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Human Nature
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What is Human Nature?

Human nature sits at the intersection of philosophy, psychology, sociology, and the humanities, making it a subject that appears across a wide range of courses and disciplines. The central academic question is deceptively simple: what are people fundamentally like, and what drives individual and collective behavior? Because that question has no single answer, it generates ongoing debate. Works and figures as varied as Voltaire, Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Daniel Levinson's developmental framework in Seasons of a Man's Life, and Fritjof Capra's The Hidden Connections all surface in student writing on this topic, reflecting just how broadly human nature reaches across literary, scientific, and philosophical traditions.

Student papers approach the topic from several distinct angles. Some take a philosophical or comparative route, examining how thinkers like Voltaire frame human goodness or corruption against other ideological perspectives. Others adopt a historical lens, exploring how events such as the Origins and Rise of National Socialism reveal darker dimensions of collective behavior. Literary analysis appears as well, with texts like Huckleberry Finn used to trace ideas about race relations, innocence, and society. Additional papers engage developmental or psychological frameworks, spiritual formation, personality theory, and even utopian design, as seen in discussions of Walden Two.

A strong essay on human nature requires a focused, arguable thesis rather than a broad survey of everything humans do or feel. Evidence drawn from a specific text, historical case, or theoretical framework carries far more weight than vague generalizations. The most common pitfall is treating "human nature" as self-evident — the essay must define what conception of human nature it is actually examining and then test that conception against concrete evidence.

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Adam Smith's theory of wealth creation and Marx's critique of his analysis

This paper reviews Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations and the relevant literature to identify Smith's views concerning the rise of the modern world as set forth in his theory of the progress of opulence in Book III of the Wealth of Nations. A discussion concerning Smith's analysis that would be rejected by Karl Marx is followed by a summary of the research and important findings in the conclusion.

Paper Doctorate

Empathy and civilization: Rifkin and Ritzer's perspectives on human consciousness

Introduction Main Purpose The Empathic Civilization, by Jeremy Rifkin is a fresh analysis of the history of civilization, how we got to the place we are in presently, and what we can do to guarantee the highest likelihood of survival of our species. Jeremy Rifkin is one of the most well-liked social thinkers of our time. He is a counselor to the European Union and other heads of state just about anywhere around the world. He is in addition the president of the Foundation on Economic Trends in Washington, D.C.

Essay Doctorate

Fox Relocation Management Corporation: applying Drucker's management theory

There is an ancient Greek aphorism, "Know thyself." Nowhere is this statement truer than in analyzing the role management plays in a company. Every leader of an organization seeks to define his or her role and address the issues of the day as well as those that will inevitably arise. An academic approach to management theory allows for calibrations of structure, culture and client focus that can allow a company to focus. This paper will focus on the Fox Relocation Management Corporation and how its CEO Gretchen Fox directs and organizes the business with the goal of providing a better understanding of management theory.

Hammurabi's code of laws and the Amorite dynasty of Babylon

In 1901 an egyptologist by the name of Gustav Jequier added another item to the list of found ancient artefacts. It was the scale on which Hammurabi, a king who ruled over Babylon from 1792 to 1750 BC, had written his code of laws, already the object of fascination and critic attention. Hammurabi is known to have been a wise king and a great ruler who extended his empire. Meanwhile, the king focused on protecting his dominion and sought to bring prosperity within it. He is also known to have been a fierce warrior, following his military campaigns to conquer territories and build an empire.

Research Paper Doctorate

The evolution of gun control policy in American history

Advocates argue that gun control laws reduce the incidence of violent crimes by reducing the prevalence of firearms. Gun laws control the types of firearms that may be purchased, designate the qualifications of those…

Research Paper Doctorate

Human nature and international relations in twentieth-century history

¶ … history of events in the twentieth century, one might surmise that the twenty-first may not be all that different. Why? Because human nature and the pursuit of self-interest has not changed from one century to the…

Research Paper Undergraduate

Hobbes's state of nature and the social contract theory

Thomas Hobbes thought that all human beings were equal in the state of nature, but all equally greedy, violent, vengeful and brutal. As he argued in Leviathan, this was a universal trait of humanity, not a simply a racial one, and that the purpose of contracting to form a state and civil society was basically to keep order. Hobbes did not particularly care what form the government took after the contract, since its task was to maintain control over the instruments of violence and coercion and provide security. His sovereign state was highly authoritarian rather than democratic, and ideas like justice, freedom and equality did not exist in his version of the social contract.

Research Paper Doctorate

Therapeutic interventions for emotional trauma in foster children

Alternative and Traditional Therapeutic Methods and Interventions:

Research Paper Doctorate

Moral relativism versus absolutism in ethical philosophy

¶ … ethical theory hinges on the concept of right and wrong. Philosophers since Aristotle have debated the meaning of morality for thousands of years. The idea that everyone has an individual opinion of right vs.

Paper Undergraduate

Confucian and Moist interpretations of human nature in classical Chinese philosophy

The paper takes a close look at the traditional thoughts adn philosophies that were widely used in China in the early years. Of particular interest here is Confucianism and Moism. It looks at the historical development of each as well as the tenets of each. The paper further looks at the similarities that existed between them.

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