Are humans inherently good or evil?

[Scrat-]

"If man is left to his own notions and conduct, he would certainly turn out the most preposterous of human beings. The influence of prejudice, authority would stifle nature in him and substitute nothing.”

~ Jean-Jacques Rousseau [1712 - 1778]

Rousseau is well-known for his belief that man is born good, but corrupted by society. He claims that a man who is guided to nothing but his own nature will turn out as a pure, kind human being. His theory is not much his own. Mencius [372 - 289 BC] made the very famous claim that man is born fundamentally good. It's a topic often discussed when confronted by criminality, children, and parenthood.

His philosophy is famously challenged by Xun Zi [312 - 230 BC], who claimed that humans are born evil. He points out that desire lies in the core of humanity.
"A person is born with feelings of envy and hate. If he gives way to them, they will lead him to violence and crime, and any sense of loyalty and good faith will be abandoned."
He says that any good action is a conscious, deliberate activity. A person has to make effort to be good, a person 'fakes' to be good, so to say.

So what do you think? Are people born inherently good, or inherently evil? No answer can be right or wrong, just voice your opinion.

[Dr. Koala]

Oprindeligt skrevet af Radene:

Oprindeligt skrevet af Dr. Rocket:

Anyways, christians want the best for their childs

Muslims do, too.

Also, are you talking about Christians in general, or just your personal denomination, whatever it may be (But I'm guessing it's not Orthodox or Calvinist)?

Yes, and that's why they teach religion to their kids.
I don't know much about other christians to be honest.
I think some of them are close to my beliefs (even if according to my religion they are mistaken), but some others are simply manipulated and used by sects.
That's why I prefer to refer to catholicism

[Prince Jude of Nohr]

Oprindeligt skrevet af ⓥenom Ⓢnake 🐍:

Good and bad are subjective terms, to be interpretive of the viewer. It is impossible for a race to be born to an abstract.

...I like you already.

[dont add me]

There is no clear answer. Generally speaking, we have the potential to be tremendously good or tremendously evil depending on the circumstances in our environment.

[☆Kay☆]

Here's my short answer for you.

No such thing as good or evil.

[Slumdog]

Evil and Good were created by Humans, being inherently "good" or "evil" can depend on many things, included our upbringing as infants.

[zZzooey.exe]

there is no good or evil there is only :

[Zubenelgenubi]

I think Sun Zi is underestimating early influences. And like most people thinks children only start learning when they start talking. But their behavior is actually influenced by things they've seen long before that, and they start to relate to or even emulate those around them long before language develops.

I personally side more with Jean-Jacques Rousseau. I think we all have a moral compass we're aware of to varying degrees, but as we age the world corrupts us, and we forget about it more and more. You can see it pretty clearly with pets, as all puppies or kittens are good natured. They have to be abused or tormented to be made hateful and overly aggressive. Any animals which are treated well maintain their good nature for their entire life.

I think a lot of people like the idea they were born the way they are, because they don't like to admit they allowed other people to mould them. But the input is all other people have control over. It's your choice what it does to you, although some humans, like many animals, put up very little resistance.

[Gen X]

yin yang

[Zubenelgenubi]

Oprindeligt skrevet af Generation X:

yin yang

Good and evil definitely exist, but they both have their purposes in the world.

[SmollBrain 🏹]

They are neutral, there is no such thing as an evil or good person. Everyone does both evil and good things

[Ⓥenom Ⓢnake 🐍]

Oprindeligt skrevet af Boyd the Reaver:

Oprindeligt skrevet af ⓥenom Ⓢnake 🐍:

Good and bad are subjective terms, to be interpretive of the viewer. It is impossible for a race to be born to an abstract.

...I like you already.

You are wise, at least in regards to subjective topics.

Oprindeligt skrevet af Zubenelgenubi:

I think Sun Zi is underestimating early influences. And like most people thinks children only start learning when they start talking. But their behavior is actually influenced by things they've seen long before that, and they start to relate to or even emulate those around them long before language develops.

I personally side more with Jean-Jacques Rousseau. I think we all have a moral compass we're aware of to varying degrees, but as we age the world corrupts us, and we forget about it more and more. You can see it pretty clearly with pets, as all puppies or kittens are good natured. They have to be abused or tormented to be made hateful and overly aggressive. Any animals which are treated well maintain their good nature for their entire life.

I think a lot of people like the idea they were born the way they are, because they don't like to admit they allowed other people to mould them. But the input is all other people have control over. It's your choice what it does to you, although some humans, like many animals, put up very little resistance.

So close, yet so far. You uses philosophy to explain human interaction. That is like asking Descartes to explain opening a ketchup packet,

The belief system is a load of toss, and subjective as the moral system is also subjective

No child is born evil, Or good. They are born. They are shaped to the moral system they are raised in.

[Zubenelgenubi]

Oprindeligt skrevet af ⓥenom Ⓢnake 🐍:

No child is born evil, Or good. They are born. They are shaped to the moral system they are raised in.

Think about how the brain develops in response to stimulus. A child in a comfortable happy life will not develop the parts of their brain related to aggression or hatred. But i do agree social or cultural influences can open that up to them.

[ChaffyExpert]

Evil, obviously.

Otherwise, Liberals wouldn't exist.

[Ⓥenom Ⓢnake 🐍]

Oprindeligt skrevet af Zubenelgenubi:

Oprindeligt skrevet af ⓥenom Ⓢnake 🐍:

No child is born evil, Or good. They are born. They are shaped to the moral system they are raised in.

Think about how the brain develops in response to stimulus. A child in a comfortable happy life will not develop the parts of their brain related to aggression or hatred. But i do agree social or cultural influences can open that up to them.

And yet you miss the point of your own statement. Those children shape their ideals based off experience. Their social experience help shapes it more than their environment.

Your Arguement is entirely based off your moral decision of good versus evil. To which, for you there is a standard, which is lie, as a person who was raised differently has a different view of good versus evil,

[Ⓥenom Ⓢnake 🐍]

Oprindeligt skrevet af Traror:

Evil, obviously.

Otherwise, Liberals wouldn't exist.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥, don't start