The poem's core premise is that God established order in the cosmos. An Essay on Man is a poem written by Alexander Pope and published between 1733 and 1734. Pope's Essay on Man and Moral Epistles were intended to be components of an ethical philosophy that he wished to portray via poetry. The work focuses on the nature of man, morality, and religion, with each epistle discussing one of these topics. In the first epistle, "On Human Nature", Pope argues that humanity is by nature good and that evil is the result of human action or omission. He also asserts that there is no such thing as absolute power over others, but rather that power can be used for good or bad purposes. In addition, Pope claims that religion is the only means by which humanity can be restored to its original state of goodness. In the second epistle, "On Morality", he argues that morality is subjective and dependent upon individual opinion. There are two types of morality: natural and conventional. Natural morality is based on human nature and exists independently of society or culture. It can be described as the moral obligation that all humans share to protect themselves from harm and to help those in need. Conventional morality arises from society and culture. It includes laws, customs, and other practices that have been agreed upon by people within a given community. Pope believes that it is this type of morality that most people follow today.