Preview

Understanding the Nature vs. Nurture Debate through John Locke's Argument

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1833 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Understanding the Nature vs. Nurture Debate through John Locke's Argument
Nature and Nurture is a highly debated topic on the development of a person’s behaviour and decision-making. John Locke’s quote “Let us then suppose the mind to be, as we say, white paper void of all characters, without any ideas. How comes it to be furnished? Whence comes it by that vast store which the busy and boundless fancy of man has painted on it with an almost endless variety? Whence has it all the materials of reason and knowledge? To this I answer, in one word, from EXPERIENCE,” is in reference to the nature vs. nurture debate. Locke is supporting the argument of ‘nurture,’ that is, we are born as ‘white paper, void of all characters,’ to which we become ‘furnished’ from the people who surround us, the institutions we live in and our environments that form the basis of who we are. By fully supporting the nature argument, Locke is directly stating that nurture, the hereditary information encoded in a person from birth has no influence whatsoever in a person’s development and that it is entirely nature-responsible. To disprove Locke’s argument and prove that it is in fact a mix of both nature and nurture in human development, the example of Anti-social behaviour is used. The three main arguments of a cross-sectional study of identical and non-identical twins, the cause of anti-social behaviour and Adoption studies will be used to shed strong doubt on Locke’s ideology that Nurture is the only influence in Anti-social behaviour.
The features of anti-social behaviour include ‘hyperactivity-inattention, novelty- or sensation-seeking, impulsivity, low physiological reactivity, and cognitive impairment,’ (Locke) and Locke supports his argument that Nature is the cause for this through such theories as Piaget’s social cognitive development theory stating that encouragement from parents can develop a child’s attitude towards things such as praising them for taking their first steps which encourages them to do it again.
The first line of evidence supporting

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    The issue behind the development of human behavior lies on two different points of view. The sociological or pro-nurture and the physiological or pro-nature explanation behind human development. Pro-nature argue that humans behave seems to be influenced by generic make-up, inherited from the biological parents. Therefore, this theory proposed that the differences on people behaviors are linked to each one’s unique genetic code. Furthermore, humans develop their behavioral capacities throughout a learning process that begins when born and will last a life time growing and maturing. On the other hand, the pro-nurture theory believes that the environment inputs along with life experiences are accounted for the development of human behavior.…

    • 323 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Disaster in Franklin Co.

    • 1304 Words
    • 6 Pages

    One generalized controversial example of the nature vs. nurture debate, and how each side believes, is explained by Starr Kang, “according to someone who believes nature determines behavior, although a child may have had wonderful life experiences and a stellar upbringing, if he is genetically predisposed to violent behavior, no amount of good parenting can alter that.”(Kang, n.d.)…

    • 1304 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Vark Analysis Paper

    • 794 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The learning is a insatiable curiosity that drives a individual to absorb everything he or she reads, hear or sees. Learning is process by which information is acquired, retained and reproduced when necessary. Learning involves understanding the world by reinterpreting knowledge. There are various ways of learning that are used by the individuals to acquire knowledge. Neil Fleming developed and perfected the art of visual, aural, read/write, kinesthetic (VARK) learning. This method makes user understand their learning style. Neil Fleming developed a questionnaire that contains sixteen questions, which when answered, according to the perception of the individual, produces answers about the individuals learning style. By identifying the best preferred way of learning, it can help individual to acquire knowledge faster and also help retain acquired knowledge, thus resulting in better academic performance.…

    • 794 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    However, many still question whether the influences of nature and nurture respectively could overrule one another in any circumstances. 17th century philosopher John Locke theorised that human nature is a blank state, ready to be influenced by a given environment. If Locke’s assumption holds true, this would…

    • 640 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    I have always held the belief that Nature v Nurture is not a zero-sum game. To steal a line from T.S. Elliot’s The Hollow Men, I believe humans are born into this world a “shape without form.” That shape, of course, is our nature; the sum of our genetic make-up and natural tendencies based on some combination of predisposition and innate sense of self. The form, then, necessarily reflects our experiences and the way those have restructured our ‘self.’ The nurture of our mind, particularly at a young age, is instrumental in providing depth and context to our natural shape. Both aspects of our ‘self’ are complimentary. Just like we are unable to understand shape without the context of form, we are similarly unable to understand humans without an understanding in the dynamic of both nature and nurture expressed through our behavior, desires, and interactions.…

    • 895 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Nature versus Nurture debate has been ongoing for centuries. People have tried to gain power through knowledge in determining what causes the human “mind to tick.” For centuries leaders and scientists have performed unethical and immoral studies to determine why two people with similar genetic composition can come from similar backgrounds and turn out so differently. I have witnessed a person raised in a poor home by parents with drug addictions become a thriving contributable member of society. Unfortunately, I have also witnessed a person raised in a Christian home with a Father as a minister who ended up in prison. As we learn about the psychological and biological composition of human beings and the affecting environment, I am compelled to ask the following questions:…

    • 1531 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    ❖ Social theory suggests that children learn form their social surroundings and will alter their behaviour according to the interaction and experiences they are faced with. Imagine a class of reception pupils that have just started school – the class is lively and the teacher and assistants give sweets to pupils in an attempt to keep them happy. The class does not get any calmer and yet the teacher and assistants carry on with the same tactics. The children will ultimately think they are doing something right, as they keep getting rewarded. The class progresses from organised chaos into mayhem over the consecutive weeks.…

    • 2692 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Historians say that the New Deal era is the beginning of modern American society. Many also say it was the beginning of the Imperial Presidential era. It was also a time when the quality of life had raised in a time of war. Life expectancy went up three years for whites and five years for blacks. (HIST 222 lecture, 28 OCT 10) There are many reasons why people consider the New Deal era the beginning of modern society, but the new reforms and programs, new women and new Negros, and the new consumer life style are the most evident and important.…

    • 728 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Are serial killers naturally, instinctive psychopaths or are they the result of a corrupt upbringing? Are you more at risk of becoming a smoker because of your genes or is it a result of the peers you socialize with? Now, these types of questions have instigated disputes among psychologists in determining who we are, whether it is a result of nature, such as heredity, or is it the outcome of the nurturing of one’s environment that shape our personality? In other words, were you born with a blank mind and over time you developed your characteristics or were you born with talents and characteristics since birth? Regarded as the oldest issue known in the field of psychology, nature versus nurture is and this debate centers on the question: How…

    • 1830 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Nature Vs Nurture Theory

    • 1242 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Physical features, although unique in some measure, are proven to be acquired from the biological parents of any organism. The Nature v. Nurture debate relates to humans and how they develop their unique behavioral habits. Many who support the Nature Theory endorse essentially that a person’s intelligence, personality, aggression, and sexual orientation pertain primarily to their DNA stemmed from their biological parents (Powell). For example, if someone’s parents are depressed or violent, the Nature Theory supporters conclude that their offspring will also bear these negative these traits. However, the Nurture Theory presents that these behavioral aspects are originated predominantly from the environmental factors of our upbringing, which…

    • 1242 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    He discussed, “The source of these social disparities have often framed for public discourse in terms of the nature-nurture polarity.” (Keating, 2011). The behavior genetic findings of substantial heritability of a range of characteristics and newer technologies, and nurture have pointed to be strong regularities of social patterns as well as to the indeterminacy of genetic influence. Nurture refers to all the environmental variables that impact who we are including early childhood experiences, social relationships and surrounding beliefs. Both components play a vital part in all lives. Nature is responsible for producing healthy, well developed babies. However, nurture plays an important role in the early stages of human development. Researcher believes that early human development focused due to nurture as it builds up on the talents provided by…

    • 1653 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    I am writing this essay on nature vs. nurture to try to figure out which is more important. Nature is the side says that our behavior is pre-determined by our genes and DNA. A lot of the nature research has to deal with twin studies and IQ. Nurture is the side that says our environment shapes our behavior. Many people believe we are born a “blank slate”, and are influenced to behave a certain way. The conversation on which side is more important has been going on for decades, if not centuries. By looking at both sides it can help us understand why people are the way that they are and it can help us understand learning disabilities, serial killers and psychopaths.…

    • 850 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Nature vs. Nurture

    • 2484 Words
    • 10 Pages

    easily traced as far back as the start of the present century with at least some…

    • 2484 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Nature vs. nurture: We need to be aware that behavior is complex and that it results from both biological and cultural influence. We need to avoid both biological and cultural determinism…

    • 999 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Frankenstein Essay

    • 1720 Words
    • 5 Pages

    In the novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley brings about the debate between nature versus nurture. Mentioned by Dan Hurley in his work, Trait vs. Fate, is a little story that involves this topic. "Two alcoholic mice, a mother and her son, sit on two bar stools, lapping gin from two thimbles. The mother mouse looks up and says, "Hey geniuses, tell me how my son got into this sorry state." "Bad inheritance," says Darwin. "Bad mothering," says Freud." (Hurley, Trait Vs. Fate.). Philosophers and Scientists alike have, for centuries, argued whether a person's character is the result of nature, meaning genetic predispositions, or nurture, meaning life experiences, the way in which one is taught and how their development is affected by the environment surrounding them. In Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes, an English Philosopher, claims that human beings exist in a state of nature and are naturally savage and brutal. On the other hand, John Locke, also an English Philosopher, in An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, argues that every being is born with a tabula rasa, or blank slate, and their character traits and behaviors result from their personal life encounters. In Frankenstein, Shelley attempts to, through many different interactions, express that because of Victor's failings as a creator and parent, the monster's isolation, and society's reaction to the monster, the creature became evil. The monster's character was a result of the way in which he was nurtured. He was not innately evil directly from birth.…

    • 1720 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays