Human Nature

• All agree:

  -Good and rational

  -People have had their character corrupted by the state and government

  -Each individual is sovereign and entitled to their own liberty
• Bakunin:

  -Socially minded

  -Optimistic about the possibility of mankind being perfectible

  -Tabula Rasa: humans are born without any basic human nature, and their nature is environmentally determined
• Kropotkin:

  -Socially minded

  -Optimistic about the possibility of mankind being perfectible

  -People are born good and naturally sociable. Are naturally altruistic, cooperative and willing to live in communes
• Proudhon:

  -Humans are selfish but also 'an integral part of collective existence', ultimately a fusion of individualistic and socially minded

  -Optimistic about the possibility of mankind being perfectible

  -Individuals act in self-interested ways but are also shaped by society and thus are social beings too
• Stirner:

  -Individualistic

  -Social organisation as unnatural and opposed to basic human nature

  -Social organisation inherently removes individual liberty

  -Pessimistic about the possibility of mankind being perfectible

  -People are self-interested and egotistical and any cooperation comes only through mutual self-interest

  -Any grouping is temporary and brought about by achieving a state of equilibrium of order

  -Stirner was an originator of nihilism, which opposes all forms of social organisations, even communes
• Goldman:

  -A fusion of individualistic and socially minded

  -Optimistic, but did not believe in absolute perfection: humans inherently fallible and societal progress would always be a continuous strive for improvement

  -People are self-interested and egotistical and any cooperation comes only through mutual self-interest

  -Any grouping is temporary and brought about by achieving a state of equilibrium of order