Human beings - Good or Evil?

Do u think human beings are naturally good or evil?

 

I see humans as naturally evil. Not like Satan evil, but evil in the meaning that our society gives it today. Good examples are everywhere, and the most common one is how people will hesitate in a situation that requires sacrifice for others that they do not have a close relationship with. If your walking down the street carrying stuff, and someone else drops their stuff, you would have to think about bending down and inconveniencing yourself to help a random human. the right thing to do is help, but our mind naturally would rather just continue on our way. does this make sense?

 

Yes, I understand you but horrible example.

 

I don't believe in good and evil.

 

Well, that makes perfect sense!


In my opinion, naturally good. If human beings did not have some innate sense of morality, it would have never developed, and nor would a human being be able to develop his or her morality.

 

but morality is a learned characteristic, not a natural one. your parents and those around you teach you the difference between right and wrong. Humans are also very intelligent, therefore smart enough to know that in order to survive individually, they needed to work together. Our intelligence allows us to make the choice between acting on good or acting on evil by letting us foresee the consequences of our choice, then we act upon it in the way that benefits ourselves the most.

 

according to Catholicism every human is born with original sin, and is therefor evil unless baptized by a priest.

Do I believe it though.. no way. I believe in innocent until proven guilty.

 

No, Thats embarrassment, you don't want to be seen breaking out of whats deemed as normal behaviour.

I would say humans are not born with a Genetic good or evil, and its rather an implication when growing up.

 

Interesting stance, but you're making some bold assumptions on human nature. How can you say that humans act solely in their own interest? I strongly disagree with this statement. How could morality develop if human beings acted solely in their own interest, and moreover, how could it develop if human beings did not have the notion already embedded in their minds (albeit undeveloped)?

 

It's true that 'good' and 'evil', what's right and what is wrong, is all defined by society. Upbringing is the crucial part of it all.

A suicidal extremist, raised to kill, KNOWS that they will be welcomed into the afterlife after murdering as many people as possible. So they willingly do it. The average person, though, KNOWS that this isn't so - although some still cling on to the idea of heaven, they don't see murder as a pathway to it.

So, we are not born as anything. The only way you could be born as a killer is if you had a serious brain defect and could never integrate yourself into the world and learn morals, but most/all such people wouldn't have the ability to commit a murder anyhow.

The important thing is to keep an open mind, even on the most sensitive topics. "Always stay out of your comfort zone, or you'll only ever find what you're comfortable with. And that's a long, boring waste of life." - Me.

Morals and religion developed because a caveman at some point in history saw a way of controlling the masses to his benefit. Unfortunately, the world we live in is still heavily based on this concept, and realistically always will be.

 

I used a bad example..

Humans as a society of people have realized that in order to better ourselves, we need to work together towards common goals. I believe our intelligence overpowered our natural evil in way of bettering ourselves in the societies we have created for that purpose

 

Try giving us your opinion on the topic and not tell us to start it off.

If there is no other way to survive, is the action truly evil?

 

good or evil is the opposite aspect

 

In my opinion, good and evil are just illusions created by man to justify favored actions.. such as saying that that person is evil so they must be stopped or punished...and in the process the "good" person just happens to acquire something. such as material possessions or intangible ones like pleasure. but if you go ahead and go with the illusions people are naturally evil...no matter how "good" a person you find they will always be evil...whether it is easily visible or not. people tend hide that which won't be readily acceptable in fear of the consequences... but inside they are all living a lie...constantly showing a facade to the world, or you can look at it this way. Humans have risen to be dominate species on the planet because they are evil.

 

We're not good or evil, our main instinct is to survive; that can lead to good things or bad things ( mostly bad things in my opinion )

 

No, since there is no thing that is purely evil.

 

I'll throw in the religion card and say that all men are evil because of Adam's original sin.

 

I think humans are naturally neither before they are affected by society. They will do some things that are considered good by society and some things that are considered bad by society, but not to be "good" or to be "bad", until they encounter society.

 

Humans can be good at some times and bad at others. It depends on your view of the world and life.

What I believe is; treat your fellow human beings nice then they will treat you back the same way.

 

I'll throw in a trap card

But, if we weren't evil before that, how could Adam commite a sin, even though he was purely good?