Is Man Inherently Evil

The nature of man depends on a variety of different variables. Is it the environment that shapes him, or is it from birth where man is decided he is either good or evil? In the pieces of literature that we read and the events going on in the world, it seems to be that man is innately evil. Man is inherently evil due to the need for survival, the instinct of competitiveness, and the negative attitude towards others.
The evil in man stems from one root, which is survival. The instinct for survival occurs in every being, and taking an evil approach is usually the one that is taken. “But the Prince Prospero was happy and dauntless and sagacious. When his dominions were half depopulated, he summoned to his presence a thousand hale and light-hearted friends from among the knights and dames of his court, and with these retired to the deep seclusion of one of his castellated abbeys.” (Poe 2). The prince simply does not care about the people under his reign, only about himself. When the read death spreads rapidly, he is only concerned about he protection for himself and his own survival. “Fields shows that violent behavior is often the result of the clash between the modern world and the evolutionary …show more content…
Whenever there is a competition, whether it would be for survival or a secondary need, the human nature would naturally do anything to win. “If there was a dog-fight, he’d bet on it; if there was a cat-fight, he’d bet on it; …If there was two birds sitting on a fence, he would bet you which one would fly first; or if there was a camp-meeting, he would be there reg’lar to bet on Parson Walker.” (Twain 5). The competitive man in this quote, Smiley, is a gambler who would do anything to win. It is shown that the need to win by cheating is what makes man evil. “’Well," Smiley says, easy and careless, "He's good enough for one thing, I should judge he can outjump any frog in Calaveras county.’" (Twain