Decades of research have focused on the influence of nature or nurture on the development of self, producing biological, environmental and existential explanations . This research utilized theories of Positivism, social Action theory and Phenomenology to analyze and make conclusions. The subject matter focused on why nature, nurture or consciousness, do not independently produce individuals and the importance of the three in understanding personality.
Personality consists of the stable of qualities and conducts that constitute an individual’s character, which distinguishes individuals. Therefore, personality traits would include negative and positive attitudes; for instance egoism and altruism, value for intellectual advancement or disregard for it, or whether he is she is a pessimist or an optimist. Continual experiments into the understanding of human nature emphasize Its importance to the synthesis of the Macrostructure of society (Wallace, 1961).
The Role of Nature and Nurture In the Development of Self. How these concepts Interplay to shape human behavior. The Nature-Nurture debate can be traced back to deliberations among the eighteenth century Enlightenment and Francis Gallon who is credited coining the hears ‘nature versus nurture’. Nature within this context denotes genetic or biological factors that encode our actions and personality, while Nurture refers to environmental factors; colonization and culture consisting of human impressions on an individual. Self is something which has a development that has a ‘characteristic that is distinguishes it from other objects and subject to organized social environments (Mead, 1962). Human behavior is the variation of actions, attitudes, conduct and qualities man demonstrates; that defines character or personality and hence self . Traditionally, human nature and personality have been explained by either the polarity of nature; Biologist, or nurture; Environmentalism.
However, the researcher argues that ‘Self develops through the reciprocal relationship between nature and nurture; Bifocals interaction, and to purport that self is realized entirely by either extremes of nature or nurture or free will would be false. Foremost, it is the interaction of inherent traits and the environment that produces human behavior, rather than Biological Positivism. Max Weber (1864-1920); a founding father of Sociology – Social Action Theory has offered much insight into Social Science and thus Philosophy.
His contention that the study of human subjectivity; intentions, values, beliefs and attitudes that underlie people’s behavior, is critical in the study of society is logical and important. Biologist, as a Positivistic or measured and quantified explanation cannot compensate fully for intelligence or intellectual behavior in humans, as Francis Gallon (1822-1911), suggested. He was convicted that success was due to the inherited superior mental abilities passed down from parents to offspring and the individual; self, is unconscious .
Twin studies have been carried out to prove that heritable traits; such as the ‘Q, affect personality, but they have not been sufficient in explaining distinctive attitude and interests among these twins . In the context of Political success Biologist; neurological and physiological traits, though of paramount importance does not fully explain intelligence or the appointment to a political post. For instance, Beam’s caliber for presidency could not have been met without the opportunities for educational advancement and support system where education is valued.
The social environment; family, school, and other social contexts of language, cultivates intelligence. Further, his appointment to office was not premised only on his intellectual capabilities, for research into his lifestyle, attitudes; ideologies and social contexts would have been done during his campaigning period and answers to relevant questions from the voting population; majority of whom he had to please, determined his achievement. Therefore, the researcher contends that nature and nurture are the vital factors influencing development of self and are relevant to intellectual progress.
Furthermore, it is the reciprocal relationship between nature and nurture; that influences self and not Social Positivism. In his proposal that the human mind is a “tabular Rasa” or a “blank slate” at birth; whereby humans are born with no mental faculties, John Locke (1632-1704) tried to positively, through scientific objectivity measure and quantify human behavior as caused by society and not biology . His definition of the ‘self is a continuity of consciousness; of the environment .
Therefore, nurture or the environment and genetics would not determine intelligence. John B. Watson (Behaviorism 1913), has reduced human behavior to an environmental measurement in his “Little Albert” experiment . Social Constructivism; socially created nature of social life, and cultural relativism; concepts are socially constructed and vary cross-culturally by language, have also been introduced in support of the nurture proposition. Locker’s environmentalism would be an insufficient as an explanation ‘Q; Intelligence Quotient or Intellectual political rationing.
If those who are teachers, did not have the heritable mental capacities of learning and educating, hey would not be fit to become teachers because culture alone cannot shape an educator, the biological component is also essential, and the Ministry of Education would not employ them as teachers, which is essentially a political rationing. This elucidates Fraud’s account of self as an entity consisting of unconscious and conscious mind in his theory of psychoanalysis. He developed a structural view of personality consisting of three mental agencies; the ‘d, ego and superego .
The id is unconscious biological; which consists of the inherited mental structure. The ego is hat which is in contact with the external world; it permits reasoning and takes account of time, space and the nature of reality. The superego is the mediator or conscience. Therefore in the context of intelligence, the researcher understands the unconscious, to be innate mental capabilities for intelligence, which is the ‘d, the value of education within a given environment would be the ego, and conscience is that which reconciles the two; the superego.
For instance, if someone consists of the mental abilities to teach, and within a household that values educational instruction, t is the person’s consciousness that internalizes these standards and the need for oneself in the structure that would cause him or her to play a role in education. Therefore, the researcher is adamant that both nature and nurture are essential to the development of self. Moreover, the researcher believes that heredity versus environment is a false polarity, but rather it is bifocals interaction that fosters development of the self; therefore explanations that disregard either or both are incorrect .
Consideration of the Existential arguments of Jean-Paul Sartre, David Home and Emmanuel Kant for elf in comparison to John Dew’s Pragmatism; a bifocals approach, underscores their inadequacy. Existentialism, developed by Sartre, is a phenomenological theory of human behavior which involves a systematic investigation of consciousness; which is purportedly the only phenomenon we can be sure of . The problems arising out of this Continental tradition is skepticism; which is rooted in metaphysics, that is evident in the writings of David Home and Emmanuel Kant .
In his writings, Home is strictly abstract, denies self with his reduction of personal experiences as an endless succession of perceptions, doubts inductive reasoning, and associated our reasoning with consciousness. According to Home, “Reason is, and ought only to be the slave of the passions, and can never pretend to any other office ” . In the context of intelligence, therefore Home would deny the existent of self, deny that an environmental esteem of education would affect us unless we are conscious of it or recognize it and feel fervent about it.
This gives us insight into why the existential theory is unpopular today. However, John Dewey outlined in Experience and Here he underscores the importance of practicality or experience in the learning that can reduce the gap between the academics; the mature and experience and the immature and inexperienced . According to Dewey, “Meanings do not come into being without language, and language implies two selves involved in a conjoint or shared undertaking” . In other words, he emphasizes the importance of the interplay of the factors of nature and nurture, and awareness in the in influencing human behavior.
This would prove sensible, as predispositions nature and nurture do inform consciousness and thus choices. If a person is endowed with substantial brain power, it is the successful interaction of this ability with an educational institute and his awareness of this through social reinforcement; good grades or first place, that causes him to employ his aptitude (innate and informed) for the betterment of himself and political society as a whole. This individual may benefit his society by functioning in an executive position, once he has met his goal.
Therefore, the researcher reiterates that human behavior; personality is a product of dependency of nature and nurture in forming self. Finally, it is the intersection of biology and society that, contours the individual. George Herbert Mead (1863-1931), who drew premised his work on that Freud, Weber and Dewey and their influences, has vastly impacted social psychology . The development of human mind and self is answered by Mead in bifocals terms and is prolific in Sociology, and its related fields of Anthropology and Psychology.
In the words of Mead: The self is something which has a development; it is not initially there, at birth, but arises in the process of social experience and activity, that is, develops in a given individual as a result of his relations to that process as a whole and to other individuals within the process . In order words, Mead proposes that subjective experience of the individual must explained using socio-biological account. The theory of Symbolic Interaction offers understanding communication patterns, interpretations and how it fashions behavior .
In extension to Watson Behaviorism, he proposed that human behavior should study the experience of the individual from the viewpoint of his conduct as it is observable by others . The application of Sociobiology provides insight into political tradition which establishes he political structure. For instance, persons who make economic decisions for a country at large, must first communicate their abilities and ideologies; innate and learnt, which is internalized by the whole and determines whether he is qualifies for the Job.
He must share the same economic value as the society, and if he does not but desires to hold the post, he must alter his own ideology; for instance Capitalism or Socialism. It is with unwavering doubt that the researcher contends bifocals terms. In conclusion, the researcher is obstinate that both nature and nurture are important to the understanding of self. Max Weber, Sigmund Freud, John Dewey and George Mead have considerably influenced the modern Social Sciences and thus Philosophy . Their theories are readily being used in Psychology, Sociology and Anthropology .
