Is humanity inherently good or inherently evil?

[Coyote]

It is so clearly upbringing that overpowers everything else in determining who is good and who is evil. A child who is born into one set of circumstances is going to come out a completely different person if put through another set of circumstances instead.

However, if a man has a son who is very aggressive, has high levels of testosterone etc. this is likely to lead to an agressive child. It just depends how his upbringing channels that anger. Most of it is not genetic.

I wonder. They say that genetics loads the gun, and environment pulls the trigger.

 

[9sublime]

Which one takes more? To load a gun or to shoot it?

 

[Coyote]

Which one takes more? To load a gun or to shoot it?

Doesn't matter if it's full fo blanks.

 

[God]

According to renowned Stanford professor of psychology Philip Zimbardo, people are mostly good but what he calls the "Lucifer Effect" is the cause of most -evil- in this world: do a little research if you don't know what that is.

 

[9sublime]

Anyone read Lord of the Flies, that whole book is based on inherent evil.

 

[Coyote]

Anyone read Lord of the Flies, that whole book is based on inherent evil.

Is it? It's been many many years since I read it. But is it based on inherent evil or amorality?

I think we start out amoral.

We learn moral/immoral or good/evil.

 

[9sublime]

Well Golding wrote a whole essay on inherent evil, as well as many news articles etc. and was a strong believer in it.

 

[Fonz]

Anyone read Lord of the Flies, that whole book is based on inherent evil.

its about a bunch of kids acting like adults.

 

[9sublime]

On one level yeah it makes a good story like that.

 

[Jake]

I think good and evil are too general of categories

I'm also evenly split between people being basically good or basically amoral

 

[9sublime]

Read this story: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Bulger

Sure, the two kids had problems, but I think it shows inherent evil.

 

[invest07]

My belief is based on my interpretation of the Bible.
Man has an evil and selfish nature, at the very deepest core. Most of us struggle all our lives to overcome this. Our success varies widely. Some people never try to overcome their core evil nature.
I am moderately successful in some areas, reasonably sucessful in others and I am a miserable failure in some areas. I am a total success in no area.
In this way, I am probably like most of you.

 

[vyo476]

My belief is based on my interpretation of the Bible.

Oh, here we go.

Man has an evil and selfish nature, at the very deepest core. Most of us struggle all our lives to overcome this. Our success varies widely. Some people never try to overcome their core evil nature.

No, man is a creature of nature, which does not recognize concepts of good and evil - which were invented by society. There is a difference.

I am moderately successful in some areas, reasonably sucessful in others and I am a miserable failure in some areas. I am a total success in no area.
In this way, I am probably like most of you.

What do you mean, human?

 

[Burning Giraffe]

Humans are neither good or evil. They act out of self-interest.

 

[Dagoth]

I personally believe the answer would be both.
some people are born evil for example Hitler,
and some people are born good like Ghandi