Were We Born with Morals?.. or Taught Right From Wrong?

[ScatMan]

I posted this in another gear forum, but what the heck.. I'm curious what other folks think, so..

how 'bout our biases? our sense of fairness? our sense of justice?

born with or taught?

Some studies suggest born with, not taught:

[Boubou]

One man's right is another man's wrong

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[tedro]

taught.
those tests are toally bias. can't see that?

colors, toys, movements... debunked.

[ScatMan]

Originally Posted by tedro

taught.
those tests are toally bias. can't see that?

colors, toys, movements... debunked.

Look closer.. It's an ongoing theory.. not definitive (yet).. certainly not debunked (yet).. check your facts.

[1955]

Why would God hate Essau in the womb? For what he did or didn't do before he entered the womb. But even having the fresh-slate, being born innocent of woman in the bag of waters, all spirits have a shot to do what is right through free-will.

And then there are some pure evil killers and rapists out here in the world, Not of the same seed at all, no conscience, sociopaths, children of the devil. They are almost wired for wickedness.

[Nick Fanis]

You don't need to go over any..studies..

Just read this

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/pl...ics/#VirStaSou

[T Prior]

we were born with a free will..we can decide, determine right from wrong, think for ourselves...feelings, emotions , compassion etc..we are intelligent , all that...

If we are taught right from wrong, good from bad etc..the odds are we will carry that thru life or at the very least know the difference..

we are not animals...we do not wake up each day in survival mode...

If we are not taught right from wrong or the difference between good and bad then it will be a tuff life...

[ScatMan]

Originally Posted by Nick Fanis

You don't need to go over any..studies..

Just read this

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/pl...ics/#VirStaSou

This is science, not philosophy. Who knows what will become of it after peer review and independent experimentation?

[w3stie]

It's a fascinating area. Some modern research has shown that personality traits like anxiety are passed genetically in rats to their offspring. The implications of this are profound as they show behaviour affecting the genes or at least the expression of genes in families. Is this the mechanism for moral behaviour in newborns?

[garytelecastor]

Nature vs. Nurture.
It has been a philosophical argument from the time of Plato.
My personal opinion is that we are a little of both. There seems to be
a definite element of a conscience that is prevalent from birth. But, like all
skills, it has to be trained. I don't think there is a person alive who hasn't
raised a child and at some point been confronted with, "Daddy, I got to tell
you something."
It is obvious though that we can train our conscience to accept things that
we would never allow at other times.
Watching some of the actions of differing factions during war is a good indicator
of this. Think about the American citizens that were of Japanese heritage that were rounded up and put in camps for the whole of WW2. People say that they would neverdo that today.
In the first 7 years of life there are biological milestones that a child goes through. Ask a mother one time whether she knows what her child wants just by it's cry. In the first few days they begin to focus sight. They can identify their mother by the sound of her voice, her skin, etc. Eventually they have their first conscious cry and they realize they can make sound. All of these things plus hundreds of others are all automatic and not trained.

One little tip, if you want a baby to like you get fat. They seem to be drawn to a round face. And they also are very much team players. When one of them in a group starts to cry they will all cover that babies back by crying too.

[SamClemons]

It is a good question, but I fear to religiously oriented for me to touch on in this forum without going into religion. Does anyone really believe we are born as clean slates...I don't think so. You can assign it to genetics, God's purpose, fate, whatever, but I think we are all born with certain personal bents and characteristics and then we are molded by conditions around us to make us what we are.

[greytop]

I have "identical" twin girls, 3 years old now. Never been apart. My wife and I try hard to treat them equal. But, at a very early age it was evident they are so different in so many ways.

Bible says to raise up your kids (each one) in the way they should go and they will not depart from it.

I believe that.

[stankepanck]

I predict a lock.

[emu!]

Never trust anyone under 3.

[ifallalot]

Originally Posted by emu!

Never trust anyone under 3.

[FMA]

Nature vs. nurture?

I thought Randolph and Mortimer Duke settled that question in "Trading Places."

[rokdog49]

Originally Posted by SamClemons

It is a good question, but I fear to religiously oriented for me to touch on in this forum without going into religion. Does anyone really believe we are born as clean slates...I don't think so. You can assign it to genetics, God's purpose, fate, whatever, but I think we are all born with certain personal bents and characteristics and then we are molded by conditions around us to make us what we are.

+1

[Mike Eskimo]

"Nature" certainly gives those with problems (drunks, imbeciles, etc) a convenient coat hook to hang their crap on :

"Well, my dad was an alcoholic, and his dad, and really, it runs in my family so you see - I can't help but be a drunk..."

That garbage being said - there are evil babies.

[Colo Springs E]

Originally Posted by FMA

Nature vs. nurture?

I thought Randolph and Mortimer Duke settled that question in "Trading Places."

For one dollar, right?

[kelnet]

Here's an interesting theory about moral development.

http://faculty.plts.edu/gpence/html/kohlberg.htm