Intro to Frankenstein
Choose one of the following questions. Then give your answer using specific examples from your own observations, other literary works, or from other academic realms (history, psychology, politics, etc.). Write at least 200 words or more. Feel free to respond to a peer; try to go beyond stating "good job" instead write "I like how you stated X because " or "Although I agree with your point about X, I somewhat disagree with Y."
Choose one question: (make sure to include your name on your post. Save or screenshot your work as a safeguard)
1.) Do you believe humans are innately good or evil? Explain
2.) Do you think people are born evil or are made evil by their environment (i.e. home life, community, social influences)? Explain.
3.) Should scientist try to create new life forms? Explain.
Question 2. Robin Valenzuela
ReplyDeleteAre people born evil or good? CBS News did a study with scholars to find out the answer to this questions that was asked through the ages. They got a group of babies and two stuffed animals. They did a mini play where one stuffed animal helped someone, and one where a stuffed animal didn't help them but make the situation worse. After the mini play they set both down and let the baby pick which one to grab. More than 3 quarters chose the good stuffed animal concluding most babies are born with a good instinct. So how is the bad and evil made? That happens due to the environment and things they are taught at a young age. That also determines what you are afraid of in the future. When I was younger I had no problem near edges, I would go against the mall railing, lean on it, jump around it. I had no problem until my father started to scare me when ever I got next to a height, so now I have developed a fear of heights where I can't even stand next to a high edge. When I was younger I was also taught to treat everyone with kindness and don't do bad things, a normal rule set any kid would abide and I don't break that rule set due to consequences. Compared to lets say someone who is told the same rule set but there are no consequences present they will keep doing them because nothing will happen, or they simply don't care what happens. If we do something and we feel as if its okay because there's nobody to teach us about consequences we are going to keep doing it. We also later on in our lives develop a sense of morals, a justification on to why we do what we do. That is influenced by the things that happen to and around us. Or at least that's how I formed mine. People aren't born evil, or with a sense of blood lust or anything. It is what is taught to us and what our surroundings teach us that determines if we will lead a life of morals, or carelessness.
David Lopez
DeleteI agree with your statement and I like the way you brought in a source such as CBS. I fully agree that children need to be taught consequences. From a young age a child's personality is developing and if we set the foundation with kindness and respect for other humans then we can decrease the amount of evil there are in humans.
1) Neither, we are born with no knowledge. The people and environment make humans 'good' or 'evil'. Most of the time they are just doing it to survive.
ReplyDelete2) Yes , I do. They are cases where people have killed their parents, lied about it without and flinch all because their parents pushed them too hard or lie about them for their whole life. Aka, Jennifer Pan and Gypsy Rose Blanchard. Community and social influence play a huge role as well. Many people because part of the pact of popular kids that bullied or watched and laughed.
3) I have no idea what this means. This has already been done, alittle bit. DNA modifications and 'improvements'. If the life forms can help us, then yes but if the scientists and government are just bored then no.
Michelle Nguyen
ReplyDeletePeriod 5^^
Lisa Nguyen
ReplyDeletePeriod 5
2)Evil is not something that can be infused into anyone the second they are given life here in this world. The same concept applies with hate, racism, and even kindness, none of these things are encrypted into our human biology rather it is taught. With that being said, it is safe to say that as humans we are born with a mechanism that allows us to become the product of our environment. Through the people we surround ourselves with, lessons we choose to embrace, and traumas we may encounter--all of which shape our thoughts and actions. Subsequently, these thoughts and actions form our reality one way or another. In the horror novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, the “monster” didn’t wake up one day and commits to murder Frankenstein’s family. When faced with the fact that his own creator abandoned him, discriminated against by anyone he approached, and no one willing to accept him, the monster his heart filled with hatred and hunger for revenge. It is within this period of isolation that scarred him emotionally. Taking a quick look at real world scenarios, I figure that using psychopaths or serial killers such as Ted Bundy and Richard Ramirez would further support my standpoint. Bundy and Ramirez were both born and raised in an environment that dismantled their perception of what is morally right and what is just down right wrong. These two individuals lacked empathy, conscience, and most importantly their sense of self. Growing up Bundy was never corrected by anyone that invading someone’s privacy or stealing was wrong. Later on in his life, Bundy’s ability to justify his actions severed, leading up to the countless murders he committed. Word for word quoted by Ramirez himself states that “A serial killer comes about by circumstances like a recipe of poverty, drugs, and child abuse these contribute to a person’s frustration and anger in a point in life he explodes.” The recipe that he mentioned infers the environment in which he is brought up as a child in Mexico.
Karina Perez
DeleteHello Lisa! Your take on question 2 was thorough and informative about how humans become a product of their environment. Just like you mentioned, things like hate are taught and not naturally programmed in our brain.
I agree with your statement Lisa on question too. I like how you incorporate the novel we are starting into you response and how you explained that being evil is not something you are born with but rather something you are taught by our surrounding society.
DeleteLeilani ^^^
DeleteRobin Valenzuela
DeleteI agree with you, we aren't born with infused evil but as we grow we learn these emotions. When we learn to love we learn to hate but its what we do with what we learn that makes us "evil". Nobody is born a monster but we are quick to assume.
Lisa great response, i agree with the part of you saying hatred is something that is taught. I think back to our history and the reason why some things never change and thats bc people keep doing these patterns of hate. For example racism is something that no one is born with you hear things from those around you and before you know it some start thinking the same way and it stays a problem.
Deleteroselyn river
Brenda Zepeda
DeleteI agree with your idea that things such as evil along with racism and hate are TAUGHT and LEARNED. Many people quick to decide that someone is automatically evil because because but never bother to look at all the variables that make up a person
*the monster filled his heart with hatred and hunger for revenge*
ReplyDeletePeople are born innately evil. I say this with confidence since none of us can check off all the boxes that characterize a good person. According to Entrepreneur, the qualities that make you a good person are "authenticity, humbleness, acceptance, etc." Yet, it is human nature to be selfish, jealous, prideful, demanding, etc. As humans, we cannot take the truth because we view it as evil when in reality, we're doing more harm than good.
ReplyDeletePeople argue that people can't be born evil when they have a righteous moral compass. Well, Xunzi, an advocate of Confusis teachings, argued that "If human nature were good, we could dispense....from the practice of ritual and rightness. Since human nature is evil, we must elevate the sages and esteem ritual and rightness." His argument proves to be true. If all humans were innately good, why do we focus so much on repelling evil? If people were good, the word evil would not be in our vocabulary.
If we look at this from a biblical standpoint, God even says, "the human heart was only evil all the time" (Genesis 6:5). At this moment is his he is revealing the human corruption of choosing evil over good every time. This verse reiterates the idea that our inclination to perform evil acts develops from the mind and heart, two things that belong to one's moral identity.
All in all, Man was made evil, but not destined to be evil.
^^ Yadira Soto Q#1 P6
DeleteKarina Perez
DeleteHello Yadira! Your statement opened my eyes to a different point of view for question 1. I do respectfully have to say that we aren't innately evil. Yes, I can agree that we do not check every box on what and who a good person is however, we are not necessarily evil naturally. Innately means something that is natural. We are naturally born pure not evil or good. Although some may say pure and good are synonyms, like you've stated before, we all don't possesses every aspect of a good person yet we try. I think your input is great and challenging. You did amazing!
I would have to 100% agree with you. Due to man's sin nature and freewill man drifts towards sin but it is our job to reach out and make ourselves better. Man can never 100% be good but we try our best to stay right.
DeleteI Agree with you, people always tend to pick themselves first before others. People are born free to do as they please that being said people tend to do wrong but can do there best to do right. There is no such thing as a good person all we could do is be authentic, and humble and do our best to do right.
DeleteKarina Perez Per. 5
ReplyDelete2) The human brain works in miraculous ways. One thing that the brain does in order to learn is to observe their surroundings. No one is born anything really. That is why a baby is characterized as pure because the baby knows absolutely nothing about the world good or bad. Humans learn to adapt in their environment and from that the mind, almost like a switch, decides to be good or bad. Take Darth Vader (aka Anakin Skywalker) for example. He was suppose to be the "chosen" one that would bring balance to the force but when he met the love of his life and had dreamt she would die giving birth, it made him desperate and one thing lead to another where he became just as desperate for power. It led him to his downfall and he became the sinful Darth Vader. Everyone makes decisions in life big or small however, your surroundings influences you to make that final choice.
I respectfully disagree with your statement that babies are born with no knowledge of anything because babies are able to hear voices and sounds even when they are still in the womb. So I believe that they have some knowledge of the world outside. However, I do agree with your claim that some circumstances can change a person’s behavior completely through trauma.
DeleteHello Esmeralda!
DeleteThank you for your feedback! I do however want to ask you something. As you mentioned, you said a baby can hear things despite being in the womb but how could a baby tell the difference between what is being said? I think we can all agree that we cannot remember life before we were born. It's impossible to rekindle information especially when we have no knowledge of what is good and bad. That is why a baby is considered pure because they ae oblivious. Thank you!
I believe man inherently evil due to original sin, this is why many little children use violence and parents need to teach them what wrong vs right is. Man tries to be good and do good but without knowing good vs evil there are no moral right and wrong. Some people may argue that environment is what shows people right and wrong. However, this is not true, many who have grown up in bad environments learned through others or through experience to change.
ReplyDeleteYadira Soto
DeleteI like how you mentioned that "without knowing good vs evil there are no moral right and wrong." Your argument truly reiterates what I was trying to exemplify, and you did just that with a use of better words. If man was always good, evil would not exist.
everything they could ever wish for until their father started to molest both of them. Which led them to commit murder and served life imprisonment. The environment in which their father created pushed for them to commit murder and ultimately throw their lives away.
DeleteIn addition, the use of Biblical context can be tricky in an academic setting that is outside of a religious class because of how it could be taken or the idea it portrays to others. However, it was a good response.
Yadira Soto
DeleteTo add to my comment, I agree with Drexler. What context would you add to exemplify this idea of man being innately evil? You should consider using outside resources, aside from the Bible. For instance, I used a source from a man named Xunzi that advocates Confusis teaching. Although his research is based on another form of religion, it can be used to reiterate our beliefs because if more than one religion believes man is innately evil, then it is possible.
2. People are not born evil. Their behavior and personality are influenced by the circumstances or teachings of their life. When babies are born they have no concept of right or wrong. It is taught to them. They observe those around them and if they see a behavior that is often repeated , they think it is okay to do so themselves. An example would be curse words. If they hear an adult say one, they think it is alright to repeat that action themselves. It is not until somebody explains to them why they should not say that word, that they stop. But if nobody were to explain to them why it’s wrong to say that word they would keep saying it.
ReplyDelete^^Adriana Carmona Cruz
DeleteBlog 1 peer response:
DeleteHey Adriana,
The example you presented was very compelling and brings many questions to the table. I think it was an interesting choice to use the examples of babies using curse words and it is up to others to tell them that it is wrong to do so. After listening to this notion I would like to propose a question. If it is the duty of others to teach people right from wrong, when are others not accountable for teaching the child right from wrong? When will there be a point where the baby is forced to make its own decisions? I say this because it got me thinking about children growing up to do things worse than saying curse words such as stealing, vandalism, or even murder. Surely there are cases where the parents never set that precedent, but the kids do it anyway. Why do you think that is? You may argue that, "Well even if the parents never encouraged that type of behavior doesn't mean that the child's friends or environments won't encourage it." In the case that someone makes that argument, that is exactly my point. Where is the line for the child to know right from wrong and be in a state of mind where they know that some actions are evil and they should not replicate it, even if others around them are doing it. I would love to hear a response and if there is any confusion please don’t hesitate to ask for clarification
Cheers,
Derek Mendoza
Leilani Colin
ReplyDelete2.) Do you think people are born evil or are made evil by their environment? Explain.
- For many years, philosophers have debated whether we have a basically good nature or a basically bad nature that is kept in check by society. According to BCC.com the most fundamental characteristics is are looked for in babies. "Babies are humans with the absolute minimum of cultural influence – they don't have many friends, have never been to school and haven't read any books. They can't even control their own bowels, let alone speak the language, so their minds are as close to innocent as a human mind can get." The simple idea of monkey see monkey do is explained here. Babies are born with innocence are once that innocence is lost they as individuals have the self will to choose between good and evil.
Brenda Zepeda
ReplyDeleteDo you believe humans are innately good or evil?
It's always been a commonly asked question in media or literature, are people born good or bad? But it's not such an easy question to answer. While someone may live the best, most comfortable life with the best opportunities and still become bad people. On the other side of coin, someone could have a brutal upbringing while still becoming a decent person. It all depends on the experiences, how we are taught to deal with it and how we actually deal with it.
Peer response:
DeleteHi Brenda,
You brought up an interesting point about how people can become evil with good upbringings just like it is possible for people to become good with a harsh upbringing. The former reminds me of serial killer Ted Bundy and the latter reminds me of Aaron Stark, the man who claims that he was close to becoming a school shooter. And I agree with you when you say that it depends on the experiences evil and good people face and the way they deal with them. For example Ted Bundy's downfall was that he had succumb to addiction to pornography, while Aaron Stark's upbringing was a friend who showed him respect and true friendship. These two people are examples of what an environment does to one's intentions and morals.
While reading your response, a question appeared in my mind. I wanted to ask you, why do you suppose some people react to their environments in such a diametrically opposite manner to their upbringings? Why do some people who are taught to be good end up making bad thoughts and vise versa? I think we can agree that a part of it has to do with the specific experiences they face and their way of reacting to it, but what I want to ask you is if you believe that human brains are different in such a way when it comes to becoming good or evil. Do you think some people have the aptitude to behave in one way?
I would love to hear back from you, if there are any areas where I was too vague or it simply didn’t make any sense please feel free to ask for clarification.
Cheers,
Derek Mendoza
I entirely agree with what you are saying. The way people react to their experiences shapes who they are.
DeleteSamantha Serrano
Drexler
ReplyDeleteIf I can answer it in a short way it is a no. Scientists should not try to create new life forms. Throughout history, we have seen a tremendous advancement in technology, warfare, and medicine. It is inevitable and frankly with great minds come great discovery; However, when is it too much? When can a discovery deem unethical?
For example, the Manhattan Project serves as a stepping stone for future research when it comes to atomic particles and war strategy. Its inventors clashed with each other as well as some policymakers in order to justify its manufacturing. Its discovery and use is what led to the thousands and millions of Japanese individuals suffering and die during World War II. Since it has been used, thousands of much deadlier weaponry have been founded due to the Manhattan Project proving its capability. Now, countries such as North Korea, United States, Russia, France, all have access to nuclear missiles that could start a nuclear winter and end the humanrace with a press of a button or just a hothead.
In addition, the advancement of medicine trickled worldwide and save millions of lives but it too came with a catch. Its availability revolved around money. The price of insulin in the United States is roughly $4,000 a month compared to Canada which is $400. It cost 10 times more for an American to receive the life-saving medication compared to a Canadian individual. Some say it is the lobbyist’s fault. Some can even argue that it is what it is. But in conclusion, companies who fund research do not have people’s lives in mind when creating such a thing because ingredient cost has not risen but the product cost has. Most medicine is pro-profit and figuring out a way to outlived some people or create a human from scratch is another way to reiterate the wealth crisis that exists within the United States. It serves as another reminder that the rich will be richer and the poor will be poorer.
And lastly, the inevitable climate change is yet to be solved. Researching new forms of life stray away from one of the current crises that humankind is facing as of right now. The world is dying, sea levels are rising, and humans might become extinct like what they did to some animal species. Instead of wasting time trying to form a new life, we should save the world that we depend on to live. It is self-explanatory.
So in concomitant with what was stated above, scientists should not try and create a new form of life because as history accounts for itself, most destruction is done with the intention to further one demographic from another.
Citlaly
ReplyDeleteI think people are innately neutral, neither good nor evil. When someone is born we are considered “innocent” since we do not know what is good or what is evil. As we grow up, we learn the differences between the two and the way we are nurtured affects how and who we grow up to be. Although in cases of serial killers and psychopaths this can be argued since sometimes they are affected by genetics. Some people can be born with certain disorders such as antisocial disorders. This disorder can be linked to some psychopaths who are considered to lack empathy and be morally depraved. An article by BBC introduces Neuroscientist Dr.Kiel who spoke about serial killer Brian Dugan. Dr.Kiel explained that Dugan had been seen by a specialist, but they did not understand his condition. Another statement made by Dr.Kiel was of children like Dugan, “Because they lack emotional capability, when teachers attempt to get them to feel remorse it may make them confused and more likely to hurt others.” With these statements from Dr.Kiel, it is very clear that because people of society do not understand this condition, they end up affecting it in ways that are irreversible. I believe society's labels can be misleading and can cause people to be labeled as good or evil, when they do not necessarily fit in a certain category. Taking Brian Dugan for example, he was labeled as an evil person by society, but by medical experts, he is seen as “ill” and “misunderstood”. Although the environment we live in does affect how we grow up to be, sometimes there is more to society’s labels of being “good” or “evil”.
I completely agree with you citlaly, because children arent born with the knowledge of what it is to be evil or good, yet once older their decisions take account which then shows wether they can be considered good or evil but that is a choice and not something that they are born with.
DeleteI 100% agree with you. Children are not born knowing what good and evil is but their surroundings are what influences them. I think you brought up a great point about how society has placed labels on what "good" or "evil" is. I think we could also make the point that different "societies" have different viewings of what good and bad are, and that's why there is so much argument and division because of the way other individuals are taught what is acceptable in the world we live in.
Delete2. Derek Mendoza part 1.
ReplyDeleteBefore I examine this question I want to specify what I consider as evil. As pedantic as this sounds, not all of us can agree on the same thing. For example, some people can say that abortion is evil or that capital punishment is evil. However, I think we all have the ability to understand that those ideas have multiple factors to consider from each side of the argument. For the sake of making my point I want to specify what I consider as evil. In James Waller's engrossing book "Becoming Evil" he describes it as "... the deliberate harming of humans by other humans." To be more specific I would like to also use phycologist Philip Zimbardo's way of describing what is evil, as he puts it "Evil consists in intentionally behaving is ways that harm, abuse, demean, dehumanize, or destroy innocent others..." Now that we have an unequivocal understanding of what we will be referring to as evil let us begin.
When I first saw the question I instantly thought to myself well people are born evil as well as influenced by their environment. The first thing that came to mind was greed and selfishness, but after a while I realized that these characteristics are a natural aspect to animals. Without these thoughts we would have died off long ago. I would argue that greed, to an extent, is vital for survival for most animals. So I threw out that idea because I realized that I did not agree with myself. However upon further reflection I now can say with absolute certainty, that I believe humans are made evil from their environment and I would like to give 3 examples that have impacted and strengthened my belief.
Derek Mendoza Part 2.
ReplyDeleteThe first example I would like to start with is to introduce one of the most infamous serial killers ever caught, Ted Bundy. The night before his execution Ted Bundy was able to be interviewed where he admitted to his crimes, but more importantly shared his childhood. Bundy describes his home environment as normal. He was raised in a two parent family, there was never any fighting, he was never abused, they even were christian and went to church regularly. In all aspects this was a normal childhood, however there was one environmental factor in his childhood that he attributed to his downfall. Hardcore pornagraphy. Seeing this material at such an early age is what he knew drove him to commit the crimes he commited. The want to perform such acts grew stronger and stronger that he had to make them a reality. But it just wasn’t him alone who had this problem. You see, Bundy was in prison for a long time before he was executed and during that time he had a chance to speak with other murders at the time. Out of all of the killers that he spoke to, there was no one person who was not introduced to pornography at a young age. Not one exception. (here is the segment of the interview, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fi91kfUQ6hU) Now you may think something to the effect of, “Well those were people with problems, they were not functioning citizens, they needed help.” Well let's take a look at people who were functioning citizens.
For this second example I bring you the well known “Milgram Experiment.” It is May 1962 psychologist Stanley Milgram conducted a study on obedience to subjects whose occupations ranged from presidents of corporations to plumbers. To give you the quick summary of this experiment, there are 3 people. The “authority”, the “teacher”, and the “learner”. The teacher would ask the learner several questions and if they got any of them wrong they would be punished by receiving an electrical shock that would increase in intensity for every question they got wrong. The authority figure was there to ensure that the teacher would continue his job. How most of these experiments went was that the teacher would keep giving shocks to the learner but the learner who was in the other room would get alot of questions wrong, suffering from painful shocks that the teacher could hear screams and cries for mercy from the learner. Most teachers were uncomfortable and wanted to stop, but the authority figure told them to keep on going. Out of the 40 teachers, 65% of them continued. What we can take away from this experiment is that when faced with an environmental factor, such as an authority figure a person would continue to be evil to others. Abusing innocent others. (Video to segment of the experiment https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOUEC5YXV8U )But you might say “Well despite giving an example of what an average joe is capable of doing I still don’t think that is enough to convince me to believe that environmental factors play a role in a person becoming evil.” Well then, let me give you one final example.
Derek Mendoza part 3.
ReplyDeleteLastly, we are going to examine 3rd graders who have indeed shown signs of evil. In 1968, educator Jane Elliot divided her students into two groups. Brown eyed children and blue eyed children. Elliot told the blue eyed children that they were better than the brown eyed children. Almost immediately the blue eyed children alienated the brown eyed children, they would call them names and have them sit alone during play time. The blue eyed children believed that they were better and had no sympathy towards dehumanizing the other kids. ( documentary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXaGkutJ0zQ )
But what can we take away from this. I gave you 3 examples where environmental figures shaped the actions of others for the worse. Although humans can be easily persuaded, it is up to us to help our fallen or uneducated brothers and sisters.
Christopher Lopez question 1
ReplyDeleteHumans being Innately evil or good is something I Believe its self is a debate the could go on forever. We all have our own ways of describing what is evil and what is good. In a sense its just a way of saying if someone is good or bad and which the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy describes evil as something that is needed to Exist. With reading and thinking all about what makes someone truly evil or good it comes down to what you believe is evil which is why I believe humans aren't innately evil. We as humans don't choose what kind of DNA and personality we will get which is why we all think differently. Some people might see the kid as evil later on growing up as a kid but kid is influence by all sorts of things. In a sense its hard to point out someone who evil right or a little bit after humans are born. As time goes on we might see characteristics that will probably make them seem evil to some people. On the other hand the human probably don't see themselves as evil and they are probably just acting the only way they know how. With just the fact that evil and good isn't something everyone can agree on what's good and bad I would have to say that humans innately are more like innocent or naive then good or evil. With that being said even though being Naive doesn't mean good or evil. I would have to say they would be in this case good since everyone has the potential to be good if they were evil then good wouldn't necessarily be there.
Like I said though the concept of good and evil itself would have to be the reason this question would be hard to say one way or another with everyone agreeing.
Hey Chris! I completely agree with what you stated saying that we all have our own ways to describing on what is good and what is evil. To add on to what you mentioned about being born either good or evil, I believe we're born neither good nor evil, we are rather influenced by society and the environment we live in. Overall, I agree to your overall claim that there are many factors in order to classify someone as good or evil.
Delete-Citlaly
I believe that people are not born evil, but that they can be influenced to act evil do to there sourroundings or daily role models. I think this way because as a child you are not born with the mentality of being bad yet you are disaplined to behave good or bad yet that is a choice and not your destiny, therefore I dont think people are born evil. Not only is it ones option to pick between evil and good, people can also be influenced by the wrong people making them evil, which comes to the conclusion that people are seeing others do it so why not them, which then it connects back to making the choice of being good or evil.
ReplyDeleteWho wrote this?
DeleteEsmeralda Becerra
ReplyDelete1.People are not initially born evil or good. People are taught ideas and other aspects of life. Children are seen to copy or mimic behaviors that their parents do. So most of the children’s manners and behavior are taught by parents. Even subconsciously what parents do to their child will affect them later in life. A new study from the University of Chicago suggests that parents’ sensitivity to both other people’s feelings and to injustice may influence early moral development in their children. The study showed that parents with stronger senses of these emotions translate to the child knowing what is right and wrong. The children are impacted by the environments and things they see around them every day. If something is said or shown repeatedly it is easier to remember it more than other things that are not. So children may not understand the difference between what is good or evil but they learn the difference through their life and or come up with their own definitions of what it is to be good or evil. Because it is hard to clearly state what is right or wrong because each person has their own ideas of what that means to them.
Question 1: Are humans born good or evil? I have often asked myself that question in hopes of coming up with a true answer. Most of the time I believe humans are born good but there have been some instances in which people are so cruel that I believe they are born evil, and it is hard to think otherwise. But in terms of believing this general and very broad question, I simply believe that all people are born good. The idea of being evil is not something you are simply born into, I think it is taught over time, similar to the ideas of racism and homophobia. We are not necessarily born evil but the things around us influence our thinking causing us to become “evil”. In other cases the experiences we have cause us to become good or evil, traumatic experiences often lead individuals to create a wall around themselves when they feel threatened by those past experiences. Things such as death or heartbreak cause many to become guarded, and this does not necessarily mean they are evil but rather they become cold and hard to these topics. This shield that people build around themselves is a form of protection, when we are born, these ideas of kindness, hatred, racism, etc. are not immediately drilled into our minds. We are taught these things or we do them because we are ‘programmed’ to fight for our lives, and this idea of being evil can be classified as a survival technique.
ReplyDeleteEvelyn Padilla
DeleteI agree with you because there are many kids that are nice when they are small but as they get older they become "evil" however, this is due to situations they have gone through. I also agree with you that the reasons many are considered evil is due to their coping mechanisms which are interpreted as evil when they are trying to protect themselves.
Great post however I don't see a name
Delete^^Janina Manalastas
ReplyDeleteRoselyn rivera
ReplyDeleteI think it varys in many circumstances. In most situations I feel like the environment you are in affects the type of person you are. The experiences you went through whether you had good or bad role models, if you were taught right from wrong etc. Also in many situations a parent can do their absolute best and their child will still do horrific actions then in that case a kid was born evil or at least with evil intentions as they grow up. In the show “defending jacob” jacob a 14 year old kid was accused of murder his parents raised him as best as possible but he still had an evil side and it was this “murder gene” that came with him because his grandpa was a murder as well yet, his jacobs dad was not. Known serial killers like Ted Bundy and Richard Ramierez were both abused by their fathers or grandparents and certain ways either verbal or physical. Proving how experiences and anger can lead people to evil actions. So in my opinion most evil people are evil due to the environment they were born in and few are the ones that are born evil.
Brandon Boyd
DeleteYes I agree with you completely that it really just varies between an individual and their family. In the end it really is your family and experiences who shape you into the person you grow up to be. I also liked how you used examples that support your claim.
continued from ^
DeleteThe way a person is raised is ultimately the deciding factor that will shape a person into who they are to become later in life. Typically an individual will keep the same beliefs that their family has, so this further supports your idea of family having an impact in a person being perceived as evil. I also like how you feel some people can be born evil. This outside view from your personal belief strengthens your argument in my eyes.
I completely agree with what you said. The environment in which a person grew up in affects how they are and their actions.
DeleteSamantha Serrano
Environmental factors are huge contributors to individuals in multiple aspects including humans being evil. To start off, environmental factors contribute to the development of a person such as personality, mindset, and mental health. With that being said it would go hand and hand to acknowledged that an environment does shape if someone becomes evil. To further prove this point take into consideration a child or an adult being racist. Children are not taught to be racist or see people by the color of there skin, rather they are influenced by their environment either through family members or children at school. The same can be said for humans being evil. Humans create a norm around them in different parts of the world. What I mean by this is certain places are more harsh on the environment causing for more of a harsh individuals compared to individuals with a less harsh environment. This allows human beings to be evil when they come to environments that do not align with what they grew up in. Racism is be a perfect that truly demonstrates how the cycle of hatred is being passed down from generation to generation. All in all the environment impacts the human around us which in turn creates evil.
ReplyDeleteDavid Lopez
I agree the environments make a person who they are as they grow up and it shapes the person .
DeleteThere maybe an environmental factor that goes into a person being evil or good however what about the people who are surrounded by good but turn out evil? They are not influenced by the people around them to be evil that is their true nature, they were taught to be good but choose to become evil. Some people are born evil they might choose it or the evil spirt might choose them. Just like a person does not choose to be born with down syndrome or autism they are just born with it and there is no real scientific explanation as to why that happens they are just the chosen ones.
DeleteEvelyn Padilla ^^
DeleteBrandon Boyd
ReplyDelete2) Regarding this question, no I do not think that people are born evil. Rather I feel that it is the environment they are surrounded by that ultimately determines how they are. Growing up as a kid, you are easily influenced by those around you, and with that it can lead to you making decisions you are unsure about. Those who are in a stable household and not having to struggle often times are better off in life. While those who are less fortunate are the ones who end up in trouble. I do also feel that it is a person's own intuition that can make the evil. But that is later on in their lives when they can make their own decisions. So I do strongly believe that at a young age, the environment an individual is placed in growing up plays a key role in how evil they can be in life. However, I do also believe that later on down the road, it it a persons own beliefs that make them evil.
I agree because there is studies that show this is true like Just Babies: The Origins of Good and Evil by author Paul Bloom where they show a group of babies a video of helping or pushing they don't know if what's right or wrong
DeleteI agree with you when you say that the environment an individual is placed growing up is a key role that helps contribute to how evil a person can possibly be. However, I believe that is the moral values they were taught in that environment that influences evilness, not whether if they are in a stable house rather living in the less fortunate. Although it may be true that "those who are less fortunate are the ones who end up in trouble" that does not mean that they are evil! Yes people living in poverty might steal food because they can't afford it, but I don't think that is evil. To me, the word evil is when someone does something intentionally in a cruel way.
Delete- jacky
Romina Ruiz
ReplyDelete- I believe people are made evil due by their environment and not born evil. According to Yale University research, people are born with a moral sense. Parents and culture should not begin with a clean canvas when it comes to developing a value system. Moral judgement may be made by children as young as one year old.
Just Babies: The Origins of Good and Evil by author Paul Bloom discusses that babies will determine good and evil well before they begin to walk or talk. Children saw a brief play in which one shape attempted to climb a hill as part of the experiment. A second shape wished to assist the climber, while a third sought to discourage it from completing the task. Babies were asked to pick one figure after the demonstration. The ‘helper' was much more likely than the ‘pusher' to be chosen by infants. They choose the positive over the negative. Our natural instinct is to prefer friendly instead of malicious activities. That isn't to say that babies are perfect. Parents and culture must work together to help strengthen children's spiritual values. Therefore I believe people are made evil and not born evil.
Do you think people are born evil or are made evil by their environment
ReplyDeleteAlong with racism, homophobia, and hate overall it is taught not born with. I believe that people are made evil by their environment because evil is not hereditary. For example childhood traumas may be one of the reasons why people are evil. From films to books, it is seen that the antagonist is evil because of something that happened to them in the past.
^Samantha Serrano
DeleteJoseph Soto
ReplyDeleteAlthough many believe that a bad person was just simply born evil, I believe that they are not born this way but created by the environment. Kids growing up do not know what is right or what is wrong and are easily influenced. Hanging out with the wrong group of people plays a big part in how a person acts. They would do what their friends do so they can seem as cool. Abuse can also cause a person to become evil because they would be treated with violence and they would treat others with the same violence. My cousin grew up with the wrong group of people and as a result is now a gang member. If he did not grew up with these friends then he would have not joined a gang and he would have been a good person. The environment is what caused him to be like this and he was never born a bad person.
Joseph I 100% agree with your response, I think while certain people are born with a condition which makes them more vulnerable to being influenced to doing evil things, the condition alone is not enough to make them do anything which could be considered evil and it's rather their environment which can determine who they'll become.
Delete^ Alexander Sanchez
DeleteJacky Sandoval
ReplyDeleteWhen a baby is born, they have no ethics, no morality, nor sense of society. As the baby grows up, they build up moral values through the environment they are in. Therefore, no one is born evil, rather it is society and the people around who teach their own values to one another. For example, when a child sees a puppy/dog they tend to want to squish and hug them tight because they are curious and do not know how to properly be gentle. They do not know that the dog doesn't like when they grab them tight. It is not until another person tells them that they need to be gentle because they are hurting the dog that they begin to stop doing it because they finally learn. In this scenario the child was being unpurposely selfish, but that does not mean they are evil. Another example that shows that people are not born evil is from the novel, Lord of the Flies. In this novel, a group of young private school boys become stranded on an island and they have limited means of survival. When they arrived, most of the boys were decent kids. However, after living on the island for just a few days, the change in the boys surroundings affected their attitude towards others and the situation as a whole. This book showed that a new climate can impact how people think and act towards others. Therefore, humans are not inherently evil people until they are tempted by evil or exposed to a corrupt environment.
DeleteI agree with you Jacky because I have had my nieces constantly trying to strangle puppies near me although I know that they do not know any better because they are young and they are still learning. I also found it interesting that you did a terrific job correlating climate change can affect a person's actions and thoughts. For example the book Into the Wild the protagonist runs away from society into a stranded place and essentially cannot find any more sources of food and kids really skinny. his mine became very dizzy and unconscious and did not know what he was doing anymore and could not even walk. That's why I believe that an environment does not have to be just people, it can also be in the place you are. Another interesting thought that I had is that it does make sense that you change with the weather because when it's a very hot day at times of people getting more frustrated and angry than other days.
Jasmin sandoval
ReplyDeleteJasmin Sandoval 1.) Do you believe humans are innately good or evil? Explain
I belive humans are born nor evil nor good.I will talk about murder documentry I have watched and learned about such as “the act” or the “mendez brothers case”.A child is born with no thoughts ,no words, and no knowledge. A brain fully develops around age 25.S o children little by little learn by school , legal guardians,and friends.I believe the environment oneself is what essentially creates the behavior of a person to may act a certain way .For example the “Act” case is about a girl in which her mother lied to her and made her believe she had many disabilities. Until she found out the truth but she was in a hostile situation.She was abused and mistreated.Eventually she created an escaped plan and had her mother killed.You would say it is an evil act to do because of morality.Although the question is do you belive humans are innately good or bad.As you see in the case she could have been treated correctly and had been able to go to school,and have a chance of living life.She probably would have not been a murder nor evil.If she had a regular life with parents the outcome would have different.Another example is the case of “the mendez brothers’ they suffered greatly by their father they were sexually assulted and had to go through many horrid things.It was at a young age and it continued as they grew up.The outcome was they killed his dad.Would you say thats an evil act perphaps ,but again if they did not grow up facing these horrid chanlleges their mind would have not been caught up with anger and so much more emotions.I believe in most cases the people who youre around with can influence a person a lot not just because of they do but what they show you and what they do to you personally.I dont think nobody is born already being evil or good.As i have explained using these cases you cane become evil or good by your expirences from childhood.
Alexander Sanchez
ReplyDeleteI think it’s a combination of both, I think some people are born with traits which give them a higher chance of doing evil acts and those acts are triggered by their environment, whilst others experience certain things which make them evil. Take sociopaths for example, they are born with a personality disorder which makes them antisocial to an extreme degree, and have no conscience. Whilst that alone is not enough to make someone evil, they would be at a higher risk of doing something evil because they would have no fear of the consequences or remorse. In the case of Richard Ramirez, his mental health diagnosis by psychiatrist Michael H. Stone was that Ramirez had a schizoid personality disorder which contributed to his ability to kill without hesitation, in addition according to Stone, Ramired was knocked unconscious multiple times before the age of 6 coming close to death leading him to develop in later life temporal lobe epilepsy, aggressivity, and hypersexuality. The schizoid personality disorder characterizes itself in leading people to have a lack of interest in social relationships and have a certain coldness to them, as I stated previously, I don’t think this alone made Ramirez evil. At a young age he was close to an older cousin, Mike Ramirez who was a soldier in the vietnam war. Mike often boasted about what he had done showing images to Ramirez of women he’d raped including an image of himself posing with the severed head of a woman. I think the influence of an older cousin Ramirez clearly admired combined with his mental state is what led him to do what he did, not just him being born with a mental issue. Now let’s take a look at Charles Manson, he was said to have had an antisocial personality disorder which makes a person have a lack of regard for what is right and what is wrong, and just like Ramirez he grew up in an environment which didn’t do him any favors. He was born with the odds stacked against him to a 16 year old single mother and no father. His mother went to jail for robbery, Manson went to a reform school in which he was raped, Manson was punished by an uncle for crying in the first grade by sending him to school in a dress, after escaping from another all boys school in Indiana to go and live with his mom she rejected him, and basically after all of this is when his life of crime started. Had Manson not been born into this situation and had he been born into a household which was competent, he would probably just be another person, a person with a mental issue, but not an evil one.
I agree with you that people are not born evil but born with a disorder that causes them to act a certain way that is wrong. The disorder combined with the enviroment makes a person not fully in control which leads them to do something bad like killing someone.
Delete-Joseph Soto
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI believe that individuals are born neither good nor evil, they are innately neutral. However, when growing up we as a person are influenced so much by the environment/ people that surround us. This not only means by the way we speak or the type of food we eat but morally as well. Children are highly influenced by what their parents believe are morally correct or incorrect and as they grow older are influenced by the people they are surrounded with. A recent study from the University of Chicago talks about parents’ influences on the early moral development of their children. The study showed that parents’ reaction to other individuals' feelings and injustices rub off on the child’s viewing of what is right and wrong. Essentially highlighting the fact that what the parent believes is good or bad influences what the child’s views are as well, especially if constantly being repeated which is shown in many different types of situations. The whole idea of what good and evil even is differs among each and every individual. So although many children may not understand the difference between what is good and what is evil, they are influenced by their surroundings to make their own decisions on this topic. Because of this it is very difficult to identify what is right and wrong holistically because it’s meaning is different for each individual.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteAre people born evil or good? People are not born evil, it is something that is taught and learned from others. From “The Lottery” the kids and adults are not born evil, but they are taught a tradition in which they all follow even if it is wrong. They are taught to beat a person to death with stones and no one questions the origin of the tradition. No one is able to see what is wrong with their tradition because they were being taught at an early age so it is now considered like a routine for them and the only people who speak out are the ones who are unfortunate enough to pick the black dot, but at that point it is already too late. Environments are huge factors that contribute to how people turn out because kids can be influenced through friends or their surroundings to think a certain way about others or things, especially if they have not been taught right from wrong or have experienced any other settings. Although it could be said that humans are born selfish because of their desire to want more, is it wrong for you to want more for yourself and others around you?
People are born with characteristics and personalities already set up for themselves. This could be due to the alignment of the stars in which they are born, or their DNA. Whatever it is people are unique but there all have a little of good and a little of bad or vice versa just like the yin and yang symbol. There have been studies that demonstrate the kindness that we are born in by having a puppet show for babies in which they show shapes either hindering a climber or helping it. The babies are then asked to choose a shape and more often than not they choose the helper shape demonstrating human nature to be nice and good. The scientists at yale decided to use babies since they were the most innocent in all ways they don’t know how to communicate, read, or be affected by society like toddlers or adults would be. There has also been another study done by the University College London in which supports the idea that we are born good. However, as we grow up we ultimately change with the help of the environment around us and the chemicals in our brain. The way that we choose to deal with things and the things that we decide to think will affect the way we react to situations making us be more mean or nice. This idea is that we are initially born good but as we go through life we choose what we become with the help of the chemicals in our body and the cultural influence that the person is surrounded by that environment.
ReplyDelete~Evelyn Padilla per 5
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteOne is not born inherently good nor evil. We are born with our natural animalistic instincts that have been ingrained into our genetics for generations. Rely on those around you, cry if you are hurt, hungry, or uncomfortable. We watch as we are tended to and taken care of our every need. It is not our fault if we happen to be born into a manipulative and "evil" household, we do as everyone else listen to what the grown ups around us because they know what is "right". That being said everyone has their own definitions of good and evil, right and wrong and I is up to those who influence us to define them for us from a young age. Essentially we could be molded into what some would say "evil" or we could be molded into perfect law abiding citizens. Essentially for most it is gluttony or rather lack of restraint that leads to "evil". Then again who are we to decide whether one has an insatiable hunger that just never seems to be filled or are just searching for warmth in other and just happens to subconsciously consume all that surrounds them?
ReplyDelete-Francia Huertas