Is it possible to be born without a conscience?

Question

Some of the extremly evil things some people can do is astonishing. And when they end up in court, they have this cold and calculating expression on their face as if jail is nothing. It really is quite frightening

Answer 1

sadly there are millions of people like that.

Answer 2

To yet again bring the argue between nature and nurture, I believe that you are born with some genetically predefined qualities, but they can be highly molded by the way you are brought up.
To give some example, why I believe that. I know a couple of families who weren't fortunate enough to have a baby of their own. Medicine couldn't help so they adopted a child. Through the years I have seen how much more and more these children look alike and act like their parents. There is a certain point that you'll start noticing physical similarities between the adopter and the child.
On the topic - people aren't born with or without conscience they acquire it with time, whatever you imply under the term "conscience". It's all about the environment you are raised in. Not just family, but friends, school, society, and etc.

Answer 3

I dont believe anyone is born with a conscience. I think that's something that comes from education. The Conscience is born out of one's ability to tell right from wrong. This can only come from education and past experience. If you get the wrong education, if you have a past life full of bad experiences your conscience will reflect that.

But even conscience is relative. Were any of the 911 bombers in a situation where they had killed Osama Bin Laden would their conscience allow them to feel regret for being resonsible for felling their leader; if they hadn't intended to kill him in the first place or killed him in a dishonourable fashion thus denying the matyr status these types of people crave so highly?

All the above answers are based on our general perception of right and wrong, but without education and experience, what is right and what is wrong?

Answer 4

Absolutely. It's known as the psychopathic personality, and no, they didn't acquire it because somebody did something bad to them in childhood. Geoffrey Dahmer is a good example of a kid who was loved and well cared for. At a very early age he was torturing small animals. The brains of these people are clearly lacking in some element not yet clearly understood. They have no empathy, and feel absolutely no "connection" to either their fellow humans or any other living thing. Their evil deeds ( and they are often truly evil) are committed with totally detached indifference... . almost robotic.... . and oftentimes even when they are caught, they display a demeanor like... "no big deal" again the almost robotic concept of .... kill and be killed....... harm, and be harmed ...... it's just "the game"

Answer 5

More precisely, it is possible for a person to fail to develop a conscience (conscience isn't really a feature of infants, has to develop). Rare, but more common in men than in women. This makes sense because the offspring of a mother who is indifferent to them are less likely to survive than the offspring of a father who is indifferent to them (quite of few of those about!). Interestingly (and strangely) psychopaths can be quite attractive to women. This was true of Ted Bundy, for example.

Answer 6

The case of cruelty your question brought to my mind, and the question of conscience, was the murder of the little boy Bulgier, his two killers were old enough to know right from wrong. I think they were about 11yrs old. They were so very very cruel to him, beyond any-ones worst nightmare, they were extremely evil. I will never understand that case, they were released from their place of detention, given new identities, and let loose yet again.
GOD HELP US - Conscience - Will they re-offend or not ? How can any-body possible know. I think we have to learn how to have a conscience. But the people who decided to let those boys loose again - Well ! you tell me. !!

Answer 7

no i dont think youre born this way .i think it,s caused by lack of attachment and bonding to parents guardians .if a child grows up with parents who seem to not give a toss about anything theres a good chance the child will grow up the same.its,s like crying out for attention the good behaviour gets no reaction but the bad behaviour does .i think it just escalates until the person doesnt care what others think .frightening and sad.

Answer 8

I don't think anyone is born without a conscience. However, everyone justify there actions, should it be genocide or something very small we do wrong in our day to day lives, In our own minds we all find justification for what ever we do.

Answer 9

They were probably born with a conscience - but due to bad upbringing & mixing with the wrong people, those people believe that having a conscience is wrong.

Answer 10

Sociopaths have no conscience. There is some debate as to whether this is due to nature or nurture, but it's probably a healthy mix of the two.

Answer 11

ethical experience is an skill or a college that distinguishes in spite of if one's strikes are desirable or incorrect. It finally ends up in thoughts of expertise sorry approximately while one does issues that bypass against his/her ethical values, and to thoughts of rectitude or integrity while one's strikes conform to our ethical values. it is likewise the attitude which informs one's ethical judgment earlier appearing any action. the quantity to which such ethical judgments are based in reason has been a rely of controversy very just about for the time of the historic previous of Western philosophy. A ethical experience must be experienced to grant a feeling of ethical values reckoning on the society in which you reside. it relatively is not something which you're born with.