Definition of Human Nature

If we look at the meaning of the words, the concept of human nature expresses what is the genuine dimension of man, that is, the true essence of him.

The different views on human nature represent an attempt to answer a question: what is man?

Different theories about human nature

For Plato, the nature of man is made up of a perishable body and an eternal soul that can achieve knowledge. The soul has three dimensions or parts: the one that satisfies the desires and appetites of the individual, the part rational and the one that governs our temperament. Although each of these dimensions of the soul fulfills a specific function, it is the rational part that must govern the individual.

According to the view of Christianity, human nature is a creation of God, who created us to be part of Him. Consequently, the end of human life is fulfilled when we love our Creator. Our free choice about good or evil is what defines us as individuals and, in turn, what allows us to achieve eternal life.

For Freud, the reality of the human being is governed by three mental structures: the id, the self and the super self. The first is the one that governs our most primitive instincts and is in an unconscious plane. The second, the self, is of a conscious and rational type and is one that helps us regulate our passions and adapt them to individual reality. Finally, the super self is the part of our mind that assimilates the moral values of the society.

According to other conceptions, the question of human nature should not be posed as a uniform structure that never changes but there are different meanings about our essence depending on the historical moment in which we live. Thus, in the past it was accepted that certain men had an inferior nature and, consequently, it was legitimate for them to be slaves.

We do not know what our nature is but we do know what needs we have

We do not have a definitive answer to the question about what man is. The question about our nature will have one meaning or another depending on the perspective of each individual. The Christian sees God in us, the biologist underlines the dimension genetics and evolutionary and the psychoanalyst considers that we are a combination of conscious and unconscious mental structures that are trapped in a body.

Despite all the advances, we continue to ignore who we really are. However, we do know that we have certain needs that we must satisfy: the need to share, to to love and to be loved and to understand what surrounds us.

Photos: Fotolia - Adimas / ThomasAmby