Explain the traditional conservative view of human nature.

The traditional conservative view of human nature is essentially pessimistic.  Conservatives believe humans are imperfect. This can be broken down into three distinct aspects. Firstly, humans are psychologically imperfect. This is because people fear isolation and instability, and are drawn psychologically to what is safe and familiar. This is why conservatives prioritise stability and order, to ensure that people know where they fit in to society, and feel like they belong. This also means that conservatives are suspicious of liberty, as it encourages freedom, change and insecurity. Thus, conservatives believe that people should be prepared to sacrifice liberty for the sake of social order.   Secondly, humans are morally imperfect. This means traditional conservatives believe humans are innately selfish and greedy, which can be traced back to the original sin described in the Bible. Thus crime is a result of basic human impulses. People must be deterred from acting in an anti-social way with strongly enforced deterrents, such as harsh crime sentences, and the use of corporal and capital punishment. Finally, humans are intellectually imperfect. Traditional conservatives believe that the world is just too complicated for the human mind to grasp. This is why conservatives favour ideas grounded in tradition and history, that have been tried and tested, rather than abstract concepts such as equality or social justice, which could lead to dangerous change or revolution.   For these reasons conservatives hold a negative view of human nature.