I present a scenario. Thoughts?

Dont know if this has been posted before or mentioned somehow, but ive been thinking about this for a while, just imagining. We all know that every human being is born innocent, because we dont know better, we haven't learnt if you will. As we grow and develop we are influenced and morphed by society and its evils; media, language, education, to the people we are and the way we present ourselves.

To quote Rousseau here; "man is born free and everywhere he is chains". Well what if a group of scientists or researchers set out to see how this would all play out in a different way.

What if a baby, once born was kept in solitary confinement for the first couple of years of its life just so it can physically fend for itself and then put on an island. The island would be uninhabited and completely unaffected and untouched by the man made world. How would this child develop, how would it speak, talk. Basically, how much of a difference would there between this child and a child who is born and is 'normally' placed into society?

Just a question ive been pondering, dont know if this is the right forum. I just associated 'origins' with this.

No one has any thoughts on this?

This was done earlier last century...I think they called the girl "Lucy" or something...I went looking for links, but couldn't find any.

Basically she was feral, never learned to talk as I recall.

Maybe someone remembers this from first year psychology? Help me out here.

Originally posted by midnightbrigade
This was done earlier last century...I think they called the girl "Lucy" or something...I went looking for links, but couldn't find any.

Basically she was feral, never learned to talk as I recall.

Maybe someone remembers this from first year psychology? Help me out here.

I guessed that there was something done like this, i tried to search with 'Lucy' alone and found nothing. Anyone have any information?

reply to post by midnightbrigade


I've never heard of this Lucy girl. But, I do recall hearing some story about a doctor trying to educate or 'humanize' a feral child, he was a boy. I believe he was somewhat successful, but eventually gave up. I recall this may of taken place somewhere in Europe, but not quite sure.

I also tried to search for the Lucy story, but wasn't able to find anything. And was this Lucy girl raised for the sole purpose of eventually becoming feral then reeducated?

Originally posted by serbsta
No one has any thoughts on this?

innocence would be equated as completely guiltless of any offense?

If he did something directly against his self interest, would he be guilty of an offense against himself, hence yielding his innocence?

Would walking on hot sand burining his feet or staying out in the sun too long be the baby steps toward more offenses against his self interest?

is this "universal common sense" ..or is this "knowingly offensing?"

p.s. I'm sure some private secret research group has studied every aspect of what you're presenting here ten fold... 50 yrs ago.


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Well from what we do know of cases where similar has happened, the child will be able to function in the environment it grew up in. Over time it may be able to be 'trained' to "work" but due to it not having and social stimulus, it will never learn any social skills.

As for guilt... Well I doubt it would have the capacity to hold that concept. I doubt that it will know or be able to learn between right and wrong- only what is beneficial and what is not (as in it is bad to steel food from gorilas because they will get angry and violent, but it might be a good thing to steel from a bird).

It's mind would function on the level of an wild animal.

Here is what you want to look into, its called the The Forbidden Experiment.
It looks like it has been tried a couple of times throughout history, but never successfully.

More Links:
The Forbidden Experiment
Feral Children

Originally posted by defcon5
Here is what you want to look into, its called the The Forbidden Experiment.
It looks like it has been tried a couple of times throughout history, but never successfully.

More Links:
The Forbidden Experiment
Feral Children

That was a good read, thanks a lot.

reply to post by serbsta

We all know that every human being is born innocent, because we dont know better, we haven't learnt if you will. As we grow and develop we are influenced and morphed by society and its evils; media, language, education, to the people we are and the way we present ourselves.

We know nothing of the kind.

According to Christian doctrine, every human being is born guilty, carrying the burden of Original Sin.

According to science, our desires for food, sex, security, dominance and pleasure are inborn. These instinctive drives are at the root of all evil; the task of society is actually to suppress, limit or usefully redirect them so as to avert or mollify the evil.

Rousseau is the hero of those who are unwilling or unable to take responsibility for themselves, just as he himself was. His ideas made life for people around him a misery and have caused untold (though perhaps necessary) trouble in the world since they were first published.

They are also scientifically untenable.

Raise a child in the wild and you will end up with a wild animal.

Raise a child in society and you will end up with a socialized animal.

Question.


Why is this on the origins forum? Wouldn't a more suitable place be 'Psychology, Philosophy & Metaphysics' or something?

Originally posted by Astyanax
According to Christian doctrine, every human being is born guilty, carrying the burden of Original Sin.

Ha, kinda silly when you think about it, isn't it.

[edit on 11/11/2008 by Good Wolf]