35 thoughts on “Do you side more with John Locke (every person is born a “blank slate”– not good or bad) or Mary Shelley (every person is born inherently good)? Think critically and explain your reasoning.”
I believe that people are born blank slates. Because when you are born your brain has not fully developed yet so it’s. impossible to be “good” or “bad”
Even though I said that I think everyone is born good, I agree with what Karlis said about it depending on how the person lives their life. “It” being how they turn out in life; good or bad.
I’m agreeing with Jadie when I say that when babies are born, they have no sense of what IS good and bad. So it wouldn’t make sense for a baby to instantly know what is good and what is bad. It does, however, make sense for people to get evil later in life by depressing events or just they got badly nurtured.
I think that people are born inherently good, because they are young and innocent, and have no knowledge of the bad things in our world. Also, I think that everyone has goodness in them, maybe even after they have done something bad or questionable. Everyone has a family that; hopefully, has raised them to respect and be kind to others, and hopefully, they, at some point in there lives, have done an act of kindness. If that makes sense 🙂
I think people have some good from experiences in life that WILL happen, but are mainly effected by upbringing. so I guess I sort of agree and sort of don’t
I am in between. I think people learn things like: people have feelings and you can’t ignore that, and also genetics may effect their personality, but their upbringing DEFINITELY affects them. Also there are things that change them no matter what, like a brain disease or injury
I agree with Locke, because it is very true that things in your life influence you to make the decisions you make and these decisions can be good or bad, which can make you think in different ways.
I agree with John Locke. I think that everyone is born with the potential to go either way, to become good or evil. It’s how we are raised and how we react to the things that happen to us that determine who we will be. I also think that our parents play a huge role in determining how we turn out because it is up to our parents to make sure we know the difference between good and bad, and to make sure we are good.
I think we are all born as blank slates, and over time we decide to be “good or bad”. I think that it all depends on how we are raised and the environment we are grow up in.
I feel like i agree more with John Locke about being born as “blank slates”. I think that we all have the potential inside of us to become “good” or “bad.” I think that the things we see,the people we meet,and the places we go to influence the path that we take. For example even on TV show young children can see images and scenes that can give them nightmares or influence them in another way. Or if someone’s family is abusive than they can be influenced by that as well. I believe that John Locke was correct to say that we can go either way based on our experiences and upbringings.
Oops didn’t mean to post yet.
… But after when I thought about it more I thought that yes babies don’t know the difference between good and bad but they never are in the position where they have to choose or where we can really tell. I think everyone is born with certain personalities traits that stick with them for their whole life. I think that as you get older you gain new traits but you don’t really loose your traits from when you were little. If I had to choose which person I believe in more I would say marry Shelley but not as strongly as she believes it. I think everyone is born in someway good-ish some people have more good qualities then others. The people with less good qualities as a kid can’t really be bad people because they haven’t lived long enough to decide if they are bad. Even if they do something bad they still have the option to choose to be good.
I think that it is a mixture of both because I’m not sure if you are born kind or mean but maybe you are drawn more to one side than the other. Mostly though, I believe that it is the things you experience and what kind of people that you are around and what they will tolerate that make you behave the way you do. For example all hope that as toddlers all of our parents told us not to hit or bite other children but all of us probably did it a few times and some of us probably hated when our parents got mad at us so much that we never did it again. But imagine if you were not raised like that and if your parents from the day you were born raised you to be cruel and mean to others you might listen as a five-year-old who did not know any better and who thought your parents were always right.
I also think that people can be good but once they are given things like power and money they have a bad reaction to it which can make them do bad things. Also I think people were put on the earth to do something big or small good or bad. But people that are put on the earth to do bad things can either change to be better or can change to be worse spending on their circumstances and their life growing up
I agree with Rowan that I’m in between. I don’t know enough about it to decide. I don’t think people are blank slates when they are born, nor do I think that we are born good. I don’t think that people ar
( GLITCH) *are shaped by experiences, like Locke said. If someone has a bad experience, I don’t think it makes them a bad person. EXAMPLE: Nelson Mandela was in prison for 27 years. He turned out to be one of the most heroic leaders the world has ever seen. That same experience from many may have caused more crime, or maybe they might never recover. So overall, no. I don’t think people are born blank slates and that they are formed by experiences. And I also don’t think that people are born good. I don’t think ANYONE has enough evidence to decide. It’s all about opinion.
I agree with Mary Shelley. I believe that you cannot be born as a “blank slate”. Its the way you are treated by others that can make you bad. Imagine that you were in a school that had a lot of bullies that were cruel towards you. you might want to get back at them, and by doing that, it could make you bad.
I believe you cannot be born as a blank slate. when your parents tell you about when you were little, there any stories of you being evil?
When you are little all you can really be is good and kind. (and funny!)
It depends on who you’re talking about. Most people will change may times after they are born. Also, I think that everyone is born as both a blank slate and inherently good. If it is something that all humans have and are the same, then it was predetermined. If it is something that is unique, then it could be either. I think that most of what a person is is predetermined, but not always inherently good.
even though i think that people can be born good i think that people could also be born blank slates because every body is born with their eyes closed so you dont really have and expression so you can always grow up and choose what emotion you would like to be so i could go both ways
I think a mix. Because I don’t think you are just born with nothing, i do think you are who you surround yourself with. But I don’t think you can be born bad, but I think you can be born good. What I’m trying to say is you can be born good but you will change based on how you grow up.
Golden & Blue Bear Virtual Socratic Seminars 
I believe that people are born blank slates. Because when you are born your brain has not fully developed yet so it’s. impossible to be “good” or “bad”
LikeLike
I really like how you put that
LikeLike
I totally agree with what jade’s saying about the brain not being full developed.
LikeLike
I like that Jadie
LikeLike
I believe Locke. I don’t think people are just born good. I think people are born neutural. It all depend on how the person’s life goes on.
LikeLike
indeed karlis
LikeLike
Even though I said that I think everyone is born good, I agree with what Karlis said about it depending on how the person lives their life. “It” being how they turn out in life; good or bad.
LikeLike
I’m agreeing with Jadie when I say that when babies are born, they have no sense of what IS good and bad. So it wouldn’t make sense for a baby to instantly know what is good and what is bad. It does, however, make sense for people to get evil later in life by depressing events or just they got badly nurtured.
LikeLike
Yeah that’s a great answer cole.
LikeLike
I think that people are born inherently good, because they are young and innocent, and have no knowledge of the bad things in our world. Also, I think that everyone has goodness in them, maybe even after they have done something bad or questionable. Everyone has a family that; hopefully, has raised them to respect and be kind to others, and hopefully, they, at some point in there lives, have done an act of kindness. If that makes sense 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
I think people have some good from experiences in life that WILL happen, but are mainly effected by upbringing. so I guess I sort of agree and sort of don’t
LikeLike
same with me I guess I see both sides of it but just agree more with one of them by a little
LikeLike
even though I thought John Locke was right I really see what you are coming from and what you are saying. I really like that.
LikeLike
I am in between. I think people learn things like: people have feelings and you can’t ignore that, and also genetics may effect their personality, but their upbringing DEFINITELY affects them. Also there are things that change them no matter what, like a brain disease or injury
LikeLike
I agree with Locke, because it is very true that things in your life influence you to make the decisions you make and these decisions can be good or bad, which can make you think in different ways.
LikeLike
I agree with John Locke. I think that everyone is born with the potential to go either way, to become good or evil. It’s how we are raised and how we react to the things that happen to us that determine who we will be. I also think that our parents play a huge role in determining how we turn out because it is up to our parents to make sure we know the difference between good and bad, and to make sure we are good.
LikeLike
I think we are all born as blank slates, and over time we decide to be “good or bad”. I think that it all depends on how we are raised and the environment we are grow up in.
LikeLike
I feel like i agree more with John Locke about being born as “blank slates”. I think that we all have the potential inside of us to become “good” or “bad.” I think that the things we see,the people we meet,and the places we go to influence the path that we take. For example even on TV show young children can see images and scenes that can give them nightmares or influence them in another way. Or if someone’s family is abusive than they can be influenced by that as well. I believe that John Locke was correct to say that we can go either way based on our experiences and upbringings.
LikeLike
When I first thought about this question I thought everyone was born a blank slate.
LikeLike
Oops didn’t mean to post yet.
… But after when I thought about it more I thought that yes babies don’t know the difference between good and bad but they never are in the position where they have to choose or where we can really tell. I think everyone is born with certain personalities traits that stick with them for their whole life. I think that as you get older you gain new traits but you don’t really loose your traits from when you were little. If I had to choose which person I believe in more I would say marry Shelley but not as strongly as she believes it. I think everyone is born in someway good-ish some people have more good qualities then others. The people with less good qualities as a kid can’t really be bad people because they haven’t lived long enough to decide if they are bad. Even if they do something bad they still have the option to choose to be good.
LikeLike
I agree with you a lot, Ella.
LikeLike
I think that it is a mixture of both because I’m not sure if you are born kind or mean but maybe you are drawn more to one side than the other. Mostly though, I believe that it is the things you experience and what kind of people that you are around and what they will tolerate that make you behave the way you do. For example all hope that as toddlers all of our parents told us not to hit or bite other children but all of us probably did it a few times and some of us probably hated when our parents got mad at us so much that we never did it again. But imagine if you were not raised like that and if your parents from the day you were born raised you to be cruel and mean to others you might listen as a five-year-old who did not know any better and who thought your parents were always right.
LikeLike
I said around the same thing! Great minds think alike! 👍🏻😉
LikeLike
I also think that people can be good but once they are given things like power and money they have a bad reaction to it which can make them do bad things. Also I think people were put on the earth to do something big or small good or bad. But people that are put on the earth to do bad things can either change to be better or can change to be worse spending on their circumstances and their life growing up
LikeLike
*Mary
LikeLike
I agree with Rowan that I’m in between. I don’t know enough about it to decide. I don’t think people are blank slates when they are born, nor do I think that we are born good. I don’t think that people ar
LikeLike
( GLITCH) *are shaped by experiences, like Locke said. If someone has a bad experience, I don’t think it makes them a bad person. EXAMPLE: Nelson Mandela was in prison for 27 years. He turned out to be one of the most heroic leaders the world has ever seen. That same experience from many may have caused more crime, or maybe they might never recover. So overall, no. I don’t think people are born blank slates and that they are formed by experiences. And I also don’t think that people are born good. I don’t think ANYONE has enough evidence to decide. It’s all about opinion.
LikeLike
I really like what you said about people not being bad just because they had a bad experience.
LikeLike
I agree with Mary Shelley. I believe that you cannot be born as a “blank slate”. Its the way you are treated by others that can make you bad. Imagine that you were in a school that had a lot of bullies that were cruel towards you. you might want to get back at them, and by doing that, it could make you bad.
I believe you cannot be born as a blank slate. when your parents tell you about when you were little, there any stories of you being evil?
When you are little all you can really be is good and kind. (and funny!)
LikeLike
I also agree with Luke. We do not Know enough about it to have an “real” answer. Well said Luke!
LikeLike
It depends on who you’re talking about. Most people will change may times after they are born. Also, I think that everyone is born as both a blank slate and inherently good. If it is something that all humans have and are the same, then it was predetermined. If it is something that is unique, then it could be either. I think that most of what a person is is predetermined, but not always inherently good.
LikeLike
even though i think that people can be born good i think that people could also be born blank slates because every body is born with their eyes closed so you dont really have and expression so you can always grow up and choose what emotion you would like to be so i could go both ways
LikeLike
o like what jadie said to
LikeLike
I think a mix. Because I don’t think you are just born with nothing, i do think you are who you surround yourself with. But I don’t think you can be born bad, but I think you can be born good. What I’m trying to say is you can be born good but you will change based on how you grow up.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I really like the way you summed up your last sentence Jane!
LikeLike