Are humans inherently evil?

[AtTheGates91]

Im to lazy to check the 5 pages of posts and see if this idea was already posted so I'll just say what I think.

What is it to be evil? Moral standards are set by religion. So to say "are humans evil" is an odd question i think. If you want to ask if humans are evil than look at religion which is where the question gets its roots. In all religions there is law, atleast I'm sure, and see if you've broken any of their laws even once. If you have, which we all have, than we are not perfect, we are evil.

I may be wrong, if you disagree than say why

 

[Vimana]

The concept of evil is independent from religion. Being evil and not following the rules of a religion are completely different things. That is basically saying that people who have sex without being married are evil.

 

[PhantoMPhones]

Hardcore... those are pretty tainted views of religion.

 

[AtTheGates91]

The concept of evil is independent from religion. Being evil and not following the rules of a religion are completely different things. That is basically saying that people who have sex without being married are evil.

this comes from christianity:
look at christianity, adam and eve sinned once and received all these terrible things and needed God to send Jesus so they could go to heaven. No evil in heaven i guess.

So yes, according to christianity, people who have sex without being married are evil and their viewpoints are that they are forgiven from sin but still do "evil" things etc.

Evil, i beleive, is not independent from religion, they co-exist. Not following the rules, in christianity, is evil. Almost all of our political laws even come from the bible like "no stealing" and "no murder". What is evil if it doesn't come from religion? Thats what I'd like to know.

 

[razoredge]

We did cover this way back in other pages, though most couldnt seem to get the point. If you want to know what evil is without the presence of the current trend of biblical fears, come place your hand on my anvil and let me bash it with my ballpeen hammer, then perhaps you will be able to understand evil, exempt of any religious fears. Its all really as simple as common sense and does not revolve around the ancient books, man has evolved in his treatment of others and many of the things talked about in the ancient books were ideas that came to man as his thought process evolved... now we are a few thousand years and far advanced beyond that.

 

[Vimana]

Evil, i beleive, is not independent from religion, they co-exist. Not following the rules, in christianity, is evil. Almost all of our political laws even come from the bible like "no stealing" and "no murder". What is evil if it doesn't come from religion? Thats what I'd like to know.

Not really. The United States is a country built on religious freedom. The laws there and in most of the world are built on a basic sense of right and wrong.

 

[Ultimate_Symphony]

What is it to be evil?

According to my criteria, being evil is the act of doing unnecessary harm to others.

you want to know what evil is without the presence of the current trend of biblical fears, come place your hand on my anvil and let me bash it with my ballpeen hammer, then perhaps you will be able to understand evil, exempt of any religious fears. Its all really as simple as common sense and does not revolve around the ancient books, man has evolved in his treatment of others and many of the things talked about in the ancient books were ideas that came to man as his thought process evolved... now we are a few thousand years and far advanced beyond that.

That's a nice way to put it .

 

[Blowtus]

According to my criteria, being evil is the act of doing unnecessary harm to others.

So when you hop in a car and throw a few pollutants out the exhaust, that contribute to the degradation of everyones air quality - are you being evil? Or is it 'necessary' each and every time you hop in a car?

 

[Liverslapper]

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.

Anger, hate is all a natural human emotion. Of course we are going to despise this or, not be happy with that. It's irrelevant. If someone wants to kill or steal bad enough, they will it regardless of the law.

 

[Ultimate_Symphony]

So when you hop in a car and throw a few pollutants out the exhaust, that contribute to the degradation of everyones air quality - are you being evil? Or is it 'necessary' each and every time you hop in a car?

No, you're not directly harming others. Though that raises the question, if you harm your surroundings by the use of technology, are you being evil?

 

[Blowtus]

At what point would you consider it 'direct' harm? If your car sprayed nerve gas out its exhaust, would it still not be 'direct' harm?

 

[Ultimate_Symphony]

At what point would you consider it 'direct' harm? If your car sprayed nerve gas out its exhaust, would it still not be 'direct' harm?

What car sprays out nerve gas? If you had a car that purposely sprayed out nerve gas, then it means you had the intention of killing someone. I believe that goes without saying.

 

[Blowtus]

Supppose the nerve gas is just for killing bears or something, and humans just happen to cop it unintentionally?

The point of examples not currently occurring in the world is to find out where you draw your arbitrary line in the sand. Not suggesting there is anything wrong with arbitrary lines as such, but I do think it's important to recognise they exist
Notions of 'evil' seem difficult to accept to me, once the lines in the sand are noticed. I much prefer Nietzsche's 'good and bad'

 

[Ultimate_Symphony]

Supppose the nerve gas is just for killing bears or something, and humans just happen to cop it unintentionally?

The point of examples not currently occurring in the world is to find out where you draw your arbitrary line in the sand. Not suggesting there is anything wrong with arbitrary lines as such, but I do think it's important to recognise they exist
Notions of 'evil' seem difficult to accept to me, once the lines in the sand are noticed. I much prefer Nietzsche's 'good and bad'

Now I caught your drift. Where I draw the line is where your motivations lies. If the nerve gas is sprayed with the purpose of killing someone (or something) just for the sake of it, then that would be evil.

One thing is the need to kill just to survive (like predator's do). Another thing would be just to harm (or kill) just for the sake of it, having the morbid desire of harming others just for the sake of self pleasure. That action would make the person evil.

 

[Einherjar86]

The concept of evil is independent from religion. Being evil and not following the rules of a religion are completely different things. That is basically saying that people who have sex without being married are evil.

Well, morality only developed because people began wondering whether or not there was some kind of omniscient power greater than us, governing all things. At some point in our development came the thought of whether or not we're going to be punished for our actions. If you believe that, then it stands to reason that you believe in some kind of objective moral standard. However, someone who doesn't believe in any higher power may be less inclined to adopt objective moral standards. Morality does have ties with religion/spirituality; but in our current age more people are trying to establish universal morality without the influence of religion. People still want to believe in right and wrong, but they don't necessarily want to be religious.

 

[Blowtus]

Well, morality only developed because people began wondering whether or not there was some kind of omniscient power greater than us, governing all things. At some point in our development came the thought of whether or not we're going to be punished for our actions.

Pretty big call on morality's development there, imho. I'd be more comfortable with suggesting that's where the idea of evil came from, but morality is pretty general... I can well imagine semi monkey tribes having a basic code of conduct...

 

[Einherjar86]

Morality deals inherently with good and evil. Morality can be directly tied to spirituality. The only reason people ever questioned their actions is because eventually we began pondering the possibility that we might be punished for those actions in a second life/afterlife. The only way we can possibly be punished is if there is a fundamental, universal order governing everything.

 

[Blowtus]

Would you then suggest that virtue ethics is not a form of morality, or that it is linked to religion?

 

[Richard Mongler]

Morality deals inherently with good and evil. Morality can be directly tied to spirituality. The only reason people ever questioned their actions is because eventually we began pondering the possibility that we might be punished for those actions in a second life/afterlife. The only way we can possibly be punished is if there is a fundamental, universal order governing everything.

I agree with that a bit.

I also like to think of life as cultivating energy of sorts.

We can harness that which brings harm to ourselves and to others, and exert it through art and mediums, and in return we do not have to act out by harming others physically or intentionally.

That isn't to say that what we create does not effect others. I believe that a lot in the world effects us subconsciously, even if we don't believe it.

 

[Richard Mongler]

Would you then suggest that virtue ethics is not a form of morality, or that it is linked to religion?

Good and bad are thought to be in terms of what brings us happiness and what brings others happiness, without harming others. Bad things are which cause us emotional distress, good things are what cause us to feel good, without having to harm others in the process.

If I stub my toe, and I feel the pain. We consider it bad.

If you plant a flower, watch it grow and turn into something beautiful then that's good. Giving someone a hug, considered good, etc.