Where did the concept of "Childhood Innocence" come from.

[Eukaryote]

To be frank, children arn't "innocent" of anything. I'm a 13 year old myself and know plenty of children younger than I and the same age. And there's no reason for the concept of "childhood innocence" to exist. In fact they are a bit selfish in genral compared to adults. Some people say it's because they no so little about sex or because they don't know many of the bad things about the world. What does that have to do with innocence? Where do you think this concept comes from and why it exists?

 

[skadistic]

Igronance is not innocence, Very true. I have no clue. This could be a good thread.

 

[{|}$~\]

To be frank, children arn't "innocent" of anything. I'm a 13 year old myself and know plenty of children younger than I and the same age. And there's no reason for the concept of "childhood innocence" to exist. In fact they are a bit selfish in genral compared to adults. Some people say it's because they no so little about sex or because they don't know many of the bad things about the world. What does that have to do with innocence? Where do you think this concept comes from and why it exists?

To be frank, children aren't "innocent" of anything. I'm a 13 year-old myself and know plenty of children younger than me and the same age, and there's no reason for the concept of "childhood innocence" to exist. In fact they are a bit selfish in general compared to adults. Some people say it's because they know so little about sex or because they don't know many of the bad things about the world. What does that have to do with innocence? Where do you think this concept comes from and why it exists?

Words change in meaning over time. For example, William Blake wrote two collections of poems, titled "Songs of Innocence" and "Songs of Experience". I think they mean "innocence" in that sense.

 

[bhsup]

Well, they are not guilty of any crimes yet (by and large), being small children, so yes they are innocent.

 

[Homie]

Yes, children are often more cruel than adults. Children have a mindset of only caring about themselves, and not about others. This is about maturity though. but the point remains that children are not innocent at all.

BUT really really young children, like toddlers, are unaware of their actions, they are innocent in the respect that they don't intentionally hurt others, whereas children and adults sometimes intentionally hurt others.

 

[Homie]

BTW, children sometimes hurt others (not necessarily physically) just because they enjoy seeing others get hurt, adults usually do not do this. Adults tend to do sometime selfish DESPITE it hurting others, but for the purpose of hurting others.

So in sense of innocense and cruelty;
Most innocent to most cruel:
1. Babies and toddlers
2. Adults
3. Teens
4. Children

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

The teachings of Christ.

 

[skadistic]

The teachings of Christ.

I'm preaty sure you can go back forther then the time of christ and get the same idealic notions.

 

[Chieftess]

I think it's more of the idealistic view of not having to worry about stresses that accompany adulthood.

 

[Gogf]

BTW, children sometimes hurt others (not necessarily physically) just because they enjoy seeing others get hurt, adults usually do not do this. Adults tend to do sometime selfish DESPITE it hurting others, but for the purpose of hurting others.

So in sense of innocense and cruelty;
Most innocent to most cruel:
1. Babies and toddlers
2. Adults
3. Teens
4. Children

Homeyg has hit the nail on the head. Teens and children are no more innocent in their thinking than adults; the concept it more of an extension of what people think about babies to those slightly older than babies.

I would also venture a guess that it's the product of people idolizing their past. "Back when I was young and innocent..."

 

[Neonanocyborgasm]

To be frank, children arn't "innocent" of anything. I'm a 13 year old myself and know plenty of children younger than I and the same age. And there's no reason for the concept of "childhood innocence" to exist. In fact they are a bit selfish in genral compared to adults. Some people say it's because they no so little about sex or because they don't know many of the bad things about the world. What does that have to do with innocence? Where do you think this concept comes from and why it exists?

This idea has been well investigated for some time.

Prior to about the 18th century, children were not believed to be innocent but were instead regarded as miniature adults who needed upbringing and discipline to mold them into proper functioning adults. If you look at depictions of children in art, they appear more as short adults than children. This attitude was attributed to Christianity, where it was thought that everyone had original sin, and so no one was truly innocent. However, the practice predates Christianity, who simply adopted it. You can see it in Roman and Greek attitudes, where children were thought of in even sexual terms, and where having sex with a child (usually slave) was considered a fantasy.

During the 18th century, the Enlightenment caught on. Many institutions and beliefs of old were challenged, and the upbringing of children was one of them. Children were thereafter regarded as having a blank slate, and therefore innocent. Rosseau's idea of the "noble savage", an uncivilized man who otherwise strove for good anyway, may have been one influence. The 19th century Romantics eventually cemented childhood innocence as a cultural phenomenon, presenting it as a fond nostalgia. You could see the depictions of children in art change within these periods, and see children depicted with truly childlike features and devoid of adult features, such as adult dress and sexual characteristics.

So you see, the notion of children being innocent is relatively recent, and by no means universal.

 

[Vietcong]

the worlds gone to hell
i know of 10 year olds haveing sex!! this is purely maddness!

 

[AL_DA_GREAT]

BTW, children sometimes hurt others (not necessarily physically) just because they enjoy seeing others get hurt, adults usually do not do this. Adults tend to do sometime selfish DESPITE it hurting others, but for the purpose of hurting others.

So in sense of innocense and cruelty;
Most innocent to most cruel:
1. Babies and toddlers
2. Adults
3. Teens
4. Children

I demand to be moved to the top of the list (I'm a teen). I think this entire child innocent thing comes from paranoid overly ambitious parents and the fact that it is hard for you to punish some one else's kid.

 

[Rossiya]

I think childhood innocence should only be applied to children upto about 11 years old. Because after that, kids start disrespecting everyone, thinking they are all hard, and then they all have sex before 16, etc. etc. Could you say that a 15 year old kid is innocent if he shoplifts, steals from people, smokes, drinks alcohol a lot, got (someone) pregnant etc etc?

 

[Verbose]

I think childhood innocence should only be applied to children upto about 11 years old. Because after that, kids start disrespecting everyone, thinking they are all hard, and then they all have sex before 16, etc. etc. Could you say that a 15 year old kid is innocent if he shoplifts, steals from people, smokes, drinks alcohol a lot, got (someone) pregnant etc etc?

Nope, but for most of human history a 15 year old has been considered an adult anyway.