Is human nature inherently good or intrinsically evil? This is a topic that has been debated for a long time, and opinions are divided.
On this issue, there are those who hold the view that human nature is inherently good, arguing that human nature is essentially good and tends to be warm, generous and kind; Others hold the view that human nature is inherently evil, believing that human nature tends to be selfish, cruel and greedy. So, who is right? Let's explore it together.
The idea that human nature is inherently good holds that children are innocent, that they have not yet been corrupted by the world, so their knee-jerk actions often warm people's hearts. A smile, an act of helping others, can bring joy and emotion.
Remember the photo of that little girl cuddling with a stray dog? This innocent picture made countless people burst into tears and sigh at the beauty of human nature. However, there is also truth to the view that human nature is intrinsically evil.
If children are not properly educated and guided, they may be on the wrong path when exposed to some negative effects. Studies have shown that some uneducated children are tempted by violence, crime and other bad behaviors, and may go down the path of crime once they grow up.
This is reflected in many social problems, such as school violence and juvenile delinquency.
However, we cannot simply classify human nature as good or evil, because both good and evil are manifestations of instinct.
As Bayes' theorem says, people grow up in continuous learning and adaptation, and human nature can be controlled and promoted by acquired education to a certain extent. Education can not only help children develop correct moral concepts and values, but also cultivate their compassion and love.
Under the influence of a good educational environment, people can remain kind and upright even when facing different temptations in the future. However, in the absence of rules, the evil and good of human nature may be magnified.
For example, on the Internet, we often see some malicious words and behaviors. In the virtual world, uninhibited people may exhibit more extreme behaviors and opinions because they feel unconstrained by anything.
This situation is further proof that human good and evil are interconnected with social rules and moral values. A 1974 study called the Stanford Prison Experiment and a student's challenging behavior also sparked discussions about human nature.
In this experiment, participants were divided into prison guards and inmates and asked to play both roles.
As a result, the participants' behavior becomes extreme and cruel, showing the evil side of human nature when it is not bound by rules.
Similarly, in some social phenomena, we can see that the evil of human nature manifests itself more pronounced without restraint. To sum up, in the absence of rules, both good and evil in human nature will behave more extremely.
And in daily life, we can still see many acts and acts of kindness. Therefore, while discussions of good and evil in human nature are always controversial, we cannot deny the importance of goodness in our lives.