Are humans inherently evil?

[Kasz]

Simple question, are we?

I believe so. I make it no secret I despise many people in my life and people within my family, I would do something about it. Don't we all agree if if there were no laws or moral codes in this world, chaos will ensue because we as humans are incapable of good if there are no laws in place. Come on, if there were no laws in this world, would you steal a car or kill somebody you hate so much, commit some hate crimes maybe?

You just know someone would.

 

[I-TEND-TO-DIE]

yeah I think so too. There's something "evil" inside us all but
we often don't dare to make true what we say in a situation you wished you could kill someone..
I think it depends very on which Character you are.
Iam a very introverted person so even there's sometimes a lot of anger inside I'd never really be able to kill or rape someone..
well it's a psychological question..........

 

[Einherjar86]

I'm not sure. What is evil?

 

[razoredge]

No, I believe evil is the wrong choice of a word. Selfish would be more appropriate. Then we all have varying degress of it or different priorities. So where one person may call another selfish for a particular reason, that person may also be able to see selfishness in the name caller.

Acts of stealing, murder or rape all elvolve around selfishness, in some case of murder it could be the selfish one that gets there dues.

But as for all people wishing to do deviant things to other people, No, not all people are like that but there is no shortage of people that are. Its all about different priorities, different personalities.

 

[Vimana]

^ Exactly what I was going to say. Sometimes ones needs for themself outweigh other's needs.

Like if a disabled man couldn't open a door and a man just went by fast and didn't hold it open for them. The man who didn't hold the door could've been in a hurry, an example of their needs outweighing the needs of others.

 

[I-TEND-TO-DIE]

so Killing and Rape is not "Evil" ??

 

[viewerfromnihil]

it's not evil unless you think it is and it's not rape if you yell "SUPRISE!!!"

 

[Einherjar86]

When invading armies/tribes pillage a neighboring village or city and proceed to rape the women of that city, they often believed themselves to be entitled to do so. I don't agree with such actions, but different ideologies and world beliefs support different views on these matters. It's unfair to call things like rape and murder "evil" just because we view them as culturally inacceptable.

 

[razoredge]

Myself einherjar, I would call that mob mentality which indicates lack of independent thought or any thought at all. It also shows an extreme of selfishness. Naturally the beneficiary would claim entitlement, its the oldest excuse known to man, however I dont believe the reciever of such an act as rape would consider it a mutual agreement. thereby it could very easily be considered the premise on which evil is based. As for war times, obviously casualities of a battle can not be considered murder, but anything after the war could be. I would have to say that most likely, if "rape and pillage" could be chased all the way back to its rootes, one would find its all been a matter of vengence since, combined with the selfish thing.

 

[Fenrisúlfr]

It all depends upon the point of view i.e. one's definitions of 'good' and 'evil'.

We all ultimately act in our own self interest (except in a few rare cases), so methinks the reason we do not steal automobiles and so forth is simply because we fear getting caught. That is also why some people get careless with tax shelters, but I digress.

 

[Vimana]

My definition of evil is unnecessary negative action towards other beings.

 

[Blowtus]

Can you then define unnecessary?

'Evil' is just a relatively useless descriptive tool. If it is used to describe everyone, it becomes entirely useless.

 

[Vimana]

Like not needing to do something. Like someone who would make fun of something when they never intentionally did anything bad to them.

 

[Blowtus]

Why is that more unnecessary than say... giving to the poor, or being a nice person?

 

[Vimana]

Because being nice can benefit you, and giving to the poor would help them.

 

[Carey]

"homo homini lupus est" - Tomas Gobbs (Leviaphan)
Try to read Nikolo Makiavely "Sovereign". Classics always give straight direction to certan answers
A simple question in order to get a simple answer:
Do you lock your flat/house door when you go sleep or out?
here you go.

 

[Blowtus]

Because being nice can benefit you, and giving to the poor would help them.

Being malicious is of benefit if one wishes to be malicious

 

[razoredge]

The parameters of great philosophy is "to not get it" ?

I understnad what F&F is trying to say here without any confusion, he's talking about mutually beneficial interchange. The example he gives is on the minor end of the extreme, however continued hazing of an individual is a damn good way to unleash some serious evil in the form of vengence. Thus why rational, deductive people begin to understand the do unto others thing at some point early in their life. Those that dont are only protected by laws that do not allow humans to "take the law into their own hands"... which is where the system fails. We could clean the place up relatively quickly with a return to "fuck with me and I'll fuck you up" justice. But laws and money protect the weak.

 

[ivry91]

it's not evil unless you think it is and it's not rape if you yell "SUPRISE!!!"

3000 years back it was not evil at all.

 

[Winter.]

3000 years back it was not evil at all.

Rape will always be evil in my eyes.