Why have conservatives traditionally taken a negative view of human nature?

Traditionally, conservatives have taken a negative view of human nature because of their belief that humans are self-interested and seek security. This traditional view is best outlined in Hobbes' version of human nature, in which humans desire protection to the extent that they will attack others before they are attacked themselves. In a society without government - the anarchical 'state of nature' - Hobbes argues that this will lead to constant civil war as humans constantly attack each other to protect their interests and look to secure themselves. Another factor in the traditionally negative conservative of human nature is the close relationship with conservatism and religion, where humans self-interest was thought to originate in the concept of original sin, the state in which humanity has existed since the fall of mankind from Adam and Eve's sin of disobedience in the Garden of Eden. However, it is not the case that all conservatives take a negative view of human nature. Aspects of modern conservatism - emphasised by neoliberalism common in Thatcherism - actually offers views consistent with a more positive view of human nature. The Thatcherite emphasis on minimal government and small business, for example, carries a belief in the individual being able to live their life according to their rational thought and preferences - something very distinct from the traditional conservative version of human nature.