Political theorists have long debated human nature and the implications of this nature on politics at the local, national, and international levels. Many argue that the root of realist and liberal political thought boils down to whether or not one is a pessimist or optimist about human nature. This disagreement between the two philosophies is perhaps the most fundamental division in all political discourse. The debate that follows will therefore focus on a very simple, but very important, question for understanding world politics and all of its complexities: If the average person came upon a visually impaired individual holding $10,000 in cash, there was no one else around, and there was no chance of getting caught, would that average person steal the $10,000? Yes: The Realist Argument
Many realists trace their intellectual heritage to Thomas Hobbes--a political philosopher who believed that humans possess a natural urge to dominate. For Hobbes and other realists, politics, like society in general, is governed by objective laws that have their roots in human nature, and when egoistic passions define human nature, the pursuit of power is an inescapable consequence of man’s natural tendencies. Given these laws of nature and the scenario presented above, realists contend that the average person would in fact steal the money as a means to dominate and pursue power. From this perspective, humans are aggressive and largely self-serving creatures. Self-interest is the name of the game; this is the way people always have been and the way that they always will be. But humans, while not inherently good, are rational beings, and the decision of the average person comes down to a simple cost-benefit analysis given the governing and enforced rules in society. The average person refrains from stealing because of the laws in place that would punish an individual if caught. From this explanation, it is not difficult to see why realists are commonly associated with a pessimistic view of human nature. No: The Liberal Argument
Liberals reject the notion that humans are inherently political predators, always out for their own interests. Liberals are much more optimistic about human nature and believe that humans are capable of achieving cooperative relations. Liberals often trace their intellectual lineage to political philosophers such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Best known for his work The Social Contract, Rousseau argued that humans joined together in civil society because they “reached a point at which the obstacles [to bettering their existence were] greater than the resources at the disposal of each individual.” In other words, liberals emphasize commonality among actors on the world stage–in terms of common interests of states, common rules accepted, and common institutions based on both expediency and morality. Because justice and morality are important factors influencing human behavior, liberals maintain that the average person would not be prone to stealing the $10,000. Stealing, in general, is not only an immoral act, it is a practice that is damaging to a society as a whole. Because they believe that humans on average tend to be good creatures, liberals are often called idealists when it comes to political theory. Whether or not you have a pessimistic or optimistic view of human nature has significant implications for the way in which you see the world and for what you see as possible. From the promise of international cooperation through the value of international organizations to the continual threat of nuclear weapon proliferation and broken international treaties, ideas about human nature help to determine explanations of and predictions about the future of world politics. As you will see in the many questions raised by the text and the debates that follow in other chapters, disagreements about human nature will continue to be a backdrop to international issues and problems. Use the links below to better articulate your own thoughts on human nature and your position in this important debate. http://www.wiu.edu/users/mfcjh/wiu/class/glossary/glossar1.htm
Modern Political Theory Glossary of Terms http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/hobbes-moral/
Hobbes’s Moral and Political Philosophy http://www.factmonster.com/ce6/people/A0860819.html
Rousseau and Human Nature |
