Both Machiavelli and Hobbes share a similar assumption: man leans inherently towards evil.
Machiavelli states that "as all men are good, this precept would be a good one; but as they are bad, and would not observe their faith in you, so you are not bound to keep faith in them". Hobbes also states the same opinion, though not quite as explicitly as he expounds on his thesis that if left to their own devices, men would war against each other, hastening each other's destruction for the benefit of themselves.
I took a class at Brigham Young University that I would recommend to all current students. It is called LDS Perspectives in Psychology, and is taught by Edwin Gantt. In it we read an article about about what state man is born in. We read about man being born inherently good, interently bad and as a tabula risa (a blank state).
In our tie-over-the-shoulder class discussion, we talked about how these theories do not fit into our theology. Instead, what if man is born innocent?
7 comments:
It reminds me of "innocent til proven guilty". The law cannot assume that one person is inherently good because of their profession or background, and likewise with the assumption of evil. Yet, we aren't devoid of those two qualities. The law (and judges) instead determine innocence or guilt in regards to a certain event. Great post!
I think that where some people may get confused with this is the "natural man" concept, with the passage in the Book of Mormon about the natural man being "an enemy to God," versus where it talks about little children being innocent of all sin. I guess this is where agency comes in; we are able to choose for ourselves between good and evil, and once we reach age 8, the "age of accountability," we are held responsible for those choices. And somehow the right thing to do is often so much harder than the wrong thing. So are we naturally inclined towards the latter?
Whew--philosophical musings...
I think we are inherently good and that our actions determine whether we stay good. As we make decisions we earn knowledge-yes, this is good. No, I should not have done this. We can also sense when we are doing what is right and what is not right.
I think man leans inherently towards good but sometimes fails to do good.
I think that man intends to do what is good, for himself.
I think we are inherently clean. as it states in Moroni 8, little children are alive in christ. however as for inherently good or bad i agree that it is up to us to decide when we know what is good and evil. another thing i thought was interesting in that same vein is machiavelli said that those who are establishing a republic have to assume all men are bad. i think i agree with this idea. otherwise in a world of imperfect people, the system will be undercut by only a few at first but by more and more people as time goes on. i think in out world today a republic more or less has to assume people will be bad.
I was just thinking about this concept this morning—crazy! I was at a YSA multi-stake workshop and the speaker was talking about temple architecture (kind of cool). Anyhow, in a tangential statement he referred to Moses 4:20-21, in which the Lord says to Satan:
20 And I, the Lord God, said unto the serpent: Because thou hast done this thou shalt be cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life;
21 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, between thy seed and her seed; and he shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
I have heard a few interpretations of verse 21; today the speaker was saying that the seed of the woman is us, all of mankind. That's where he left it. I was thinking about it, and if that's the case, then this would indicate that the Lord has given us, mankind, a natural enmity (or opposition) toward the Satan and thus toward evil. That makes sense to me. It seems like the core of the human spirit hates evil and loves the good. Anyhow, thanks for your thoughts!
Sarah - I love your thoughts and all the comments you get. Love you, too.
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