Throughout the history of philosophy, there have been many fundamental disagreements on the question of human nature versus the human condition. When we contemplate human nature, consider the distinctive characteristics of humans, including the 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 that which encompasses the unique characteristics of the human being, including the meaning of life, the search for gratification, and the awareness of the inevitability of death as unalterable parts of humanity which are innate to humans. While many philosophers have deliberated on these issues, three philosophers who had radically different views on these topics were Socrates, Hobbes, and Sartre. To compare these philosophers, we must first consider their views on human nature versus the human condition, after which we can compare their ways of thinking regarding moral theory. Socrates believed that the state of nature was a state of peace among men and that this gave men a sense of natural virtue, which helped them decipher good and evil. In the "Republic" he states: "We are not all born alike, but each of us differs somewhat from the others in nature, one being adapted to one task and the other to another" (370, b). Here he emphasizes that all humans have natural differences that make them better suited to performing specific tasks. These natural abilities gave them the ability to help 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 strain on each other in order to maintain world peace so that we can form societies and give up our freedoms. to help us meet the basic needs of others without fear of death. Finally, Sartre believes that our lives are connected in 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 humans, whether in nature or in society, they strive to maintain connections with each other. These connections are important because by being human and having specific needs that must be met and cannot be met without the help 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]." Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Arizona State University, March 19, 2011. Web. December 3. 2013.