AP English Question?

Question

Interpret this quote: "Is man nature evil and it is scoeity which ennobles him or is man by nature good and it is society which corrupts him"

Answer 1

The question is whether man is by nature good or bad.

Some people act in a good manner, others bad.

So, if people are by nature bad (self-centered, aggressive), and many people act in a good manner, is it society (or the requirements of being social) that make them so?

And if people are born good (innocent, altruistic), is it the matter of having to deal with other people that makes them act in an evil manner?

It's like asking whether a zebra is a white horse with black stripes or a black horse with white stripes.  The result is the same, the root cause different.

I don't have any answer to the question.