Introduction The history of debates about human nature can be seen in all existing philosophies and teachings. From the early days, philosophers and scientists discussed the behavior of people and their genetics. Various political ideologies also have their understanding of one’s nature – whether people are good or bad, can they be changed or do their genetics create their personality and other similar themes. It is possible to compare these ideologies to show how differently they treat human nature and what people can do during their lives. In this essay, the debates of nature versus nurture, intellect versus instinct, and competition versus cooperation will be described by discussing such political ideologies as socialism, fascism, liberalism, and conservatism. Nature versus Nurture The introduced debate is one of the main topics mentioned in most political schools of thought. It explores the characteristics of people and the conditions in which they can develop them. For example, the nature side of this discussion states that people are born a certain way, and their genetics can influence the way they act (Heywood 2015). On the other hand, supporters of nurture believe that people can be changed during their lives and one’s environment has an influence on behavior (Heywood 2015). In politics, fascism was and is the main supporter of the first view. This ideology is famous for its desire to manipulate human genetics to create ‘superior individuals’ (Gillette 2007, p. 79). Thus, fascists believe that some types of people are inherently better, based on their origins and family history. For example, some scientists claim that one’s level of intelligence (IQ) can depend on their genetics (Paul 1998). This view created a basis for racial prejudice in fascism and resulted in many violent and intrusive practices such as eugenics and genetic manipulation (Paul 1998). Other political ideologies do not follow the same train of thought. For instance, socialism firmly believes that all people can achieve the same level of intellectual ability or develop positive qualities with dedication and hard work (Fenwick 2014). According to this point of view, people are equal in their opportunities regardless of their genes and, thus, they can achieve great results only with enough effort and support from the environment. It is an example of a nurturing approach to people’s behavior. Socialism believes that people are not naturally good at something. Instead, the main argument is ‘anyone can obtain the talent… if they practice enough’ (Fenwick 2014, para. 4). This shows the change one can go through because of external factors. Here, people’s genes are not important as they do not contribute to hard work. Both liberal and conservative ideologies have varying beliefs about human nature. For example, classical liberalism saw people as creatures who were interested in themselves and not in others, meaning that they had an unchanging nature (Heywood 2015). However, some conservative beliefs also state that people are inherently competitive based on capitalism (Heywood 2015). This view of people as individualistic creatures states that nature is unchangeable and people cannot develop a different approach to society. However, both ideologies have had many different scientists and philosophers with