Human Nature

I know we are going to continue this discussion in class another day, but I though I'd post this so that people who can't make it to class either today or next week could join the discussion and also so that we could discuss it without all the sidetracking and the loudness (if you were in class you know what I mean :) ) So here you go.

Does human nature exist? If so what is it? Is there a difference between human nature and instinct? How can you prove the existence or non-existence of human nature?

Well there you go: DISCUSS :)

Freedom of Speech

Consider this scenario: Someone creates a website where he posts how to make a homemade bomb and encourages people to use those bombs. Two weeks later a completely different person with no relation whatsoever to the creator of the website blows up a building. He is arrested, but what about the person who made the website? Should he be held responsible for this bombing? Should he have not been allowed to post this, what about freedom of speech? Now consider this scenario: Someone writes a wilderness survival guide and includes directions to make a homemade knife. A criminal uses this guide to create a knife and then stabs someone with it. Is the creator of the guide responsible for the stabbing? Should he still be allowed to write survival guides?

So should we have laws stopping people from writing instructions on how to make and use weapons? And if so at what point does that become a violation of our rights?