Are We Born With A Conscience Or Is It Learned?

[ChristineES]

Strange question, I guess. I always thought having a conscience was something learned but I have been thinking about it.

My brother and I were raised by the same parents, yet my brother drank to excess, took drugs, did some shoplifting as a child while I would never do those things. (Don't get my wrong, my brother was a good person).

I want to ask your opinions on this: Do you believe that a conscience is innate or is it learned?

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Both, like most everything else.

 

[idav]

I want to ask your opinions on this: Do you believe that a conscience is innate or is it learned?

I think it is rationalized. Innate is just what our biology tells us which isn't exactly a moral code. We learn it through experience once we start to see the suffering in the world and work to find a solution.

 

[Sunstone]

As I understand it, there is strong evidence that, while we might be born with some capabilities associated with conscience, other capabilities typically develop in us as we go through childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood.

For instance, I recall that our ability to feel genuine compassion for others begins to develop around age 7 in most humans.

 

[Caladan]

Nurture, role models, and good upbringing are of course essential and important in raising healthy human beings in this world.
However, personally I also tend to think that conscience is also strongly biologically wired. There are people who are naturally compassionate and empathic, and there are people who do their best to remind us that today we might wear ties and suits and drink creamy cappuccinos as we read the news, but under that external layer we are still simple minded primates. Not that different from a band of chimpanzees who throw feces at each other.

 

[idontseehim]

If your conscience says don't do something and you do it. The message comes from the same place we are stupid mammals trying to be something else because someone told us to do so

 

[rusra02]

Strange question, I guess. I always thought having a conscience was something learned but I have been thinking about it.

My brother and I were raised by the same parents, yet my brother drank to excess, took drugs, did some shoplifting as a child while I would never do those things. (Don't get my wrong, my brother was a good person).

I want to ask your opinions on this: Do you believe that a conscience is innate or is it learned?

I believe the Bible teaches that God gives us a conscience. Romans 2:14,15 speaks of those who do not know God, yet have a sense of right and wrong. "For whenever people of the nations that do not have [God's] law do by nature the things of the law, these people, although not having law, are a law to themselves. They are the very ones who demonstrate the matter of the law to be written in their hearts, while their conscience is bearing witness with them and, between their own thoughts, they are being accused or even excused."
However, due to sin and imperfection,I think the conscience cannot be relied upon. we need accurate knowledge to guide our thinking and conduct.