Are Humans Born Good?

[Sunstone]

What are humans at birth? Are humans naturally good? Naturally evil? Naturally, a mix of good and evil? Or, neither naturally good nor evil?

Note: I'm placing this thread in religious debates because, as I understand the terms, "good" and "evil" are religious concepts.

 

[Watchmen]

I think humans are born a blank slate, with the capacity to do good and evil.

 

[Neo Deist]

I think humans are born a blank slate, with the capacity to do good and evil.

I 2nd the motion.

 

[निताइ dasa]

As a moral concept, Goodness is a trait of actions, not people. Humans have a capacity for good or evil actions, but themselves are not good or evil. They may have certain inherent virtues (like compassion, courage, honesty) and certain vices (like anger, greed, indifference to suffering etc) which may impel them towards good or bad actions, but humans at no stage of their lives can be defined with a blanket statement of good or bad I think.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

What are humans at birth? Are humans naturally good? Naturally evil? Naturally, a mix of good and evil? Or, neither naturally good nor evil?

Note: I'm placing this thread in religious debates because, as I understand the terms, "good" and "evil" are religious concepts.

Naturally good. Morals that define what is bad comes in when parents teach a child what he should and shouldn't do. There is no such thing as bad until that child is taught what he naturally does (what is good) is somehow bad.

It's like hitting and crying is natural to a infant and toddler. It's good because it's not something that harms the infant but a psychological and biological response to environmental stimili. It becomes bad when someone says hitting is wrong because it causes another person to be hurt and crying is bad based on cultural norms on what is healthy emotional expression and what is not.

Good/natural bad/unnatural. Whatever. I think you kinda got it, right?

 

[loverofhumanity]

What are humans at birth? Are humans naturally good? Naturally evil? Naturally, a mix of good and evil? Or, neither naturally good nor evil?

Note: I'm placing this thread in religious debates because, as I understand the terms, "good" and "evil" are religious concepts.

We are born free from sin, pure and innocent and good. That is the Baha'i belief.

 

[Deathbydefault]

What are humans at birth? Are humans naturally good? Naturally evil? Naturally, a mix of good and evil? Or, neither naturally good nor evil?

Neutral by birth. Someone is good when they do good and evil when they do evil, show me a baby that does either.

Note: I'm placing this thread in religious debates because, as I understand the terms, "good" and "evil" are religious concepts.

Disagreed, but I'll follow along for the sake of discussion.

 

[psychoslice]

Humans are born like a clean slate, they are then conditioned and programmed, with also genetics that influences the conditioning, and basically that's it.

 

[allfoak]

What are humans at birth? Are humans naturally good? Naturally evil? Naturally, a mix of good and evil? Or, neither naturally good nor evil?

Note: I'm placing this thread in religious debates because, as I understand the terms, "good" and "evil" are religious concepts.

I believe we come into this world with all of the strengths and weakness that we left with.

 

[Father Heathen]

What are humans at birth? Are humans naturally good? Naturally evil? Naturally, a mix of good and evil? Or, neither naturally good nor evil?

Note: I'm placing this thread in religious debates because, as I understand the terms, "good" and "evil" are religious concepts.

Ethics are a matter of the conscience, which a baby has not yet developed.

 

[Augustus]

We are animals born with a particular nature, just like all other animals. We don't ask if dogs or chimps are born good or evil (chimps are really nasty little ***** as well and are our closest relatives).

The idea that we are intrinsically good, or born as a blank slate of possibilities is human exceptionalism that can only be justified through religious creation mythology.

Our nature allows a broad range of behaviour, from kind and altruistic to spiteful and vindictive. We are born with the capability for both good and evil, and this will never change. The idea that we alone can (collectively) transcend our nature is fantastical and the product of salvation mythology.

 

[interminable]

We may born physically without any problems but mentally our souls aren't purified.
Even some say human's child is completely an animal because he has no reason and gradually becomes a wise

 

[GoodbyeDave]

The philosopher Phillipa Foot used to say that to consider goodness, you need to start with plants. She could have said we need to start with books and knives.

A good object is one that fulfills it's function: a good knife cuts, a good book informs or entertains. A good plant is much the same: it can survive and reproduce. A good animal, however, needs not just the right bodily structure, but the right behaviour: it needs to know what to eat and how to attract a mate. If it's a social animal, that means more behavioural requirements.

Humans are social animals, and so can only have a good life if they have the ability to thrive in society. They are also rational animals. As Aquinas said, animals go for what they need, humans for what they think they need. This means that to be good humans we need what Aristotle called practical wisdom; we all know how the best intentions may fail or even make things worse. A good person is thus one who has the abilities to lead a flourishing life in all respects.

How do we fail?
> Lack of practical wisdom, causing us to pursue false goals or the wrong means (Aristotle)
> Lack of opportunities to develop moral sensibility (Mencius)
> By concentrating on our individuality and becoming unfeeling to others (Wang Yangming)

In other words, the capacity for virtue is like that for speech: all normal people have it, but we still need to learn to exercise it. On that basis, I'd say we are born good in the sense that goodness is a natural development.

 

[1robin]

What are humans at birth? Are humans naturally good? Naturally evil? Naturally, a mix of good and evil? Or, neither naturally good nor evil?

Note: I'm placing this thread in religious debates because, as I understand the terms, "good" and "evil" are religious concepts.

First of all you are very wise to say that the moral categories of good and evil only exist if God exists. Natural law can only tell us what is, it can never tell us what should be. You would not believe how many of our most precious beliefs (racial equality, purpose, meaning, sanctity of life, value of life, objective moral values and duties, etc...) can not be justified if God does not exist.

On to your main point. It is my opinion that humans are born morally imperfect. However that is not really important. What is important is that all mortal humans have freewill. We can use it for only good, but we all fail to do so. That is why Christ's substitutionary atonement is the only hope for mankind. He was perfect and he paid the entire price to redeem a fallen human race which appears to be morally insane.

 

[Cephus]

Good and evil are purely subjective. Humans are born. Humans have actions. Some people judge those actions good, some judge them bad.

 

[jeager106]

I voted "born with a blank slate".
Sadly way too many grow up with the same slate!
Doofus be wad doofus do.

 

[ADigitalArtist]

The idea that we are intrinsically good, or born as a blank slate of possibilities is human exceptionalism that can only be justified through religious creation mythology.

Do you agree that humans by virtue of our naturally evolved intelligence are better able to acquire, process and judge data regarding building sound social paradigms than chimpanzees? Not to say we are inerrant, to be sure, but that we do in fact possess exceptional traits regarding social intelligence, abstraction, communication, analysis etc?

 

[ADigitalArtist]

First of all you are very wise to say that the moral categories of good and evil only exist if God exists. Natural law can only tell us what is, it can never tell us what should be. You would not believe how many of our most precious beliefs (racial equality, purpose, meaning, sanctity of life, value of life, objective moral values and duties, etc...) can not be justified if God does not exist.

On to your main point. It is my opinion that humans are born morally imperfect. However that is not really important. What is important is that all mortal humans have freewill. We can use it for only good, but we all fail to do so. That is why Christ's substitutionary atonement is the only hope for mankind. He was perfect and he paid the entire price to redeem a fallen human race which appears to be morally insane.

 

[Augustus]

Do you agree that humans by virtue of our naturally evolved intelligence are better able to acquire, process and judge data regarding building sound social paradigms than chimpanzees?

Not really, no. We might well be worse.

We are better at making technologies and consolidating power, but I'm not sure our track record of building 'sound social paradigms' is all that great. Our ability of making technologies and consolidating power is often the cause of this.

 

[FearGod]

What are humans at birth? Are humans naturally good? Naturally evil? Naturally, a mix of good and evil? Or, neither naturally good nor evil?

Note: I'm placing this thread in religious debates because, as I understand the terms, "good" and "evil" are religious concepts.

The child at birth doesn't have any choice, also good and bad isn't fixed,
some good people may turn bad and some bad people may turn good.