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originally posted by: elysiumfire
LesMisanthrope:
There is a whole host of things that make it evil.
By what criteria are the 'host of things' defined as evil? I can agree they are evil in a humanistic sense, but not in a metaphysical one. We ourselves can determine that such and such an act, or such and such a thought is evil, but evil only by the imposition of our mind and thinking. We determine if a thing is evil or not. It has no independent existential objectivity outside of our own moral relativism.
originally posted by: introvert
originally posted by: LesMisanthrope
originally posted by: introvert
originally posted by: LesMisanthrope
originally posted by: introvert
originally posted by: DBCowboy
originally posted by: introvert
originally posted by: DBCowboy
originally posted by: introvert
originally posted by: DBCowboy
a reply to: introvert
I think that there are truly evil/bad/wrong people.
Not everyone can be as wonderful as me.
See.
See how easily people can justify their beliefs in their own mind?
Good and evil are subjective.
True.
Any one of us posting can be an evil psychopath.
How do we determine who isn't?
How can you determine who is good or evil when we cannot even provide an universally-accepted definition of evil?
Maybe that's part of what's wrong in our culture.
No one can agree what is evil.
And we shouldn't agree. "Evil" doesn't mean anything in regards to right or wrong, or even the law.
Evil is a religious and emotional term that has no place in a logical or rational discussion.
Evil works better as an adjective rather than a noun. It isn’t a person place or thing and it is a mistake to even frame the discussion around the word as such. Rather, “what is evil” has been defined by tradition and custom, the collective wisdom of generations, which in democratic societies means through a process of trial and error.
What’s irrational and illogical and subjective is to dismiss it based on a whim.
It’s not subjective. A subjective view of evil would entail calling it meaningless and dismissing it outright.
The word "evil" means nothing in regards to reality.
Can you state any law in which the level of evil can be measured and applied to the act a person committed?
No I cannot, and I’m not sure why I would have to. If laws dictate your sense of evil, I have to wonder how you’d behave if the laws were to disappear tomorrow.
I have no "sense of evil", as it is a subjective term and no basis in reality.
Laws could disappear tomorrow and things would remain the same.
"Evil" is a religious and emotional term, as well.
No, I wouldn't say it is metaphysical, more likely biological and evolutionary, but in the sense it has been deemed tried and true by generations, and placed against the grindstone of free inquiry and speech, it has proven to be an adequate adjective to describe certain behaviours.
originally posted by: Deaf Alien
originally posted by: knowledgehunter0986
a reply to: Deaf Alien
I think the problem is determining what is considered evil. Morals in general are highly subjective.
That's the contention, isn't it? It all seems relative. And we do not truly know what "evil" is, if it even exists.
I hate to break it to you all, but there are bad, evil people in this world. They want too hurt, kill,, maim, cheat, steal, lie.
originally posted by: LesMisanthrope
a reply to: DBCowboy
The relativists have made it so that we do not know what is good and evil anymore.
originally posted by: ausername
Sometimes good people do bad things because they've been made to believe they have no other choice.
Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction...
originally posted by: DanteGaland
Brown guy? "Deport them ALL!!!"
Black guy? "It's this gang culture! We need LAW and ORDER!"
White guy? "Well SOMETIMES people are crazy. Let's not jump to conclusions..."
Every.
Single.
TIME.
originally posted by: DBCowboy
a reply to: Metallicus
Sometimes Deaf Alien has his moments of brilliance.
originally posted by: LesMisanthrope
a reply to: Hazardous1408
I believe in free thought. I believe one can be a psychopath, can think the most evil of thoughts, can say the most vile and disgusting things, and so long as he refuses to act on his thoughts and impulses and words—behaves good—he can be good.
originally posted by: introvert
a reply to: DBCowboy
Bad people do bad things. That is for sure. But I'm not one that gets in to that "good vs evil" mumbo jumbo.
I remember a speech William Cooper once gave in which he says, in a nutshell, that it is wrong to label people as "evil" because it does not precipitate a reasonable, logical discussion on these sorts of issues.
Bad people can often see in their minds as their actions being reasonably justified. They rationalize what they are doing or what they are about to do as being the right thing to do to cure a perceived problem or injustice.
The ends justify the means.
originally posted by: Bone75
originally posted by: DBCowboy
Ok.
I'm all ears.
Give me your solutions.
Lay it on me.
AMERICAN Communism.
Stop fighting each other and start fighting those whose keep us divided and slaving our lives away.