Evil by nature or by choice? The science weighs in
Are humans evil by nature or by choice? A debate explores the roots of human evil: psychopathy, predatory instinct and its evolutionary function.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Why are there so many bastards out there? Science has an answer
A fake email from a supposed admirer sent to an older internet user sparks a reflection that has occupied philosophers and neuroscientists for years: why do some people enjoy causing harm? According to the contributions gathered, the answer points to a mix of biology, psychopathy and environment.
Human beings, a predatory animal
One line of analysis holds that evil is intrinsic to our species. "The human being is the greatest predator known in the universe," the argument goes, and deceit and hypocrisy would be the norm in nearly 100% of humanity. The aggressive, selfish instinct, necessary for survival over millennia, would explain behaviors ranging from fraud to murder. In this view, "good human" would be an segarro: we all carry a predator inside, only some control it less than others.
Psychopathy: born or made?
Against that biological determinism, another position offers nuance: "The bastard isn't born. He's made." The key would lie in psychopathy, a disorder involving enjoyment of doing evil, which would not be a choice. The human brain, metaphorically compared to an F1 engine, would only work properly at times, and psychopathy would be just one more pathology. Some even point to an evolutionary function: in extreme situations, those individuals might be the only ones capable of surviving and perpetuating the species, even if in normal times they are "scum."
The discussion ends in a dead end: if evil is genetic, there's little we can do; if it's social, the solution would be to educate and toughen sentences, as suggested by someone who misses the death penalty. But the thought-provoking detail is the quote from Alberto Canosa: "every morning half the population gets up to swindle the other half." In a world where bastardy seems responsible for 99% of the problems, the final question has no easy answer. Or maybe, as another participant concludes, it's about "making it to the final" while dodging the predators.
Related debates in the forum
A fake email from a supposed admirer sent to an older internet user sparks a reflection that has occupied philosophers and neuroscientists for years: why do some people enjoy causing harm? According to the contributions gathered, the answer points to a mix of biology, psychopathy and environment.
Human beings, a predatory animal
One line of analysis holds that evil is intrinsic to our species. "The human being is the greatest predator known in the universe," the argument goes, and deceit and hypocrisy would be the norm in nearly 100% of humanity. The aggressive, selfish instinct, necessary for survival over millennia, would explain behaviors ranging from fraud to murder. In this view, "good human" would be an segarro: we all carry a predator inside, only some control it less than others.
Psychopathy: born or made?
Against that biological determinism, another position offers nuance: "The bastard isn't born. He's made." The key would lie in psychopathy, a disorder involving enjoyment of doing evil, which would not be a choice. The human brain, metaphorically compared to an F1 engine, would only work properly at times, and psychopathy would be just one more pathology. Some even point to an evolutionary function: in extreme situations, those individuals might be the only ones capable of surviving and perpetuating the species, even if in normal times they are "scum."
The discussion ends in a dead end: if evil is genetic, there's little we can do; if it's social, the solution would be to educate and toughen sentences, as suggested by someone who misses the death penalty. But the thought-provoking detail is the quote from Alberto Canosa: "every morning half the population gets up to swindle the other half." In a world where bastardy seems responsible for 99% of the problems, the final question has no easy answer. Or maybe, as another participant concludes, it's about "making it to the final" while dodging the predators.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (66 replies).
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