Dicussion if Humans are Intriniscally Good and Possess Limitless Potential

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When a child is born they are pure. Their minds have not yet been corrupted by the sins of society. They truly represent the core of human nature because their goodness has not yet been crippled by cultural influence. They don’t read, go to school, or interact with many people. They are unable to bathe themselves, dress themselves or control their bowels; they are as innocent as a person can be. Slowly as the baby grows older and is exposed to differing opinions, literature, media, and the sins of the people around them; they begin to sin themselves. Their sibling pushes them; they push back. They see something they want; they take it. Someone yells at them; the yell back. They see others do things do awful things and and they reciprocate. Then they go to school, or perhaps even church; they learn whats right and whats wrong. Then the next time they do something wrong they feel bad; deep down they wish that they could change their actions. Although humans commit truly terrible acts, they are born good and corrupted by their environments.

Transcendentalists such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, believe that humans are intrinsically good and possess limitless potential. Likewise, they consider people to be reflections of God himself. However, they recognize that people sin, but state that they will repent and will generally choose to do the right thing. Humans have the power to do whatever they want but will be tempted by evil and sin. They believe that these temptations come from society itself and its institutions such as religious groups, political parties, and workers unions. While these groups may seem like a good way to united people, they ultimately corrupt the goodness of the individual by causing them to shy away from their per...

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...ou must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" (Genesis 7:1). By saying this the snake is tempting Eve to go against God. Eve decides to ignore both the snake and God and eats apple from the tree with Adam. After they eat the apples and give into sin they “realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves” (Genesis 7:5). This shows that the simple act of eating an apple stripped Adam and Eve of their purity and lead them into a world of sin. When they took a bite the apple they were taking a bite of sin itself. Through this scene in genesis the remarkably sinful impact that temptations can have on the individual is clearly seen; Adam and Eve’s purity is corrupted by a single apple.

Works Cited

Fogg, and Georgules. Course Reader. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.

New American Bible. Charlotte: Saint Benedict, 2011. Print.

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