Post by baileyfessler on Oct 24, 2014 3:05:23 GMT
In most circumstances, people should be held completely accountable for their actions. Once a person reaches adolescence, he or she can start to formulate their own opinions on what is considered morally right and wrong. Even if there was an absence of a good role model in a person's life, by the time adolescence is reached, enough life experience should have been accumulated for the person to rethink certain ideologies that they grew up with. Additionally, people cannot be physically forced to commit a crime, and therefore should be held responsible. Peer pressure can act as a forceful motivator in performing certain actions, but ultimately people always have the option to do what is morally right. When considering the murders of the Clutter family committed by Dick Hickock and Perry Smith, I believe they are both wholly guilty. Hickock is obviously responsible for the murders, for he fabricated the whole plan, and convinced Smith into being his accomplice. However, in no way is Smith less responsible for the crimes. Although there were hints at his reluctance scattered throughout the book, such as when he locks himself in the gas station bathroom, Smith still takes part in the crime and does not choose to walk away. His past, filled with neglect and abandonment, may have shaped his character and pushed him to pursue a criminal lifestyle. However, the choice to create a better future always exists, and Smith abstained from this decision. On the other hand, I do believe there are also some circumstances in which a person should not be held accountable for their actions. Children are not at a point in their life where they can distinguish right from wrong clearly. They most often mirror their parents ideals and actions, and assume they are acceptable since their most influential role models seem to deem the action as acceptable. Therefore, when children mistakenly perform actions that are not qualified as acceptable by society they should not be held responsible if they were simply paralleling the actions of their parents. Furthermore, the mentally ill should not be held completely responsible for their actions. People with mental diseases, such as Schizophrenia, are constantly bombarded with delusions and hallucinations that blur their visions of reality. They may attack an innocent person because they falsely believe that they are being attacked themselves. In these cases, it is not the complete fault of the person, but the fault of their disorder, which impairs them from making a fully conscious choice.
When considering the effects of nature and nurture on development, I believe that both play an integral role in determining the essence of a person. Nature not only determines the physical appearance of a person but also plays a large role in determining a person's personality. For example, Bonnie Clutter was raised in a loving family and was "led to suppose that life was a sequence of agreeable events". However, although she was raised in a caring environment, she still became more of a recluse with a standoffish personality, revealing the major impact of nature. Even though the doctors claimed her condition was only due to a "pinched nerve", her behavior and mental sickness is most likely the result of a biological predisposition that was activated later in life though the stress of childbirth, which is called diathesis stress. So even though someone may be raised in a preferable environment, a person's biological makeup still heavily controls aspects of his or her life. However, nurture equally plays an important role in development. Nurture has been found to have a more profound effect on a persons ideologies and beliefs. Nancy Clutter clearly displays the affect of nurture on a person's life. Throughout her life, Mr. Clutter was always present to act as a perfect role model for Nancy. He was extremely involved in the community and church, and he also worked vigorously to provide for his family. By idolizing her father, Nancy became very involved in school and in the community, and was overall a highly respected and admired friend, classmate, and citizen. Overall, nature and nurture are equally important, and an interplay between these two entities highly influence the people we become.
When considering the effects of nature and nurture on development, I believe that both play an integral role in determining the essence of a person. Nature not only determines the physical appearance of a person but also plays a large role in determining a person's personality. For example, Bonnie Clutter was raised in a loving family and was "led to suppose that life was a sequence of agreeable events". However, although she was raised in a caring environment, she still became more of a recluse with a standoffish personality, revealing the major impact of nature. Even though the doctors claimed her condition was only due to a "pinched nerve", her behavior and mental sickness is most likely the result of a biological predisposition that was activated later in life though the stress of childbirth, which is called diathesis stress. So even though someone may be raised in a preferable environment, a person's biological makeup still heavily controls aspects of his or her life. However, nurture equally plays an important role in development. Nurture has been found to have a more profound effect on a persons ideologies and beliefs. Nancy Clutter clearly displays the affect of nurture on a person's life. Throughout her life, Mr. Clutter was always present to act as a perfect role model for Nancy. He was extremely involved in the community and church, and he also worked vigorously to provide for his family. By idolizing her father, Nancy became very involved in school and in the community, and was overall a highly respected and admired friend, classmate, and citizen. Overall, nature and nurture are equally important, and an interplay between these two entities highly influence the people we become.