Do You Believe People are Basically Evil?

[Taosman]

Can't we all just (drink a little less and) get along?

 

[mooktarr]

My mother in law is pure evil.

 

[shetuck]

Absolutely. I wouldn't interrupt his bball games. My computer is in a different room.

Doesn't the constant dribbling get annoying?

 

[muffler dragon]

I believe evil exists.

I believe that people are not "basically" nor "acidically" nor any other adverb type of evil.

 

[BayBuck]

Is "evil" a subjective term? Well yes, for humans, whose knowledge of metaphysical concepts is incomplete since we live in a physical world with the ability to rationalize and overanalyze acts and definitions. Does that necessarily mean there is not an objective evil that may exist (despite our inability or unwillingness to accept it)? Hell no.

 

[OCBucksFan]

 

[Buckeyeskickbuttocks]

Is "evil" a subjective term? Well yes, for humans, whose knowledge of metaphysical concepts is incomplete since we live in a physical world with the ability to rationalize and overanalyze acts and definitions. Does that necessarily mean there is not an objective evil that may exist (despite our inability or unwillingness to accept it)? Hell no.

Prove it.

This guy is a shoe cobbler:

His craft and people opinions/beliefs/faith aren't so very different. Even yours, believe it or not.

 

[jwinslow]

Excellent thread.

in the history of mankind there has never been an "evil" person. all people are essentially the same. some are simply less informed, sane, well adjusted, etc.. than others. even hitler honestly thought what he was doing was right.

Disagree with this statement. Many times people do what serves themselves best, not necessarily what they believe is right. Perhaps you'd argue they are doing what is 'right by them', but I think people turn their backs on their own values on occasion for a number of reasons.

 

[souL]

...a shoe cobbler...

What else might one be a cobbler of? He's certainly not a peach cobbler.

Seriously though... when you break a human down, I'm not sure they're any more or less good (or evil, as we're talking in this case) than any other animal. Most things we do in life, if not all, are for ourselves and nothing more.

Evil is definitely a man-created theory. Therefore, it's hard to judge exactly what "evil" is. Some would say the general apathy and self-imposed myopia of one generation when considering the next would be "evil." Some would say that statement is false. Some would consider me evil for no being a devout worshiper of Allah. I'd definitely have to agree that a clear, agreeable, and comprehensive definition of "evil" would have to be established before this could be more easily discussed.

 

[BayBuck]

Prove it.

You're asking me to prove that evil objectively may exist. The proof of such a possibility is precisely in its possibility. Just because you can relativize the entire notion of evil as a word and metaphysical conceit does not prove its impossibility.

 

[Taosman]

It's of interest to note that those who believe in evil in man seem to base their belief in Biblical reference. This is just an observation, not any indictment /judgement.

 

[OCBuckWife]

It's of interest to note that those who believe in evil in man seem to base their belief in Biblical reference. This is just an observation, not any indictment /judgement.

Well, looking at the items CCI pulled up and posted, the majority of those "definitions" depend on moral judgement. That's pretty much always been the milieu of religion to dictate in history. Values aren't the same and are more personally defined although generally closely connected. It doesn't have to be the Bible, it could also be the Koran, the Talmud, etc.

 

[martinss01]

Excellent thread.Disagree with this statement. Many times people do what serves themselves best, not necessarily what they believe is right. Perhaps you'd argue they are doing what is 'right by them', but I think people turn their backs on their own values on occasion for a number of reasons.

see, now your dancing on dangerous ground. first and foremost, there is no such thing as a selfless act. even giving to charity makes you feel better about yourself and therefor, gain.

have you ever chose the lesser of 2 evils? have you ever made a choice that comprimised your morality because it really was the right thing to do? or atleast, the less wrong? ever done the wrong thing for all the right reasons? or possibly the right thing for all the wrong reasons?

at the end of the day every decision you will ever make will be selfish on some level. everything you do will be with the expectation of gain. sometimes monetary, sometimes emotional, sometimes to put you in a better situation. but at some level there will always be an upside for "you". doesn't make you evil.

 

[FKAGobucks877]

Seems to me that we're kind of discussing two different things here...I mean, are we arguing over whether evil exists, or over what things are actually evil? Or is it subjective vs. objective? I'm confused.

I guess I would state that evil exists, mostly in subjective form, but I believe there are definitely examples of objective evil. BKB had several great posts in the past few pages, but seems to be more arguing over the intentions behind evil, or even the profit from it.

Here's my take: evil exists. The motivations behind commiting an act that is evil do not have to be evil, but that doesn't mean the act itself still isn't evil. How do you justify that Hitler's attempted genocide of an entire race is anything but evil? Because he had good intentions? Or because he was doing what he thought was right? Personally, I don't give a shit what his intentions were, or what his thought process was...those may be justifications, but more likely explanations of why he did what he did. But to me, the fact that he had good intentions in his own twisted mind do NOT change the fact that he committed actions which are evil. I find the argument that even these atrocious acts are only examples of "subjective" evil to be ludicrous. You can find somebody to justify pretty much any act or action, but I don't think this is even a case of "majority rules". Exterminating an entire human race is evil. But what if, for example, there is a new deadly disease that is carried by only one human race? If we then killed every individual of that race to stop the spread of the disease, would we be evil? The end may justify the means for some, and the motivations behind the genocide are arguably valid, but the act itself IS still evil, regardless of whether "we" (in this example) are.

 

[Mike80]

see, now your dancing on dangerous ground. first and foremost, there is no such thing as a selfless act. even giving to charity makes you feel better about yourself and therefor, gain.

I can think of about 3460+ selfless acts

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