1. Individuals are not basically evil, but they are not basically good either. Evil can be defined by "profoundly immoral". Going deeper, moral is described by "a conception of right behaviour". Right behaviour is subjective, and highly dependant on interpretation. To illustrate, someone may consider right behaviour as being helpful towards others. Another person may believe it is right to care for one's own survival, above others. Therefore, it is impossible to depict society's response to this question, as society's views can be conflicting. Additionally, deciding who has the authority to judge and impose their morals unto others is debateable in itself, leaving the possibility a one-sided answer in evanescence.
2. No, individuals will not always be completely malleable by their peers. This is because people are empowered with the ability to make their own decisions. It is true that one's peers can influence and apply pressure, but this is not equivalent of forcing that person to carry out an act. Furthermore, an individual's peers are chosen by said individual via his/her own free will. This means that actions which the peers push for may have been taken out by the subject regardless. Moreover, unfavourable deeds are be less likely to be proposed, as the subject probably would not have associated him/herself with those kinds of peers in the first place. Taking these reasons into account, individuals have control of their activities, and their peers only amplify the person's intentions.
3. The human race is destined to destroy itself, and it seems as if this in is our nature. There are a number of reasons for this. One is conflict: warfare has existed for as long as humans have, and such a constant, pronounced habit seems unavoidable. It is a known fact that there are enough nuclear warheads to bring the demise of the human race. Only two have ever been used in combat, and their radioactive traces are still apparent, after seventy years. This leads to the second reason: the environment. Society is often convicted of wreaking havoc among its surroundings; for instance its carbon footprint contributing to global warming. By polluting water sources and cutting down forests, humans are eliminating the resources provided by Earth for sustainability. Once these resources become inadequate for supporting people, they will perish. Lastly, greed is an important factor. The ever-growing issue of overpopulation would be much less problematic if humans were all equal in terms of ability to survive, but this is not the case, partly due to greed for more. Population problems can induce more conflicts, and cause the global village to fall apart piece by piece. As a result of these reasons, it seems as though humans are marching towards their downfall.
4. No, rules and punishment are not necessary to maintain a civilized society. These types of measures do not cause civilization; they merely concentrate the problems away from society - in jails, for example. Hiding what is problematic away from most people does not mean a system is civilized, it just means the issues are being swept under the rug. On the other hand, a truly civilized society should not need rules and punishments to maintain itself as these would serve no purpose in just, perfect cases.
5. Yes, we are our own worst enemy. This is simply because there are not many other oppositions that can compete with ourselves. Humans are more likely to do harm to themselves than be harmed by factors such as the environment. Humans can hurt themselves in various ways, and one of these is their expectations. People often have expectations of how things should be. This can range from their fantasies to what they think they deserve. In both cases, they are blinded by these things, making them less capable of appreciating the goodness in their lives that they do have. Their are other forms of expectations, such as the desire for consistency and contentment. These kinds of expectations can lead to disappointment, as most things are subject to change, and unhappiness can be experienced. Not accepting this is toxic, and these expectations often cause more harm than good. Of course, these are just a few of the many reasons why we are our worst enemy.
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This is an article of the US prison system, which is relatable to the third question answered. Although its main focus is on jail conditions themselves, it illustrates the terrible happenings that can take place even after punishments are handed out, because they do not necessarily solve society's problems around civilization.
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