Wk 4 Discussion, Question 2

I do believe in the rationality, perfectibility, and mutability premises but only to a certain extent. I don't believe in each of them fully. With the rationality premise I do think that most people are capable of discovering the truth through logical analysis but not all people exercise this capability as often as they should or even at all. When it comes to the perfectibility premise I believe that not all people are born in sin but some are and everyone is capable of achieving goodness through effort and control. Lastly when it comes to the mutability premise I agree that human behavior is shaped by environmental factors but I don't agree that the way to improve human is to improve their physical and psychological circumstances. You can see someone who grows up in a nice home with both their parents teaching them right from wrong and get a good education and that person can still turn out to do the wrong things.

An example of the social institutions and practices that are based on the rationality premise is the court systems. The random process of jury selection shows that people are being trusted to make a rational, non biased decision based on hard evidence. People who serve on a jury are expected to make a decision about someones fate by going through a logical analysis of the facts and they are expected to make a good decision.

An example of the social institutions and practices that are based on the perfectibility premise is the rehab programs. Many people, but not all, who are addicted to drugs start because they are born in a bad neighborhood, in a bad family, or hang out with people that they shouldn't hang out with. Some people get to a point where they want help and they want to start a better life for themselves. Rehab programs help these people achieve their goals and achieve goodness in their lives.

An example of the social institutions and practices that are based on the mutability premise are child protective services. Children who grow up in a hostile environment where they are neglected, abused or even observe domestic abuse going on are likely to have a difficult life because they don't know what a loving home is like. Child protective services help give children better lives by taking them away from their current physical environment and finding them a new one that will give them a better chance of succeeding in life. This doesn't always help children but the majority of the time it does.