Books on human nature?

[redfox1111]

Does anyone know of any good books on human nature? The older the better..... I'd like to predate Freud if possible.

[ennison]

Since most novels deal with aspects of human nature, since lots of poetry deals with human nature and since all spiritual texts deal with human nature I guess you must be thinking of texts by psychologists. But ... Prior to Freud? Maybe you are thinking of the essayists like Montaigne or Pascal etc etc who looked at aspects of human nature. Other than those types of writer (They ain't really what we would call psychologists) I am not certain what you are thinking of. There's an old set of aphoristic and cynical advice available on this site - compiled by some worldly monk or other. Maybe that is kicking ideas of human psychology about.

[Pompey Bum]

You might try Arthur Schopenhauer's The World as Will and Representation. Or if you are looking for fiction, try almost anything by Dostoyevsky. Good luck! :)