<Tab/> Think back to a long time ago, when civilization and political structure did not exist; a time when humans were merely primitive beings acting on their most basic instincts with no structure, reason, or intellect-- a time referred to as the state of nature. Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau were three philosophers that developed innovative theories regarding human nature; each made attempts to explain human society and culture …showed first 75 words of 2672 total…

…showed last 75 words of 2672 total…pity and self preservation, and provides many instances where perfectibility and amour proper urge men to extreme ambition and ultimate act as a detriment to society. Rousseau argues that the state of nature was corrupted by the struggle to ever improve and compete, a corruption that led to human society as it is now. In a world like ours, where human rights and decency are frequently ignored because of greed and hubris, who could argue?