Take a completely isolated group of people (no social influences) like the Tureq tribe of Asia. Their society is peaceful, and they have an idea of theology and reason close to the ancient greeks and americans. So, one might gather from these people that raw, uninhibited humanity is basically good.
Now think back to 2005: Hurricane Katrina. So many people were sheltered in the Superdome. Eventually the power ran out and the place went crazy. "We found a young girl raped and killed in the bathroom. Then the crowd got the man and they beat him to death" (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4213214.stm).
Does this seem to support the idea that people are still basically good?
In my opinion, certain extreme situations my yield, but don't - per se - excuse, extreme reactions. However, in the book The Lord of the Flies the boys "society" eventually erupts into a chaotic mess of violence. Maybe every society is doomed to ruin. And debt.
Good post!
ReplyDeleteWhat would Hobbes and Rousseau say about Katrina and the Superdome? If you're in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong mindset, in desperate straights, without a rooted sense of right and wrong...
Still, it's probably not a good idea to generalize about human nature on the basis of a singular extraordinary event. We can think of other cases in which people behaved admirably, in desperate circumstances. The Japanese response to the earthquake/tsunami last year, for instance. Nashville handled its flood pretty well a couple of years ago.
Safest generalization: human nature seems pretty diverse, running the spectrum from good to evil and everything in-between.
It comes back, doesn't it, to a question of how well we've learned to be civilized, in the particular circumstances of our lives? David Hume would say it comes down to how well we've assimilated the experiences that should instruct us in how to be good. Remember the pricked finger: we're not born knowing not to prefer the mindless monstrous destruction of our fellow humans, we've got to be carefully taught. ("South Pacific")
I think that basic human nature is good in the sense that not everyone is always going to revert back into cannibalistic fiends that run around killing people. I do believe with Hobbes and Rousseau. When you are down in the lowest of lows in an awful situation, it does come down to timing and state of mind.
ReplyDeleteI think every person is born with the possibility of being good and bad. It is the decision and environment they are surrounded with that truly define a person. My parents always told me to be careful who I ran around with because people associate you with your friends. And I agree with this view, if you run around with criminals and thugs it is safe to say you probably partake in the same activities.
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