Is Evil inborn or learned?

Answer 1

Both. We all have selfish instincts and desires programmed into our genes, and must be taught restraint when we are young. Just observe children if you don't believe it. We all have territorial instincts, like any other animal. This causes us to be suspicious of people who are different from our in-group. The culture and society around you influences your behavior, allowing either your base instincts to predominate (such as the abuse and use of women by men in certain Eastern societies, the promotion of terrorism by Islamist groups, or the hatred of Jews in Nazi Germany) or emphasizing your feelings of compassion and tolerance, such as when the Danes, led by their King, stood up for the Jews during the Holocaust. The good news is that Man's inhumanity to man can be avoided by sharing and showing compassion towards each other. The bad news is that such a society is not likely to last very long.

Answer 2

The question--and it's a good one, actually has to do with the existence or non-existence of virtue. Socrates presented the argument long ago. However, the argument is a pirori to first and foremost of what does virtue consist. If we argue, that virtue consist of that which is good and evil consist of that which is bad we are still just pasting labels, as the person whom with Socrates discerned after attempting to answer. The real question is whether there is some predispossed quality in the moral fiber of our being which is set up to do immoral acts, which could be construed as decidedly "evil"? More importantly the question of whether one learns this quality, how much of it is learned and if so what are the qualities which connote or denote is existence, how are said qualities demonstrable? Here we go into "dark territority. For if it can be demonstrated that "evil qualities", which are not virtuous can be learned. Then it can also be equally demonstrated, that good qualities, which are virtuous can also be learned. Then it becomes a question of quantity--how much can be learned? And if so, how much can be unlearned? Does age have anything to do with it? And, as T.S. Elliot so eloquently put it in "Love Song of J. Afred Proofrock, "...a million and one visions and revisions, that a moment will reverse." I have a friend named John Sack. He is a medical doctor. But his fundamental discipline is philosophy. I'm going to ask him about this. He has always given me profound insight into the nature of things is the past. It is my hope that he will shed further light on the subject.

Answer 3

For evil to be learned it mst have existed previously, yet for evil to be born that means it had to have never existed. Since all men are said to carry the wrath of God for they took of the forbidden fruit, evil is probably then inborn, as is good.

Answer 4

Disobedience is inborn, therefore one could argue that wickedness could very well be in born also, then there is the oft held argument that there is no good or bad, only thinking makes it so? if this is the case I would have to theorize that evil, and I mean pure murderous, psychotic evil is just the extreme end of the good / bad parameter scale with Godliness, peace and love taking its place at the oppositite end of said parameter?

Answer 5

People can have deficits in brain function and behave in ways detrimental to others.
Beyond that, all people have the capacity to go from one extreme to the other depending on the belief system predominating at the time. See cannibalism among various starving groups. .Those people believed that they would die if they did not engage in cannibalism and that the preservation of their life was worth the taking of another's. The family of the survivors probably regard it as a necessary means and therefore OK. The families of the eaten regard it as murder
Your beliefs determine how you behave. The people in the environment determine whether they regard it as good or evil.

Simple example. Many people play golf and build relationships on the course. Those who enjoy the game regard it as a great social good. Those who look at the destruction of habitat and diversity, the high consumption of water, the run-off of fertilizers and herbicides regard each and every golf course as an example of man's pigheaded selfishmness, greed and disregard for the greater good.

Answer 6

Both. Depending on which level of Evil you are talking about. There is little bit of evil in every human. You don't have to kill someone to be labeled as evil. The moment you develop consciousness and difference between right and wrong, you are capable of making evil choices. When you purposely hurt someone emotionally or verbaly it's evil. When you gossip about someone which might not be true...it's evil. When you lie to get ahead, it's evil.
God has given us a mind, but many of us are afraid to use it.
One time this guy asked a Budda, "well if drinking alcohol is bad, then how come God gave us alcohol in the first place?" Buddha said ," God gave you fruits, like grapes, and it was you who used them to make alcohol.

Answer 7

Learned. But so is good.

When we are born everything is new to us, and from that moment we start to learn. We learn from our parents, relatives, friends, teachers, media, our general environment and surroundings. Everyone has the capacity for good or evil based upon the choices they make. Some choices that one would consider good can eventually lead to evil unintentionally, or bring about evil through being nieve about the situation and action. As we grow we are taught the basics of right and wrong, and we choose to act in a certain manner, and the more influence from one side or another can cause us to be good or bad Some people are born with mental illnesses that make them act differently, but to them, what they are doing may not be evil, but rather good, which throws a whole nother twist, of good and evil really is a socital creation. Killing is evil right? But killing someone who is trying to kill you isnt looked at as evil. Its all how you look at it. Someone with a religious cause believes they are doing good, but someone who doesnt believe in religion thinks they are a bad person for acting that way. So humans make decisions, society decides whats good and bad and there is really no clear line of good and evil.

Answer 8

I like to think it is learned, I guess I don't really know the answer. I find it hard to believe that people are born evil.

Answer 9

It's learned behavior. No one is born evil. But if you are talking about Evil as an ENTITY, then NO, because it's not real. It's an illusion. The only reality is love.

Answer 10

Someone born without a conscience can be good ore evil, but evil more often than not!
People born with a conscience, evil is learned!