This blog post explores whether Albert Einstein’s genius was innate or the result of education and environment, examining the influence of both factors on human development.

Introduction

We may wonder whether Albert Einstein was truly a natural-born genius or if he became one through nurture and environment. It is certainly worth discussing whether his exceptional intelligence and creativity stemmed from genetic factors or were made possible by growing up in a specific educational and environmental setting. This naturally leads to the question: were his children also geniuses? Discussions about genius are always fascinating topics and serve as important starting points for exploring the origins of human talent and ability. In this context, the ‘nature versus nurture’ debate has long been at the center of philosophical and scientific discourse, and finding an answer is a highly complex problem.
If everything were genetically determined, the importance of human values like education, morality, and ethics would fade. Conversely, if everything is solely due to nurture, individual effort and responsibility would inevitably be disregarded. Precisely because it is difficult to assert that either nature or nurture is entirely correct, deeper discussion is necessary. In this blog, we will examine the perspectives of nurture theory and genetic determinism, emphasizing in particular the powerful influence nurture exerts on human behavior.

Human nature can be shaped by the educational environment (Nurture Theory)

First, let’s examine the importance of nurture through an anecdote from Plutarch’s Ethical Essays, a philosopher of the Greco-Roman era. “Lycurgus’s puppies were not of the same breed. One puppy inherited the blood of a guard dog, while the other inherited the blood of an excellent hunting dog. Lycurgus trained the inferior breed to be a hunting dog and the superior breed to be a guard dog. Later, observing them behave as they had been trained, Lycurgus declared this was the result of nurture, not heredity.”
In this quote, Plutarch argued that upbringing and training play a crucial role, regardless of bloodline. This concept can be applied to humans as well, suggesting that human nature can also be altered by the environment.
Plutarch’s argument was later reinforced by the ‘blank slate’ concept of the British empiricist philosopher John Locke. Locke viewed the human mind as a blank slate, filled only through experience. Through this concept, he advocated the theory of nurture, asserting that human character and behavior are shaped by upbringing. This nurture theory also influenced the work of American behaviorist psychologist John H. Watson. Watson, building on Russian physiologist Ivan Petrovich Pavlov’s theory of conditioned reflexes, believed human character could be altered through training. The theory of conditioned reflexes originated from experiments showing that if a bell is repeatedly rung while feeding a dog, the dog will eventually salivate at the sound of the bell alone. These theories all emphasize that nurture plays a significant role in shaping human behavior.
Furthermore, Austrian psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud also supported nurture theory, arguing that childhood experiences profoundly influence the human mind. Nurture theorists contend that if humans were entirely determined by genes, education would be meaningless. The findings of the Human Genome Project, revealing that humans possess only about 30,000 genes, further strengthened the argument that genes alone cannot explain human behavior. They interpret the small number of genes as evidence that environment and nurture play a more crucial role in human development.

Human character is innate (Genetic Determinism)

Conversely, proponents of genetic determinism support the position that human character and behavior are essentially innate. For example, American psychologist William James argued that the reason human behavior is more intelligent than that of animals is because humans possess more instincts.

Inspired by Charles Robert Darwin’s theory of evolution, he believed the human mind, like physical organs, evolved over time, with innate instincts playing a crucial role in this process.
Genetic determinism is also evident in the work of linguist Noam Chomsky. Chomsky argued that humans are born with language ability, and this capacity is genetically determined rather than learned through experience. He believed children’s ability to generate sentences they have never heard before stems precisely from this innate linguistic capacity. Thus, using human language ability as an example, Chomsky asserted that genetic factors determine crucial human characteristics.
Furthermore, genetic determinists support their claims through empirical research. For instance, evolutionary psychologist Steven Pinker, in his book The Blank Slate, pointed out that overestimating the influence of upbringing on human behavior is mistaken. He emphasized the importance of genetics by presenting research findings showing that identical twins raised in different environments are more similar in personality, intelligence, and habits than adopted children raised in the same environment.
Beyond such examples, various experiments and research findings exist that support genetic determinism. Notably, Brenda’s case serves as powerful evidence for genetic determinists. Dr. John William Money argued that the gender identity of a child who underwent sex reassignment surgery could be determined by upbringing, but the outcome was tragic. This incident remains a case that strongly supports the claim that human personality and identity are innate.

Conclusion

The nature versus nurture debate remains a difficult problem to resolve conclusively. Recent studies suggest that human personality and behavior are shaped by the interaction of these two factors, rather than being determined by one over the other. However, nurture still exerts a significant influence on humans, enabling their development. Brenda’s case demonstrates the negative outcomes that can result from upbringing that disregards nature. Therefore, we can say that balancing nurture and nature is a crucial element in human development. While considering nature, we must not overlook the fact that upbringing can play a significant role in determining human behavior.