Nature V. Nuture

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Nature and nuture are the two different schools of thought on hereditary characteristics versus personal experiences in determining the basis for physical appearances and behaviors. Nuture is further defined as personality traits that are influenced by environmental factors such as peer groups, media, and other life experiences. The controversy between the two philosophies expands to sociology, psychology, and political theories. However, for purposes of this paper, the debate centers on whether individuals are shaped through heredity or through environmental influences. The nature v. nuture debate was first started by Francis Galton who believed intelligence, morals, and strength was based on heredity. He used the theory of evolution to prove this thought by using natural selection which means the most adaptable trait is passed through generations (Nale, J., 2010). He used the term “eugenics” as a means to describe the breeding of certain genes or breeding out of bad traits to create a superior race. An extreme example of the progression of eugenics was the Nazi attempt to exterminate the Jewish people. The Jews were seen as an inferior race that needed to be extinct in order to not minimize the corruption of the human genome by excluding inferior traits (Tudge, C., 1999). On the other hand, John Locke, believed nuture was a the learned, adapted behavior which is acquired by external forces like parents or other people and creates behaviors such as personality traits. He believed the brain was a fresh blank sheet that was influenced by the environment. Sigmund Freud agreed and stated our development was molded by parenting (Tudge, C., 1999). If the nature theory is correct then children adopted to other families would show the same characteristics and traits as their biological parents. One adoption study was on the juvenile behavioral traits,

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