Question

Tom believes that children are born with neither good nor bad thoughts, desires, or character traits. he suggests, instead, that parents and culture shape individual minds and hearts in virtuous or harmful directions. for john locke and charles darwin, note whether that philosopher would agree or disagree with tom's claims. in each case, explain why each would agree or disagree with tom. also explain why you would agree or disagree with tom.

Answer 1

Darwin would disagree with Tom. Darwin recorded the major moments of his son’s development meticulously, often comparing them to those he had seen in apes. His notes were compiled in the book The Descent of Man and The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals (1872). Darwin discovered that children often develop in ways that resemble the behavior of apes, in particular orangutans. Darwin concluded that these emotions and character traits (ex. jealousy, need for attention, curiosity, fear, empathy, etc.) were innate, and were shared among different species.

On the other hand, John Locke, in his Essay on Human Understanding, famously referred to the human mind as a tabula rasa (“a blank slate”), with human beings being born with no prejudice or character traits, and every component of our personality and our mind being built solely on the basis of experience. Therefore, Locke would think Tom is right in his opinion.

These two views are at the extreme ends of the nature vs. nurture debate. Nowadays, scientists are inclined to believe that some traits are innate to humans, and some others are learned through experience, though the specific traits in each category are still a matter of debate.