Good & Evil - Are They Real?

It's the battle of the ages...

Here you will decide whether good & evil actually exist. Are they only constructs of the human mind or do they hold a substance all their own?

Wikipedia (aka God) has this to say:

In religion, ethics, and philosophy, the phrase, good and evil refers to the evaluation of objects, desires, and behaviors across a dualistic spectrum —wherein in one direction are those aspects which are morally positive, and the other are morally negative. The good is sometimes viewed as whatever entails reverence towards either life, continuity, happiness, or human flourishing, while evil is given to be the support for their opposites. Many religious and philosophical views will tend to agree that "good and evil" are abstract concepts and not absolutes. However, there is a general view that the terms are treated as if they were absolutes.

 

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My criteria for good and evil is based on this prayer.

Dear Lord,

Give me Courage, to change the things I can

Serenity, to accept the things I cannot change

And Wisdom, to know the difference.

That said, I would say that in society, good is defined as that which strengthens and improves the community and evil as that which weakens and destroys the community.

 

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???

Don't read the news much do you?

Wikipedia is garbage; an invalid source.

In any case, the answer to your question is: yes, good and evil are real.

You use the two words to describe behaviour and/or events.

 

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Based on prayer?! :shrug:

I know this prayer, it's based on personal experience. So do you suggest good & evil are concepts dependant on the individual?

So your idea of good or evil is whether it helps improve or maintain the community, that's interesting. What about Hitler? Wasn't he just helping to build and maintain a community?!

I don't wish to go that extreme however, let us assume you mean something that ONLY helps the community and has no negative impact around it.

 

Well since I have been selected...but really what's with selective individualization?

To answer the thread: Good and Bad are all relative, there is no ultimate good or ultimate bad action to be done. Evil and Good actions are just opposite steps in logical thinking in life, that affect society differently. Thus it is preferable to act good and abstain from evil, for two reasons: to protect the synchrony of society and protect the synchrony of oneself (since we are all part of the society and our souls are alike).

 

bingo

 

Interesting, Sam. But which "society"? Which "community"?

And since there's so very many of them, perhaps you could be more specific. For example, the Palestinian "community" and/or "society" thinks that killing all Israelis would help their "community" and/or "society". But that sure ain't too beneficial for the Israeli "community" and/or "society", is it?

Now what?

Baron Max

 

that is where illusionary good and evil is employed. There is no ultimate good or evil. The Israeli's and Palestinians must halt their arrogance towards each other, or else they are seen both as evil to the rest of the world.

THAT which is in majority/or holds most Power, in society is decisive.

 

This was my point to Baron, she's basing good & evil on the community, but what if they hate someone or a certain country? Would it still be good to follow along blindly?

 

Which society?

Baron Max

 

USA currently.

 

Who said it is based on anyone's opinion? Its the results from the action.

e.g. is shooting children good for Israeli society? Becoming immune to suffering ultimately rebounds by destroying one's own society. Similarly, is killing Israelis good for Palestinian society. Its pretty obvious that its not.

 

I declare I am bored... I also declare my comments are going to hell, somebody help!

 

there is no hell.

 

Whoops. I voted before I read the original post. Things are only good and evil in a context of some sort. Likely, good and evil only exist for humans and other animals that may exist which have a similar intelligence. When a lioness loses its young to a hyena, it doesn't see the hyena as evil. It may be something like evil. Some kind of emotion that lets it know that this hyena--this animal is something to be avoided and something its young needs to be protected from. But the hyena is certainly not evil to the lioness. Our hate and evil is much more complex. But I wonder what an organism of superhuman intelligence would think of good and evil. I am guessing for such an entity, there would be no such thing. It would likely only see things in terms of cause and effect.

 

But, Sam, those "results" can also be judge differently by different people and/or societies. And again, it comes down to judgements or opinions ....which are different for different "societies".

You try to make a point that killing someone is wrong, yet to the professional killer/murderer, killing is his livelihood. To the professional soldier at war, killing the enemy is most certainly not wrong (except perhaps for the enemy!).

See? It depends on the perspective and/or the context. And that depends on the "society" and/or "group" of people.

Golly, Sam, that's a cute little idealistic saying ....but does it have any basis in facts? Or did you just make it up on a spur of the moment?

Baron Max

 

Just look at societies that have survived the longest and see what principles work to strengthen society and what work to weaken it.

 

Good and evil are absolute. They are not relative. It is not based on what the community decides or what any idiot decides. Studying what is good and what is evil is no different from studying how something works. Such as the universe. The universe is made up of tiny particles. The way we view the universe is not how it actually is. It does not work like a machine. The entire universe is made up of probability as far as science understands. Information so to speak. Good and evil do not exist physically. They exist ideally. Either way, they exist.

 

I think there are some absolute goods and absolute evils.

 

But those principles might ONLY work for a "society" in exactly the same conditions as those of thousands of years ago. Times, and things, change, Sam, or haven't you noticed?

And besides, what might work for one group of people might not work for another, different group.

As you can see, Sam, your idea, your premise sucks.

Baron Max