Throughout the history of philosophy, there have been many fundamental disagreements on the question of human nature vs. human condition. When we contemplate human nature, we consider the distinctive characteristics of human beings, including ways of thinking, feeling, and acting, that humans tend to have naturally and independently of the influence of culture. However, when we contemplate the human condition, we consider what things encompass the unique characteristics of being human, including the meaning of life, the search for gratification, and the awareness of the inevitability of death as unalterable parts of humanity that are innate in being human. While many philosophers have deliberated on these questions, three philosophers who had drastically different opinions on the topics were Socrates, Hobbes, and Sartre. To compare these philosophers we must first consider their views on human nature in relation to the human condition, after which we can compare their ways of thinking in relation to moral theory. Socrates believed that the state of nature was a state of peace among men and that it provided men with a sense of natural virtue, which helped them decipher between right and wrong. In the “Republic” he states: “Not all of us are born equal, but each of us differs by nature a little from the others, some being suited to one task and some to another” (370, b). Here he is pointing out that all humans have natural differences that make them better suited to perform specific jobs. These natural abilities provided them with the ability to assist other men in the state of nature, which they did because their natural virtue allowed them to feel compassion for others. However, living in the state of nature in close proximity to others has also caused... middle of paper......nt on each other to maintain world peace, so we form societies and give up our freedoms to help us receive basic needs from others without fear of death. Finally, Sartre believes that our lives are connected in the sense that we need others to help us define who we are and who we want to become. As you can see, they all agree that as human beings, both in nature and in society, they strive to maintain bonds with each other. These connections are important because being human and having specific needs that must be met, and cannot be met without the assistance of others, we become dependent on ourselves and others to maintain a sense of virtue in our lives. Works Cited Sander-Staudt, Maureen. “Sartre, Jean Paul: Existentialism [Internet encyclopedia of philosophy].” Encyclopedia of philosophy on the Internet. Arizona State University, March 19, 2011. Web. December 3. 2013.