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The topic of good and evil

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BravoWhiskey5280
Posts: 4020 - Karma: 520
Me and my teacher were debating on wether someone can be completly evil. I said that evil moments in ones life are caused by ones emotions in a certain sitituation. I dont necessairly believe that one can be completly evil, but then Hitler came to mind and that became debateable. So I guess the question is are we all good and being evil is a vague emotion?

PS- I thought Id actually create an intelligent thread in NSG for once.

Jan 5 2010 12:22AM
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Aenigma
Posts: 11256 - Karma: 424
This is pretty much the basis of every philosophical argument in existence, so there are a number of ways to take it. My really really short answer would be that nothing is absolute or objective, so pure good or evil is essentially unattainable--not to mention the terms themselves are entirely subjective and circumstantial.
Jan 5 2010 12:27AM
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squibble
Posts: 4569 - Karma: 104
no, because whos to decide whats good and whats evil, the lines are perfectly clear. i might punch a girl in the stomach, causing an abortion, but what if the baby would have killed the mother and had some mental disease where it becomes the worlds most renown baby killer
Jan 5 2010 12:28AM
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squibble
Posts: 4569 - Karma: 104
aren't *
Jan 5 2010 12:29AM
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SDrvpr
Posts: 851 - Karma: 649
i think you can be completely evil but it will take alot of emotional and stressful events to make you that way. for example serial killers.
Jan 5 2010 12:29AM
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*208*shill
Posts: 742 - Karma: 149
People are not born with the intention to be evil. The evil comes from who they become through the experiences they have growing up, and the way they start to think towards situations.
Jan 5 2010 12:30AM
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Number_9
Posts: 429 - Karma: 8
Exactly. Maybe without the whole 'Mental disease causing a child to become a renown baby killer'.
Jan 5 2010 12:30AM
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BravoWhiskey5280
Posts: 4020 - Karma: 520
Very true. Buts thats more of a question about fate, do are lives have a specific path way? Or are we controlled by free will?
Jan 5 2010 12:31AM
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*208*shill
Posts: 742 - Karma: 149
PS hitler was intending to do good to all tall white blonde non jewish german people so he wasnt completely evil.
Jan 5 2010 12:32AM
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BravoWhiskey5280
Posts: 4020 - Karma: 520
this is also true. He was essentially trying to create the perfect society by elimanting all other races, good or evil?
Jan 5 2010 12:35AM
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saucybiscuits
Posts: 2554 - Karma: 173
Hitler didnt think he was evil. he thought he was doing the right thing because thats what he was feeling at the time. you are right. i'm not defending him, just trying to interpret his motives.
Jan 5 2010 12:35AM
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OhMyBosh
Posts: 5056 - Karma: 171
morality is objective... you should learn this in philosophy 101. killing other people is simply not biologically correct... we evolved in a way that we have certain morals because those morals are what help us survive as a species... killing eachother/stealing etc. etc. goes against those morals and is detrimental to our species. (obviously there are some exceptions, like stealing from a rich guy to feed your starving family etc.)
Jan 5 2010 12:36AM
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Aenigma
Posts: 11256 - Karma: 424
So what you're saying is.....it's objective, except when it's subjective?
Jan 5 2010 12:41AM
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Franny
Posts: 3980 - Karma: 77
I think people are born evil and its about survival of the fittest. Take for example a child. People don't teach their kids to be evil and selfish yet, these traits are present in a child. Parents have to teach their kids to share and be nice to each other.
Jan 5 2010 12:41AM
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ferrinski86
Posts: 774 - Karma: 10
good or evil.

if you put 2 little kids 30 feet from each other in the middle of the field and you put a basket full of food in the middle of the two and let them be; tell me whats going to happen when one gets to the food before the other?

is the first child going to share his food with the one that has no food?
or
will he/ she keep it to themselves?

is a child evil for wanting to eat all of the food? maybe you could substitute the word evil for greedy?

I believe that we are born evil and have to be taught to be good. society teaches you morals, whats right and what wrong. but thats just my opinion.


Jan 5 2010 12:44AM
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DJohnson
Posts: 444 - Karma: 11
ya i had the same discusson the other day, i said people could be completely evil, Hitler? Osama? Al Queda? the list goes on..
Jan 5 2010 12:44AM
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squibble
Posts: 4569 - Karma: 104
are you by any chance an american?
Jan 5 2010 1:00AM
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shragler
Posts: 572 - Karma: 32
Is Obama evil?
Jan 5 2010 1:08AM
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BravoWhiskey5280
Posts: 4020 - Karma: 520
no your an idiot and this is coming from the mouth of a conservative.
Jan 5 2010 1:09AM
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*208*shill
Posts: 742 - Karma: 149
Good point but how can it be evil if they think it is good for them to survive. They would then think they are doing good for just themselves. But now as we have deeper thought we can analyze many things and separate good from bad so maybe ever since 5,000 b.c.e. people began deeper thought of organization and the separation between good and bad.

If there is a society of jut single people who survive with no rules no guidelines then maybe in our eyes they are commiting evil but in theres it is good because they dont know any better. just a thought
Jan 5 2010 1:26AM
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selkirks
Posts: 1978 - Karma: 59
My belief is that all humans are inherently evil. I could try to explain my points, but it would take several thousand words. Let's just say I've had similar debates stemming from Lord of the Flies by William Golding. Which is a simultaneously excellent and terrifying book. The basis of many of my arguments.
Jan 5 2010 1:47AM
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selkirks
Posts: 1978 - Karma: 59
Free will with inclination to do evil-- an idea called concupiscence. Again, a basis of many of my beliefs on this subject. Sorry for the double post.
Jan 5 2010 1:50AM
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KNUCKifyouBUCK
Posts: 1330 - Karma: 9
Everyone is inherently evil because no matter what you are always doing something with "self" in mind. Also society tells us not to act on your evil emotions. If there was no society we would all be a lot more fucked up.
Jan 5 2010 1:51AM
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selkirks
Posts: 1978 - Karma: 59
Sorry for the triple post. This was exactly what I was trying to say.
Jan 5 2010 1:53AM
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Franny
Posts: 3980 - Karma: 77
Evil is still evil. Of course the person committing evil will have a different preception of what is right and wrong to them but, that does not justify evil as good because they see it in that way.(if that makes sense)
Jan 5 2010 1:55AM
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M+M
Posts: 7935 - Karma: 25
is god is the three o's (all knowing, all good, and something else i forget sorry!) how is there evil in the world...dubbed the problem of evil
Jan 5 2010 9:27AM
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T-Holt
Posts: 5020 - Karma: 639
But is it evil to act with yourself in mind? I try hard to get a good grade on a test so I can get into a good college, is that evil?
Jan 5 2010 9:38AM
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