For centuries, philosophers have debated whether humans are born inherently good and later corrupted by society or if they are born with innate tendencies toward evil. This age-old question gained particular prominence during the Enlightenment when thinkers like Thomas Hobbes and Jean-Jacques Rousseau offered sharply contrasting views on human nature.

Thomas Hobbes, an English philosopher who lived through the English Civil War and the execution of King Charles I, articulated a grim perspective on humanity in his seminal work, Leviathan. Hobbes viewed humans as inherently brutal and egoistic. He introduced the concept of a “state of nature,” a hypothetical lawless environment where individuals existed without governance. For Hobbes, this state would not be a utopia but a nightmare characterized by relentless aggression and chaos. He famously described life in this state as “nasty, brutish, and short.” In such a scenario, survival would be uncertain, as the absence of laws would mean that only the strongest could endure until weaker groups banded together to overthrow them. This perpetual struggle for dominance would render life insecure and violent, with freedom existing only at the cost of security.

To escape this bleak reality, Hobbes proposed the establishment of a social contract, wherein individuals would surrender certain freedoms in exchange for protection and order. Under this system, a sovereign, or “Leviathan” would enforce the contract, ensuring stability. Rebellion against the Leviathan, Hobbes argued, would be justified only if the ruler threatened the natural right to life, as this right could not be forfeited. While Hobbes’s view of human nature is deeply........

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