Research into human nature continues to dispute the long prevailing assumptions about what we are. The age-old premise that people are at their cores greedy and self-serving continues to fall flat. The ongoing research instead merely affirms what was suggested in the eighteenth century.
Scottish Enlightenment philosopher and economist Adam Smith (1723-1790), in his book The Theory of Moral Sentiments, made a durable case for certain principles existing in us natively. He observes that,
Man naturally desires, not only to be loved, but to be lovely; or to be that thing which is the natural and proper object of love. ... We are pleased, not only with praise, but with having done what is praise-worthy.
Chalk one up for Adam Smith.
Though, for some, viewing humankind as being innately nasty offers certain rewards: The blowhard can reinforce his sense of superiority. The economist can enjoy confirmation. And the custodians of concentrated power can justify the systems in which they have thrived as being the best possible systems—given the unfortunate circumstances.
This is not to imply the obverse assertion that people are inherently angelic. But some Enlightenment philosophers and much recent study and analysis suggest at least a core-level, baseline morality universal to the species. The evidence is everywhere; we're just discouraged from looking.
