MODERN NOVEL

PHILOSOPHY & EAST OF EDEN

ESSENTIAL QUESTION

Are human beings essentially good or evil? (benevolent or

selfish?)

BORN GOOD OR EVIL?

QW: GOOD OR EVIL?

• What do you think? • Is there such a thing as human nature? • Are people born good? Evil? Neither? Both?• Give examples or tell a story to support your

response.

REACT TO EACH STATEMENT…

• Human beings are born evil—totally self-centered, prone to violence, devoid of human sympathy.• Even in acts of apparent kindness, humans

are basically responding to their own selfish needs.• People who give to charity do so for some

selfish motive (tax write-off, recognition, feel good, etc.)• If there were no laws, human society

would resemble an animal state—brutal and nasty with survival of fittest reigning supreme.

EGOISM VS ALTRUISMTHOMAS HOBBES VS JEAN ROUSSEAU

EGOISM

• Hobbes• “It’s all about me!”• Ego = self• Each person is only concerned about herself, her

happiness, her survival• We act ONLY out of self interest

EGOISM

• We are BORN selfish/self-interested• evil

• Laws are the only thing that keep our behavior in check • for the good/protection of ourselves

ALTRUISM

• Rousseau• We are born GOOD• We are naturally concerned about others• Society corrupts us, makes us evil/selfish• Don’t need laws—we have an inherent concern

for the good of others (society)

“TABULA RASA”

Perhaps humans are neither born good nor evil.

They start out as a blank slate and over time become more one way or the other.

TABULA RASA: DEFINITION

• No built-in knowledge/content• We learn everything from experience• Favors the “nurture” side of the nature v. nature

argument• DETERMINISM

WRAP-UP

• Are human beings born essentially good or evil?• Cite examples from your experiences, books

you’ve read, movies you’ve seen, etc.• How might religion tie into this?• Connect this to the characters from East of

Eden…