Explain and analyse three ways that the concept of human nature is significant to socialist thinkers. [9 marks]

The first way that human nature is significant to the Socialists, such as Marx, is because it fundamentally underpins their values. They must then hold a positive, if not utopian, understanding of human nature. This is because if they believed human nature was inherently weak and vulnerable to greed and jealousy, there would be the need for regulation by the coercive force of the government. This then goes against the "road to revolution" ideals and the understanding that the "dictatorship of the proletariat will fall".Secondly, they believe in the malleability and flexibility of human nature. It is fundamentally changed by experience and this is significant. This then leads to an understanding of "nurture over nature" in regards to the forming of a persons' nature. This then leads to the conclusion that we can only understand people through the social groups in which they exist, e.g. the good nature of humans is corrupted and changed via the economic system of capitalism, for the worse.Lastly, they understand that our nature is gregarious and social. This is fundamental as we rely on each other, have fraternity / "comradeship" and that we cannot function correctly without social interaction - "no man is an island entire of itself". This is especially fundamental for the Marxist understanding of common ownership; as it is fundamentalist and seeks to remove capitalism and all classes, then switch to a system of collective social benefit. The Orthodox communists interpreted this as the forced introduction of communes.