I align my views on human nature with Thomas Hobbes.

Hobbes was considered to be, “generally

interpreted as regarding man as wholly egoistical and suspicious of his fellows” (Irwin and Johnson, p.
252). And as Irwin and Johnson state, “if any two men desire the same thing, which nevertheless they
cannot both enjoy, they become enemies”(Irwin and Johnson, p. 254). Hobbes thought that humans are
generally selfish, and would act within their own self interest as is their nature if resources where
limited. As Finkleman explains,

There are three main components that form the basis of his pessimism. First he was a materialist: he
believed that there's nothing more to reality than physical objects and their observable properties.
Related to this, he was also an empiricist: he believed that experience is the only sure guide to
knowledge. Finally, as a consequence of these views, he was a moral anti-realist, rejecting the idea that
ethical claims – for example, “mudering superman is morally wrong” - can be objectively and
universally judged as true or false. (finlkleman, p. 174)

Successfully basing our laws upon the laws of human nature will mean that we recognize that human
beings will generally act first based on their own self interest always, so the laws will be enforced, and
the consequences for breaking said laws will motivate the individual to not break the laws since the
consequences will be more detrimental to the individual versus whatever they have to gain from
breaking those laws. Essentially in every case the cost will outweigh the benefit.

An example of this principle at work in Lost is when Sawyer steals items from Shannon's backpack,
and claims “Finders-Keepers”, and that “possession is 9/10ths of the law.” In this example Sawyer is
acting in his own self interest at the behest of other individuals in the community, to enforce the social
contract that individuals have a right to their own belongings, these “laws” must be reinforced so that
individuals will be dissuaded from acting in such a way again in the future.

References

Irwin, William and Johnson, David Kyle. (2010). Introducing Philosophy Through Pop Culture: From
Socrates to South Park, Hume to House. West Sussex, United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell.
Finkelman, L. and Nielsen, C. (2013). Part Five: Superman and Humanity: A Match Made on
Krypton? (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. In Irwin, W. and White, M.D. (Eds.).
Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series: Superman and Philosophy: What Would the Man of
Steel Do. Somerset, NJ, USA. John Wiley & Sons. Retrieved from:
http://site.ebrary.com/lib/excelsior/reader.action?docID=10674788