Is there such a thing as good and evil?

I wrote on something like this in a different thread. First of all I'm not a regilious person but here's my theory. We are all connected to the univervse on a sub-atomic level because every element that makes up our bodies came from the center of the Sun. There are 4 known laws of physics. Gravity, the weak and strong nuclear forces and magnetism. I think there are two more laws and one is positive (love) and negative (hate). Positive and negative forces exist and without them we would not be here. For example, lightning. Lightning keeps our atmosphere in balance because it strikes the Earth on average of 1,728,000 times a day. Every digital device operates on binary language which is a one (positive) or zero (negative) and are made of silicon and germanium. A transistor operating as a switch works like this. Imagine a sandwich with two pieces of bread and a piece of cheese in the middle. The bottom piece of bread and is made of silicon and has a negative charge. The piece of cheese in the middle (called the base) is made of germanium and has no charge. The top piece of bread is also made of silicon but has a positive charge. The negative is trying to reach the positive but can't because of the base (free will). When a small current (outside influence) is applied to the base it becomes invisible and the negative forces are freed to chase the positive. It's what causes someone to have one more drink and drive. It's what causes someone to be happy and someone else to kill 8 people in a mall and then commit suicide. These energies exist and it's called the Earth's magnetic field and can effect small changes in the brain. Most people can reject the negative forces because of upbringing or whatever but some people can't and are taken over by negative forces. I think there is an explanation for good vs. evil. Do you know why birds can navigate thousands of miles. It's because they have a tiny, tiny piece of a natual magnet in their brain called a loadstone. Something to think about.


[edit on 19-12-2007 by Mutantalien1947]

reply to post by shug7272


good" or "bad" from birth and their bodies conditioned to that response.

Is that such a bad thing?


Well I am surprised, after reading all the post I am surprised at the number of people who see nothing as either good or evil,

I can understand this if you are defining good and evil as an supernatural ENERGY as in the devil made me do it,, I was thinking more of it as a positive or negative human trait.

Is it natural to hate ?
To love?
To kill?

Have we become nasty little heartless beast wanting to justify all deviant acts?

reply to post by Seiju



good and evil most certainly do exist objectively. seiju, if i decided to brutally murder your mother, father, sister and/or brother, would you think that what i did was evil? if so, would you agree with me when i responded back "that's only your opinion, seiju. i think what i did to your family was good"?

i think many people claim to be moral relativists, but when hard-pressed, you'll find that most people really do believe morality is objective even if they don't realize it.

All of those things may be true. But my point is who has the right to state by law what is right and wrong? My idea is that no one has the right.

reply to post by Seiju

But my point is who has the right to state by law what is right and wrong? My idea is that no one has the right.

Seiju, just as the example of the animal hierarchy ostracizing a animal that gets out of line, apparently we human beast do the same.

Take the owners and mods of this forum for example they have the right to ban someone if they think they are doing something bad and gets out of line, let's say it is for the common good of the community.



[edit on 043131p://bWednesday2007 by Stormdancer777]

Originally posted by Nohup
Oh, I don't know. In the past I've advocated large-scale temporary sterilization of a random section of the Earth's population as a way to gain some time to figure out what the best population load might be.

See, you're already talking about things that are completely irrelevant to having to kill anybody. Just because you've thought it doesn't mean it makes any sense. If the Earth could not handle something, then it won't. You don't have to make a mass extermination occur, if the same thing from the Earth itself is what you're trying to avoid. What is "proper" is arbitrary and thus your opinion on it is as meaningless as anyone else's.

Originally posted by Stormdancer777
Is it natural to hate ?
To love?
To kill?

Yes,
yes,
and yes.

It is natural for us to do all of those things, because we are natural creatures. All living things kill something to survive, whether plant or animal. All of those things are motivations and justifications we use to keep alive and reproducing. DNA pushes the species forward into the future, and doesn't really care how we do it. Our brains are a bit more sophisticated than worms or sharks, though, and we tend to think in abstract symbols. "Love" and "hate" are among those emotions we symbolize.

Originally posted by Nohup

Originally posted by Stormdancer777
Is it natural to hate ?
To love?
To kill?

Yes,
yes,
and yes.

It is natural for us to do all of those things, because we are natural creatures. All living things kill something to survive, whether plant or animal. All of those things are motivations and justifications we use to keep alive and reproducing. DNA pushes the species forward into the future, and doesn't really care how we do it. Our brains are a bit more sophisticated than worms or sharks, though, and we tend to think in abstract symbols. "Love" and "hate" are among those emotions we symbolize.

I knew someone would say yes to all three, and I understand why, but then we could take this to so many levels,
It is natural to kill for survival, and not unnecessarily evil, but to brutally kill for the sick satisfaction of killing an innocent, goes beyond rational,
So then we just Say they were insane?

Well who draws that line?

Yup.

Originally posted by bsbray11
What is "proper" is arbitrary and thus your opinion on it is as meaningless as anyone else's.

I suggest that what is proper is not arbitrary, but a matter of perspective. There's a difference. Like I said, for the most part, "good" is anything that allows for your tribe or village or country to peacefully procreate, raise families, and so on. It doesn't matter what side of the war you're on. Both sides want this to be the ultimate outcome. Both sides agree it's "good."

So it's not really my opinion as to whether or not there is good and evil. Obviously, people believe some actions are good and some are evil, and define them as such, but the labeling of the action as either good or evil depends on whether you're the attacker or the attacked. But good and evil is not arbitrary. In fact, it's quite clear.

Topics about love never get one anywhere either,it is our inability to define, and beyond our imagination, IMHO, we are limited.

I can't believe the selfish arrogance and narcissism of most of the folks that think good and evil do not exist, and the usual scenarios they bring up:
if I kill someone..., if I steal from someone..., if I do this..., if I do that...

Truth is good and evil, and depending on which one you think is right or wrong, has nothing to do with what the perpetrator thinks nor how he feels.
Good and evil can only be defined by how the perpetrators actions end up affecting other people and not just the victim.

If you think it's OK to kill another person just because you say it makes you happy, and not show any remorse whatsoever, you are a sad excuse for a human being.

You also have to take into account the emotional grief that will be inflicted on the victims loved ones.
It is this emotional grief and trauma experienced by the people in mourning that continues to feed evil.

Sure there will be those that say animals do it all the time, but animals must kill to stay alive and maybe that is what separates us from animals.

You can also think of good kharma and bad kharma.

Originally posted by Alxandro
I can't believe the selfish arrogance and narcissism of most of the folks that think good and evil do not exist, and the usual scenarios they bring up:
if I kill someone..., if I steal from someone..., if I do this..., if I do that...

Truth is good and evil, and depending on which one you think is right or wrong, has nothing to do with what the perpetrator thinks nor how he feels.
Good and evil can only be defined by how the perpetrators actions end up affecting other people and not just the victim.

If you think it's OK to kill another person just because you say it makes you happy, and not show any remorse whatsoever, you are a sad excuse for a human being.

You also have to take into account the emotional grief that will be inflicted on the victims loved ones.
It is this emotional grief and trauma experienced by the people in mourning that continues to feed evil.

Sure there will be those that say animals do it all the time, but animals must kill to stay alive and maybe that is what separates us from animals.

You can also think of good kharma and bad kharma.

Its funny how you say were selfish and you clearly say that any perpetrators take on the matter doesnt count. That sounds selfish to me.

You reward your children when they bring home good marks or stand up for a friend against a bully etc.
You chastise your children when they steal what doesn't belong to them or injure another person in anger etc.
Or should all behaviour be treated the same? Psychiatrists exist and have a career because right and wrong have defined lines and obscured lines. Unless you are broken , your concience tells you the right choices to make then your will takes over.

Originally posted by Seiju

Originally posted by Alxandro
I can't believe the selfish arrogance and narcissism of most of the folks that think good and evil do not exist, and the usual scenarios they bring up:
if I kill someone..., if I steal from someone..., if I do this..., if I do that...

Truth is good and evil, and depending on which one you think is right or wrong, has nothing to do with what the perpetrator thinks nor how he feels.
Good and evil can only be defined by how the perpetrators actions end up affecting other people and not just the victim.

If you think it's OK to kill another person just because you say it makes you happy, and not show any remorse whatsoever, you are a sad excuse for a human being.

You also have to take into account the emotional grief that will be inflicted on the victims loved ones.
It is this emotional grief and trauma experienced by the people in mourning that continues to feed evil.

Sure there will be those that say animals do it all the time, but animals must kill to stay alive and maybe that is what separates us from animals.

You can also think of good kharma and bad kharma.

Its funny how you say were selfish and you clearly say that any perpetrators take on the matter doesnt count. That sounds selfish to me.

reply to post by Seiju


Ahem, definition of SELFISH:

self·ish
–adjective
1. devoted to or caring only for oneself;
concerned primarily with one's own interests, benefits, welfare, etc.,
regardless of others.
2. characterized by or manifesting concern or care only for oneself:
selfish motives.

What part of this do you need explained?

The part where you say the "perpetrators" feelings do not matter. That is selfish if you ask me.

Originally posted by dodgygeeza

So causing suffering deliberately for the fun of it isn't evil? And helping people survive is just someone's opinion of being good?

Silly thread.

[edit on 19-12-2007 by dodgygeeza]

im not sure if you picked up on it or not but i said we are "machines".
aka we have no free will and "evil/good" actions is just a product of chemical reactions within our cranium. all our actions are there to ultimately perpetuate our genes, no good or evil involved.

[edit on 19/12/07 by cheeser]

reply to post by Seiju


Please re-read my post, those are not my exact words, but to answer your question:

The perpetrators feelings do matter, but only up until the time they do something that is going to adversely affect others.

[nerd alert] Hate to quote Hollywood but:

The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. - Spock

It seems to be that this is pretty much how the universe runs. The ying and the yang. Positive and negative forces at play with each other. At least that is the way I see it in my mind.

but why argue about it? Is anyone here going to change their minds? The OP posted their opinions on the matter. He/she wasn't going to change their mind no matter what anyone else wrote and no one else is either.

I think it was Plato that said Ignorance, the root and the stem of every evil. Welcome to the Internet. Welcome to the never-ending land of ignorance.

reply to post by geemony


No because what they've done is already an act against someones will.

Evil and good are relative to many factors. Example

What evil could you do stranded alone indefinately on a deserted island? Similarly
What good could you do in the same situation?