is man naturally good or evil?

[nba dogmatist]

some people believe that man is naturally evil and society is there to keep him in line, and others believe that man is naturally good and corrupted by society. i personally believe man is naturally evil, but i'll get into it later.

 

[iversonfan268]

I feel man is good and corrupted by society. I mean your born harmless with all the innocence in the world and anything bad you learn basically is from society. That's just the way I see it. This could be an interesting debate though.

 

[Nazr McWallace]

Here is my theory. From the dawn of man, man was inherently good. How so? Because every man had to take care of his family, or tribe. Everyone had to look out for one another back then, because the world was (still is) a dangerous place. If they didn't take care of each other, I think it would be dreadfully obvious because we wouldn't be here today. It may have been more of a 'I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine' relationship, but it worked out well and everyone was relatively good.Throughout the years, the human condition has changed for the worse. Nowadays, man is conditioned to be evil, selfish, and race to get as many material items as possible to help the economy. In the pursuit of hapiness, we may have forgot what it means to be human.

 

[Justice]

Man is inherently evil. In order to survive, you are supposed to look out for yourself. So yes, in a way society does affect man to do evil, but man can resist it. Only the strong survive, and that usually requires screwing people over. Also, children are not innocent at birth. If you seriously have never seen a child kick something or smack something with a spoon or anything like that, I'd be surprised. And I don't think it's the environment either, kids do that before they can even talk or read.

 

[Nazr McWallace]

But if man only looked out for himself since the dawn of man... how did we survive this long? You think people didn't take care of each other much in the same way a tribe of gorillas does?EDIT: Also, what if it's more complex than the entire human race being inherently good or evil? What if there are shades of emotional ambiguaty (sp) that goes beyond the concept of duality? And what if some people are evil from birth and others good? Riddle me that, Batman.

 

[nba dogmatist]

like i said earlier, i think man is inherently evil. That is why society has to make laws to keep them in line. The bible says that man is evil before they become born-again. I would like to think of society as a catalyst of man's evil. It can foster a mans evil with stuff like greed, lust, all that other stuff, or it can make him good with laws, religion, etc.<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Nazr McWallace @ Aug 4 2006, 04:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>EDIT: Also, what if it's more complex than the entire human race being inherently good or evil? What if there are shades of emotional ambiguaty (sp) that goes beyond the concept of duality? And what if some people are evil from birth and others good? Riddle me that, Batman.</div>looks like we've got a phycologist on our hands. bravo.

 

[Opal]

Man is naturally good. Evil people were raised evil.

 

[Justice]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Nazr McWallace @ Aug 4 2006, 04:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>But if man only looked out for himself since the dawn of man... how did we survive this long? You think people didn't take care of each other much in the same way a tribe of gorillas does?EDIT: Also, what if it's more complex than the entire human race being inherently good or evil? What if there are shades of emotional ambiguaty (sp) that goes beyond the concept of duality? And what if some people are evil from birth and others good? Riddle me that, Batman.</div>It's pretty simple. Man likes sex more than he likes killing. Reproduction for the win.I agree with you on the duality thing. I just think man has a tendency to be evil from the start rather than innocent from the start.

 

[PacMan]

It's BOTH smiple, Evil is a greed really and whats greed, greed is the thing you want so bad that you'll almost do anything to get it. Good is a person that fallows religion, donates, makes you feel good thats mostly good I know there is more.

 

[Hang Eleven]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>like i said earlier, i think man is inherently evil. That is why society has to make laws to keep them in line. The bible says that man is evil before they become born-again. I would like to think of society as a catalyst of man's evil. It can foster a mans evil with stuff like greed, lust, all that other stuff, or it can make him good with laws, religion, etc.</div>Yet who made society what it is today? Man. Evil men, especially. So, yes man is evil, and from the very start they are.

 

[Blaze]

I believe it varies on the person. Most of the time, kids are innocent. Even when they grow up, there is usually good in them. Most businessmen and civilians do become corrupted by society though. When people are truely, evil, it comes from childhood, experiances, etc. Hang Eleven, there are certain circumstances that have made certain people greedy, mad, etc. Greed does not make someone evil. It is an emotion that most learn to control. These things; greed and anger, led for our society to be corrupt. Or, the ones who could not control their greed or anger led for the society to be corrupt. This is what makes the very few who are evil, what they are.

 

[Hang Eleven]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>I believe it varies on the person. Most of the time, kids are innocent. Even when they grow up, there is usually good in them.</div>Wrong. As Justice said, if you've raised a child, even a really small one, then they really are very naughty. Not "some", but all. Maybe some are more naughty than others, but they're all naughty.<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Greed does not make someone evil.</div>It does, considering the fact that greed can lead you to do things such as lying, robbery, even murder.

 

[nba dogmatist]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Mixx @ Aug 4 2006, 08:25 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>It's BOTH smiple, Evil is a greed really and whats greed, greed is the thing you want so bad that you'll almost do anything to get it. Good is a person that fallows religion, donates, makes you feel good thats mostly good I know there is more.</div>that's just dumb. people don't go straight from the womb to church. Alot of times people go to church bc they were born into a christian family and they are mad e go, or they have a void in their life they need to fill with religion.

 

[playaofthegame]

lets just say Public Enemy #1 for the earth is the human race

 

[BrewCityBuck]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (playaofthegame @ Aug 8 2006, 12:06 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>lets just say Public Enemy #1 for the earth is the human race</div> No, public enemy #1 is bears. People are naturally both good and evil depending on what the circumstances are.

 

[kingjamez]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BCB @ Aug 8 2006, 12:16 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>No, public enemy #1 is bears. People are naturally both good and evil depending on what the circumstances are.</div>Does that mean man is naturally neutral to both sides at the start?

 

[Rok]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>People are naturally both good and evil depending on what the circumstances are.</div> That about sums it up for me. I think people are born with both evil and good intentions, we as people everyday duel with both sides on countless decisions throughout our life. As a whole, I believe people as they get older, tend to pick one over the other.