are humans good or evil by nature?

are humans good kind caring beings soly out to help one another?

or are they nasty evil beggers going around stealing, raping, killing, and doing whatever it takes to save there own ass?

does it very that much from person to person?
does how you are raised really affect it much?

 

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good and evil are social constructs.

 

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It has been a debate for who knows how long between Are childern born as a clean slate or is good and evil built into them...there are arguments and defenses for both.

 

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Selfserving but not necessarily evil. At times helping others indirectly helps yourself.

 

If it really was just one or the other wouldn't we be living in either utopia or hell-on-earth?

 

Lets define terms first. What do you consider good? What do you consider evil? This, actually, makes a big difference.

To me, evil is something that is destructive in the longrun, to the individual or to the society as a whole. Good is something that is constructive.
Humans aren't evil; some are stupid, and all vices stem from that.

 

I have only just seen this thread and not, as yet, read all the replies but my philosophy is this:

that the human is basically gripped by greed. What the human does not have it wants. The human being is also gripped by self righteousness - I AM WHAT MATTERS - I AM RIGHT. I do try to see two sides to anything but that is basically what the human being is like.

Reminds me of the line from the Star Trek spoof song of a few years back: "We come in peace, shoot to kill"

 

I believe the human creature is innately good. We have not yet evolved into the totally altruistic being that we are intended to be. However, we are still in the process of evolution. You might say that we are in the last 'day' of creation. The human race has always been the vessel on Earth for the Spirit of God (or Allah). We have been instinctly given the thoughts and ideas that have brought us from cavemen to the 21st century--or those thoughts and ideas were always in our brains, we just had to recognize them. This is proof, I believe, that the Human Being is good; otherwise, we'd still be cavepersons foraging for our food on the savanna. At this point, we are nowhere near complete--but we have made great progress. We are still attaining the state of 'heaven,' or a more perfect existence. To me, 'heaven' will be when the human race has evolved by blending all the races into one color, and male and female into one being. When this time comes, our evolution will be complete. We will then be truly made in God's image, and we will then live back in the Garden (figuratively, the whole Earth), where there will be no need. This will be paradise.

 

Re: Re: are humans good or evil by nature?

According to those who believe. For those of us who do not, we are a vessel, agreed, but a vessel for the mind/soul - call it what you will.

Although athiest, I do think there is something after this but not of a religious heaven/hell basis.

 

Re: Re: Re: are humans good or evil by nature?

I agree with you. It won't be a 'religious' type place. I meant it more in a 'utopian' sense.

 

Greed can be good. You just have to be greedy for the right things. Instead of lusting for immediate pleasure one should focus on the survival of one's genetic line. Make the world a better place for ones offspring and insure their survival.

Go Darwin.

 

Agreed Clockwood! I fear for the future; and for the next generation....

 

Ah another language trick !!!
remember "THE MEANING OF LIFE" ,compared to what ??... The question doesnt exist.
All these manipulation of language questions give me the shits.

I hate Freud .

 

When children are first born and experiencing the world, isn't all they care about is receiving what they want? Babies cry because they don't get attention or the control over the world like they want. Imagine if we let a child grow up in an environment such that this child never learned other wise. Release this 'child' when he or she is 18. All he or she knows is "I will get what I want." This is the same attitude held by those like Bin Laden, Hitler, Napolean, ect.

I am not calling this behavior evil, but it all goes to "how does one define good and evil?" I could argue that, for example, the terrorists are the good people in the world and "everyone else" is the bad group. Think about it, both sides believe they are "good" and the other side is "evil." If you are an open minded individual, you will think before you reply and understand.

"Good" day everyone

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James Sibley

 

Humans, like all other living things, are innately incredibly selfish. This is a good thing. Without it, life would not proliferate.

Altruism and such are widely overvalued. True altruism itself does not even exist. Whatever somebody consciously decides to do, they do because it conformes to their valuations. The throwing of yourself on a grenade is ultimately a selfish act.

What I mean to say is...forget good and evil. Humans are selfish. Which is good.

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intentionally good .un-intentionally evil

 

Yeah that. Relativity is a bitch.

 

No such thing as good and evil,more a case of insane or desperate.

 

Good point! However what's to say we aren't??!

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If each of us is born either good or bad, then none of us would know the difference if we were living in either of these conditions (however reason negates this argument), i.e. if we are all born evil, we wouldn't notice if we were living in hell (however, as I have said, the fact that we have a built in objectivity means we can know how far from these two we are).

 

Hmm..I wonder, did good or bad exist before the concept of religion was created ?