Sometimes bad people do bad things

originally posted by: queenofswords

originally posted by: Deaf Alien
Was Charles Whitman evil? He had a brain tumor. Can we rightfully call him evil after the fact? Is brain tumor evil?

If his brain tumor caused him to perpetrate this horrendous act causing him to hallucinate or something, then evil is absent. However, if he was despondent, bitter, and angry because he was dealt the tumor card, and decided to lash out in that state of mind, then THAT is evil. You know it when you see it.

The question is what is evil? Is it possible that a sane person can be "evil"? You mentioned the possibility of him lashing out based on his decision. Does that mean he chose to ignore his conscience?

a reply to: introvert

I will agree that evil has emotional connotations.

I don't think anyone can look at what happened and not "feel".

We don't live in an objective world, our perceptions are very subjective.

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.

a reply to: Deaf Alien

Of course a sane person can be evil, because being evil doesn't make you insane.

originally posted by: introvert
a reply to: randyvs

That's nonsense.

That's all you got? Nice!

a reply to: knowledgehunter0986

Are you sure? Can you imagine doing "evil" things to others, being fully sane and with 100% conscience? No matter how angry you are at others, can you see yourself making the ultimate leap?

originally posted by: randyvs

originally posted by: queenofswords
a reply to: introvert

As I said, when you see evil, you just know it.

There are actually people walking around this world upright
saying they don't believe evil exists?

Life is of course much easier to cope with when you simply shut your eyes for the unspeakable evil that do exist in this world. Wars are started to enrich soulless lizards among the "elites" (what an oxymoron to call these creatures "elite"!), there are people who beat, rape and starve their own children to death. I guess some of them spent months torturing the life out of their infant or toddler purely by accident. Cause unicorns and rainbows and happy days all around.

Ugh.

originally posted by: Deaf Alien
a reply to: knowledgehunter0986

Are you sure? Can you imagine doing "evil" things to others, being fully sane and with 100% conscience? No matter how angry you are at others, can you see yourself making the ultimate leap?

Of course, people can.

How do most of the books in the world get written if you can't imagine doing evil things to others? There are quite a few books, movies, screenplays, etc., that go over the question of good and evil.

a reply to: Deaf Alien

Personally, no. But I'm not them and they're not me. The human condition is pretty complex, I think it's definitely possible for a perfectly sane person to commit an evil act.

a reply to: ketsuko

Writing about doing evil things and actually doing evil things are quite different.

a reply to: knowledgehunter0986

I think it's definitely possible for a perfectly sane person to commit an evil act.

It might be possible but we both don't really know for a fact. It's a mystery.

originally posted by: Liquesence

But WHY are they this way?

That is the question....

Because they're supposed to be.

It's all in this big script we call reality.

I bet if we could take hi-def photos of certain particles (the Higgs would be a good candidate), we would find that they have atmospheres and life on their surfaces... us in fact... on every one of them... our whole history and future... playing itself out on the macro scale.

a reply to: introvert

We know she did because in the scenario that was posited you said she felt justified in doing it. I kindly supplied the definition of the word for you.

If that wasn't what you meant, please supply the word that best describes the scenario as you intended it.

You can do a thing out of desperation and still know you are doing the wrong thing. Stealing to keep yourself from starving doesn't change the fact that you stole, and if you know that theft is wrong, it won't make you feel like you are suddenly a champion of virtue for stealing.

a reply to: Deaf Alien

I think the problem is determining what is considered evil. Morals in general are highly subjective.

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.

a reply to: introvert

Maybe this will help you out with reality.



EVIL

originally posted by: Deaf Alien
a reply to: ketsuko

Writing about doing evil things and actually doing evil things are quite different.

I answered your first question which is that yes - most of us, like it or not, can imagine doing evil things or at least evil things being done to other people.

As to what makes us take that leap? That's a different question, but I do think whatever it is has weakened over the decades.

a reply to: ketsuko

I do think whatever it is has weakened over the decades.

That's just it. You are alluding to it being an external influence, whatever that is.

a reply to: DBCowboy

People do bad things yeah, like not paying taxes, or cheating...not murdering a sea of people. That's a whole different level.

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.