Thread: Is Human Nature Basically Good or Evil?
View Single Post
Old 09-28-2007   #32 (permalink)
HazelGod
HazelGod is offline

Quote:
Originally Posted by Quite Irate View Post
Humans start off as a blank slate. Because we're social creatures, we develop mindsets based on the social condition that surrounds us. Man in neither good nor evil - he simply exists.
This is actually untrue.

While I won't entertain distinctions of good vs. evil because they are entirely subjective classifications, there are objective standards for defining sociopathy. If there is a such thing as a human conscience, these individuals were born without it.

While specific definitions vary, the common theme amongst all sociopaths is that they possess the intellect and experience to differentiate "right" from "wrong" and proceed along their chosen courses of action regardless.

Of course, they vary in scale from the scofflaws like me who run through red lights at 2:00 AM to those who indifferently gun down bank guards simply because they stood between them and their objective.

There are numerous documented cases of sociopaths who had normal, middle-class upbringing with no abuse or other typical causal environmental factors in their youth that explain other instances of antisocial behavior.

IMO, the sociopaths are the worst and most dangerous threats to social order, simply because they understand the antisocial nature of their impulses and they simply don't care. Also IMO, these people are beyond the capabilities of rehabilitation...and while I don't agree with the use of the death penalty (except in a few extreme circumstances), I don't believe that those identified as true sociopaths should ever be re-released into the general population. And while I also tend to be one of the most vocal opponents of government intrustion into private life, I fervently believe that children who manifest any two or all three of the indicators in MacDonald's triad should be watched with a careful eye.