Study: Children as young as 6-months old can know the difference between good and evil.

Study: Children as young as 6-months old can know the difference between good and evil.

www.dailymail.co.uk

At the age of six months babies can barely sit up - let along take their first tottering steps, crawl or talk.
But, according to psychologists, they have already developed a sense of moral code - and can tell the difference between good and evil.


Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk...##ixzz0nZcsbQs0

(visit the link for the full news article)

Haven't seen this up yet, so I thought I would post it.

I think its pretty interesting.

I have a hard time believing that we are pre-wired to be good or evil. I think its our upbringing and the environment that we inhabit that makes us who we are.

I Would like to hear other opinions on this study.

www.dailymail.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by Hellsmight


This makes sense but since there is no proof of our bodies or brains, or anything in this Universe being real, at all, save for the screen at the back of our minds, it seems most likely that our consciousness/spirit/soul/mind knows this, not the brain at all.


Perception - The reality beyond matter


The Material World is an illusion

reply to post by Unity_99


Thanks for the reply.

Not to sure what to say regarding that. Sorry to say I dont know much about what you are referring to.

When I can watch your linked videos in piece I will maybe have a better understanding.

Got me thinking now though.

reply to post by Hellsmight


There is a lot more to infants than we think, and though they cannot communicate verbally, they're very much aware, and have access to their real memories of self, their consciousness/spirit. Scientists assume if infants can't physically show through advanced motor skills they can pass one of their tests, that they don't possess the skill, whereas in reality, they simply need to sleep alot to grow, and focus on what interests them, and can't meet the physical requirements for the test. Many of their tests are inclusive.

What I'm pointing out is that brains, and wiring are just a software program, and that only consciousness can even be proven to be real, the reality of the world around us, "matter" is a very debatable thing.


The Quantum Apocalypse of The Holographic Universe

I think our consciousness/spirit/soul is what knows right from wrong, at least for most of us.

I was once told by a preacher that all men are sinners and are bouund for hell without being saved. And I asked him how could a small child who was just born be a sinner, there to young to have sinned. He told me bu the time a child is born he has already told lies. And he said when babies cry for no reason they are lying in order to get what ever it is they want. when he told me that it made me really think, but im not sure if I have ever come to a conclusion on it.

reply to post by JBA2848


Kinda seems like a raw deal for the baby. I guess you would have to follow that particular belief within that religion to agree with a sinning baby.

I am a believer in a higher power, but not the man made rules and beliefs of religion.

I like what Unity99 is saying though, sounds like an interesting thing to look more into.

Thanks for you reply JBA2848. I hope you can find an answer.

I think children can know the difference between good and bad, but I dont believe in evil

Originally posted by JBA2848
I was once told by a preacher that all men are sinners and are bouund for hell without being saved. And I asked him how could a small child who was just born be a sinner, there to young to have sinned. He told me bu the time a child is born he has already told lies. And he said when babies cry for no reason they are lying in order to get what ever it is they want. when he told me that it made me really think, but im not sure if I have ever come to a conclusion on it.

babies don't cry for no reason ever. Just because we don't know why they are crying doesn't mean they don't have a good reason. They could be crying because they are bored, lonely, want something out of their reach, a memory of something scary ect.

I feel that babies can discern the difference between good and evil (bad). "They" say that babies and dogs know when somethings not right with people. In my short experience as a father and a long time dog owner I tend to agree with this. Is it a knowlege gained from past life experience? I'm not so sure about that, but humans and animals are born with instincts to survive. Maybe this is one way of explaining why an otherwise peaceful baby upon being picked up by someone may burst into uncontrollable shrieks and crying, with there being no cause or reason for it. Perhaps it explains why when some people try to engage an infant they hide their faces or squirm away from the touch of certain people. Maybe they're picking up that there is something "wrong" about a person. On a personal note, my son only ever cried at the touch of 2 people when he was an infant. He is a very outgoing, happy, well adjusted, social baby. However there was instances of when 2 particular people would try to touch him or pick him up he would shriek bloody murder, the only thing these 2 people had in common was that they were both bi-polar. It was very intriguing when that realization finally dawned on me. Take it for what you will.
~Edit to Add~
Not that I'm saying being bi-polar makes one bad or evil.

[edit on 10-5-2010 by azrael36]

That a human child can conceptualize cooperative and adversarial behavior seems a far cry from knowing 'good' versus 'evil'.

But I suppose that wouldn't make as good a headline.

This is kinda Ironic, since most politicians i know *cough cough? STEPHEN HARPER Cough cough sarah palin clearthroat cough CONSERVATIVE PARTY OF CANADA cough cough GEORGE BUSH DICK CHENY cough cough cough REPUBLICANS cough* Bad cold i got here. Just got sick, got better, now getting sick again.

Anyway, like i was saying, these 6 month olds sure seem to know there way of right VS wrong compared to alot of these um unnamed politicians i happen to know. How strange!

reply to post by Maxmars


Thanks for the reply.

Yes the headline is a bit misleading. There was another doctor that didn't agree as well.

From report: Although the studies appear to show that morality is hard-wired into babies brains, some psychologists urged caution.

Dr Nadja Reissland, of Durham University, said babies started to learn the difference between good and bad from birth.

'Everything hinges on who decides what is normal,' she said. 'By saying pushing the ball up the hill is helpful, the researchers are making a moral judgement. The babies might just prefer to see things go up rather than down.


Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk...

reply to post by Hellsmight


Hmm. Doesn't matter. According to the bible, all children are going to hell anyways, unless they accept JC as their lord and savior.


Madness...

reply to post by impaired


Right.

If you believe everything thats in the book sure, but I don't.

Unless you were being sarcastic.

Sorry long day at work.

Not really too familiar with the finer points of dogma associated with some religions, but isn't there an "age of accountability"?

Originally posted by Hellsmight
reply to post by impaired

 

Right.

If you believe everything thats in the book sure, but I don't.

Unless you were being sarcastic.

Sorry long day at work.

Absolutely 120% sarcastic, hehe.

Just wanted to clarify that.

'With the help of well designed experiments, you can see glimmers of moral thought, moral judgment and moral feeling even in the first year of life.

I just find that hard to believe. I think there may be a more plausible reason, like......

For one study, the Yale researchers got babies aged between six months and a year to watch a puppet show in which a simple, colourful wooden shape with eyes tries to climb a hill.

Sometimes the shape is helped up the hill by a second toy, while other times a third character pushes it down.

After watching the show several times, the babies were shown the helpful and unhelpful toys. They showed a clear preference for the helpful toys - spending far longer looking at the 'good' shapes than the 'bad' ones.

Maybe this just mimicks something similar that the babies have already experienced. Generally babies in that age group are in the stage of trying to pull themselves up onto everything, climb everything., like entertainment centers, etc. So the "good toy" is an older sibling, cousin, etc that helps them climb up the entertainmnet center and the "bad toy" is mom or dad that is constantly taking them down, preventing them from climbing.

Maybe it's just a baby preferring a sibling that helps him climb up on the entertainment center to play with the buttons on the tv over mom who always spoils his fun by pulling him off of it. That would not constitute a moral judgement.

Same thing here....

In one, the researchers devised a 'one-act morality play', in which a toy dog tries to open a box. The dog is joined by a teddy bear who helps him lift the lid, and a teddy who stubbornly sits on the box

The teddy bear that helps him open the box is a sibling that helps him get into a cabinet to explore what's in there, the teddy bear that sits on the box is mom who always takes him out of the cabinet and locks it.

I just don't think that at those ages babies are capable of moral thought.

Edit because I forgot link....

www.dailymail.co.uk...#

[edit on 5/10/2010 by chise61]

reply to post by JBA2848


How can a baby have possibly already lied by the time they were born ?

I've never seen a baby cry for no reason at all. They're hungry, cold, wet, hot, in pain, sick, want to be held, etc there's always a reason.

reply to post by azrael36


I believe it depends on the religion. When my oldest son was a newborn I had a friend tell me that if he should die that he wouldn't go to heaven (she said he would be trapped in purgatory) because he wasn't baptised yet, he was two weeks old

I believe she was Roman Catholic.