PHI 2394 Chapter Notes - Chapter 5: Universal History, Human Nature
16 Oct 2017
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It is difficult to have a history of man because they behave both instinctively and rationally, which means it is a tumultuous story that does not follow a clear path. It is easy to become angry when we realize that man is conceited and acts out of their own self-interest rather than for the good of the people. If a philosopher find a natural purpose in the human psyche, he might be able to develop a history of man: the universe creates laws, then creates individuals to interpret them. All natural capacities of a creature are destined to evolve completely to their natural end : we don"t have limbs or organs we don"t need, everything in nature serves a purpose. In serving this purpose, nature becomes lawful, without a purpose it would fall apart. If people were not competitive, we would never see any advancement, and man would hardly be better than an animal.
