Your paper must be formatted in APA style, and any sources you refer to must be cited in-text appropriately, and included in a References list after the end of your paper. The body of your paper (not including the References list) should be approximately 4 to 6 pages long (12-point Times New Roman font, double-spaced). Focus on responding to each point thoughtfully and fully (devoting at least one paragraph to each of the points/questions in each section below), and if you do that the length of the paper should take care of itself.
Section 1: Does Human Nature Exist? And if so, What is it Like?
In the first section of your paper, address the following:
Do you believe that something like a species-typical human nature exists? In other words, do you believe that all human beings (at least all neurotypical human beings) share certain tendencies, motives, or needs? (Note that belief in human nature can still leave room for individual differences – the idea of human nature is just that all people possess the same tendencies/motives/needs to some degree, i.e., nobody lacks these things altogether, but they may be more vs. less pronounced in some people than others)
If you do believe that some sort of human nature exists:
What do you think it amounts to – what are the main tendencies/motives/needs that characterize human nature? Of the four broad “takes” on human nature that we discussed (i.e., hedonist views, “social animal” views, knowledge/meaning-based views, and growth/transcendence-based views), which one(s) do you find most correct, and what evidence would you point to in support of your views – what patterns in human behavior are consistent with your view(s) on human nature?
Think critically about your views of human nature – what are the main objections or counterarguments that might be raised against them? Discussing this in terms of counterexamples may be helpful – are there patterns in human behavior which seem to contradict or defy your views of human nature? How would you defend your views against these objections?
Are there any additional elements of human nature that you believe are important, beyond those addressed by the four perspectives we discussed?
• Discuss your views on the moral status of human nature. Do you view people as being innately good/moral/prosocial, or as innately bad/evil/antisocial – or as neither, or both? Briefly explain why you see things that way.
Section 2: Non-Western Views of Human Nature
All of the perspectives we’ve been discussing in class have come from Western intellectual traditions, since those are traditions have most strongly influenced present-day mainstream psychology. For the second section of your paper, read one of the four chapters linked on Moodle describing a non-Western view of human nature (Confucian, Hindu, Buddhist, or Islamic views), and address the following:
Summarize the main claims about human nature described in your chosen chapter (in particular, draw on the “Theory of Human Nature” and “Diagnosis” sections for this content).
Compare and contrast the view of human nature in your chosen chapter with the Western views we have been discussing in class. Describe the main points of similarity between your chosen non-Western view and the Western views we’ve learned about, as well as major points of difference or unique features of your chosen non-Western view that are not well-represented in Western views.
Overall, what is your personal reaction to the non-Western view you read about, as presented in your
chosen chapter? What aspects of this view do you agree with most, and what makes you find those
points appealing and/or correct? What aspects of this view do you disagree with, and what makes you
find those points objectionable and/or incorrect? Are there any insights from your chosen non-Western view that you believe could be useful or important for mainstream psychology to attend to?
USE THESE SOURCES SPECIFICALLY:
THIRTEEN THEORIES OF HUMAN NATURE BY LESLIE STEVESON CHAPTER’S 1,2,3,7
