Do babies have a conscience?

Question

I was in a store once and a baby was looking at me and then she started to smile. There are also cases where I may tickle a baby's feet and he or she will laugh and sometimes, they will do nothing at all. There was even one baby who smiled everytime I came by during a wedding (everytime I walked by that table and he saw me, he went from a normal state to a smiling state). Do babies know what they are doing and know what to do when a situation comes along?

Answer 1

No babies do not have a conscience. Conscience is the knowledge of right from wrong. Babies brains are not that developed yet, plus they also need to be taught right from wrong.

You are talking about them smiling in response to things. Some babies are smiley babies and will smile if someone looks at them.
In regards to the tickling, like adults some babies are ticklish and will laugh, some babies are not ticklish and so wont laugh.
Its not knowing what to do when certain situations occur its reacting. If someone smiles at you do you smile back? If someone tickles you do you laugh? Have you ever looked at someone and just smiled? Because there is just something about them that makes you smile?
Babies react. If you snatch something off a baby they will cry, if you play peekaboo they will laugh or smile or look confused.

Answer 2

Healthy babies are born with the mental capacity to acquire language and be enculturated (taught) the rules of their society by the adults around them; including and especially that of the familial background.
No child has a conscience until s/he is around 12 years old or so. Until then the adults in their world shape what becomes the conscience. They learn to behave in ways that move them from self gratification (Frued's Id or survival needs) to socialized human beings' aware of the needs of others. Then they must learn to balance dueling incentives; meeting their needs while behaving in socially acceptable ways. How well they do that depends on the society in which they live and the backgrounds of their caretakers.

Your question began with a psycho/social inquiry and the details more or less lend themselves to whether or not babies are conscious of their surroundings and whether or not they possess a sense of humor. The answer to both is yes. What tickles a baby visually and vocally varies as much as it does with anyone else.

As for whether or not they know what to do when a situation comes along, no. That goes back to socialization. Until fully socialized they respond entirely emotionally to stimulus. Thus a loud noise may startle them into tears, as may the face of a stranger.

Answer 3

Homeward07's answer cracked me up! Too funny!

I think that babies, more and more with ever increasing age, are well aware of what is going on around them... I think even more so than adults sometimes (who tend to tune things out at times).

Answer 4

babys do know whats going on there brains are like little sponges absorbing everything they know if there hungry the louder they scream the more u come running so yes i beleive there brains are in there tickin away lookin observing the world around them :) u obviously made the kid pretty happy :)

Answer 5

I think so, because everytime I pick my son up from the daycare as soon as I walk in the room he brightens up and starts to laugh and kick his feet like he knows its me...so my answer is yes....that's my final answer!!!

Answer 6

All babies are sociopaths. (devoid of consciences)

Most are bald, fat and unemployed. They do not care what others think, need or feel. They are completely self-centered. Unwilling to dress, bathe, vote or educate themselves. No baby has ever contributed to the betterment of society.

They seldom engage in conversation, cannot calculate even the simplest of problems and are dangerous if given any authority. There is not a child around who would hesitate to press the button to destroy the earth, if given a chance.

Finally...they ruin their local environment, yet never think to apologize, nor make restitution for the clean-up.

These little devils ACT delighted to see you...may coo and gurgle innocently...but this is only so that you will fall in love with them, bring them goodies and dress them expensively, leading toward an even more spoiled condition.

This is ample proof for me, that all pregnancies must end. Parents should be imprisoned, or at least placed under psychiatric observation. The real question is...in light of all of this nonsense...do PARENTS have a conscience?