Date of Award
1933
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
BA of Education
Keywords
Heredity, Environment, Nature vs. Nurture, Child Development, Habit Formation, Adolescence, Instinct, Socialization, Kindergarten Education, Educational Psychology
Abstract
This thesis, submitted to Xavier University in partial fulfillment of requirements for a Bachelor of Arts in Education degree in 1932, examines the relative importance of heredity and environment in shaping human development across the life course. Drawing on educational psychology literature by Starch, Thorndike, Averial, James, Horne, and Dom Thomas Verner Moore, the thesis surveys competing theoretical positions on whether inherited traits or external conditions constitute the greater force in determining individual character, intelligence, and social behavior. The central argument of the thesis holds that heredity and environment are mutually dependent and cannot be meaningfully separated: instincts provide the raw material of human behavior, while education and social environment shape, modify, and redirect those instincts across the stages of childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Special attention is given to the role of the kindergarten and primary school as socializing environments, and to the teacher's responsibility in cultivating habit, character, and loyalty in children during their most formative years. The thesis concludes that education represents the highest form of environmental influence, enabling individuals to transcend inherited limitations and adapt more fully to the demands of social life.
Note: No original abstract was included; this abstract is provided by the XULA Digital Commons editors
Recommended Citation
Smith, Octave Peter, "The Reign of Terror was a Natural Consequence of Preceding Incidents" (1933). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 129.
https://digitalcommons.xula.edu/etd/129