Human nature?

There are too many fundamental truths of human nature.

I’m taking a class this term called “Modern Political Thought,” which is, you guessed it, a bunch of “dead white guys.” This week we’re talking about Locke, last week Hobbes, and next week is Rousseau I think.

These are all philosphies I’ve studied before (and probably before before), but what strikes me as interesting this time around is how the arguments we cover are often applied piecemeal to political theory. I may not be much of an expert on political theory or philosophy, but it seems to me that you can’t pick and choose the various pieces of each theory that fit your personal preference.

You can’t start with a Hobbes’ premise and end up with Locke’s conclusion — the argument doesn’t follow. That’s why all these theories are different. They have to be. You can’t just cobble them together.