Are We Naturally Good or Bad?

Fundamental Question

• Age-old debate: Are humans naturally good or bad?
• Philosophers argue two sides:
  • Good nature corrupted by society.
  • Bad nature kept in check by society.

Babies as a Window to Human Nature

• Babies have minimal cultural influence, providing a glimpse into human nature.
• Challenges exist due to the lack of language to gauge babies' opinions.

Psychological Experiments with Babies

• Experiments at Yale University explored babies' sense of right and wrong.
• Method:
  • Puppet show with shapes (triangle, square, circle) demonstrating helping and hindering behaviors.

Key Findings

• Babies showed preference for helping over hindering shapes.
• Infants are capable of interpreting motivations behind actions.
• Babies spent more time looking at unexpected outcomes, e.g., when a climber moved toward a hinderer.

Interpretations

• Suggests a basic instinct in babies to prefer friendly intentions over malicious ones.
• Infants' pre-cultural brains have expectations about people's actions.
• Potential foundation for adult morality.

Critical Perspective

• A cynic's view: Babies' reactions may be self-interested, expecting similar behavior from others.
• However, indicates an ingrained ability to interpret motivations.

Conclusion

• Experiments do not settle the debate but add insight into the human ability to discern motivations and preferences for good over evil.