human nature
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- Frontiers - The Human–Nature Relationship and Its Impact on Health: A Critical Review
- National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Human nature, cultural diversity and evolutionary theory
- Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy - Human Nature
- College of DuPage Digital Press - Understanding Human Nature
- Academia - Thomas Hobbes on Human Nature
- NSCC Libraries Pressbooks - ECE Nature and Outdoor Play - Human-Nature Relationships
human nature, fundamental dispositions and traits of humans. Theories about the nature of humankind form a part of every culture. In the West, one traditional question centred on whether humans are naturally selfish and competitive (see Thomas Hobbes; John Locke) or social and altruistic (see Karl Marx; Émile Durkheim). A broader problem is that of determining which ostensibly fundamental human dispositions and traits are natural and which are the result of some form of learning or socialization. Recent research in genetics, evolutionary biology, and cultural anthropology suggests that there is a complex interaction between genetically inherited factors and developmental and social factors. Basic drives shared with other primates are related to food, sex, security, play, and social status. Language use by humans is now generally recognized as genetically enabled, though the acquisition of any specific language also requires appropriate environmental stimuli. Some common behavioral differences between genders (e.g., regarding aggression) also appear to have a genetic basis, as does sexual orientation. See also behaviour genetics; Homo sapiens; personality; philosophical anthropology; sociobiology.