Noble Savage
In his book “The Blank Slate”, psychologist Steven Pinker has, among other things, criticized the “noble savage” view of human nature. According to this view, people are by nature generous and non-aggressive, however, as they grow up they get corrupted by the existing culture. Consequently, vast majority of social problems can be solved by changing culture and returning to the age of innocence. Pinker, on the other hand, used psychological, historical and archaeological evidence to argue that such times never existed.
Our data show that a vast majority of people appear to be endorsing the noble savage view of human nature. Overall, 55% percent of Americans agree with the view, “generally speaking, people are born nice and generous, but the existing culture gradually corrupts them”. Perhaps surprisingly, there are no generational differences and ideological differences are almost negligible.
What is your view of the “noble savage” hypothesis?
Loading ...
Bah. Babies are born selfish and whiny and don’t care how they affect others. Fortunately, most people don’t care because they are also cute. They have to be taught to share, not to hit, that you don’t always get what you want, etc. Eventually, the cuteness starts wearing off, and people attribute corruption to what they previously tolerated due to the child’s ignorance.
Hogwash! Any one believes that people are by nature generous and non-aggressive has never seen a room full of toddlers.
Hogwash! Anyone who believes that people are by nature generous and non-aggressive has never seen a room full of toddlers.
The noble savage belief is an ideological necessity to keep from honestly looking inside ourselves. Empirical evidence to the contrary is everywhere. You just have to be willing to see it. But anyone can find and interpret anything to suit their own preconceived ideas. Morality other than of one’s own construction is so inconvenient and inhibiting. Our impulses are often far short of “noble”
Socialization teaches children to redirect their self-centered aggression in less obvious and more socially acceptable ways. Nevertheless, aggressive impulses occur through the entire life spectrum.
Try doing a study on how many parents who buy into this philosophy/ethic raise out-of-control children at an early age. I know several. And yes I mean philosophy/ ethics, because science and philosophy/ethics can only theoretically be separated.
However, children seem to have empathy for animals and are really disturbed by cruelty to animals. Many children are inclined to vegetarianism because they do not like the idea of killing animals for food. It is culture that beats that tendency out of us.