MAN IS INHERENTLY GOOD
Hey guys:). I really wanted to see what you all thought of my major paper topic. So I wanted to post a HIGHLY modified version of my paper for you all to comment on:). Enjoy:)
The debate of whether man is inherently good or inherently evil has long pervaded the history of philosophy and psychology. For example, great philosophers such as Socrates and Plato believed in man’s inherent capable of goodness. Later philosophers and psychologists who followed this line of thinking included such well known figures as Rogers and Maslow. In this view of man, the environment is often blamed for the evil that takes place in this world. Therefore, “man can be good if certain conditions are met” (Staub, 1978, p. 14). Moreover, when those conditions are not meet, and instead the environment facilitates evil, man will have a high propensity of acting in evil ways.
In the history of psychology, many landmark studies have revolutionized the conceptualization of evil by providing evidence that normal well functioning individuals can, and will, act in ways that are evil. Studies such as the Milgram experiment, the Stanford Prison Experiment, and the BBC prison study lend themselves to the idea that man will turn toward evil under the right conditions. Therefore, man is controlled to some degree by the environment. Moreover, that environment can make the average good man or good woman act in evil ways. Agreeing with both Rogers and the experimenters, this writer believes that man is good by nature, but that the environment can affect and change that nature; therefore, evil is a product of the environment not a product of an individual’s nature.
In conclusion, as stated, what is responsible for evil? The environment, the situation, the conditions, and the pressures found therein. In Ervin Staub’s The Psychology of good and evil: Why children, adults, and groups help and harm others, Staub’s position is grounded in the belief that evil is created by the environment. If evil is a product of the environment it seems reasonable to assume that if one understands how evil is created it can be decreased and instead good can be promoted; this is the exact position that Staub takes. As a result, there appears to be some hope in applying the knowledge of the production of evil to reduce it and promote good. In short, if man is inherently good, as I believe, then we can aid in the production of an environment that will facilitate the good that is already in humanity. Therefore, with hope in the belief that humanity is inherently good, we are left with the duty of taking action to ensure that man is allowed to embrace the good that is at mans core.
Rebekah Hernandez on
10:40 am, 10.04.10
I found the idea of kissing being a product of evolution very interesting… as you know Earl (and soon to be others) I believe that God created the world through evolution. Although, I do not hold fast to that idea because I really don’t care how God did it… All I know is he did and we are here and we should do our best to love him and others and stop fretting about what we cannot know ( creation versus evolution) that has no bearing over our present state. But I digress… back to the point: the possible evolution of kissing. I do not like that idea and I think it is very funny that I do not. Up to this point, I have not been bothered by any way in which we have evolved, but the idea of kissing evolving disconcerts me. After some reflection upon this irrational and quite funny feeling, I think I know why kissing as an evolutionary product bothers me. It is because kissing is such a big deal to me. Kissing, to me, is one of the most wonderful (if not the most wonderful in my view) ways to express love. In fact, as a Latina kissing is a large part of my culture. I kiss all of my family members when I see them, for example. Furthermore, I would gladly kiss all of my friends when I say hello and goodbye. As a result, I suppose I did not like the idea of kissing, a principle way that I express affection, to be evolved and not a product of myself. Again, I think this is funny because I believe in evolution. Therefore, in my view, kissing did evolve, but I DON’T like the idea.
Rebekah Hernandez on Theoretical thoughts about empathy.
10:24 am, 10.04.10
I think you did a very good job of thinking theoretically. There is a theory in social psychology that has to do with some of what you are talking about in reference to helping others in effect to help yourself relieve the tension you feel as a result of their distress. Unfortunately, I do not have my social psychology text at hand and also cannot find the theory over the internet to reference it. Tonight, however, I will try to comment with the theory. On another note, I thought it was interesting how you linked altruism, being an attempt to relieve tension, to laughter which I gathered you also believed to be way to relieve tension. I thought that idea had great possibilities. After thinking about your idea, I went on a mini theological thinking escapade of my own. I thought that if laughter was indeed a product of an attempt to relieve tension when helping behaviors were not appropriate perhaps the biological effects of laughter are a great support for that idea. Think about it, if we are tense and so we laugh the laughter relives that tension through the “feel good” results of laughter ( namely through the work of endorphins). Even if laughter is not the opposite response to altruism the truth still remains that it relieves tension. As stated, laughter, beside altruism, could be another way to relieve tension and I will propose a possible third: sighing. As mentioned in class, I do not find people tripping and the like funny, almost ever (with some exception in cinema at times). Instead of laughing when accidents occur I sigh when I realize that the person is not injured. I actually can physically feel this tension explodes= within me as I am ready to run over to help, but when the person escapes unscathed I release that tension by sighing: a parallel to how others laugh. How do we relieve tension then… is it by helping, laughing, sighing, etc.? Well, I am not sure, but regardless I think there was some pretty decent theoretical thinking going on here.
Rebekah Hernandez on Reason and Religion
12:43 pm, 09.20.10
IGNORE MY FIRST POST AND READ MY SECOND!!!lol… I didn’t post my whole post on accident.
Your post reminded me of a song by Nichole Nordman called “What if”. The song is asking a non- believer what if they are right and God does not actually exist. The song goes on to ask, “But what if you’re wrong”? The model that you said Randy Harris spoke of made me think of this song instantly because the song almost reflects the model.
On another note, while I enjoyed your post your last sentence left me wondering what you meant by a “duality of the two”: reason and faith. I understand that by duality you mean a combination of the two aspects, but I am interested to know what you think a “duality of the two” looks like or how your own personal faith reflects a “duality of the two”. It is uncomfortable to think that we are simply picking the most logical choice: the choice that, if correct, will in the end provide the big win or the million dolor price. I think we have to come to terms with the fact, however, that we are actually making a choice to believe in Christ for whatever motivation. The book called Life of Pi written by Yann Martel changed the way I view my faith and it speaks to this issue of choice. At the conclusion of the book the reader is faced with a choice of what to believe. I realized after reading this book that I believe in God because I want to believe in God. I want to believe that there is a higher power out there that cares for me and loves me unconditionally. In short, I say that I believe in God not by a combination of faith and reason, but because of desire that produces faith. I do not believe there is much “reason” involved in believing in Christ and the power of his resurrection, it sort of leaves reason behind saying, “Um… Yeah…I can’t follow you there buddy”. Therefore, I believe not because of reason (I leave reason for issues where it actually comes into play.), but because of a pure faith caused by my desire to believe.
here’s the song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0ScWCfNPpI
Rebekah Hernandez on Reason and Religion
12:39 pm, 09.20.10
On another note, while I enjoyed your post your last sentence left me wondering what you meant by a “duality of the two”: reason and faith. I understand that by duality you mean a combination of the two aspects, but I am interested to know what you think a “duality of the two” looks like or how your own personal faith reflects a “duality of the two”. It is uncomfortable to think that we are simply picking the most logical choice: the choice that, if correct, will in the end provide the big win or the million dolor price. I think we have to come to terms with the fact, however, that we are actually making a choice to believe in Christ for whatever motivation. The book called Life of Pi written by Yann Martel changed the way I view my faith and it speaks to this issue of choice. At the conclusion of the book the reader is faced with a choice of what to believe. I realized after reading this book that I believe in God because I want to believe in God. I want to believe that there is a higher power out there that cares for me and loves me unconditionally. In short, I say that I believe in God not by a combination of faith and reason, but because of desire that produces faith. I do not believe there is much “reason” involved in believing in Christ and the power of his resurrection, it sort of leaves reason behind saying, “Um… Yeah…I can’t follow you there buddy”. Therefore, I believe not because of reason (I leave reason for issues where it actually comes into play.), but because of a pure faith caused by my desire to believe.
Rebekah Hernandez on Reason and Religion
12:44 pm, 09.20.10
IGNORE THiS POST AND ReaD SECOND POST! THIS POST IS INCOMPLETE
Rebekah Hernandez on Man or Machine?
12:11 pm, 09.20.10
Your post really got me thinking; I mean really thinking and I appreciate that. In the last sentence, you asked if we could ever know whether man is a machine. In answer to that I would say that, as far as I can see in the future, I do not think we will ever fully know if man is a machine or product of his environment. I think people will think it even funnier than you do know when the same questions you pose will be asked centuries from now. That we will never know can be a very scary thought. Fear of the unknown… What may never be known. However, in the meantime I have chosen to believe certain things unless data can prove me wrong, in which case I may question my belief in God (for further explanation see my post). Sometimes the power of choice is the only thing that can alleviate the tension between knowing and not knowing.
Rebekah Hernandez on The Misbehavior of (Spiritual?) Organisms
10:45 am, 09.20.10
I love your idea that we “drift back to our original ‘blank slate’ of innocence”. I completely agree with you. God calls the hearts of man back to Himself. The bible speaks of the one sheep that is lost and God leaving the 99 to find that sheep. In the same way, I think God leaves the 99 sheep to bring the lost back to the “blank slate”. I want to believe, and I do believe with all my heart, that people are inherently good. We are made in God’s image and God is good. Therefore, we too must contain something at the core of us (the image of God) that is good. I am reminded of a song that has impacted the way I live my life. It is called “Beautiful Stranger” by Rebecca Saint James. The message of the song is to look beyond externals (sins for example) and remember that everyone is host to God’s image. We are all made in God’s image, the “blank slate”, and God wants to call us back to that place where we are rejoined with him and the other sheep.
Here’s the song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rj2CQXChvE&p=9E33F8AB4A67EE33&playnext=1&index=11
Rebekah Hernandez on The Fruit of the Golden Mean
2:05 pm, 09.06.10
I really enjoyed your connection that you made and how you likened our sinful nature to an appetite. Indeed, if scripture is right, and it is, this appetite is never satisfied no matter how close to God we are. Paul, for example, was plagued with a thorn in his side that would not be taken from him much like we are plagued with an appetite. We all have something that plagues us and the best we can do is cling to Christ and attempt to stay in balance.
Rebekah Hernandez on The Cave Through the Lens of Faith
1:59 pm, 09.06.10
I thought the verse that came to your mind in contemplating the allegory of the cave very interesting. At first, I did not agree with your choice at all and wondered why you did not use John 14:12 for example. In fact, I had to ponder your verse choice for quite some time. In the end, however, your verse choice really made me realize that as Christians we know the truth even though we might be in the cave because we know Jesus. I actually strung some of my ideas in my post from this realization. In short, thank you for teaching me something.
Rebekah Hernandez on How Controlling is "The Cave"?
1:52 pm, 09.06.10
I must admit that agree wholeheartedly with you. Popular propaganda has, indeed, become an ever increasing problem that I have come well beyond the point of fearing its’ effects. For example, my five year old cousin is the pretties little girl I have ever seen (and no I am not biased). Recently, she has become obsessed with her looks. She spends hours in the mirror fixing her hair, or other such similar activities, and then asks questions like, “Do you like my hair straight or curly?” or “do I look fat in this?”. When she asked me the last question, I literally almost cried. For years, I struggled with eating disorders and they did not start until I was at least twelve. And there was my baby cousin, posing in a dress and sucking in her tiny tummy, asking me if she was fat!! I was horrified and, therefore, I am very happy you brought this subject up in your post because we not only need to be aware of this problem but also address this problem and change things.