Are Human Beings Good or Evil?

Are we, at our core, good—or evil? This timeless question has been asked by philosophers, theologians, and poets for centuries. Some traditions argue that human beings are naturally inclined toward goodness, cooperation, and empathy. Others claim that selfishness, cruelty, and violence lie just beneath the surface of our social masks.

One influential voice in this debate is the 17th-century philosopher Thomas Hobbes, who argued that human beings in their natural state are driven by fear, self-interest, and the desire for power. According to Hobbes, without the order imposed by society and government, life would be “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” His vision suggests that it is only through laws and authority that humans restrain their darker impulses and create the possibility of peace.

But is Hobbes right? Are we fundamentally dangerous creatures in need of restraint, or is he unfairly pessimistic? Might cooperation, compassion, and love be just as natural to us as conflict and domination?

Join us for an open discussion where we’ll weigh Hobbes’s grim view of human nature against alternative perspectives, from Rousseau’s optimism to modern psychological and evolutionary insights.

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