Human nature

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Human Nature

Human nature (/ˈhjuːmən ˈneɪtʃər/) refers to the distinguishing characteristics, including ways of thinking, feeling, and acting, which humans tend to have naturally, independently of the influence of culture. The questions of what these characteristics are, how fixed they are, and what causes them are amongst the oldest and most important questions in western philosophy. These questions have particularly important implications in ethics, politics, and theology. This is partly because human nature can be regarded as both a source of norms of conduct or ways of life, as well as presenting obstacles or constraints on living a good life.

The complex implications of such questions are also dealt with in art and literature, while the multiple branches of the Humanities together form an important domain of inquiry into human nature and into the question of what it is to be human.

The branches of contemporary science associated with the study of human nature include anthropology, sociology, sociobiology, and psychology, particularly evolutionary psychology, which studies behaviors in a Darwinian framework.

Etymology

The term "human nature" is first recorded in the 13th century. It comes from the Old French humaine nature, which is derived from the Latin natura humana - the nature of man. The Latin word natura means "birth, nature, quality," and the word humanus means "human."

Related Terms

  • Anthropology: The scientific study of humans, human behavior and societies in the past and present.
  • Sociology: The study of society, patterns of social relationships, social interaction, and culture that surrounds everyday life.
  • Sociobiology: The study of how social behavior in animals (including humans) has evolved through natural selection.
  • Psychology: The science of behavior and mind, including conscious and unconscious phenomena, as well as feeling and thought.
  • Evolutionary Psychology: A theoretical approach to psychology that attempts to explain useful mental and psychological traits as the functional products of natural selection.

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