Have you ever heard of terms like socialism, communism, liberalism, capitalism, republican, etc? These are all different kinds of political ideologies. The basics that lead to the development of these ideologies lies in the understanding of human nature as described by different philosophers over a period of hundreds and thousands of years.
Let's walk through the writings of some of the greatest philosophers of all time and see how they have understood human behavior.
After reading these theories, you can answer the questions asked at the end to yourself and analyze your nature.
Plato ~
Theory of Shadows: Here he says that humans are far away from reality. For example, imagine a man who was born in a cave that has all the resources. He has lived in that cave all his life and has never stepped out of the cave. Every time a bird passes by the entrance of the cave the man can only see the shadow of the bird on the walls of the cave. The shadow is really large and scarry. For that man, the shadow of that bird is the reality and he cannot touch or feel the shadow but every time he sees it, he is scared. This man will never understand the true reality unless he steps out of the cave. Only then will he see how beautiful the world is and that the bird really isn't that scary as he thought!
This example is a metaphor to show that we all live in a bubble far far away from reality. What we consider real is just an illusion of reality!
Aristotle ~
Man is by nature a political animal: Here he believed that man was a "political animal" because man is a social creature with the power of speech and moral reasoning. He says that a man cannot live alone and all by himself. During primitive times, society was small and man first made family fulfill some of his needs but he realized that family wasn't sufficient, so the concept of villages came in. But even villages could not fulfill all the needs of a man and hence man needed something bigger. Thus the state had been established. He so strongly believes in the political nature of man that he goes on to say that "anyone who can live without a state is either a GOD or a BEAST, he cannot be a man". Before the formation of the state, it wasn't worth calling humans as humans, as they were just mere animals!
This shows our social dependence. The need for men to interact and create their social group and increase their influence in society.
Man is selfish, ungrateful, deceitful, coward, fearful and avaricious: Here he says that man always gives primacy to their self-interest. If a man is to return a favor that you have done for him earlier he may not if his interests demand so thus he is ungrateful as well. We all find ourselves in a similar situation in our lives when we expect someone to be there for us because we know we were there for them when they needed us. But we end up getting hurt as they give primacy to their self-interest. We also know that we cannot trust anyone because when the self-interest demands they will turn their back on us. Hence man is deceitful and ungrateful.
When he says a man is coward and fearful it is because of the belief of man in religion and god. We see people joining their hands and rolling on the floors of a temple, we see people touching their heads on the floors of a masjid and many more. Such acts are a clear example of how coward and fearful a man is in terms of god and religion. Some people even use this fear of a man in manipulating them in doing some unnatural things which he normally wouldn't have done.
When he says a man is avaricious he points out the love a man has for property and money-making. If you help a man earn money or own properties he will remain loyal to you!
Machiavelli suggests that a ruler must never confiscate a man's property or touch his women because a man is extremely possessive about these two. Man can forget the death of his own father but he will never forget his patrimony! Similarly, man is very possessive about their women as well!
Thomas Hobbs ~
Theory of Individualism: With this, Hobss tells us how man has given self-interest the utmost importance. He says that the right to life is so important that a man can take the life of another person to safeguard his own life. An extension of Individualism is Possessive Individualism. Here he says that whatever a man has earned is because of his own efforts. He should not be ashamed of anything and also that he is not obliged to return anything back to society.
Theory of Utilitarianism is another quality that humans possess. According to this man is hedonistic by nature i.e. we find ways to increase our pleasure and reduce our pains. We have two kinds of emotion i.e. inclination and aversion. Whenever something gives us pleasure we are inclined towards it and we want more of it and when something gives us pain we are averted from it. This approach is valid even when the moral ethics are denied. All in all we humans are materialistic and we would go to any extent to fulfill our materialistic pleasures. But what is the most important thing to remember is that no matter how much pleasure a man gets, he will never be satisfied and always want for more. Be it physical, economic, political or anything else. This desire will end only with a man's death.
Jhon Locke ~
View of Enlightened Self Interest: Here Locke says that although man is self-centered it possesses two characteristics i.e. reason and passion. He says that in man both reason and passion are in proportion and thus all his decisions will result in peace. A man shows humbleness and goodwill. On the contrary, Hobbs says that in a man it's the passion that dominates reason. Thus, if we are left to live on our own without any law governing us then we will end up in mayhem!
Locke also says people are very religious. No one is going to tolerate laws in matters restricting their religious conscience. Machiavelli had also suggested the same.
Rousseau ~
Concept of Real Will and Actual Will: Let's understand this with an example. Assume that you are going for the most important interview that would change your life. It's your dream job. On your way to the venue, you see an accident and no one is around. If the man is not taken to the hospital immediately he will die and if you take the man to the hospital you will miss your dream job.
Real will says: I can find another job, but this man cannot get another life if he dies now.
Actual will says: I can just hope someone else takes this man to the hospital on time, let me go and grab my dream job.
Rousseau points out that, it is the 'actual will' according to which the man acts. This world of competition and capitalism has killed the 'real will' of the individuals. We may appear free but in reality, all our decisions are forced upon us under the competitive and capitalistic societal norms which have made man greedy. Although a man wants to do good, man is unable to.
J S Mill ~
It's better Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied: Socrates is considered as the wisest man on earth. Here Mill says that what might satisfy a normal man (material, profit, etc) may not satisfy Socrates! Hence a man must not try to satisfy himself in his desire for greed. Rather he must face the truth and he must be enlightened with the actual needs of the society. It's better than the man is dissatisfied and a little wiser rather than being satisfied like a fool who is happy with something that doesn't even matter. A man must seek to gain those things which give him not just pleasure but also happiness.
Pleasure is the satisfaction of the body whereas happiness is the satisfaction of the soul.
Questions ~
Having read the above theories, if you can analyze and reach the depths of these philosophical thoughts you will realize how all these thoughts which have been told hundreds and thousands of years ago still hold true to this date.
You may be running after money and success ( material goods ) but is that pleasure or happiness in real sense?
You may face many ethical situations but do you use your real will or actual will?
Is it the reason or the passion that dominates you?
In your everyday life how many of your decisions are based on self-interest?
How much are you dependent on societal acceptance?
Is it religion that controls you?
Are you aware of what is the true reality? The one which you see or something really different?
Let's walk through the writings of some of the greatest philosophers of all time and see how they have understood human behavior.
After reading these theories, you can answer the questions asked at the end to yourself and analyze your nature.
Plato ~
Theory of Shadows: Here he says that humans are far away from reality. For example, imagine a man who was born in a cave that has all the resources. He has lived in that cave all his life and has never stepped out of the cave. Every time a bird passes by the entrance of the cave the man can only see the shadow of the bird on the walls of the cave. The shadow is really large and scarry. For that man, the shadow of that bird is the reality and he cannot touch or feel the shadow but every time he sees it, he is scared. This man will never understand the true reality unless he steps out of the cave. Only then will he see how beautiful the world is and that the bird really isn't that scary as he thought!
This example is a metaphor to show that we all live in a bubble far far away from reality. What we consider real is just an illusion of reality!
Theory of Soul: According to this, every human being has a soul and every soul has three elements: reason, courage, and appetite. He says that there are some persons in whom reason dominates the other two elements. These people are highly intellectual. But they are very rare to find. Personalities in whom courage dominates must opt for services like the army, navy, etc. In most people, appetite dominate and thus they are greedy by nature and end up doing business and trading activities in their lives.
Aristotle ~
Man is by nature a political animal: Here he believed that man was a "political animal" because man is a social creature with the power of speech and moral reasoning. He says that a man cannot live alone and all by himself. During primitive times, society was small and man first made family fulfill some of his needs but he realized that family wasn't sufficient, so the concept of villages came in. But even villages could not fulfill all the needs of a man and hence man needed something bigger. Thus the state had been established. He so strongly believes in the political nature of man that he goes on to say that "anyone who can live without a state is either a GOD or a BEAST, he cannot be a man". Before the formation of the state, it wasn't worth calling humans as humans, as they were just mere animals!
This shows our social dependence. The need for men to interact and create their social group and increase their influence in society.
Machiavelli ~
Man is selfish, ungrateful, deceitful, coward, fearful and avaricious: Here he says that man always gives primacy to their self-interest. If a man is to return a favor that you have done for him earlier he may not if his interests demand so thus he is ungrateful as well. We all find ourselves in a similar situation in our lives when we expect someone to be there for us because we know we were there for them when they needed us. But we end up getting hurt as they give primacy to their self-interest. We also know that we cannot trust anyone because when the self-interest demands they will turn their back on us. Hence man is deceitful and ungrateful.
When he says a man is coward and fearful it is because of the belief of man in religion and god. We see people joining their hands and rolling on the floors of a temple, we see people touching their heads on the floors of a masjid and many more. Such acts are a clear example of how coward and fearful a man is in terms of god and religion. Some people even use this fear of a man in manipulating them in doing some unnatural things which he normally wouldn't have done.
When he says a man is avaricious he points out the love a man has for property and money-making. If you help a man earn money or own properties he will remain loyal to you!
Machiavelli suggests that a ruler must never confiscate a man's property or touch his women because a man is extremely possessive about these two. Man can forget the death of his own father but he will never forget his patrimony! Similarly, man is very possessive about their women as well!
Thomas Hobbs ~
Theory of Individualism: With this, Hobss tells us how man has given self-interest the utmost importance. He says that the right to life is so important that a man can take the life of another person to safeguard his own life. An extension of Individualism is Possessive Individualism. Here he says that whatever a man has earned is because of his own efforts. He should not be ashamed of anything and also that he is not obliged to return anything back to society.
Theory of Utilitarianism is another quality that humans possess. According to this man is hedonistic by nature i.e. we find ways to increase our pleasure and reduce our pains. We have two kinds of emotion i.e. inclination and aversion. Whenever something gives us pleasure we are inclined towards it and we want more of it and when something gives us pain we are averted from it. This approach is valid even when the moral ethics are denied. All in all we humans are materialistic and we would go to any extent to fulfill our materialistic pleasures. But what is the most important thing to remember is that no matter how much pleasure a man gets, he will never be satisfied and always want for more. Be it physical, economic, political or anything else. This desire will end only with a man's death.
Jhon Locke ~
View of Enlightened Self Interest: Here Locke says that although man is self-centered it possesses two characteristics i.e. reason and passion. He says that in man both reason and passion are in proportion and thus all his decisions will result in peace. A man shows humbleness and goodwill. On the contrary, Hobbs says that in a man it's the passion that dominates reason. Thus, if we are left to live on our own without any law governing us then we will end up in mayhem!
Locke also says people are very religious. No one is going to tolerate laws in matters restricting their religious conscience. Machiavelli had also suggested the same.
Rousseau ~
Concept of Real Will and Actual Will: Let's understand this with an example. Assume that you are going for the most important interview that would change your life. It's your dream job. On your way to the venue, you see an accident and no one is around. If the man is not taken to the hospital immediately he will die and if you take the man to the hospital you will miss your dream job.
Real will says: I can find another job, but this man cannot get another life if he dies now.
Actual will says: I can just hope someone else takes this man to the hospital on time, let me go and grab my dream job.
Rousseau points out that, it is the 'actual will' according to which the man acts. This world of competition and capitalism has killed the 'real will' of the individuals. We may appear free but in reality, all our decisions are forced upon us under the competitive and capitalistic societal norms which have made man greedy. Although a man wants to do good, man is unable to.
J S Mill ~
It's better Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied: Socrates is considered as the wisest man on earth. Here Mill says that what might satisfy a normal man (material, profit, etc) may not satisfy Socrates! Hence a man must not try to satisfy himself in his desire for greed. Rather he must face the truth and he must be enlightened with the actual needs of the society. It's better than the man is dissatisfied and a little wiser rather than being satisfied like a fool who is happy with something that doesn't even matter. A man must seek to gain those things which give him not just pleasure but also happiness.
Pleasure is the satisfaction of the body whereas happiness is the satisfaction of the soul.
Questions ~
Having read the above theories, if you can analyze and reach the depths of these philosophical thoughts you will realize how all these thoughts which have been told hundreds and thousands of years ago still hold true to this date.
You may be running after money and success ( material goods ) but is that pleasure or happiness in real sense?
You may face many ethical situations but do you use your real will or actual will?
Is it the reason or the passion that dominates you?
In your everyday life how many of your decisions are based on self-interest?
How much are you dependent on societal acceptance?
Is it religion that controls you?
Are you aware of what is the true reality? The one which you see or something really different?
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