[Melisa’s Introduction]
For as long as man has been around the question as to whether man is inherently good or evil has been debated. We look at the events that are happening in the world today and find ourselves asking that same question. As we study humanity, we discover that there are certain factors that lead to human development; biology, psychology and sociology.
Some think that man is born evil and either continues to be evil or learns to become good. Much of this stems from the thought of ‘original sin’ which states that everyone is born a sinner because Adam, the first man had sinned. Others think that man was born neither good nor evil; a blank slate called ‘Tabula Rasa’, and thus is influenced by the family and environment around them. Yet, still, there are those who believe that man is inherently good and learns to do evil.
Although there are some people that do things that society considers evil, man is inherently good. Look at a two year old child throwing a temper tantrum, which most of the world considers bad. Was that child born ‘evil’ or was the child born ‘good’ and the tantrum became a learned trait?
[Olivia’s Defintion]
A belief is something that we as individuals hold to be true. There are different types of beliefs, such as spiritual and cultural. These types of beliefs can arise from tradition or experience. People usually develop expectations of life events through their beliefs, and attach personal meanings and values to them.
A moral is a message or a lesson that we have learned – whether through our own experiences or that of another. Morals mold our decision-making process as we gain more and more from our experiences.
A value is a measure by which we base our integrity. As individuals our values are our judgments on what is important in life. There are different types of values, such as ethical, moral, social, cultural and aesthetic values.
Beliefs, Morals and
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