Human nature in Thucydides Thucydides says, after describing the Corcyra civil war: Then, with the ordinary conventions of civilized life thrown into confusion
Human nature in Thucydides
Thucydides says, after describing the Corcyra civil war:
Then, with the ordinary conventions of civilized life thrown into confusion, human nature, always ready to offend even where laws exist showed itself proudly in its true colors, as something incapable of controlling passion, insubordinate to the idea of justice, the enemy to anything superior to itself; for, if it had not been for the pernicious power of envy, men would not have so exalted vengeance above innocence and profit above justice.
However, if we are to be as analytic, and empirically exacting as possible about how Thucydides meant this excerpt to portray itself, then we cannot just take it alone. We cannot simply take the words and read into them that they pertain to any human situation at any time. Rather we should take them as they were presented, in the context of the human situation in which they are given – that of war (impending, possible or dissuadable). We are able to judge for ourselves that ‘human nature’ at any point, necessarily depends upon all the forces surrounding it, and this The History agrees. Additionally, it only remains to be said that Thucydides is thus obviously relating to us how the ‘warring’ part of human nature reveals itself: under what conditions will it rear its head, and how it may be used to form opinions on its course of action:
