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Will the nature/nurture argument ever be answered conclusively in the future?
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I have been considering this question in the context of language, although i think it could be applied to most areas.
Although the question (biological/sociological: nature/nurture) has perplexed western thought since the start of education/civilisation as we know it, do you think that the theorists will ever reach a single valid, conclusion? ( taking the two theories into consideration and their significance and their effect (is this science or art:experiment or thought? ) and if so why has there not been a universally accepted (answer/s) so far? If this is human intellectual surrender why is the question asked
Although the question (biological/sociological: nature/nurture) has perplexed western thought since the start of education/civilisation as we know it, do you think that the theorists will ever reach a single valid, conclusion? ( taking the two theories into consideration and their significance and their effect (is this science or art:experiment or thought? ) and if so why has there not been a universally accepted (answer/s) so far? If this is human intellectual surrender why is the question asked
I think people muse about this far too much, so much so that they fail to see the wood for the trees. It really is'nt a matter of nature versus nurture to my mind it's all just free will.
Think about it in any event in your life you decide what to do, you choose whether to attack someone, you choose to lie, cheat or decieve someone (has any philanderer ever been forced to have an affair?). You are the catalyst in all the things you do, unless you're a victim in which case the opposite is true.
Think about it, how easy is it to walk through a door and not hold it for someone? How easy is it not to let a car in front of you? It's so much easier! It's harder and takes more time to be kind, to empathise, to think about what you're doing when you're actually doing it which is why I never forget a kindness. Some people regardless of race, creed, colour, sexual orientation, wealth, education or social background can be liars and pigs. It's their choice.
People have a tendency to do bad things and then blame everyone else, well if you seek to blame others then there is no end to the blame.
Think about it in any event in your life you decide what to do, you choose whether to attack someone, you choose to lie, cheat or decieve someone (has any philanderer ever been forced to have an affair?). You are the catalyst in all the things you do, unless you're a victim in which case the opposite is true.
Think about it, how easy is it to walk through a door and not hold it for someone? How easy is it not to let a car in front of you? It's so much easier! It's harder and takes more time to be kind, to empathise, to think about what you're doing when you're actually doing it which is why I never forget a kindness. Some people regardless of race, creed, colour, sexual orientation, wealth, education or social background can be liars and pigs. It's their choice.
People have a tendency to do bad things and then blame everyone else, well if you seek to blame others then there is no end to the blame.
I don't think the nurture/nature will ever be concluded because of the inability to separate the influence of one on the other.
Height is a hereditary factor, so nature, but even then the foetus may not grow to full capacity and babies can fail to thrive due to lack of nature.
I am aware there have been some occasions where there have been identical twins who have been raised separately and not surprisingly there are similarities and differences.
The only way to prove which had the most influence is if we had a time machine and could run people's lives over a couple of times. A re run to check whether a bit more or less of nurture would affect the outcome.
Personally I know when I was young I was completely on the nurture side, it was all about environment and socialisation. I do now consider genetics plays a larger part in what basic material you have, but still hold that socialisation plays a huge part. Where you locate the locus of control, what your moral framework is, how you make decisions and choices is very influenced if not dependant on life experiences of the individual and the meanings and understandings that get created by being social animals
Height is a hereditary factor, so nature, but even then the foetus may not grow to full capacity and babies can fail to thrive due to lack of nature.
I am aware there have been some occasions where there have been identical twins who have been raised separately and not surprisingly there are similarities and differences.
The only way to prove which had the most influence is if we had a time machine and could run people's lives over a couple of times. A re run to check whether a bit more or less of nurture would affect the outcome.
Personally I know when I was young I was completely on the nurture side, it was all about environment and socialisation. I do now consider genetics plays a larger part in what basic material you have, but still hold that socialisation plays a huge part. Where you locate the locus of control, what your moral framework is, how you make decisions and choices is very influenced if not dependant on life experiences of the individual and the meanings and understandings that get created by being social animals
If you like doing something you like it, if you like hurting people you like it, if you like helping people then you like it.
For all it's complexity and technology life has'nt changed at all, you have 2 choices you can live your life towards a good end, or you can live your life towards a bad end.
The Zorastrians (hope I spelt that right) of Persia (modern Iran) call it the god of light versus the god of darkness.
As for the foundation of free will, it's in oneself, you have to answer to your own conscience.
There is greatness in all of us Nelson and Dickens achieved greatness from very humble origins, they worked hard and succeeded they could have been lazy and got by.
You can choose to help someone or you can choose to walk on by, the greater man is the one who stops, thinks and then crosses over the road to help.
Free will is gods will, it's written in at least 3 of the main mass monotheastic (hope I spelt that right) religions we can eitther help his creation or we can hurt it.
God did'nt create the hells on this earth, people did, people wage war (for their own reasons), people commit adultery (for their own reasons), people do whatever they do for reasons best known only to themselves. No matter what you say no matter what any parent does you will never be able to take away someones right to be arse hole.
An adult has to take responsibity for their own actions, justify it to yourselves and spare me the sob story. I don't mean you personally!
For all it's complexity and technology life has'nt changed at all, you have 2 choices you can live your life towards a good end, or you can live your life towards a bad end.
The Zorastrians (hope I spelt that right) of Persia (modern Iran) call it the god of light versus the god of darkness.
As for the foundation of free will, it's in oneself, you have to answer to your own conscience.
There is greatness in all of us Nelson and Dickens achieved greatness from very humble origins, they worked hard and succeeded they could have been lazy and got by.
You can choose to help someone or you can choose to walk on by, the greater man is the one who stops, thinks and then crosses over the road to help.
Free will is gods will, it's written in at least 3 of the main mass monotheastic (hope I spelt that right) religions we can eitther help his creation or we can hurt it.
God did'nt create the hells on this earth, people did, people wage war (for their own reasons), people commit adultery (for their own reasons), people do whatever they do for reasons best known only to themselves. No matter what you say no matter what any parent does you will never be able to take away someones right to be arse hole.
An adult has to take responsibity for their own actions, justify it to yourselves and spare me the sob story. I don't mean you personally!
What about looking at nature/nurture from a wider perspective for example 'outside the self'? in art and science? creation/big bang? What about the idea of 'all things/civilisation' coming into existance solely as a direct result of nature/nurture?(for example, law, government, education, commerce, trade, religion, the concept of society, politics, etc)
Art and Science
Well again its not totally possible to discern which is which
Van Goth, had natural ability, a natural talent, but I doubt he would have painted the way he did unless others had gone before and Art had a meaning, albeit not too narrow and defined. His rebelliousness, his newness could only occur in a context of what already was Art history and present could only emerge within pre and existing meanings that had been created by social interaction
Big bang and all that - too complicated for me to understand so don't have an idea
governenment, civilization etc all are creations of humans which change over time so nothing natural about them
Well again its not totally possible to discern which is which
Van Goth, had natural ability, a natural talent, but I doubt he would have painted the way he did unless others had gone before and Art had a meaning, albeit not too narrow and defined. His rebelliousness, his newness could only occur in a context of what already was Art history and present could only emerge within pre and existing meanings that had been created by social interaction
Big bang and all that - too complicated for me to understand so don't have an idea
governenment, civilization etc all are creations of humans which change over time so nothing natural about them
everton, I think you have a rather simplistic view of free will.
Remember that all the atoms in your brain react together in certain ways.
All the decisions you made yesterday, If I could roll back time don't you think you'd have the same thoughts, make the same decisions, behave in exactly the same way.
Are you sure you have free will?
Remember that all the atoms in your brain react together in certain ways.
All the decisions you made yesterday, If I could roll back time don't you think you'd have the same thoughts, make the same decisions, behave in exactly the same way.
Are you sure you have free will?
If I could roll bcak time? I can't roll back time, and to suggest doing so as part of any reasoning is a little bit facile. One can see everything in hindsight, but one makes a decision at the time and has to abide by it.
You make your bed, and then you lie in it.
I'm certain I have free will, in evertyhting I do. I'm equally certain that everybody else does, at some point in any moment in time one can say NO! The mugger who approaches you on the street, has the ability to say to themself NO I won't do it it's wrong. The bully who harrasses a child at school can at some point see what they're doing is wrong and say NO I'm not going to do this anymore. The cheating partner can at some point say NO I won't do this. The rapist can see his shame and say NO I can't continue. The fact that they don't (often) is because they don't want to.
During the Great War there was a truce at Christmas, the men on both sides said NO we're not going to kill each other, they we're coerced and manipulated back into beligerance. But people are always the true victims of war.
I fail to see as an adult how one can live without the exercise of free will, if you're an atheist there is no force to guide or deliver you. If you're a creationist there no force that wants to control you.
If I hit you in the face, who would you blame?
Me? You? Jojo? The bloke down the road?
As an adult you have to take responsibity for your own actions.
You make your bed, and then you lie in it.
I'm certain I have free will, in evertyhting I do. I'm equally certain that everybody else does, at some point in any moment in time one can say NO! The mugger who approaches you on the street, has the ability to say to themself NO I won't do it it's wrong. The bully who harrasses a child at school can at some point see what they're doing is wrong and say NO I'm not going to do this anymore. The cheating partner can at some point say NO I won't do this. The rapist can see his shame and say NO I can't continue. The fact that they don't (often) is because they don't want to.
During the Great War there was a truce at Christmas, the men on both sides said NO we're not going to kill each other, they we're coerced and manipulated back into beligerance. But people are always the true victims of war.
I fail to see as an adult how one can live without the exercise of free will, if you're an atheist there is no force to guide or deliver you. If you're a creationist there no force that wants to control you.
If I hit you in the face, who would you blame?
Me? You? Jojo? The bloke down the road?
As an adult you have to take responsibity for your own actions.
I think the word you're looking for is existentialism (hope I spelt that right) the right to free expression within the bounds of personal discipline.
Alot of limp wristed woolly liberal types preach that we all have to be sensitive about the views of minorities etcetera, we don't.
We all have to be tolerant, women have the right to wear what they like (from short skirts to burkhas), gays have the right to walk down the road arm in arm and so on and so on.
We all have to get on with it.
I (for instance) hate the veil and everything it stands for. In our country and culture if you cover your mouth it means don't speak. But if that's how you wish to express your faith then I as an adult respect that.
A few years ago I was driving past a well known gay bar in the city, they'd just let out (and maybe they were fighting the good fight for equality) but there was about 30 blokes snogging not a pretty sight to my mind. So what did I do?
I turned and looked the other way (if thine eye offends thee) there was no crime being committed, there was no victim being created they were'nt hurting anyone. Good luck to em! The only offence was to my sensibility, I'm an adult so I can cope! I'm old enough to know it goes on, I'm old enough to accept some peole are like that.
It's none of my business, if they wish to express their sexualiy or faith in that manner, I wish to express mine in another manner.
I expect atheists to accept my belief in God is just as real as their denial. I accept that Allah is a great God, but I expect a Muslim to concede that to me Jesus is just as great a God etc, smile shake hands and have a cup of tea.
If you accept that your responsible for your own behaviour, life gets alot "simpler" and consequently happier.
Alot of limp wristed woolly liberal types preach that we all have to be sensitive about the views of minorities etcetera, we don't.
We all have to be tolerant, women have the right to wear what they like (from short skirts to burkhas), gays have the right to walk down the road arm in arm and so on and so on.
We all have to get on with it.
I (for instance) hate the veil and everything it stands for. In our country and culture if you cover your mouth it means don't speak. But if that's how you wish to express your faith then I as an adult respect that.
A few years ago I was driving past a well known gay bar in the city, they'd just let out (and maybe they were fighting the good fight for equality) but there was about 30 blokes snogging not a pretty sight to my mind. So what did I do?
I turned and looked the other way (if thine eye offends thee) there was no crime being committed, there was no victim being created they were'nt hurting anyone. Good luck to em! The only offence was to my sensibility, I'm an adult so I can cope! I'm old enough to know it goes on, I'm old enough to accept some peole are like that.
It's none of my business, if they wish to express their sexualiy or faith in that manner, I wish to express mine in another manner.
I expect atheists to accept my belief in God is just as real as their denial. I accept that Allah is a great God, but I expect a Muslim to concede that to me Jesus is just as great a God etc, smile shake hands and have a cup of tea.
If you accept that your responsible for your own behaviour, life gets alot "simpler" and consequently happier.
I don't accept Allah as a name for my God, in exactly the same way that a Muslim does not accept Christ as the risen God etc.Or the Hindus or the Buddhists
Yes I am a Christian, and I could (should) do better with it.
I don't feel that my desire (choice) to accept the validity of other peoples beliefs (to them) conflict wth my Christian beliefs.
So long as their views do not infringe upon the rights and expressions of faith or love etc. of others, then in all honesty I'm happy for them.
I believe the problems that people talk about when they talk about religion, do not revolve around religion itself persay. But rather the expression of that belief, people will never commit sin so cheerfully unless they do so out of religious conviction.
My Lord and saviour does not want me to delight in anothers tears.
Yes I am a Christian, and I could (should) do better with it.
I don't feel that my desire (choice) to accept the validity of other peoples beliefs (to them) conflict wth my Christian beliefs.
So long as their views do not infringe upon the rights and expressions of faith or love etc. of others, then in all honesty I'm happy for them.
I believe the problems that people talk about when they talk about religion, do not revolve around religion itself persay. But rather the expression of that belief, people will never commit sin so cheerfully unless they do so out of religious conviction.
My Lord and saviour does not want me to delight in anothers tears.
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