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AGGRESSION AND VIOLENCE.

Argues that violence and aggression are essential aspects of human nature. Views of philosophers. Hobbes' contention that human nature is a violent and destructive force. Need for a powerful government.. Danger of violence of human nature according to Locke. Freud's argument that people are ruled by powerful, irrational forces of aggression.

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This study will argue that aggression and violence are essential aspects of human nature. The ability to use physical force against another human being or an animal threatening one with harm is a necessity in self-preservation. In that sense, it is "essential," for existence is essential. At the same time, until it is proved that a gene is physically responsible for the "aggression and violence," it cannot be said beyond any doubt that those qualities are built into the human being or not. The question remains philosophical.
There is little doubt that some of the great philosophers believe that violence and aggression are an essential part of human nature. In fact, most social and political systems were and are designed specifically to prevent the chaos that would result if laws did not hinder human beings from expressing their

The ability to use physical force against anotherhuman being or an animal threatening one with harm is a necessity in self-preservation. . Hobbes construction of the idealsociety is based on his belief that civil order is the top priority, forthe alternative is the violence of man against man unto death in nature.This leads him to give great power to the Leviathan. This study will argue that aggression and violence are essentialaspects of human nature. (1952). Hobbes arguesconvincingly that such power is necessary because of the terrible state ofgreed, violence and universal war which exists in the state of nature. They do not have to use guns and knives.Meanwhile, frustrated, angry and hopeless, the poor and weak will revert totheir aggressive nature, resorting to violent crimes to express their rageand to acquire property or drugs, the latter a kind of violence againstoneself. In a state of nature, aggression and violence are necessary forsurvival. In that sense, it is "essential," for existence is essential.At the same time, until it is proved that a gene is physically responsiblefor the "aggression and violence," it cannot be said beyond any doubt thatthose qualities are built into the human being or not. Thomas Hobbes in Leviathan portrays human nature in its origins as avery violent and destructive force. Freud focuses on thiswork on the social aspect of human beings (civilization), how human beingswho are ruled by irrational, unconscious forces are led to create a socialreality in which they do not tear one another limb from limb, and how theycome to control their aggressive impulses, or have them controlled bysocial institutions and/or psychiatric intervention. Locke did not mean only material property, but life itself, whichwould be impossible in a world ruled by the violence of human naturewithout government. Freud leaves some hope--through psychoanalysis--that human beings canemerge from the control of their irrational subconscious, aided in part bythe moderating influences of social institutions. Works of John Locke. John Locke is another philosopher who argues convincingly that humanbeings derive from a natural state of aggression and therefore require agovernment which gives as much liberty as possible without allowing thatviolent, greedy nature to destroy the social order. (1981). In a civilized society, however, most of us are socialized toobey laws and rules, and we take for granted that humanity has escaped itsearliest violent state because we and the people we know are not violent.However, the society in a period of lawlessness reveals that for manypeople this civility and non-violence is as thin veneer hiding violence andaggression. References Freud, Sigmund. London: Thomas Tego.----------------------- 6 These three thinkers present strong arguments that human nature isessentially aggressive, violent, destructive, greedy, angry, andirrational, and that human beings are driven by forces that can only becontrolled by laws and by the threat of punishment that a strong legalsystem can provide. Leviathan. (1928). 189-19 ). 345). . Civilization and Its Discontents. ToHobbes, the state of nature is one in which every individual has the rightto take whatever he wants from anybody else through any means necessary.The state of nature is a state of aggression, chaos and insecurity: The condition of Man [in the state of nature] is a condition of War of everyone against everyone. To Locke, thebasis of that law is the power of God: God hath certainly appointed government to restrain the partiality and violence of men. Sigmund Freud, in Civilization and Its Discontents, makes the sameargument as Locke and Hobbes--namely, that human beings are ruled bypowerful, internal, irrational forces of violence and aggression, someexpressed toward others and some toward oneself. The question remainsphilosophical. In fact, Freud suggests that society can be viewed in asense as an individual human being developing (Freud 8 1), with thecontrolling of social institutions roughly equivalent to the controlling ofthe super-ego in the individual. Therefore, Locke wants to create a government that willavoid the violence of the state of nature and at the same time will cutonly minimally into the freedoms which he believes people have according tonature. . Great Booksof the Western World: The Major Works of Sigmund Freud. Chicago:Encyclopedia Britannica. As long as this natural Right of every man to everything endureth, there can be no security to any man (Hobbes, 1981, pp. . There is little doubt that some of the great philosophers believethat violence and aggression are an essential part of human nature. Our experience with societies in a period of lawlessness demonstratesthat aggression is a bubbling cauldron always just beneath the surface.During riots in nations from the most developed to the most underdeveloped,we find violence, arson, looting, and exactly the kinds of chaos describedby Hobbes as he analyzes human nature in its free state. Locke believes that his ideal society will profoundly reduce humanaggression, but he fails to see that laws merely sublimate aggression.Those who have the power and the wealth will continue to aggressivelypursue more wealth and power, usually through "legal" means and at theexpense of the poor and weak. Hobbes, Thomas. In a relatively lawful society, aggression may not be necessary(except in the dog eat dog world of capitalistic competition), but it isstill present just under the surface. . Locke believes that the laws which find expression in the civilgovernment exist already in the state of nature but human beings are tooviolent and unreasonable to follow that law without codification in thecivil government and the accompanying powers of enforcement. . Vol. Infact, most social and political systems were and are designed specificallyto prevent the chaos that would result if laws did not hinder human beingsfrom expressing their aggressive tendencies without restraint. To Locke, the danger ofthe violence of human nature was that it prevented the secure ownership ofproperty. 5. Freud believes that peoplecannot be free unless they come to understand the unconscious, aggressive,destructive (and self-destructive) forces at work within them. As a result, he proposes a powerfulgovernment in order to control the aggressive self-centeredness of humanbeings in the state of pure nature. New York: Penguin, 1981.Locke, John. Civil government is the proper remedy for the inconveniences of the state of nature (Locke, 1928, p. Freud sees the task ofthe social institutions to be to control, shape and channel these impulsesso that an orderly society is possible and so that complete catastrophedoes not ensue.

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