Collated by Tusar Nath Mohapatra
Thomas Paine and Ludwig von Mises held very different views on human nature, largely due to the different eras and philosophical traditions in which they wrote.
Thomas Paine: Optimism and Natural Equality
Paine (1737-1809), a key figure of the Enlightenment and the American Revolution, held an optimistic view of human nature and the possibility of human perfectibility.
- Inherent Goodness: He believed that "man, were he not corrupted by governments, is naturally the friend of man, and that human nature is not of itself vicious".
- Natural Rights and Equality: Paine asserted that all individuals are born naturally equal, with inherent natural rights (such as liberty, property, and security) that government is instituted to protect. He vehemently argued against traditional power structures like monarchy and aristocracy, which he saw as artificial impositions that violated this natural equality.
- Reason and Social Good: Paine had great faith in the ability of individuals to act according to reason and the "common good". He believed that with a just, representative government, people would cooperate for mutual benefit.
- Social Welfare: Reflecting his belief in a society based on the common good, Paine advocated for social welfare programs, such as state-financed universal education, pensions for the elderly, and a guaranteed minimum income, funded by a tax on landowners, as a way of ensuring social justice.
Ludwig von Mises: Methodological Individualism and Scarcity
Mises (1881-1973), an economist and philosopher of the Austrian School, viewed human action from a more systematic and analytical perspective, focusing on the universal fact of purposeful action in a world of scarcity.
- Action as Purposeful Behavior: Mises's core concept, "praxeology," is the study of human action as the conscious pursuit of chosen ends using scarce means. This approach is value-neutral in a scientific sense, observing that humans act purposefully to remove "felt uneasiness," not judging their moral character.
- Inequality and Cooperation: In sharp contrast to Paine's emphasis on natural equality, Mises argued that "men are born unequal, and... it is precisely their inequality that generates social cooperation and civilization". Differences in individual talents and circumstances make the division of labor mutually beneficial and essential for societal progress.
- Rationality in the Market: Mises assumed that individuals are rational in the sense that they employ what they believe to be the best means to attain their desired ends. This does not mean they are perfectly rational or only motivated by monetary profit; it simply means their actions are aimed at improving their own state of satisfaction, even if that satisfaction is derived from altruistic behavior.
- Role of Government: Mises advocated for strict classical liberalism and limited government, primarily restricted to protecting private property and enforcing contracts. He viewed government intervention in the free market as counter-productive and a path to chaos, as it distorts the price signals necessary for rational economic calculation and social coordination.
Summary of Differences
| Feature | Thomas Paine | Ludwig von Mises |
|---|---|---|
| Core View of Nature | Optimistic; humans are naturally good, corrupted by bad government. | Analytical; humans act purposefully to alleviate uneasiness in a world of scarcity. |
| Equality | Stressed natural equality as a foundation for rights. | Argued that natural inequality drives social cooperation and civilization. |
| Role of Government | Essential for protecting natural rights and implementing social welfare for the common good. | Should be minimal, limited to securing peace and protecting property rights. |
| Methodology | Enlightenment philosophy, focused on natural law, reason, and utopian ideals. | Praxeology (the a priori science of human action), focused on logical deduction of economic laws. |
In essence, Paine believed that society could be perfected through the application of reason to government reform, assuming an inherently good human nature. Mises, while also a liberal, viewed human action as an inescapable condition of scarcity and inequality, arguing that the market process, not government planning, was the only way to coordinate individual actions peacefully and effectively.
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