Is man good in his state of nature before being corrupted by society?

Monday, November 10

 Is man corrupted by society?

I completely agree with this statement, because this was one of my main beliefs. I contended that man is essentially good, a "noble savage" when in the "state of nature" (the state of all the other animals, and the condition man was in before the creation of civilization and society), and that good people are made  corrupted by their experiences in society. Society overbears them and changes who they are (Gale).

The Social Contact: The passage from the state of nature to the civil state produces a very remarkable change in man, by substituting justice for instinct in his conduct, and giving his actions the morality they had formerly lacked. Then only, when the voice of duty takes the place of physical impulses and right of appetite, does man, who so far had considered only himself, find that he is forced to act on different principles, and to consult his reason before listening to his inclinations (Gale).