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.

[K-chan_13]

Falconee_Nyxis

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.

No actually, it is not completely irrelavant to this discussion. Everyone so far, in thier own way, mentioned that the child's environment effects the child's mind.

Would you tell your parents at the age of 14 that you got pregnant from this 21 year old you were dating that they didn't even know about since you lied every time you went out with him saying you were going to go to a movie with your friend and her mom?

[Warlock Julius]

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.

This all is a strange discussion, since poeple aren't born wanting (as said in a previous post) but NEEDING. And no, people are not born either good or bad. They are at a neutral state at birth. They are much like a lump of clay which is neither art nor crap at its initial state.

But as they go through life, people mostly become "evil" because wrong is almost always easier than right. Take for example, smoking. Smokers are always fighting for their "right" to smoke. They cry that they are being persecuted unfairly, blah blah blah. But what of those whose rights they infringe upon? Those that don't want their space to be invaded by foul smelling smoke? Well, smokers find it easier to b***h and moan about THIER right than to consider the people around them.

[K-chan_13]

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.

But when children are born, they are not born with knowledge of good either. That they must later learn.

[Pallas Parthenos]

K-chan_13

Would you tell your parents at the age of 14 that you got pregnant from this 21 year old you were dating that they didn't even know about since you lied every time you went out with him saying you were going to go to a movie with your friend and her mom?

Maybe I'm not awake enough, but I don't see how this related to good and evil.
The best connection I can make is that you're trying to say that we're affected by society's views of good and evil, and even in that case I could argue that there's different tangents and views you could take.

[Celaenoe]

I really think it depends. I don't know if we are born with an immediate perception of what is good and evil.
Maybe humans are both....we are good and evil....
I think it depends a lot on your environment, your mental state, and the situations your placed in.
Say if you were caught in chaos, and the leader of the country was dead and anyone who would follow him. You would probably go evil, killing and stealing to stay alive.
Now say you were a survivor of the recent tsunami. You would probably be tempted to help the people around you who are hurt and dying.
Once again, I think it could go both ways, I think humans are good and evil...we are capable of cold-blooded murder, and helping our species in times of need. It depends on the situatuion and the person, I think.

[X GLOBAL PETE MUSHPEA]

this is so totally pointless. atleast include a neutral option in the poll.

[Pallas Parthenos]

Pete Mushpea

this is so totally pointless. atleast include a neutral option in the poll.

This isn't pointless. Look at the discussion.
And if you don't like the choices on the poll, don't vote.

[K-chan_13]

warlock978

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.

This all is a strange discussion, since poeple aren't born wanting (as said in a previous post) but NEEDING. And no, people are not born either good or bad. They are at a neutral state at birth. They are much like a lump of clay which is neither art nor crap at its initial state.

But as they go through life, people mostly become "evil" because wrong is almost always easier than right. Take for example, smoking. Smokers are always fighting for their "right" to smoke. They cry that they are being persecuted unfairly, blah blah blah. But what of those whose rights they infringe upon? Those that don't want their space to be invaded by foul smelling smoke? Well, smokers find it easier to b***h and moan about THIER right than to consider the people around them.

Another point on that: The easiest thing for smokers is that they keep on smoking cause quitting is too hard. But why start somking in the first place?

That has to do with the person's environment.

[K-chan_13]

Falconee_Nyxis

K-chan_13

Would you tell your parents at the age of 14 that you got pregnant from this 21 year old you were dating that they didn't even know about since you lied every time you went out with him saying you were going to go to a movie with your friend and her mom?

Maybe I'm not awake enough, but I don't see how this related to good and evil.
The best connection I can make is that you're trying to say that we're affected by society's views of good and evil, and even in that case I could argue that there's different tangents and views you could take.

this was going off the earlier argument we had with the two choices on how to tell your parent's you were stealing from them...

It's a side topic but in escence an explanation how people tend to lean towards evil.

[Pallas Parthenos]

K-chan_13

this was going off the earlier argument we had with the two choices on how to tell your parent's you were stealing from them...

It's a side topic but in escence an explanation how people tend to lean towards evil.

I see. I was going on a completely different tangent.

[Warlock Julius]

Falconee_Nyxis

Pete Mushpea

this is so totally pointless. atleast include a neutral option in the poll.

This isn't pointless. Look at the discussion.
And if you don't like the choices on the poll, don't vote.

Well, that's the wrong answer to his comment! Yeah, don't vote, I myself won't. But also accept his comment as correct. That essay that's being written should be able to also discuss the state in the center of good and evil, that of neutrality or indifference. People are not born either good or evil because to a newborn those concepts do not excist.

[K-chan_13]

Pete Mushpea

this is so totally pointless. atleast include a neutral option in the poll.

But there is no real neutral opinion or option in life..

Exampal: life comes at you so fast, sometimes you don't have time to think and may regret something you do or say later.

is that half way?

[baby tiger jb.]

will we ever know?

[K-chan_13]

Falconee_Nyxis

Pete Mushpea

this is so totally pointless. atleast include a neutral option in the poll.

This isn't pointless. Look at the discussion.
And if you don't like the choices on the poll, don't vote.

Thank you.

[K-chan_13]

Falconee_Nyxis

K-chan_13

this was going off the earlier argument we had with the two choices on how to tell your parent's you were stealing from them...

It's a side topic but in escence an explanation how people tend to lean towards evil.

I see. I was going on a completely different tangent.

It's still good that were looking at all possibilities... Don't worry about it.
But how would you escentially react to that scenario?