Do you think we are born good people, even though in some ways we have to be taught to be good?

Question

Someone asked me this, and I thought it was an interesting question.

When you think about it, we have to be taught good manners, how to respect other people, and how to not be so selfish. Do you think we are still good people even if we were not taught these things?

Answer 1

true..but the Evil gene is natural...

Answer 2

If you are not taught good manners, respect for others and selfishness your morals and your values will be affected. If you don't know the difference between what is good and what is bad, you will face more troubles in your life.

Yes, good qualities can be learned if they are not taught by the parents. Hard to say, if we are good people if we are not taught, it depends on what you are doing. How do you measure your goodness?

Answer 3

Second on the neutral. Everyone is born with the need to survive - survival is very neutral, if pragmatic and self centered.
Learning "unselfishness" and how to get along with others (manners) can enhance personal survival in a group, and a group is necessary for general human survival. What we label "good" and "bad" can be divided in "social harmony" and "social disharmony" - enhancers or detractors for individual or group survivability.

I can go on and on...but it would bore ya :D

Answer 4

I think that our common sense regarding good and bad are taught to us directly in our family enviroment, te actions of our parents tutors or guides are what do we take into consideration, among with this we should consider what type of instruction we get in school.

Thus, be good or bad, is directly linked with our social enviroment.

Answer 5

There are many things to consider when talking about 'good'. Philosophers would distinguish between something being good as in doing a good action and something being good simply because it (you, me, him, her, whatever) exists. In your case it seems like you are asking about good people and good action, that is to say , that we are naturally good people seeking the well-being of others. As we can see by the natural state of affairs around us, that is not the case. That is not to say we are not good people, the issue itself surrounds the problem of determining what is right or wrong action. We, as humans, naturally seek the good or benefit for ourselves. This may sound egotistical but in essence it is mainly natural. Neither is this any reference to the Darwin "survival of the fittest". We will always seek what we 'perceive' to be best for us, although this 'perception' may actually be a physical, psychological or moral evil. So to answer your question, we are born good people, since we will naturally seek what is best for us in so far as we understand it to be best for us. As a young individual we have difficulty understanding our wants and needs in relation to others, this is where we are taught and hence where the difficulty arises in your question. Jacques Rousseau held to the belief that man was a "noble savage", that is to say, left to himself and nature man is good. Perhaps his thought was a little extreme, but nonetheless he is correct in observing that man does not desire evil for himself nor others, and that his actions only reflect a perception of what he holds to be as being good.

Answer 6

We are animal, neither good nor bad. We focus on our own well-being and may focus on others only after our needs are met. Even for primates, a lot of it is culture.

Answer 7

Everyone's always neutral. It's when human perspective is brought into the equation do things become bad and good.

Answer 8

Yes, I think we are all born with potential and are molded by the society in which we live.

Answer 9

Our invoirment makes us who we are, i belive we are all born innocent, you can be good with out the above qualities, but good in your own sense, not to everyone else........

Answer 10

When we are born,it is inherent fate that decides our outcome.