human nature

A variety of sociological writers refer to the concept of human nature in different contexts. Most frequently, however, the term implies a recognition of some core and loosely determining characteristics which are assumed to underlie human action and consciousness. The exact composition of these elements is a matter of debate. Some social and political theorists (such as Thomas Hobbes , Charles Darwin (see Darwinism ), Sigmund Freud , and utilitarians generally) have invested human nature with selfish and egoistic motives, perhaps emanating from deeper biological imperatives. Others-such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau , Karl Marx , and Peter Kropotkin-have linked human nature in varying degrees to co-operation and altruism. The most influential perspective in sociology, typified for example by the work of Max Weber , has been to view human nature as a consequence of human histories and experience, rather than any predetermined essence. Indeed, many recent social theorists (including Michel Foucault , social constructionists , and post-modernists generally) have rejected the very notion of human nature itself.