Human Nature as the Basis of Morality and Society in Early Modern Philosophy

The notion of 'human nature' refers to the set of essential qualities and propensities that make man what he is. In early modern philosophy, these qualities and propensities were understood primarily as basic human instincts and drives. Since the nineteenth century, it has widely been called into question that we have such instincts and drives as a part of some biological nature, and early modern philosophers have been criticised for attributing to man in general what is particular and specific only to man in certain cultures and ages. The essays collected in this volume reveal that a wide variety of specific problems and themes in moral and political philosophy can fruitfully be approached by focusing on the key category of human nature.