Are We Born Evil?

There are many theories why people could do evil things. Is it because they were abused or had a rough childhood? What if the society isn’t to blame at all for their behavior? (Olivia Goldhill “Are Some Humans born evil?”) People say people are born evil or people who are born good turn evil. This topic has been studied for many years and many people have different opinions about it. A person may say they don’t believe that people are born evil. Another person may think that people are born evil or good people turn evil. An example is babies aren’t born evil. Their minds are wonderful. Their minds are innocent and they don’t know much. A person can’t possibly be born evil. It really depends sometimes how a person is raised or what that person experiences in life.

A new born baby is not born with sinful thoughts. Babies are axiomation of purity and innocence . Experiences such as a bad childhood, neglect by parents, abuse, power changes humans into being evil. How someone is nurtured also determines if they will become good or evil. Ego, lust, jealousy, betrayal, failure, and greed are some causes of evil.One is not born evil.

Are humans inherently good or evil? The simple question has been asked many times, even though the answer isn't so simple. In William Golding's novel, Lord of the Flies, he further explores the concept. His novel is viewed through young boys trapped on a deserted island, striving to survive. In The Most Dangerous Game, Richard Connell investigates influences and integrity. In non-fiction texts, like "Why Boys Become Vicious" also by William Golding, the author defends his position and gives specific examples to support his stance. In other non-fiction works, authors have given their own views of human's natural behavior. Although some authors believe humans are good and others believe they are inherently evil, based on the evidence humans are born balance with both good and evil. Different situations however, shape their behavior and cause them to be either more good or evil.

Human nature is a topic some people are torn about. Are humans born good or bad? Or are there more factors that need to be involved with that conclusion? William Gay's opinion on human nature is that all humans are born bad, that deep inside there is evil. Some people may agree or disagree with Gay's opinion. In psychologist Samantha Smithstein's article, "Are We Born Good (or Evil)?", Smithstein states, "We are

Since the beginning of time there has been confusion about every aspect of life and with confusion comes a number of questions we cannot completely answer or forget. How did we transform from one creature to another? Why are people so violent? Are we inherently good or evil? These are questions that have been asked for centuries, and have taken ever longer to possibly answer. It might be numerous decades from now before they finally answer these questions but, nevertheless many people are trying by using evidence, theories, faith, and science to answer these questions as accurately as possible. Mainly the question about whether we are innately innocent or not. Most people, say humans are inherently evil, that there is evil in all of us. That could be the reason why kids enjoy watching ants succumb when they burn them with reflected rays of sunlight. However, many believe that we are born good with a clean slate and that it is society of whom changes that. I believe that we are born sinful/evil and that society influence us to be good. The facts have proven humans to be innately evil through genetics, control, and mistreatment.

Since the beginning of time, our mere existence has created a number of questions we cannot seem to forget nor answer. Where did we come from? How was the universe created? What is our purpose? Are we innately good or bad? Assumptions, theories, evidence, faith, and science have all been used to try to answer these questions accurately. Specifically the question whether we are born good or bad will be addressed.

As of the making of the new science “psychology,” the ancient Greeks created psychology’s biggest question in history; “Are our human traits present at birth, or do they develop through experience?” That specific question developed the “nature-nurture issue.” The nature-nurture issue is what the behavior goes to heredity or experience. As the issue began, Greek philosopher, Plato, assumed that we inherit character, intelligence, and certain ideas are developed inborn, on the contrary, Greek philosopher, Aristotle debated that nothing comes in the mind through the senses of the external world. Later in the 1600’s, there were new rivals for the nature-nurture issue which were John Locke and Rene Descartes. Locke didn’t follow through Plato’s whole “inborn” hypothesis, however, Locke suggests that the mind starts off undeveloped and figures out on it own by experience. Descartes on the other hand, disagreed to Locke’s concept. Unlike John Locke’s disagreement to Plato, Descartes obviously favorites Plato’s hypothesis because due to Descartes remark, he declares that some ideas are inborn. As Descartes laid down Plato’s remark, two centuries later, a naturalist named Charles Darwin came to dissolve more of the issue.

Begging the Question: situation that results when a writer/speaker constructs an argument on an assumption that the audience does not accept

Evil people are found throughout the entire world. Young or old, small or large, evil people exist all around the world. Rather hurting other people or animals, these acts are inhumane and abnormal. Any act of violence is wrong, but actually harming or killing other people or animals is over the line. Evil has been studied for thousands of years, and the root question is always, is evil born or made? Children can be completely normal and be a great child, and as they reach middle adulthood they could fall off the deep end.

Thousands upon thousands of years ago, human beings fought in catastrophic wars, tortured prisoners, raped, and murdered. Sure enough, just turn on any news channel, and the headline will display a very similar horrific event that has happened. This generation and past generations live in a time where people open fire in crowded places, riots occur, and helpless teens are shot down by the police. Taking a good look at the world around us, it would be demented to every believe that people are naturally good. Although humanity has come along way from being complete savages, humans are naturally evil and To Kill a Mockingbird is an excellent example of the true nature of humans.

A person becomes who they are as a result of a mixture of factors throughout his or her life. Many argue that some people are simply born evil, while others believe they were so drastically affected by events of their childhood that they turned wicked. The nature vs. nurture controversy centers on whether an evolutionary approach to development places too much emphasis on nature, the biological basis of personality, and not enough on nurture, the role of learning. The psychological viewpoint on development is based on the relationship between heredity and the environment, rather than one factor taking precedence in the formation of personality. In Frankenstein, Shelley highlights the fundamental role of nurture in relation to the development

Thanks Alicia, I appreciate your thoughtful and informative response to my post. I'm sorry if you found the term “mid level provider” offensive. I honestly, hadn't viewed the term as derogatory until you shed light on the origin and true meaning. I also, believe most people are inherently good, however as you stated there are those few that discredit this notion. Yes, I have dealt with situations in my nursing career that made me question another individual’s integrity. I have no issue confronting another provider or peer if I discovered unsafe or unethical practices within the

In today’s society, it’s incredibly easy to find bad news. Reports of the wrongdoings of humanity are constantly circling through the media. “Three women were kidnapped and held captive for ten years, a teenager shot up an elementary school, and a teenage girl was shot for wanting to go to school.” Many believe that mankind is born with a special form of evil and we do what we please with it. Arthur Miller’s The Crucible says otherwise.

The world is an intriguing place. Most might say the world is good, but the world is an evil place. Mankind has took a turn for the worst with creations and evolutions. Throughout history people have chosen to be evil. There has been many incidents that mankind has chosen to be evil, three things that prove this are the creation of the atomic bomb, the killing that abortion does and the uprise of genetically modified animals. Maybe the world is starting to sound like a dystopian novel.

What makes a person good or evil? Why are some people labeled as good and some evil? Why do some people have traits or characteristics of both good and evil? Are people truly evil or do they just make bad choices? Throughout our lives we are faced with making decisions about our lives and often the choices we make can determine the path we follow. Depending on our life choices we can be labeled as either good or evil. Good and evil are relative; one person can be good while another evil. Some people can possess a combination of both good and bad traits. But even those who are considered bad can be rehabilitated to display good qualities such as empathy or kindness.