Are people born good or evil?

[Miller]

This topic is to debate "Are people born good or evil?".

Personally, I believe that it is the influences in one persons life that determines how children get shaped into what they will later be as an adult. I believe it to be this because I've watched many friends grow up. Some with horrible parents and some with amazing parents. With horrible parents, people tend to grow up to be like them. People with amazing parents tend to grow up like them.

There's exceptions to all rules though. Some people with great parents grew up to be *******s, drugies, and I've had friends commit suicide or attempt to, but their lives seemed perfect. Ive noticed also noticed that influences that come later in life can also have the biggest impact of all. People that become your partner can easily change who you really are, as can anyone who you grow close too.

That's pretty much why I stand neutral since anything early or late in life can make you change.

 

[Blackadder]

I'd say one's past is what shapes us, but it by no meanss controls our future.
Mostly. We all have influences out of our folk, y'know. In fact, the outside ones probably have more of an impact.
Maybe.

I'm really in a sort of lost mood. I'll come back when I'm thinking better. >_.

 

[L__]

People are born only to how they respond to their current environment and the ongoing struggles that they are intertwined with. I'll repost because i'm really tired.

 

[Kitten]

Of course people aren't born good or evil.

What.

 

[whaahppnd]

This of course depends on your definition of good and evil.
I'm assuming you define evil as causing harm upon others, and good as putting others before yourself.

In that case, neither. People are only born to struggle for their survival better. If this means hurting others in order to achieve it, then that is what will happen.
This is assuming society doesn't have a big impact on whether they are "good" or "evil" (which is of course only a hypothetical situation).

 

[Deleted member]

Yay a guy I know in real life!

<3 Millar

I'm a big proponent of tabula rasa, meaning that our upbringing heavily shapes the way we turn out as adults.

 

[The Executive]

I believe all people are born into sin, but that doesn't necessarily mean all people are born evil. I think everyone is born with the capacity to do and/or be either.

I agree with 'tabula rasa' in that your upbringing/environment has a large impact on your personality.

 

[whaahppnd]

I believe all people are born into sin, but that doesn't necessarily mean all people are born evil.

Sin is a concept defined by the bible (or torah or quran). So being "born into sin" doesn't really mean anything as you are simply saying you are born into your natural "wants," some of which the Bible states you should struggle to avoid.

 

[Tomkraven]

I dont think that people are born good or evil, all you know when you are born is your own survival and basic instincts. People get influeced through out their lives specially as teenagers or young adult in which stages they are forming as a full person. the influence of other or even the influence of their own social situation create "good" and "bad" people.

 

[The Executive]

Sin is a concept defined by the bible (or torah or quran). So being "born into sin" doesn't really mean anything as you are simply saying you are born into your natural "wants," some of which the Bible states you should struggle to avoid.

Right.

10char

 

[yossarian22]

How is this a debate? Unless somebody has produced a rigorous definition of good and evil overnight, we can't have anything even resembling a discussion, let alone a debate. Sure, we can argue whether or not people tend to be selfish rather than altruistic or any number of things, but whether these properties are intrinsically good or evil is nothing more than opinion.

 

[Skywalker]

For one to be born good or evil, by the time they exit their mother's womb they must already have a sense of morality and act on emotions such as compassion or malice.

So no.

If a person were bound to good or evil at it would likely be the result of a genetic defect, or in some cases, religious ceremonies (believe it if you will). Psychiatric disabilities developing early on in life is a possibility as well. None of this can easily be proven though.

 

[Peeze]

I like the theory presented in a scientific show(the x-files) i was watching the other day, that evil is like a virus. All humans are born with an immunity to this virus, but something, usually a traumatic event, or loss, causes the bodies immunity to evil to weaken, and evil can invade the body.

this isnt my real opinion if you believe this your ********

 

[Airgemini]

I believe that we are born neutral and that our decisions and actions determine if we are "good" or "bad" in the future. I mean saying if we are born evil or good is really a matter of opinion between people, and since I can't really define what's good and what's evil in a person I just believe that we are neutral and that almost everything that affects us or that we come into contact with determines what or who we are in the future.

 

[riboflavinbob]

Do you mean like right when a person is born?

Good and bad are subjective i say, but getting to the point...

Human babies are neutral because they are too confused to think with an ego and sense of self. I thought that was a pretty... obvious answer. It's not like it's biologically possible for a human child to be born thinking sadistic or altruistic thoughts immediately. And humankind, as weak as our minds are to influence, are clearly going to develop depending on the given different circumstances and environments. You are who you are after you have developed an ego and processed the information of your surroundings. You cannot be "born" with a certain attitude on life like "good" and "bad" if you are born a disease free, normal human being.

If you're going to make a thread like this you should ask "What is the nature of mankind?" rather than "Are people born good or bad?"

 

[cman]

Good and bad are subjective i say, but getting to the point...

^^This^^

Anyway, haven't we basically proven that genes greatly affect a person's likelihood of doing a certain action? Thus making a person born with a inclination (ignoring the subjectivity of both concepts) to be either "good" or "evil." However, people are way to complex to classify into those two catagories, and have both better and worse aspects of their personalities.