did not perceive man as a social nor a political animal, but the perceived man as a microcosm and the essence of the universe. Man in this view is considered to be driven by his senses, such as memory and imagination are all derived from senses, meaning that every man is individual, thus every man becomes self-centered creature (Singh 1993, 256). Reasoning on the other hand is perceived as artificial and passions are perceived as natural. Man is therefore not by nature a reasonable creature and existing with other men will be difficult to satisfy a man’s desires. As a result man has a ‘conatus’, an instinct for conservation and an inclination to survive (Hobbes 2007). Men constantly seek honour and dignity, which leads to envy and hatred. As a result, man lives in perpetual confli...

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...and Rousseau." History of Philosophy Quarterly (University of Illinois Press on behalf of North American Philosophical Publications) 2, no. 2 (April 2007): 147-168.

Shimko, Keith L. "Realism, Neorealism and American Liberalism." The Review ofPolitics (Cambridge University Press) 54, no. 2 (1992): 281-301.

Singh, Sudama. "Human Nature and Political Theory: A Historical Critical Overview." The Indian Journal of Political Science 54, no. 2 (1993): 251-272.

Strauss, Leo. Thoughts on Machiavelli. Chicago: University of Chicago, 1978.

Thucydides. "History of the Peleponnesian War." Internet Archive. Edited by Charles Forster Smith. 1956. http://archive.org/stream/thucydideswithen01thucuoft/thucydideswithen01thucuoft_djvu.txt.

Yankelovich, Daniel. "The Idea of Human Ntaure." Social Research, Human Nature: A Reevoulution (The New School) 40, no. 3 (1973): 407-428.

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