are people inherently good or evil?

are people born good or evil?

Total Votes:

[ 0 ]

This poll closed on January 9, 2005.
No longer accepting new votes.

[toboetsukasa]

Everyone is born Good because thats what God wants you to be.. The perception of your parents and enviroment is what makes you YOU.

[Nocturne666]

It depends on whatever lifestyle the person leads. If the person grows up with good things all around him, then he'll most likely be good. If the person grows up with bad things all around him, then he'll most likely be bad. There really is no black and white with this. It's more shades of gray that we all see. Cause we all make enemies, and we make friends. We see people with good traits and bad traits. You can't really say if someone is good or evil inherently through birth. Unless, of course, you believe in the idea of reincarnation. It just all depends on your point of view.

[K-chan_13]

Falconee_Nyxis

K-chan_13

Falconee_Nyxis

I think you need to consider more dimensions.
We seem to have the irritatingly small capacity to contemplate ONLY good and evil, black and white, no grey.

What else would you suggest is there?
When we are born, all we know is: "i want this so I'm going to make my family's life hell until i get it."
As we mature over time... our parents normally teach us the difference between right and wrong.. The only thing stopping us from doing right all the time is knowing the easiest way is the wrong way...

Example: Your parents found someone stealing there money from thier room...
You either A. Take responsibility and get in serious trouble or
B. Blame a smaller sibling or tell them a lie flat out....

I would suggest a different approach to the entire concept of good and evil. It's too black and white. There's not enough room to accomidate all of the possibilities. There needs to be at least a third dimension, something of the "grey" area. Govil. Evod. I don't know.

For your example, there's
C. Give them the logical reason you were taking it in the first place, point out that as a one of their children you are not provided with enough finances, and suggest an alternate allowance plan?

Answer C. is a good point but if you were, say, 6 or 7, and you would scared of what your parents may say or do if they found out... Would you seriously contradict them on their ideals of raising you?

[TPauSilver]

K-chan_13

You all are so far suggesting that we are born in pergatory until we decide on our own that we wnat to be good or evil and therefore allow our environment to influence us.

I agree to an extent on this subject except that all we know when we are born is want. i want this, i want that, that looks shiney, give me. With out our parents/family, then we may grow up continuing to believe the world revolves around us.

Of course all a baby thinks of is itself. All everyone thinks of is themselves, or they'd probably die pretty quickly. Evolutionerily speeking, altruism is not a good strategy. Some people are just better at disguising it then other so if you're going to define evil as selifhs, we're all evil.

[Akirai]

good and evil don't exist; a rascist thinks his acts are perfectly fine where as someone with a more international upbringing will say it's terribly evil twisted

Quote:

There is no such thing as good and evil. There is only socially acceptable behaviour and socially unaceptable behaviour. Yo ucan not be born as someone who will only commit socially unacceptable acts. You may have certain personalirty traits that will predispose you to commiting predominantly social or antisocial acts but it's very much dependent on your upbringing.

One word: Psychopaths.

Alright then several words: Psychopaths are born with a malfunctioning brain which doesn't allow them to think in grey areas, so when something is even a litle bit bad for them its just as bad as killing someone so why not take revenge?

[TPauSilver]

There's a very simple reason why we much be born both (or the vast majortiy of us).

When we say environment, we basicly mean the people around us. They're the environmentla influence.

If we were all born evil, there would be nobody to learn to be good from, so we'd all remain eivl.

Vice. versa for good.

So we're all born both good and evil.

[yume~kake]

Personally i don't thinkn that human/monsters/creatures/animals (in the begining or end) can be rigghtful put in a catagory of good or bad. i think it's more the situations that are forced or brother upon one that are good or bad. The choices one makes are the deciding factors of the situation on whether it is good or bad. And of course you should always classify in who's eyes it is good and bad. (example) If i think killing an animal is bad and you think it's good (maybe its a monster or something ?) then it would be different in our points of veiw...does that makes sense?
so no i don't think humans (or anything) is born into being good or bad.

[K-chan_13]

toboetsukasa

Everyone is born Good because thats what God wants you to be.. The perception of your parents and enviroment is what makes you YOU.

There is no logic behind that though.
I am a firm believer in God and it was he who created man, the heavens and the earth, but in the bible, it clearly tells the story of jesus dying for our sins.
That means everyone on the earth... including children.

Some where thaught to steal or to love, it really doesn't matter.

The discussion that is going on now is that are people born good or evil?

There may be a third or a fourth way to look at it but not in the eassy my friend is doing. It is one or the Other.

[K-chan_13]

Nocturne666

It depends on whatever lifestyle the person leads. If the person grows up with good things all around him, then he'll most likely be good. If the person grows up with bad things all around him, then he'll most likely be bad. There really is no black and white with this. It's more shades of gray that we all see. Cause we all make enemies, and we make friends. We see people with good traits and bad traits. You can't really say if someone is good or evil inherently through birth. Unless, of course, you believe in the idea of reincarnation. It just all depends on your point of view.

Okay, in lay-mens terms... what kind of a life can a 2 month old baby lead except one that is filled with want.... ?

this is mostly discussing what a baby is at birth. Not what it grows up to be.

[K-chan_13]

TPauSilver

K-chan_13

You all are so far suggesting that we are born in pergatory until we decide on our own that we wnat to be good or evil and therefore allow our environment to influence us.

I agree to an extent on this subject except that all we know when we are born is want. i want this, i want that, that looks shiney, give me. With out our parents/family, then we may grow up continuing to believe the world revolves around us.

Of course all a baby thinks of is itself. All everyone thinks of is themselves, or they'd probably die pretty quickly. Evolutionerily speeking, altruism is not a good strategy. Some people are just better at disguising it then other so if you're going to define evil as selifhs, we're all evil.

On that subject... What about Ghandi?

He wanted his counrty to be free and was willing to die for it.
Was he doing it for fame? No. He was doing what he thought was right and that was very un-selfish of him.

[Pallas Parthenos]

K-chan_13

Answer C. is a good point but if you were, say, 6 or 7, and you would scared of what your parents may say or do if they found out... Would you seriously contradict them on their ideals of raising you?

That's a good point, but completely irrelevant to the argument of good and evil being too narrow minded.

[SuspendedMiracle]

I have yet to decide that for myself, but I lean toward good. People learn cruel, sadistic behaviors through experience; they're not in-bred at birth. Hence, the never-ending battle between the theories behind Capitalism and Communism.

[K-chan_13]

TPauSilver

There's a very simple reason why we much be born both (or the vast majortiy of us).

When we say environment, we basicly mean the people around us. They're the environmentla influence.

If we were all born evil, there would be nobody to learn to be good from, so we'd all remain eivl.

Vice. versa for good.

So we're all born both good and evil.

I have to admit, you put up a good argument for this in the simple way you put it but, didn't Jesus teach us the escence of good?

[TPauSilver]

K-chan_13

TPauSilver

K-chan_13

You all are so far suggesting that we are born in pergatory until we decide on our own that we wnat to be good or evil and therefore allow our environment to influence us.

I agree to an extent on this subject except that all we know when we are born is want. i want this, i want that, that looks shiney, give me. With out our parents/family, then we may grow up continuing to believe the world revolves around us.

Of course all a baby thinks of is itself. All everyone thinks of is themselves, or they'd probably die pretty quickly. Evolutionerily speeking, altruism is not a good strategy. Some people are just better at disguising it then other so if you're going to define evil as selifhs, we're all evil.

On that subject... What about Ghandi?

He wanted his counrty to be free and was willing to die for it.
Was he doing it for fame? No. He was doing what he thought was right and that was very un-selfish of him.

I don't know enough about Ghandi to comment but one I will comment on is another that often gets thrown up, Mother Teresa. No denying, she did a lot of altruistic things and helped a lot of people. But she believed that doing this would get her into heaven and it was what god wanted her to do. Therefore she was still getting something out of it so it's not altruism.

[TPauSilver]

K-chan_13

TPauSilver

There's a very simple reason why we much be born both (or the vast majortiy of us).

When we say environment, we basicly mean the people around us. They're the environmentla influence.

If we were all born evil, there would be nobody to learn to be good from, so we'd all remain eivl.

Vice. versa for good.

So we're all born both good and evil.

I have to admit, you put up a good argument for this in the simple way you put it but, didn't Jesus teach us the escence of good?

You're not talking to a christian sweetheart. Even so, let's have a go at this.

Many people out there have no idea who jesus is (Or hadn't untill the damnable missionaries got everywhere, now there aren't many but there are still some). Many more people don't know any more then he's he's a part of chrsitianity. These people are not inherantly evil therefore you can not argue that were only good because of jesus' teachings.