Encyclopedia of Opinion
Question
Are we products of nature or nurture?
Position1 of 4›

Nature is more important than nurture

This position holds that nature matters more than nurture. It argues that genetics determine who a person is long before their experiences shape them — that even the way we learn is innate — so our biological inheritance, not our environment, is the primary force behind who we become.

Supporting arguments · 2

  1. Nature is more important than nurture because the way we learn is innate
    Noam Chomsky determined that linguistic ability is predetermined by the genetic "initial state" of the Language Acquisition Device. This shows that nature influences our traits and behaviors more than nurture does.
  2. Nature is more important than nurture because genes determine who we are
    Although our environment influences us, genes determine how it affects us. For this reason, nature is more important than nurture.