New research from Massachusetts Institute of Technology - along with others - have determined that children are born with pre-existing concepts of justice, prejudice and other elements of morality.
Most scientists believe that these traits are trained into children - that they are empty canvasses waiting to be painted on by parents.
This concept is born from the notion that we are these physical bodies.
Thus this research is perplexing for those scientists who have no concept of the spiritual person within - a person that existed prior to the birth of a physical body we are each wearing temporarily.
The researchers found that 81% of children preferred puppets that helped other puppets, for example. The researchers also found that a majority of children preferred those puppets they identified with - an indication of the pre-existence of prejudice among those persons within the children's bodies.
The research also found that infants tended to be self-centered. They gathered things to themselves even when they had enough and they knew that other children didn't have enough.
The researchers also found that children could be trained out of their prejudices and self-centeredness as they grew older. Most younger children selected not to extend charitably to those who were different. But as most (but not all) children got older, they began to extend charitably to others. This indicates that parental training can indeed infuse important lessons to children as we grow up.
These results also indicate that we are indeed still evolving. The fact that the children had pre-existing concepts of morality illustrates that we existed before the birth of our physical body. And the fact that the children's concepts of morality improved with age indicates that the human body is a vehicle for gaining wisdom - should we choose to accept and embrace that wisdom.
We have, then, evolved before entering these human bodies, and we are continuing to evolve throughout our lives within this human form. If we choose to.
See the piece on 60 minutes titled "Babies help unlock the origins of morality."
Most scientists believe that these traits are trained into children - that they are empty canvasses waiting to be painted on by parents.
This concept is born from the notion that we are these physical bodies.
Thus this research is perplexing for those scientists who have no concept of the spiritual person within - a person that existed prior to the birth of a physical body we are each wearing temporarily.
The researchers found that 81% of children preferred puppets that helped other puppets, for example. The researchers also found that a majority of children preferred those puppets they identified with - an indication of the pre-existence of prejudice among those persons within the children's bodies.
The research also found that infants tended to be self-centered. They gathered things to themselves even when they had enough and they knew that other children didn't have enough.
The researchers also found that children could be trained out of their prejudices and self-centeredness as they grew older. Most younger children selected not to extend charitably to those who were different. But as most (but not all) children got older, they began to extend charitably to others. This indicates that parental training can indeed infuse important lessons to children as we grow up.
These results also indicate that we are indeed still evolving. The fact that the children had pre-existing concepts of morality illustrates that we existed before the birth of our physical body. And the fact that the children's concepts of morality improved with age indicates that the human body is a vehicle for gaining wisdom - should we choose to accept and embrace that wisdom.
We have, then, evolved before entering these human bodies, and we are continuing to evolve throughout our lives within this human form. If we choose to.
See the piece on 60 minutes titled "Babies help unlock the origins of morality."
