The Concept of Good vs Evil
Abookamongstthemany
Posts: 8,209
I was just wondering how many people here believe in this concept. I personally don't believe in 'evil' forces or people. I believe everyone has their own set of priorities and their own unique perspective that they rationalize in their mind as being 'right'. I believe people can be going about things in the wrong manner or perhaps selfish manner but that doesn't mean these people are purposely spreading or thriving on evil.
Thoughts?
Thoughts?
If you want to tell people the truth, make them laugh, otherwise they'll kill you.
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
-Oscar Wilde
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
-Oscar Wilde
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So is any set of "priorities" more correct than another? If so, how do you determine that?
Me, personally...I believe in judging it by how your priorities negatively affect others. If you're actions are causing suffering then I believe you are doing the wrong thing.
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
-Oscar Wilde
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I agree. I believe Good and Evil are relative. it all depends upon where you are, relative to the Good or Evil you percieve.
Example: In the case of religions, "Good" is defined by the the Church based upon their specific texts. Most religions follow the basic concept of God is Good and Satan is Evil. It is how they apply these labels to others... usually outside of their religion... that defines themselves. This is why we get into these conflicts between religions. Both sides claim God is on their side, therefore, thay (and their causes) are seen as Good.
This doesn't automatically say the other side is Evil... more like, 'Not Good'. So, Religions offer salvation in the form of conversion. Convert or face the Wrath of God.
As for War. The other side is ALWAYS Evil. We see the Islamic Insurgents as Evil... and they see us as Satan. Both sides have their arguements which they use to justify their killings.
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Also. Is killing Evil? Murdering a little girl is considered to be, for the most part, Universally Evil. But, we can attach loopholes to it. If she was killed after dropping a grenade on soldiers from an upstairs window... she becomes an enemy combatant... so, it is okay to kill her, right?
Hail, Hail!!!
But it would all come back to how you personally see things. What some think bad, some would call evil. What some call evil, some would call wicked. And we can build a list from there.
But......if there were no angels, would there be any sin? You better stop him before he begins.......
I don't know how it's possible, but just the fact that a cult can exist as a phenomena seems to indicate the human mind can be highly susceptible to suggestive influences. Especially if the conditioning is perpetually reinforced and congratulated by those (considered to be) "in charge".
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg
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There is no such Good and Evil.
"Whether or not we have personality disturbances, whether or not we have the ability to overcome deficiencies of early environment, is like the answer to the question whether or not we shall be struck down by a dread disease: "it's all a matter of luck." It is important to keep this in mind, for people almost always forget it, with consequences in human intolerance and unnecessary suffering that are incalculable." -- John Hospers
I think there definitely is evil and good. The problem seems to come up with which standard you set an action to. If each person sets the standard according to what they want, there isn't evil b/c as you said it's justified as being right (to that person), even if it is what others would call a poor choice. I think that for someone to accept good and evil you have to accept a truth that is beyond you (in some fashion) and you have to define good and evil by that and not something within yourself. Only once you agree that there is something that is more important than yourself and something that is better than you can you establish a comparison and come to the conclusion that some action / thought / behavior is good or evil.
I would disagree with your last thought though. If someone is doing something selfishly. Let's say they want to get ahead and they throw someone under the bus, so to speak, to get ahead...is that not evil or wrong? I would contend they are thriving on and spreading evil, to some degree. B/c they are in essence saying they will do anything to succeed and others will see what happend and think they could do the same to get ahead.
I believe you can view someone's choices as wrong and thoughtless of others without having to believe evil forces are what's driving them.
What is evil to you exactly? Where does it come from?
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
-Oscar Wilde
-Enoch Powell
But... it is still relative.
A suicide bomber believes he is doing good... for his people... for his religion... for his god. We see him as evil.
Hail, Hail!!!
If someone's actions are viewed as wrong and thoughtless, what is the motivation for them to engage in those actions if it's not evil? Is it carelessness , selfishness? if it's either of those, what is the driving force behind being selfish . Take a leader who kills his subjects for personal gain...is it selfish? is it for power? What is the driving force to choose that said route to gain power or to gain something? I contend that it IS evil.
to me good and evil are defined by God. But I bet if you and I listed out what I consider evil and you consider wrong or misguided...the list would be fairly similar. So it may be a semantics issue as well. But I think evil is present and is a driving force that is manifested in selfishness etc...
Evil, to me, means guided by supernatural forces to purposely seek death, destruction and cause suffering. I just can't get behind that...we make this battle of good vs evil up in our own minds and then see it play out.
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
-Oscar Wilde
There is no cosmic good/evil. There is however things that are good/bad for us as human individuals.
i agree. if there's no judgment after death screw everyone and take all you can carry.
i didn't mean screw in a sexual content. the point is; without good and evil; it's all a matter of who's smarter. if i can avoid taxes; i'm a bit smarter than the next guy. if you have to take up that slack; i'm smarter yet.
ain't that the truth. my ex has comitted more felonies trying to get revenge than the average criminal. she's been convicted of most of them and is facing jail time for her latest attempt.
We humans have too much time on our hands. Waking up and having to find food, shelter, and clothing was not enough. We have to take the good with the bad, or the good with the evil if you will.
I dont think of evil as supernatural, it just is what it is. I know that sounds lame, but thats how I feel. Just like blue eyes. Some people have them, some dont. Some peoples brains are wired "evil", and some arent.
To me, it all comes down to brain chemistry.
Im high right now and cannot tell if that makes sense the way I wrote it. It did when I started typing it. Maybe tomorrow I will see it differently.
Yup.
The way I interpret it is that good is actions towards helping people, strengtening the good society between all people. And if those actions are prevalent, you get a good society where you help and get help. Whereas evil is shortsighted egoism, where the motivation is purely one own's interests. If those actions are prevalent, you get an alienated and distrustful society where you neither give nor receive help.
And that is my value judgement on the subject.
Peace
Dan
"Every judgment teeters on the brink of error. To claim absolute knowledge is to become monstrous. Knowledge is an unending adventure at the edge of uncertainty." - Frank Herbert, Dune, 1965
"To say that a man is sinful because he sins is to give an operational definition of sin. To say that he sins because he is sinful is to trace his behavior to a supposed inner trait. But whether or not a person engages in the kind of behavior called sinful depends upon circumstances which are not mentioned in either question. The sin assigned as an inner possession (the sin a person "knows") is to be found in a history of reinforcement." - B. F. Skinner
In this case your inner possession is BF Skinner.
all posts by ©gue_barium are protected under US copyright law and are not to be reproduced, exchanged or sold
except by express written permission of ©gue_barium, the author.
I think good and evil comes from a religious perspective only (or spiritual). Evil to me is something real, not an idea. For me, Satan would be responsible for the evil in the world.
If Satan does not exist, and if the other religions are wrong, than I would say that evil does not exist.
I think ethics would then come in to play to describe "good and evil." I believe there are universal truths. I do not believe that what is right for some may not be right for others. To judge it, we'd probably have to use some ethical framework like Rights, Justice, Utility, and Care.
but ethics change with time. 160 years ago it was ethical to own slaves. yesterdays "good" is todays' evil. yesterdays' "evil" is now good.