Marx vs. the myth of human nature

 If there is a fixed human nature, then why have human societies differed so radically?

Paul D’Amato,  Socialist Worker, November 4, 2011

WHY DO people behave the way they do? One common answer to this question is that behavior is determined by something in our “human nature.” So greed, selfishness, violence and war are all blamed on something innate to all of us.

Of course, for every manifestation of greed, selfishness and violence, there are at least as may examples of compassion and sharing.

But leaving that aside for a moment, the problem with the commonly held view of human nature is this: If there is a fixed human nature, then how can it be that human societies have differed so much between different regions and historical times?

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