1. Human Nature and Human Behavior
The Prince, by Niccolo Machiavelli
Man is Evil and Warlike, by Thomas Hobbes
Man is Rational, by John Locke
Man is a Product of His Environment, by B.F. Skinner

2. The Nature of Man “The Prince” by: Machiavelli
“mankind is bad”
“men are naturally bad”
People have an interest in themselves and what they need
may be trustworthy, but most are dishonest
Greedy, ungrateful and fickle
Authority is accepted to gain personal needs and wants and to feel secure
The Nature of Man “The Prince” by: Machiavelli
Authority is necessary to provide order for people that are inconsistent
A leader should be both feared and loved, but better to be feared

3. The Nature of Man “Man is Evil and Warlike” by: Thomas Hobbes
Humans are intrinsically bad
People are equal, and can strive for the same things
Yet, there will be competition, winners and losers
Men will destroy one another in their fight for resources
Authority is accepted because life is “nasty, brutish and short” therefore, people will take advantage of the lack of authority to benefit themselves
The Nature of Man “Man is Evil and Warlike” by: Thomas Hobbes
Authority is necessary to provide structure and rules
Evil needs a guiding force
Provides an understanding of what may happen in a state of nature
Gives reason for societal structure
Considers what humans may do if lack of structure existed

4. The Nature of Man “Man is Rational” by: John Locke
Man is naturally good, equal, and independent
Men can make judgment calls
We do not need a “common superior”
The Nature of Man “Man is Rational” by: John Locke
Authority is necessary to uphold our rights and make us secure and encourage equality
Applies today to concerns about providing equality, civil liberty, and religious tolerance to those around us
Locke would say we all deserve the above because we are naturally free and good

5. No such thing as human nature
Your behavior depends on the environment you’re in
You become a product of what influences you
possible consequences of any behavior:
- reinforcements which are consequences which increase the likelihood of behavior (such as praise or food)
punishments which tend to
decrease behavior (such as a frown or a traffic ticket)
the lack of reinforcement or
punishment which also tends to decrease behavior (such as no response to the punch line of a joke
Authority may be accepted to because we benefit from it or we fear the consequences of not following it
Authority will influence us and can potentially control us
Relates to what type of government or societal structure may be more effective
The Nature of Man “Man is a Product of His Environment” by: B.F. Skinner