Should a beginner start with one lens or a two-lens kit?

Your own taste and interests are going to lead you to your "final" lenses (No such thing exists, but at least you will eventually be at a state where you know what are your specific fields of interest, and will buy great glass accordingly). But, as you are starting, I suggest you explore in the next few years... buy and sell lenses according to the course you take, book you read and (most importantly) experience you gather. In the meantime, as a beginner (I was there about 5 years ago), there is some opinions/experiences I can share:

• The kit lens is a good starting point. If you close down a bit, it can be tack sharp, and the macro level can be decent (compared, for example, to a long prime). I separated from it quite quickly to go on a "cheap primes" trip... but looking at my early kit lenses pictures, they were not that bad.
• "Cheap" (read: not fast, like f4-5.6) tele zooms (ex: a 55-250mm) are good only outside, where there is a MASSIVE amount of light. So take one only if you want to start taking pictures of kids sports of make you first steps in bird photography. Image Quality and bokeh can be decent for these applications only.
• Primes are generally a good choice to start in photography, because you will take picture that are distinct from most telephones, and can explore what is going to be your specifics fields : Portrait, Macro, Landscape, Bird Photo, Astro photo, etc. There are prime lenses for every budget, and every need.
• Trying a lense before buying is a thing
• Renting is a thing
• AND buying used, especially for beginners/amateurs, is DEFINITELY a thing

If I had to start all over again, I would get only two lenses after the kit lens:

• A Normalish-Tele, fast (50 or 85 equivalent). This will give you bokeh, magnificient personal portraits and will work you focus.
• A 35mm-ish (a little wider than normal) equivalent, this will make you work on story telling, compostion, while being a adequate portrait, landscape and all-around (ex: vacation) lens.

If you are shooting Canon, that would be:

• A new 50 f1.8 stm EF (they are so cheap, even new), a used 85mm f1.8 or 100mm f2 (not macro). The latter is my personal favorite, but honestly, the 50mm is a better first-time choice.
• A 24mm f2.8 (if APS-C sized sensor), or 40mm 2.8 (if full frame). Sadly the Canon 35mm for full frame are REALLY expensive, so the EF-S 24 and 40 EF pancake lenses are better choices... also, they are the only two pancake lenses from Canon... super sharp, cheap, relatively fast and super light/small in a bag.

For Fuji, I would go for the 23mm (35 equiv) and/or 35mm (about 50 equiv).

I don't know enough about other manufacturers to comment on them.

If you are on a Canon APS-C, consider these next:

• Bird/Sports : A used, IS tele zoom, like a 70-300... just to see if you like it
• Indoors sports, landscape : 10-18mm. It's a fun, sharp, relatively cheap lens, but only for APS-C.
• Astro : A off-brand, wide and fast manual focus lens (ex: 14mm f2.8 or a 24mm)

Pricier (ex: Canon "L") lenses are great, but only worth it if you know what you love.