Poll: Are human beings born good, evil or something else?

[sneakypenguin]

I am not sure what I hope to accomplish with this thread but, it could lead to some good discussion. I believe that human beings are born evil. Why else would we need governments and rules? I know that everyone is born at least slightly different, but as a race we cause allot of misery and destruction, to other species and each other.

I think that anyone born a blank slate would stay a blank slate and grow up to work for the government.

it may be possible to be born with a blank slate but then what happens with the good and evil in your body it is and has always be 50% good and 50% evil and you do something bad your evil goes up when you do something good your good goes up and determine how many force points a light or darkside move will deplete from you when you die depending on what percentage of good and evil you have in your body will determine if you go to heaven or hell that's what i think.

Thats what I read into it at first.

 

[DoomDispenser]

I wouldn't go so far as to say we are born "evil", that word seems to get thrown around quite a bit. However, I believe we are born as what is commonly considered "bad". Do you have to teach a child to cry? to lie? to steal? No, those come naturally to humans. You have to teach them to behave, to obey, to oppose their very instincts. The mentality to attain what you need (or want, for that matter) is only natural. And without rules or structure, mankind would do anything in their power to do just that.

 

[iJosh]

They choose to be good or evil or something else.

Its what ever they were taught as kids. The morality of things.

 

[neuromasser]

There is no good and evil

 

[bjj hero]

Children are born as selfish little savages who believe they are the centre of the universe. Not evil, which is subjective. Raising them is about civilising them so that they can make their way in society without being caged as animals.

 

[Charli]

Our personalities are merely segregated after our base instincts, or whats left of them by now. Through environment, genetics, beliefs and experiences.

So in a way...my vote goes to Tabula Rasa. We're a blank canvas but only as far as our genes (variations of chemical imblanaces could effect behavior grossly) and instincts allow.

If Im getting right down to it, Every answer in the poll is right. It's chance, luck after that blank slate and theres alot we cannot yet do through natural order to change that. We know through science that some men have dangerously high testosterone levels and can be prone to fits of uncontrollable violence... Thats not really a choice by the person but he can 'committ acts of evil' under that, possibly combined with an unloving homelife, some bad expereienced etc.

Its a large complicated mess I stopped caring about when I left IB Psychology behind but Its interesting to think about it again...

 

[Knight Templar]

none, there is no good and evil, it is all subjective.

Bullshit.

Right and wrong is subjective, nobody ever thinks they are doing evil and those few that do see the bad as being worth it for the good.

I don't think there is a part of a person that is evil or good and is there from birth, these are words given meaning by our enviroment.

 

[Odude]

Evil. I do not believe there is any good in people whatsoever.

 

[Labyrinth]

none, there is no good and evil, it is all subjective.

Bullshit.

Prove it wrong.

As both "good" and "evil" are subjective perspectives one cannot suppose that an individual has such things instilled in them before birth. Would you extend the same distinction towards organisms which only function according to instinct? Can you call a virus evil? We may have 'rational thought' but even then such a thing drives us to do what we think adheres to our ideologies. Whether that ideology is termed 'good' or 'evil' depends on the observer.

 

[ParkourMcGhee]

Relative.

Relative to what any person percieves as 'good' or 'evil'. And every person is a mixture of genetics, instinch, and experience which they have gained.

In short a very wide variaty.

 

[Booze Zombie]

I could believe I was born evil and make myself act like that, but it really wouldn't matter if I was born evil, it's what I am after I'm born that matters.

 

[terribleyetfun]

I think humans are born to not be evil or good but to survive it`s just that people have different thought processes so they have different methods of surviving and people have different opinions about how that person is going about it but they mostly use the two big general terms to describe it(good or evil).

 

[Manawa]

I think humans are born to not be evil or good but to survive it`s just that people have different thought processes so they have different methods of surviving and people have different opinions about how that person is going about it but they mostly use the two big general terms to describe it(good or evil).

Agree - anyone saw the "Slumdog Millionaire"? do anyone of you guys percieve those kids to be evil, becouse they steal, cheat and such? No - it was necessary for their survival, they did only thing that their enviroment allowed them to live. Even most just person in such conditions would end up stealing (or kill himself, would that be bad? from who's perspective?).
I stand in a spot where I cannot judge anyone for their deeds, becouse we all are driven by different motives and have been risen in different moral attitudes, beliefs and enviroment. It all comes down to subjective look.

 

[manaman]

Human beings are hairless monkeys. They behave like hairless monkeys. The definitions of good and evil are drafted by ... hairless monkeys.

Any behaviour is subjective and situational. So .... anyhoo we cause alot of misery because the alledge instituition (not government, media, education, family or peers ) governing 'good' and 'evil' says breed as much as you can without thought. We then fight wars because people need space to exist. Yeah people are fun.

Sounds good on paper, but you tell the cannibal biting off chunks of you that he is not evil, just the circumstances drove him to that. There are somethings which fall so far out of the norm of any society that majority of people have a difficult time wrapping their heads around it. It is these types of actions that get branded evil. There is nothing relative about doing something, just for the sake of doing it, and when that harms another person it is evil, pure and simple.

And who is to say a selfless person is not a good person, but only doing it for the "lulz" or some such, is bullshit. Anyone that is willing to put themselves through years of needless suffering to try and relieve the suffering of others is doing a good thing.

Sure there is a grey area, but not everything falls into it.

 

[Meanmoose]

Neither; We're born with initial instincts that have no placing on the fabricated and entirely subjective 'Good' and 'Evil' slider.

this

 

[Khazoth]

Human beings are animals and as such good, evil, and neutral are all inventions of our minds.

In reality we've been looking for the cause of violence for many generations and I have the answer.


In the animal kingdom violence is just another way of having conversation. We're no different then that.

 

[JenXXXJen]

Not quite blank slate, but not good or evil either. Some people are more inclined to be murderers (for example) than others, but brought up well they probably wouldn't tip over the edge, but brought up badly probably would, whereas someone not inclined, brought up just as badly wouldn't. That's what I think, anyway.

Does that make any sense?

 

[twistedshadows]

Maybe we have a deep, spiritual connection? -soap opera music-

You said it much better, though, if that's any consolation. I agree with what you said; a child who is born into an abusive home with no sense of security, etc is more likely to be abusive or whatever in return. On the flipside, a child who is born into a loving household with parents who care for him, etc, are more likely to not be evil. There are exceptions, obviously.

Haha, maybe.
Saying it better isn't really a consolation - I've been studying developmental theories in psychology for the last few months so I'm really just reiterating some of what I've recently learned. There are so many theories, though, so what I said is really the one that makes the most sense to me personally.

Thunderhorse, you obviously have no concept of opinions. I'm sure Hitler didn't think he was doing evil when he ordered the extermination of millions of people; and a lot of other people think that he wasn't doing evil. Equally, a lot of people think he WAS doing evil. It's all relative.

I think you may be referring to cultural relativism: every culture has it's own set of moral codes, there is no standard with which to judge another society, one's own society has no special status, there is no universal truth when it comes to ethics, moral codes determine what is "right" and "wrong" in a certain society, and it's arrogant for one society to judge the conduct of other cultures.