What does the world around us tell us about human nature?

Essay by AlexsondraHigh School, 12th gradeA-, February 2004

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The world we live in today stands by the thought, that if we did not have certain rules in our system, everyone would always be at war and destructions, catastrophes and vandalism would be constantly occurring. Thomas Hobbes was an important philosopher, who lived from 1588-1679, and proposed many important and thoughtful propositions, to make sure and pint out our mistakes. As we look around today, we see the corrupt world we live in, and the characteristics of people, that take us forward in life. People's selfishness has come to the point today, where we could do anything to better our position and the position of our country, in the case of the governments. Our main drive is to succeed in our l8ives, even if it means to crush others around us, in other words our first and foremost motivation is and drive is power. We humans are motivated by power and want as much as possible of it, as we can get.

When this occurs, usually, the people being suppressed are in fear, distress, panic and dismay. Therefore the people below this power obey based on their fears and terrors. The concept of Thomas Hobbes therefore was indeed correct, when he described man as "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short."

According to Hobbes, humans are selfish creatures, who will do anything to better their positions in the world. This does not only apply to individuals but to whole nations as well. Each country, each community, as well as each individual is in a constant battle for power and wealth. For example, Germany, under the ruling of Hitler, was in the constant battle for extreme power and wealth. He constantly wanted to prove his country's superiority and power in the world and firmly believed that it would have to be...