by the not infrequent attempts of one tribe to exterminate another on the grounds of biological (genetic) superiority" (10). One of the most frightening examples of genetic engineering was the attempt at Aryan domination of Europe in the Second World War. And with the types of technology we have today, it is highly possible that a tragedy such as this could repeat itself.
             It is obvious that the nature–nurture debate encompasses a wide range of fields based on the "intersection of neurobiology, psychology, philosophy, linguistics, and anthropology, and even include aspects of sociology, history, economics and politics" (16). This debate has always been a part of our society although the ideas continue to swing from the nature side to the nurture side of the argument, and then return again to nature. With each new period in history and each philosopher and psychologist, comes a new theory about nature and nurture. These are the ideas that will be examined and analyzed in this paper.
             One of the first philosophers who studied the nature-nurture debate was Plato. Plato's creation of the tripartite soul rests at the very center of this debate. "Can you tell me, Socrates, whether goodness (virtue, excellence) is a thing that is taught; or is it neither taught nor learned by practice, but comes to men by nature, or is some other way?" The tripartite soul was Plato's response to this question that he posed to Socrates concerning goodness and whether it is learned or passed on through nature. Plato's mind was divided into three sections- reason, desire and spirit. Reason includes the intellect, which Plato concluded could be nurtured through education and a solid upbringing in order to create a good person. Desire and spirit on the other hand, seemed independent of education and were innate characteristics of the soul that could not be modified through nurture.
             Like Plato, Freud also constructed a model of the mind...