Do you believe in "good" and "evil"?

[Pervertedneighbor]

I tend to think of good and evil as being terms of religious significance, therefore I do not believe in them.  I believe each person is responsible for his or her own life and actions without regard to some force.  Each person must decide if they are going to be good in their actions to others.  I don't care how many people you have beating you, indoctrinating you to think or be or act as certain way.  You own your self.

[ChirpingGirl]

My father is pure evil.

[_priapism]

In the religious context, good and evil are merely the presence or absence of the divine spirit in our lives.  It is a decision, meaning we create our own good and evil, by our decision to be in or away from God's spirit.

In the secular context, I think we have decided to enact codes and laws from ancient time to identify minimum standards of behavior, whether the Ten Commandments' "thou shalt not kill," or the Uniform Commercial Code's implied warranties of suitability and fitness for a particular purpose.  So lawbreakers are viewed as "evil," and law keepers are viewed as "good."

So getting back to the original point.  I do not think there is an immutable "good" or "evil" floating out there in space.  I think "good" and "evil" are what we define it as a society, and as individuals.  Like Roy Moore, evil motherfucker.

[IdleBoast]

So getting back to the original point.  I do not think there is an immutable "good" or "evil" floating out there in space.  I think "good" and "evil" are what we define it as a society, and as individuals. 

Yup.

Good and evil are real, but measured against an entirely subjective code.

[MissBarbara]

So getting back to the original point.  I do not think there is an immutable "good" or "evil" floating out there in space.  I think "good" and "evil" are what we define it as a society, and as individuals. 

Yup.

Good and evil are real, but measured against an entirely subjective code.

I think that's a perfect way of putting it.

It's hard NOT to resort to these words, especially evil. I mean, I suppose one could come up with a more apt description, incorporating the language of aberrant psychology, to define someone like Hitler. And perhaps we should make more of an effort to do so.

At the same time, a question I've never been able to fully wrap my mind around is: Are people intrinsically evil? Are they born that way, or are they formed that way in their adolescence? Is it simply a manifestation of a psychological condition that's in their DNA?

I think this is the most difficult aspect of discussing/understanding this topic. I think, for most people, believing people to be "evil" is more psychologically satisfying than having to drill down to understand causes.

[JulesVern]

So getting back to the original point.  I do not think there is an immutable "good" or "evil" floating out there in space.  I think "good" and "evil" are what we define it as a society, and as individuals. 

Yup.

Good and evil are real, but measured against an entirely subjective code.

I think that's a perfect way of putting it.

It's hard NOT to resort to these words, especially evil. I mean, I suppose one could come up with a more apt description, incorporating the language of aberrant psychology, to define someone like Hitler. And perhaps we should make more of an effort to do so.

At the same time, a question I've never been able to fully wrap my mind around is: Are people intrinsically evil? Are they born that way, or are they formed that way in their adolescence? Is it simply a manifestation of a psychological condition that's in their DNA?

I think this is the most difficult aspect of discussing/understanding this topic. I think, for most people, believing people to be "evil" is more psychologically satisfying than having to drill down to understand causes.

I don't believe that anyone is intrinsically good or evil. Now, if you believe that things like depression or psychosis can have a genetic basis, then certainly you can believe that some people may be more likely to commit acts that most others would call evil. I would say I am one who believes that. That does not make the person intrinsically evil. I would add that I do believe that environmental factors also have a big influence, and yes, that includes a person's upbringing, etc...