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Nature vs Nuture

In: Philosophy and Psychology

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What are your thoughts on the Nature vs. Nurture argument? One of the biggest debates that continue to remain unsolved is the Nature vs. Nurture argument. My opinion is that the answer is not definitely one or the other but a mixture of the two. This argument tries to establish the role of genes and the environment in human nature. In some situations it is obvious that genetics have a greater role in shaping a person. An example of that is a person that desires to drink alcohol. Some people would say that the feeling is pre-determined by their genetics, while some people would believe that outside sources such as manufacturers and peers have a greater influence. This debate turns out to be one that is hard to explain because there are many factors involved. Some people express concerns that could be applied scientifically, some have true legitimacy that may not be answerable, and some just do not make sense. To make things more complex with this debate, it seems that things are blended together and there is no distinctiveness to separate the roles. Another issue is that some of the uncertainty comes from the genetic language itself. It seems like we try to sort out the contributions from nature and nurture when in fact the distinction is between what is in born and what we receive after birth. It will always go back to genes and the environment which keeps the debate on going. It is obvious the truth lies within nature and nurture, but it has been difficult to determine where to end the debate. Some psychologists have come to a new understanding. Instead of trying to find separation between the two, they understand the relationship between them.
What is the history of this issue? The history of this argument started with an English scientist named Francis Galton, a cousin of Charles Darwin. Darwin, who was well known for his book “Origin of

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