The Turning Point
Life is a mystery. There is so much that we do not understand and so much we have yet to learn. Many questions we ponder frequently involve human nature. We often ask why people do certain things and why we act the way we do. Most of these highly debated topics will never be answered. We can only contemplate why everything occurs. One issue that is consistently brought up is that of good and evil. For centuries this subject has been disputed and countless theories have been created to try and solve this difficult puzzle. Are humans good or evil? That is the perplexing question that has stumped philosophers and writers for a very long time. There are certainly good people in this world, but at the same time there will always be those who are evil. So the question is not whether we are good or evil, but what makes a person good or what pushes someone to be evil. The answer is best described through Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s infamous quote, “Man is born free and everywhere he is in chains” (Kishlansky 564). The famous philosopher was trying to say that humans are born good, but society can alter them into becoming something that is evil. In every person’s life there seems to be a turning point that decides if they are to turn out good or evil. It all depends on how a person is raised, what they have gone through in their life, and what has influenced them. Under the right circumstances, anyone can become cruel and unfair. People are inherently born good, but the events in their lifetime and society can corrupt them.
Every moment of a person’s life shapes them into who they will become. It is often said that a childhood is the most important part of someone’s existence because it is the foundation for a p...
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...periences there is a turning point that ultimately decides what kind of person they will be. Are you good or evil?
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It is no secret that Martin Luther King Jr. did great things. We have learned in school that he was a leader in the movement to desegregate the South. He has served as a role model for people across the globe. But even though Martin did change the world for the better, it was not without hardships. We gathered new information on Dr. King in the essay, “Heeding the Call” by Diana Childress. From his childhood to his last days, Martin faced massive opposition. Still, all of these challenges brought Martin the wisdom and idealism he used throughout his life.
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“Inside each of us, there is the seed of both good and evil. It's a constant struggle as to which one will win. And one cannot exist without the other” (Eric Burdon). People do not think they are doing good or evil, they just think that they are doing the right thing. Evil comes from within each one of us. You just need to something to bring it out.
A timeless question that continues to stump psychologists. Are humans born good? Do we learn evil traits or are they imprinted into mind as we come into the world. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, written in the early 1800’s, this same question comes into play. Shelley presents two completely different beings, one brought up with a family in a happy setting, the other in solitude hated by everyone. Both human in nature brought up completely different. Frankenstein and the Monster show traits of both good and evil, however, they are both born good.
“In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility.” (Eleanor Roosevelt). This is just one of the infinite examples of how human nature has been explored by so many different people. Each and every human is born with the capability of making their own choices. The decisions that they will make in the future will determine how evil they are viewed by others. Although one’s nature and nurture do affect their life, it is their own free will that determines whether or not they are evil.
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The lines that define good and evil are not written in black and white; these lines tend to blur into many shades of grey allowing good and evil to intermingle with each another in a single human being. Man is not inherently good or evil but they are born innocent without any values or sense of morality until people impart their philosophies of life to them. In the words of John Locke:
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Are human beings born to be good? Or are we naturally born to be evil? A person’s nature or essence is a trait that is inherent and lasting in an individual. To be a good person is someone who thinks of others before themselves, shows kindness to one another, and makes good choices in life that can lead to a path of becoming a good moral person. To be a bad person rebels against something or someone thinking only of them and not caring about the consequences of their actions. Rousseau assumed, “that man is good by nature (as it is bequeathed to him), but good in a negative way: that is, he is not evil of his own accord and on purpose, but only in danger of being contaminated and corrupted by evil or inept guides and examples (Immanuel Kant 123).” In other words, the human is exposed to the depraved society by incompetent guardians or influences that is not of one’s free will in the view of the fact that it is passed on. My position is humans are not by nature evil. Instead, they are good but influenced by the environment and societies to act in evil ways to either harm others or themself.
A childhood is the delicate phase of every adolescent's life where they must mature into their own person, with their own responsibilities. Although every individual will eventually bloom with their own personality, morals, and perspectives, the education and values we learn and see along the way add to the fingers that mold. We begin when we are born, and are taken in by strangers. These priceless people show us love, and just how strong attachments can be. Family ties snare us in their loving webs and become the support network to catch us throughout our youthful falls. They are our first real pictures of people, and their actions and emotions immediately become examples.