The (other) problem of evil

brightlights · Nov 28, 2013

Answer any number of the following questions:

Do people do evil things?
Do all people do evil things or only some people?
Why do people do evil things?
Is there any way to remove evil from society?
Would a society without evil be desirable?

Ana the Ist · Nov 28, 2013

brightlights said:
Answer any number of the following questions:

Do people do evil things?
Do all people do evil things or only some people?
Why do people do evil things?
Is there any way to remove evil from society?
Would a society without evil be desirable?

1. It's relative.
2. I'd guess all.
3. Why do people do good things? I'd guess the reasons are the same. They like the way it makes them feel. They enjoy doing them.
4. Eliminate choice.
5. It's relative.

brightlights · Nov 28, 2013

Thanks for the post. A few questions:

1. Relative to what?
2. If both good and evil bring pleasure, why do people do evil?

quatona · Nov 28, 2013

brightlights said:
Answer any number of the following questions:

Do people do evil things?
Do all people do evil things or only some people?
Why do people do evil things?
Is there any way to remove evil from society?
Would a society without evil be desirable?

Could you please define "evil", for purpose of these questions?

Paradoxum · Nov 28, 2013

brightlights said:
Answer any number of the following questions:

Do people do evil things?

Yes

Do all people do evil things or only some people?

Only some

Why do people do evil things?

Genetics, upbringing, life experiences, etc.

Is there any way to remove evil from society?

Better conditions and equality, education, skepticism/ critical thinking, compassionate and respectful values taught. I don't know if evil can be fully removed, but I think a better society is possible.

Would a society without evil be desirable?

Yes. If you disagree you can sign up to be the most tortured victim.

brightlights · Nov 28, 2013

quatona said:
Could you please define "evil", for purpose of these questions?

I will avoid doing this so that each person can answer according to their own definition of the word.

brightlights · Nov 28, 2013

Paradoxum how do you define evil?

quatona · Nov 28, 2013

brightlights said:
I will avoid doing this so that each person can answer according to their own definition of the word.

Well, you asked the question - you define the keyterms.
"Evil" is not in the vocabulary I actively use, so if you want to know what I think about your concepts I need to know them first.

Paradoxum · Nov 28, 2013

brightlights said:
Paradoxum how do you define evil?

Well, off the top of my head, an, or a near, absolute violation of someone (eg: murder, rape, torture, slavery). To give a basic definition.

brightlights · Nov 29, 2013

Paradoxum said:
Well, off the top of my head, an, or a near, absolute violation of someone (eg: murder, rape, torture, slavery). To give a basic definition.

What about lying? Or something more invisible like unjustified hatred?

Paradoxum · Nov 29, 2013

brightlights said:
What about lying? Or something more invisible like unjustified hatred?

I think lying can be moral, acceptable, or wrong, but to be honest I haven't thought about lying alot.

I'd probably classify lies different from violations of people, unless the lie is being used to manipulate someone into harm.

I don't know if unjustified hatred is immoral. I suppose if you care about being moral you should probably also want to have good character, as it will make you more inclined to be moral and enjoy it.

Received · Nov 29, 2013

Yeah, I gotta know what evil is for the sake of argument.

I've always distinguished it from "bad" in that this refers to whatever swerves in some way from the Good (ideal, telos), whereas "evil" refers to either bad character (maybe), or an act intentionally chosen that involves swerving from the good.

Eudaimonist · Nov 29, 2013

Received said:
Yeah, I gotta know what evil is for the sake of argument.

This^

eudaimonia,

Mark

Ana the Ist · Nov 29, 2013

brightlights said:
Thanks for the post. A few questions:

1. Relative to what?
2. If both good and evil bring pleasure, why do people do evil?

1. Relative to a person's sense of morality. Someone does something. You think it was evil. Someone else thinks it was good.

2. You really kind of answered your own question, didn't you? Someone likes the feeling they get when donating to the poor. Someone likes the feeling they get when stealing from the wealthy.

GrowingSmaller · Dec 1, 2013

I tink that people do evil due to the culture they live in mainly

Evil is a quality of a consequence which detracts from and denigrates the worth of conscious existence for soemeone, or something. Eg n the Koran "evil is the dwelling place of hell, recompence for what they earned". In hell one is in a flight from being, one would rather not be there.

I am not saying writing thankks to grandma, alhthough a chore for some, is evil though. I am talking about stuff in particular with little or no instrumental value in enhancing the qualit of conscious life for the person or whose in his "moral catchment area" or "sphere of influnece".

GrowingSmaller · Dec 5, 2013

OOps sorry to "kill" the thread. Please get back to life if you so desire. I promise not to play yama (lord of death in Buddhism) again, my mouth is not that big.

Received · Dec 5, 2013

That's a good definition for evil. How do you distinguish it from badness?

The (other) problem of evil

A sinner

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A sinner

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Liberty, Equality, Solidarity!

A sinner

A sinner

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Liberty, Equality, Solidarity!

A sinner

Liberty, Equality, Solidarity!

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I believe in life before death!

Aggressively serene!

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