(Blog #2) TIME Magazine Blog: "What Makes Us Moral"

Since elementary school, we have been taught that first impressions are lasting impressions. With the first two paragraphs of Jeffrey Kluger’s “What Makes Us Moral,” I was at a loss of words. To put it better, I had never thought of the human species as “diverse” (if you want to use that word) before.

“…We nurse one another, romance one another, weep for one another…At the same time, we slaughter one another…[People are] the highest, wisest, most principled species the planet has ever produced…[But also] the lowest, cruelest, most blood-drenched species…” (1).

Like I said before, I’d never sat down and thought of how far humans reached into both ends of the spectrum. While it’s really interesting, it’s really quite depressing. Looking at how far we’ve come in the world is great, but how far we have to go is a hurdle we will be trying to clear for many years to come.

The theme we’ve been discussing this year so far is the one of “Nature versus Nurture.” I take this to mean that we as human beings and being of human nature, have two options. We can either be bad from the get-go, or we can turn bad because of our surroundings, whether it be peer-pressure, harsh living conditions, childhood abuse, etc. “What Makes Us Moral” mentions that “psychologists believe kids feel a sense of morality innately,” meaning they can tell right from wrong based on some sort of inherited instinct or prior teaching, or in other words, the nature part of the debate. However, later on, the article mentions that those around us create the “moral grammar” that we have to apply in order to be effective.

“Something still has to boot up that software [to determine the right’s and wrong’s] …and that something is the community…It’s the people around us who do that teaching…” (3).

This suggests that the community, meaning outsiders, have a dominant role in shaping one’s morality. This is the other side of the argument, meaning the "Nurture" path.

I thought it was interesting how the author presented the idea that “moral judgment” is something that most humans have and are pretty consistent with each other, but “moral behavior” is not uniform with all humans. This means that we all know what is right and what is wrong, even though we sometimes act contrary to it.

My view on the theme of “Nature versus Nurture” is that humans are influenced by outside forces, meaning I agree more with the “Nurture” side. I’m not saying I’m completely one-hundred percent there, but it’s close. I think it’s pretty hard to say that no matter what happens, humans are going to turn bad. I believe that the environment they are placed in (or forced in) determine how they will react and act to it. This article expressed both sides briefly, and I think that the “Nurture” side is more accurate of human behavior.

William Golding’s The Lord of the Flies expressed the “Nature” side of the debate. Golding suggests that man is inherently evil, and nothing can be done to change it. While, I enjoyed reading The Lord of the Flies more that Jack London’s White Fang, I agree with White Fang’s view of the theme more. In White Fang, White Fang was influenced and “shaped” by his environment. He had to adjust his behavior to stay alive. From the beginning of the story, he was a fighter, who hunted and learned aggression early in life. This transferred with him when he lived under Gray Beaver, and later Beauty Smith. Especially because of Smith’s abuse, White Fang continues to be a savage killer. However, when the kindness of Weedon Scott engulfs him, White Fang can’t help but transform his nature to that of a loyal pet. This just shows how the environment of one (whether that one be of human or animal nature - in this aspect, it no longer matters) directly changes one’s nature.

In closing, the article, “What Makes Us Moral” addressed both sides of the debate of “Nature versus Nurture,” but more importantly gave perspective to human nature, and how far to each end of reality we stretch. We are givers and takers, literally, and I believe we need to find a common balance somewhere closer to the middle. This could be perhaps the largest challenge man-kind will ever face. This article shed light on both sides, but it did not change my opinion. I truly believe that human nature is influenced by the environment in which they find themselves in. The debate is “Nature versus Nurture” and as for me, I choose “Nurture.”