Is Mankind Born Evil....or Good? (page 7)

Holey_Cheeses*King_of_the juice.

I was born good, and just kept getting better, until now when I am almost at my best.

Sure, gumby, you wanted the deep thinkers here, but hey, there's room for everybody.

cheeses - just off perfection.

blackout

so far Im still sticking with neither.

Farkel, You asked the question, Why are some babies born to good and loving parents and turn out evil?

Surely the parents are not wholey and perfectly good? Other influences are also in the childs life. Teachers, television, priests, friends. When you are talking about psychology you can't use absolutes, it doesnt work as no one and nothing is absolutely good or evil by anyones definition.

patio34

As a followup to my post, after thinking a little more about this interesting question, it seems that the question itself, as worded, is anachronistic.

This is because of modern sciences such as paleontology and zoology, etc. Those people in the past didn't have the benefit of even knowing there were dinosaurs. Let alone the rest of the known fossil record.

So they were lacking basically all historical evidence of the development of humans. So they thought of it in religious philosophical terms, while the question should be reframed in light of modern science.

My $.02,

Pat

Lady Lee

Rather than defining behaviors as good/bad or good/evil perhaps an infant’s behaviors are better qualified as methods of meeting their needs. The newborn has a need for food, warmth, comfort and social contact. The newborn who cries for food does not have an evil intent to harass it’s caretaker. The infant wants to be fed – to quell the internal discomfort.

As an infant grows, it develops connection to others. That face that brings food becomes associated with the cessation of hunger pangs. Crying for the face to return ot offer the needed assistance isn’t good or bad. It is the infant’s only form of communication. All animals do it; birds chirp, cubs squeal, cats mew. It isn’t good or bad. It’s just the only form of communication they have.

If the infant’s needs cannot be defined as good or bad at what point and on what basis do some people categorize the behaviors or qualities as good or evil?

Is it the 2-yr old that we say "NO" to repeatedly? Is that evil in the child or is it the parents poor care-taking skills? If a child has learned to get attention a certain way then they will use it.

I believe it is natural (and essential) that a child forms a positive attachment to its caretaker. Even young children will make efforts to please their care-takers. But children will also mimic the behaviors that are modeled for them. How do we define those behaviors depends more, I think, on OUR conditioning and beliefs than on the intent of the child.

Humans have a tendency to project their feelings onto other things. We do this with animals and even on inanimate objects. We will say the cat is allof when the cat is just being an independent creature (non-pack animal). We say our car is tempermental when we know very well that inanimate objects do not have feelings or motive.

I think that given a healthy environment most children will try to please those around them. When that doesn’t work they will do whatever necessary to get the needed attention. It the attention they seek is given regulary and consistently I think most children will opt for the more positive behaviors.

We know there are psycho-biological problens that can interfere with the natural development of a person. We also know that environment has a huge impact on that development. No parent is perfect but we do have ideals we aspire to.

I think that as humans we have a tendency also to be extremely ethnocentric. What I know or believe in is correct/good; all else is incorrect/bad. We hear one group speak of their actions as Godly/good and the actions of others as bad/evil. But the other side is thinking the exact same thing – perhaps to a different god but still the same thoughts – we are right and they are wrong. The whole concept is nothing more than a construct to validate certain behaviors over others.

jst2laws

OK Farkel, My premise is that they are neither Good or Bad. How do I prove that? I suppose I should state what I believe to be a tentative truth if not an absolute truth supporting my premise. But why would I have to take the initiative to disprove something that has no foundation in fact or reason? Do babes immerge from the womb with labels on their forehead or toe tags that say "good" or "bad"? Has a study been done that established that children with a distinctive cry prove later to be "bad" persons and the others "good"? Don't even suggest one can tell by the level of a babies skin pigment. Can anyone present evidence that a newborn is EITHER evil or good, or evidence that the question "Is Mankind Born Evil.....or Good?" is anything other than a misleading and biased question that itself has no supporting argument? Jst2laws

StinkyPantz

Jst2laws-

Can anyone present evidence that a newborn is EITHER evil or good, or evidence that the question "Is Mankind Born Evil.....or Good?" is anything other than a misleading and biased question that itself has no supporting argument?

Why can't you just play like everyone else?

azaria

As a child emerges from it's mother's body, what is it's "tendency", yet unnurtured as yet to be?

I don’t believe that we are born good or evil. We are born with the potential to sin or do wrong. There is a big difference between being sinful and being evil. We have a choice; we can do wrong or do what is right. An evil person crosses the line time after time not caring about anyone but himself or his cause. Thankfully most people don’t cross that line. Today (9/11) we remember what evil can do to mankind. Genetics and our environment greatly influence but the bottom line is that we still make choices. I haven’t read the other responses yet. I’m sure many will be much more eloquent.

Deputy Dog

Farkel You should have come right out and just said what you were thinking. I can't believe nobody else saw this coming!

If anyone dares to challenge me, then name any noun that you think does not have an exact opposite and I will name it's exact opposite. I guarantee this.

I agree! So what is the opposite of perfect? I will define perfect as Good. You can define the opposite of perfect any way you like. So now I ask you has there ever been any perfect babies born? Yes or no. How you answer that question should help you answer yours. D Dog

Brummie

I havent read the other responses so sorry if I'm echoing anyone else.

If I had to say one or the other I would say we are born good, but wouldnt it be presumtous to assume that we can make that judgement on a baby? He/she is not fully developed into what he/she is. It would be like passing a judgement on a sperm or an egg....we have to give it time to reach a particular status before passing a judgement. A new born is in the process of becoming the true self. The mental faculties are not matured so a true judgement of what the child will become has to be with held.

I'll throw this in for free, according to christianity, the bible calls imperfect men "rightous", Job was considered to be "without fault" even though he was born a "sinner" . So being born imperfect or to sinful parents doesnt make a person "evil" or worthy of being judged as evil.

Aztec

Humankind is born neutral. They choose to be good per se or evil per se. Life is about choices.

~Aztec

Is Mankind Born Evil....or Good?

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