Jean-Jacques Rousseau's Views Of African Man Vs. Locken Man

In this essay, I am going to demonstrate that African man is neither Rousseauan man nor Lockean man rather Hobbesian man. To achieve this we must firstly establish what African man is not, thus Jean-Jacques Rousseau 's theory which state that man is basically good will be examined and reference to the story of The Setting Sun and The Rolling World will be made. John Locke 's theory will be examined also. Finally we will look at what African man is and this will be done by examining John Locke theory which says that man is basically evil. Reference to the story The Crow, The Ten Shillings and personal encounters will be made as to clearly show that African man is basically evil.

Let us examine Rousseau 's theory first, which state that man is basically good. The goodness of man is demonstrated in the life of Harriet Tubman. Here it evident that a man is basically good. Harriet was a bondwoman who escaped from slavery in Maryland in 1849 to become a leading abolitionist. Her goodness of heart is clearly seen after escaping from slavery, where instead of fleeing to seek greener pastures she goes back to save her family from slavery. What totally convince me is that she was good is when she went back to rescue those who were not her relatives. She led hundred to freedom in the North as the most famous conductor on the Underground Railroad, an elaborate secret network of safe house organized for that purpose (Biography.com Editors, n.d). Harriet led an extraordinary life; she