--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: They thought man was a creature of…" description: "\"“They thought man was a creature of rapacious self-interest, and yet they wanted him to be free- free, in essence, to contend, to engage in an umpired ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0f/richard-hofstadter-12288_evil_they-thought-man-was-a-creature-of-rapac_522821.png" --- # They thought man was a creature of rapacious… ![“They thought man was a creature of rapacious self-interest, and yet they wanted him to be free- free, in essence, to contend, to engage in an umpired strife, to use property to get property.” quote by Richard Hofstadter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0f/richard-hofstadter-12288_evil_they-thought-man-was-a-creature-of-rapac_522821.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0f/richard-hofstadter-12288_evil_they-thought-man-was-a-creature-of-rapac_522821.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0f/richard-hofstadter-12288_evil_they-thought-man-was-a-creature-of-rapac_522821.png) > ““They thought man was a creature of rapacious self-interest, and yet they wanted him to be free- free, in essence, to contend, to engage in an umpired strife, to use property to get property.”” [Richard Hofstadter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hofstadter/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Critiques the notion that humans are purely self‑interested, yet argues they should be free to compete and own property. **In simple terms:** Human nature is complex; freedom and competition are essential. Key Takeaway Balance self‑interest with societal freedom. Themes philosophy economics politics Mood thoughtful critical Type analytical theoretical When to use this quote - public policy - educational curricula - debates on capitalism Key Concepts human nature property rights freedom Questions to Reflect On - How does competition shape morality? - Can freedom exist without regulation? A Different Perspective Idealizing pure self‑interest ignores cooperation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Human nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-nature/) [Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man/) [Monster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monster/) ## Related quotes > [“the only one who wanted to be free. Surprise, surprise. CHAPTER”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/the-only-one-who-wanted-to-be-free-surprise-surprise-chapter/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [When people made up their minds that they wanted to be free and took action, then there was a change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosa-parks/when-people-made-up-their-minds-that-they-wanted-to-be-free-and-took/) [Rosa Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosa-parks/) > [“Are you free to be anything more than a friend to me? 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Prolonged illness also carries the hazard of narcissistic self-absorption.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hofstadter/to-be-sick-and-helpless-is-a-humiliating-experience-prolonged-illness/) [Richard Hofstadter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hofstadter/) > [There has always been in our national experience a type of mind which elevates hatred to a kind of creed; for this mind, group…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hofstadter/there-has-always-been-in-our-national-experience-a-type-of-mind-which/) [Richard Hofstadter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hofstadter/) > [The intellectual's ... playfulness, in its various manifestations, is likely to seem to most men a perverse luxury; in the United States the play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hofstadter/the-intellectual-s-playfulness-in-its-various-manifestations-is/) [Richard Hofstadter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hofstadter/) > [“...the danger that American society as a whole will over-esteem intellect or assign it such a transcendent value as to displace other legitimate values…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hofstadter/the-danger-that-american-society-as-a-whole-will-over-esteem/) [Richard Hofstadter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hofstadter/) > [To be confronted with a simple and unqualified evil is no doubt a kind of luxury…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hofstadter/to-be-confronted-with-a-simple-and-unqualified-evil-is-no-doubt-a/) [Richard Hofstadter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hofstadter/) > [“When one considers American history as a whole, it is hard to think of any very long period in which it could be said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hofstadter/when-one-considers-american-history-as-a-whole-it-is-hard-to-think-of/) [Richard Hofstadter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hofstadter/) > [If there is anything more dangerous to the life of the mind than having no independent commitment to ideas, it is having an excess…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hofstadter/if-there-is-anything-more-dangerous-to-the-life-of-the-mind-than/) [Richard Hofstadter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hofstadter/) > [“Progressivism, in short, was to a very considerable extent led by men who suffered from the events of their time not through a shrinkage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hofstadter/progressivism-in-short-was-to-a-very-considerable-extent-led-by-men/) [Richard Hofstadter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hofstadter/) [Explore all 55 Richard Hofstadter quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hofstadter/) ## More Evil quotes > [I've always been fascinated by the idea that there's no such thing as evil; it's all in your point of view. To one group…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-roth/i-ve-always-been-fascinated-by-the-idea-that-there-s-no-such-thing-as/) [Eli Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-roth/) > [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Every action that helps us manifest our divine nature more and more is good; every action that retards it is evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/every-action-that-helps-us-manifest-our-divine-nature-more-and-more/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [I do conscientiously and sincerely believe that the Order of Freemasonry, if not the greatest, is one of the greatest moral and political evils…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/i-do-conscientiously-and-sincerely-believe-that-the-order-of/) [John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) > [The Republicans do not look on the Democrats as the evil empire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/the-republicans-do-not-look-on-the-democrats-as-the-evil-empire/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [What is done out of love always takes place beyond good and evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-is-done-out-of-love-always-takes-place-beyond-good-and-evil/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ Evil cannot be "treated" -- nor should it be. Evil has to \[be\] confronted and destroyed and it matters not why the evil is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/evil-cannot-be-treated-nor-should-it-be-evil-has-to-be-confronted-and/) [Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/) > [The evil which does me no harm is like the good which in no wise avails me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/the-evil-which-does-me-no-harm-is-like-the-good-which-in-no-wise/) [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) > [Attack the evil that is within yourself, rather than attacking the evil that is in others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/attack-the-evil-that-is-within-yourself-rather-than-attacking-the/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Somewhere somebody must have some sense. Men must see that force begets force, hate begets hate, toughness begets toughness. 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