What is Nature versus Nurture?
Definition: The nature versus nurture debate is one of the oldest issues in psychology. The debate centers on the relative contributions of genetic inheritance and environmental factors to human development. Some philosophers such as Plato and Descartes suggested that certain things are inborn, or that they simply occur naturally regardless of environmental influences. Other well-known thinkers such as John Locke believed in what is known as tabula rosa, which suggests that the mind begins as a blank slate. According to this notion, everything that we are and all of our knowledge is determined by our experience. For example, when a person achieves tremendous academic success, did they do so because they are genetically predisposed to be successful or is it a result of an enriched environment? Today, the majority of experts believe that behavior and development are influenced by both nature and nurture. However, the issue still rages on in many areas such as in the debate on the origins
Nature versus nurture is an on-going debate that asks if certain things are caused by nature (something we have no control over) or nurture (how we were raised). This is often a debate used in reference to things like sexuality. Some believe that people are born homosexual and others believe that they learned the behavior somehow. You can find more information here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nature_vers…
