This course examines philosophical writings about human nature. Topics may include: 1) What meanings are there for the word 'nature'? 2) How do we differentiate human nature from the nature of other sorts of beings? 3) What makes a response to a problem a human response? The course presumes that there are no unquestioned first principles, such as the existence of God, the inherent goodness of humans, or the objectivity of truth claims and values.