Ever since the enlightenment, new age thinking has transformed the general outlook on life, and has literally morphed the direction of societies. Thinkers such as Karl Marx, Jean Jacques Rousseau and John Mill have laid down a foundation of new thought, new belief and new structure of life. They, among other great political thinkers, essentially kick started society with their ideas, helping the nations to form into what they have now become today. Marx, Rousseau and Mill have all contributed their own ideas regarding human nature, and the nature of human reason. These ideas challenged the current ideas of the time, which were based on divinity. This base of thought has helped to create a new foundation of society.	Although the three of them had their own contributions to the ideas of human nature, they did not always match one another. There were conflicting thoughts between the three thinkers, which leads to the diversity within the idea of human nature that we see even today.
	The thinking of John Mill was focused primarily around utility. The word utility is often used to refer to happiness, advocated by its own form of ethics, utilitarianism. The real definition of the word, however, is usefulness. In Mill's context of the word, he implies that happiness derives from being needed, from usefulness. Mill felt that human nature wasn't absolute, but that we each had our own valuation of the world, and that the world functioned most effectively when we were free to pursue our own utility functions. Mill believed that each person is born different, with his or her own tastes, feelings, and most importantly, their own uses.
	While the focal point of Karl Marx's work did not emphasize human nature, he too still had his contributions on the matter. The basis of his beliefs were that man was created equal. Born essentially as blank slates, people learn all human nature through the external environment. This is to say that individuality at large is not inborn, but rather produced through the environment. In other words, people are not unique so much as their environment is. Much like Mill, Marx also believes that happiness is related to purpose. In Marx's work however, the focus falls entirely on labor. Man seeks purpose through the labor they partake in, Labor being defined as the manipulation of one's world to their material advantage. It is only through this labor, one's own unique and privately controlled work, that one can find purpose, and therefore happiness.
	The beliefs of Jean Jacques Rousseau on human nature are a bit more complicated than those of Marx and Mill. Rousseau believed that humans learn their nature, as the knowledge is continued on through the species. In the beginning, he says, humans did not have nature, but were animals. Only through their thousands of years of coexisting did their nature develop, essentially through instinct. The main idea to come of this theory is that human nature, although it is set and defined, can be changed. Rousseau also believed that society was bad for human nature, as the togetherness seen in societies discouraged morality.
	Looking back over the past few hundred years, most forms of government created during this time can be said to have roots of Mill, Marx or Rousseau. It should be noted that the theories of society created by the political thinkers do not necessarily match the actual governments which came of them, but rather, they simply derived from their thinking. All three of the thinkers discussed had views and ideas of what would compose an ideal society, and even more views which would be considered in the creation of a society.  
	John Mill believed in individuality. Because people are born with their own tastes, their own feelings, their own abilities and therefore their own ambitions, Mill believed that there was little room for universal law and order, as man was not universal. The fundamental requirement for happiness, according to Mill is a sense of purpose, of utility. Therefore, Mill believed that social mechanisms did not need to place large emphasis on requiring labor, as man would seek labor to fulfill their sense of belonging, while their diversity would cover all trades. The key behind Mill's view on an ideal government is that man is different. The government must embrace this, because to suppress individuality would be to suppress human nature. For these reasons, Mill advocated primarily for a capitalistic society, as it would not only provide, but encourage individuality. Mankind, he believed, would function best in their own unique freedom.
	While Karl Marx did recognize that people were different, be believed that they were born equal, unique only because of the external environment. Therefore, if the environment could be controlled, the differences among people would exist at a minimum. The idea of Marx's perfect government is one which embraces the equality among people. Because society plays the greatest role in differentiation, the perfect society would be one without class. Not only did Marx therefore denounce any Caste system, but also Capitalism, as he believed it to be divided into classes as well: The Bourgeoisie and the working class. Marx believed that happiness derived from the product of one's labor. This idea was his primary criticism toward capitalism, as a capitalist society requires many people to work for a smaller group of people, the benefits of which are never seen by those who partake in the labor. Laborers are thereby alienated from their work, as they feel no attachment to it. Their suffering morale degrades not only not only the quality of work, but also the happiness of the laborers. For these reasons, the government deemed most ideal by Karl Marx is communism. Communism, a classless society, pools the efforts of labor together, in a system where all laborers essentially work for one another. The system embraces Marx's ideals fully, allowing laborers to see and enjoy the product of their work, and allowing equality by limiting class and providing a generally flat power structure.
	Rousseau believed that humans were worse off living in societies, as it forced people to abide to rules in order out to smooth out living together. This abiding cut back on their human rights, as they had to purposely steer themselves away from what they were naturally inclined to do. Rousseau's societal beliefs were that living in society was living in sacrifice. Through a “social contract”, there is a mutual agreement to steer away from natural inclinations, at the cost of liberty. Rousseau's first choice of an ideal society would most likely be none at all. Together, man is forced to give up his freedom for the sake of living with others like him. Take the others out of the equation, and a man can remain completely free. Other ideas have emerged from Rousseau's thinking, primarily from his idea that human nature can be changed. Since Rousseau's works, there have been totalitarian and fascist uprisings, rooted in the idea that unity can be achieved through an altered state of human nature. Known in extreme cases as “brainwashing”, the nature of entire societies is manipulated into one more functional for a particular form of government.
	The thinking of Karl Marx, John Mill and Jean Jacques Rousseau has greatly impacted the Western world for the decades to follow. The three of them contributed ideas explaining human nature. Although different in nature, their ideas provided several valid applications along with ideas of human nature that did not exist prior. Marx believed that humans were essentially “blank slates”, with equal capacity. This allowed the notion of communism: an equality based, classless society, provided they could all be steered to the same destination. Through the pooling of labor, people will achieve self-actualization, and therefore happiness. Mill brought forth his own idea that people are created differently, and that a society should embrace that. Capitalism, allowing people to do their own thing will allow them to embrace who they are, also allowing them to seek out their unique purpose, where they too can obtain their happiness. Rousseau's ideas, unique though they may be, brought forth yet another school of thinking toward the idea of human nature. Rousseau believed that human nature is applied through what is essentially a herd mentality. Although usually consistent within a society, it is subject to change. He also believed that society is degrading against humanity, as it forces people to give up their rights in order to live with one another. These thoughts and ideas have carried through the years to follow, and is still applied even to much of the modern thinking that takes place today.