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Maris Zarins

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Do you think people are natually good or evil?

Recently, I spent a lot of time looking at the John Locke vs. Thomas Hobbes debate and have been wondering what the people in the TED community think on this debate. Are people naturally good and fair? Or are people vile and cruel in their natural state?

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    inthegarden beyondthecave

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    Apr 22 2012: There are two answers.

    It is an acheivement to increase empathy. It is an acheivement to increase wisdom. It is an acheivement to increase rationality. It is an acheivement to increase self control. Thus, it appears that goodness is something we acheive through the expansion of culture.

    But, it is in our nature to develop along these lines.

    In the beginning we are an arrow pointed more or less at a target. We could be pointed away from the target, but we are not. That is good. But we are not yet an arrow that has reached it target. Thus, we also lack goodness.

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