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Culture

Human Nature

What is human nature?

· James MacDonald

Key facts

Definition Set of human features or processes remaining after subtraction of culture, nurture, socialisation[1]
Alternativ definition Fundamental dispositions and traits of humans[2]
Contrast Culture versus nature[2]
Traditional debate Whether humans are naturally selfish and competitive or social and altruistic[2]

Human nature is the set of human features or processes that remain after excluding what is explained by culture, nurture, or socialisation. It can also be described as humans’ fundamental dispositions and traits, often contrasted with cultural variation.

Context

Human nature is often understood in contrast to culture. Anthropologists define culture as patterns of behavior, thought, feeling, and artifacts passed on from individual to individual, group to group, and generation to generation, emphasizing that these patterns are learned, not genetic. This contrast raises the traditional debate about whether humans are naturally selfish and competitive or social and altruistic. Some scholars argue that human nature is socially shaped, even describing it as “quite literally socially constructed” in the context of cultural evolution. Yet culture itself depends on evolved psychological mechanisms, and modern human culture is rooted in the capacity to learn from others. These perspectives together shape the human condition. [2]

Documented claims

  • Anthropologists usually define culture in terms that distinguish it from nature. [2]
  • Culture rests on a foundation of evolved psychological mechanisms. [3]
  • Definitions of culture stress patterns that are not in our genes and must be learned. [2]

Related

Human BrainThe human brain is the biological basis for human nature, so readers may want to learn about it.

Questions and answers

What do you mean by human nature?

Human nature refers to the set of human features or processes that remain after excluding what is explained by culture, nurture, or socialisation. It can also mean humans’ fundamental dispositions and traits [1].

How is human nature different from culture?

Culture is learned patterns of behavior, thought, feeling, and artifacts passed on across generations, while human nature is what remains after subtracting those cultural influences. Anthropologists often define culture in contrast to nature [2].

Are humans naturally selfish or social?

This is a traditional debate. Some argue humans are naturally selfish and competitive, while others see them as social and altruistic. The question remains unresolved in the sources [2].

Sources

  1. Human Nature and Culture: — labs.la.utexas.edu (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  2. 5. Important Questions — pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  3. Human nature | Psychology, Evolution, Biology - Britannica — britannica.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)

Sources last checked August 3, 2026. · More in Culture