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The role of both nature and nurture in human development
The role of both nature and nurture in human development
Nature vs nurture in human development
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Nature vs. Nurture
The human brain is not an empty vessel — right from the start it is packed with knowledge, some of which is built into every structure. A newborn baby just knows, for instance, that crying will bring other members of the species to its aid — it doesn't learn it or work it out.
(Carter, R. Consciousness, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, p. 143)
When Darwin's Theory of Evolution was published (See Darwin, C. (1859) On The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, Murray), proposing that simpler structures evolve into more complex organisms, the old certainties were threatened because the adaptations of creatures to their surroundings no longer needed to be explained in terms of an Almighty. Evolutionary qualities could be explained, at least partly, by genetic influences.
Mary Midgley, referring to the sociobiologist, Edward O. Wilson said,
Wilson's contribution here is concerned with correcting our perspective. He points out how we limit our insight if we do not think about genetic causes, how refusal to consider them commits us to standing far too close to the social pattern, taking as absolute what are really passing features of our own society, and as relative the underlying structures that cannot easily be fitted into them. We cannot know ourselves in this way. And if we insist on making the mistake, evolution will indeed make a monkey of us.
(Midgley, M. (1995) Beast And Man — The Roots of Human Nature, Routledge, p. 97)
However this perspective can be carried too far; from views such as Wilson's has developed the suspicion that human beings are born genetically conditioned, that woman are nurturing, men are rapists, ethics is a useful strategy for the selfish and above all we care ...
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...ns can be (and often are) modified by free will and good old-fashioned reason but it may well be that, all things being equal, the forces of coercion are more compelling than one's own free will. For instance, in the legal world there is the concept of 'extenuating circumstances' which allows for instances when actions are the result of irresistible impulses.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Carter, R. (2002) Consciousness, Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Darwin, C. (1859) On The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, Murray.
Dawkins, R. (1976) The Selfish Gene, Oxford University Press.
Dawkins, R. (1982) The Extended Phenotype, Oxford University Press.
Midgley, M. (1995) Beast And Man — The Roots of Human Nature, Routledge.
Rose, S. (1997) Lifelines: biology beyond determinism, Oxford University Press.
Wright, R. (1994) The Moral Animal, Abacus
...bert, Máire. 'Goddess and King: the sacred marriage in early Ireland', in L.O. Fradenburg (ed.), Women and Sovereignty (Edinburgh, 1992) pg. 264-75.
Further still Mayr makes the attempt at understanding the phenomena of why man cannot agree to having evolved from the same common ancestor as the wild animal the chimpanzee. It may seem that, according to Mayr, that man's own inability to come to terms with his own evolution, stems from a feeling of not wanting to be reduced to just another animal in the chain of life. For hundreds of years, as Mayr examines, religion after religion has always placed man on some sort of pedestal, superior to all other species. And when Darwin confronted the world with possibly another truth, he shattered man's perception of himself. Even today, a hundred years after Darwin first challenged the accepted order of man as a divine being, Mayr still raises controversy in the debate over man as being just another animal undergoing a constant evolutionary change like all other animals.
Human characteristics have evolved all throughout history and have been manipulated on a global scale through the use of science and technology. Genetic modification is one such process in which contemporary biotechnology techniques are employed to develop specific human characteristics. Despite this, there are a countless number of negative issues related with genetic modification including discrimination, ethical issues and corruption. Hence, genetic modification should not be used to enhance human characteristics.
Inwardly examining his own nature, man would prefer to see himself as a virtuously courageous being designed in the image of a divine supernatural force. Not to say that the true nature of man is a complete beast, he does posses, like many other creatures admirable traits. As author Matt Ridley examines the nature of man in his work The Origins of Virtue, both the selfish and altruistic sides of man are explored. Upon making an honest and accurate assessment of his character, it seems evident that man is not such a creature divinely set apart from the trappings of selfishness and immorality. Rather than put man at either extreme it seems more accurate to describe man as a creature whose tendency is to look out for himself first, as a means of survival.
...nefoy, Yves. "The Perales and Their Gnostic Interpertation of Paganism." Roman and European Mythologies. Chicago: University of Chicago, 1992. 191. Print.
Steven Pinker lays the foundation for his book by highlighting three main philosophies that permeate society’s view of humanity and their historical context: The Blank Slate (empiricism), the Noble Savage (romanticism), and the Ghost in the Machine (dualism) (2002, p. 11). Pinker is correct to challenge previous philosophical frameworks as they skew the way scientific research has been conducted. Present-day scientific and social research will only benefit from an acknowledgement of innate human nature.
The literary evidence for the existence of deities in Celtic religion is one source that reveals the character of the individual gods and goddesses.
Matson, Gienna and Jeremy Roberts. Celtic Mythology A to Z. New York: Chelsea House, 2004.
Exposure to the Eurocentric paradigm as a child affects the self-image of many African American adolescent females. Dr. Kenneth Clark conducted a study to determine what young black females ages four and five consider attractive. ABC news reports that when given a black doll and an identical white doll, ...
The purpose of this academic piece is to critically discuss The Darwinist implication of the evolutionary psychological conception of human nature. Charles Darwin’s “natural selection” will be the main factor discussed as the theory of evolution was developed by him. Evolutionary psychology is the approach on human nature on the basis that human behavior is derived from biological factors and there are psychologists who claim that human behavior is not something one is born with but rather it is learned. According to Downes, S. M. (2010 fall edition) “Evolutionary psychology is one of the many biologically informed approaches to the study of human behavior”. This goes further to implicate that evolutionary psychology is virtually based on the claims of the human being a machine that can be programmed to do certain things and because it can be programmed it has systems in the body that allow such to happen for instance the nervous system which is the connection of the spinal cord and the brain and assists in voluntary and involuntary motor movements.
Stewart-Brown, S. and Farmer, A. (1997) Screening could seriously damage your health BMJ; 314: 533
Evolutionary theory throws humans into a tizzy. Driven by the need to amass knowledge, we find ourselves surging forward into the exploration of a story where the more we know, the less we can feature ourselves. Eminent evolutionary biologist Ernst Mayr contends that anthropocentrism and belief in evolution by natural selection are mutually exclusive (Mayr 1972). In other words, the Darwinian story of biological evolution rejects the notion of progress and replaces it with directionless change, thereby subverting the conception of human superiority on a biological scale toward perfection. Evolution by natural selection undermines the idea that humans are the culmination and ultimate beneficiaries of all nature. However, to say that anthropocentrism necessarily dissolves in the rising tide of evolutionary theory is to ignore the ways in which human centered humanness plays an intriguing role in evolution.
As we advance in technology every day, more options for doing regular every-day things are becoming more available. One certain argument that has surfaced is online teaching through online classes. Online teaching offers students a chance to learn from teachers from far away while in the comfort of their home. Although everyone sees the idea as a brilliant one and many students entering college are jumping on the chance to take these online classes, it has many drawbacks, such as how poor time management and self-discipline is for most students in college, the miscommunication between the students and the teacher, and the learning process that comes with being taught through a computer screen.
Online learning allows students to access anytime and anywhere they wish in their own pace (Ningning Shi, et al 2011）
When it comes to our education, we often decide where we want to go and our choice of learning environment. Many people choose to go far, and some choose to stay close to home. There is also the option of online versus face to face learning. Some people would rather take online classes, rather than being face to face during certain amount of hours. In this paper I will be explaining what people prefer most, why one way is better than the other, who can benefit from each of the ways, and why each way could be a disadvantage. I will first begin talking about online learning, and then I will get into face to face learning.