Do you believe that the concept of good & evil isn't an absolute one but one that is relative,
situational, & even based upon a particular society & culture?
I personally don't even believe in the concept of good and evil, because they cannot be truly defined. Or more so, my definition of good and evil are marginally different to most.
I deal with consequentialist ethics, mainly utilitarian ones. This means that to me, the goal is to predict the outcome from a situation that benefits the most. In light of this, some consequences could be perceived as against virtues or unethical, but would still lead to benefits to more.
For once, take the lever example. A high-speed train is running towards a group of five tied-up people on a railroad track. You can pull a lever in order to de-rail the train, which will ultimately cause the death of two pedestrians who are observing the scene from the side. Will you pull the lever?
And if you do pull the lever, are you good, or evil? In a utilitarian sense, pulling the lever preserves more lives than not pulling it and thus could be considered the good decision while refusing the decision could be perceived as an evil one. However, with virtue ethics not-pulling the lever implies non-involvement and retaining one's virtue from taint.
In light of this, I consider the good/evil scale completely subjective both to individuals and situations. I'm also an avid supporter of Nietzsche, refusing any absolutes because they trap you. Take the euthanasia or abortion question for example. Even when the outcomes are far more superior with a murder included for most parties (in case of an abortion, imagine an unwanted child growing up in bad economic environment), some who place 'murder' into the box of 'evil' as an absolute have all their reasons to oppose it.
Good and Evil are based on culture. Many cultures think that they are doing good, while viewed from a different culture that good is seen as not so good, or evil.
Religion also plays a part in deciding what is good and evil for their followers.
The extremes of Good and Evil however transcend culture and religion as they are the end posts of humanity, or a lack thereof.
by Grace Marguerite Williams 10 years ago
Why do some people refuse to acknowledge that there is absolute evil in this world, insteadthey maintain that almost everything is morally relative?
by Dr. Marie 6 years ago
Where does someone like me, with psychic ability, fit into Christianity? Do you think I am evil?I believe in God & Jesus & God's Holy Spirit. But I was born psychic. I see dead people and I talk to dead people. It is a God-given ability. I help people. Yet I cannot label myself as...
by Hui (蕙) 9 years ago
From the knowledge-picture (originally shared by 'Did you know' on google+), we can see the job of archaeologists and paleontologists, to find out how present humans have evolved from nothing, and obtained such power. Then we know poverty for humans is always there, not human-made as some people...
by Grace Marguerite Williams 5 years ago
I have decided to take a pause from the usual political discussions to discuss the subject of evil. Is evil absolute or is it relative? Is the concept of evil relevant today or is it a judgmental exercise? Who decides what is evil?
by A Thousand Words 11 years ago
I was just laying here on my mother's bedroom floor. She turned to one of the TV preachers, and he was talking about how much Jesus loves us, and the sacrifices that He made for us, and how every human is expected to consciously make a decision to follow Him.And I thought about the girls stuck...
by Elizabeth 11 years ago
Does Absolute Evil Exist?Who judges what is absolutely evil or absolutely good?
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