NationStates Jolt Archive

Time for a little meta ethics, i know we all think we know what we have to go to be good, and I’ve heard numerous people say various things such as people are innately good or god or whatever tell them how to do good, akin to naturalism or intuitionism, as if the ideas of good and bad can some how be extracted and extrapolated from the world.

Me I’m a big believer in Prescriptivism, that good bad whatever are merely what we are told and have observed from society. Simply because you cant say good is innate as reliable physiology has suggested firmly otherwise, or that it is some kind of empirical asset of the world we can find and measure.

Sorry for all the big words.

Time for a little meta ethics, i know we all think we know what we have to go to be good, and I’ve heard numerous people say various things such as people are innately good or god or whatever tell them how to do good, akin to naturalism or intuitionism, as if the ideas of good and bad can some how be extracted and extrapolated from the world.

Me I’m a big believer in Prescriptivism, that good bad whatever are merely what we are told and have observed from society. Simply because you cant say good is innate as reliable physiology has suggested firmly otherwise, or that it is some kind of empirical asset of the world we can find and measure.

Sorry for all the big words.

Being alive and well and comfortable is good. And you don't get that from observation - it's an innate desire.

But I believe that most of what is "good" is defined for you.

Taking the Aztecs for an example, they thought it was good to cut the hearts out of thousands of living people as a sacrifice.

Most of us would disagree that their actions were "good".

Isn't the Nietzsche line that "good" was a concept invented by losers to explain why they're losers?

Isn't the Nietzsche line that "good" was a concept invented by losers to explain why they're losers?
*makes L sign on forehead *

Isn't the Nietzsche line that "good" was a concept invented by losers to explain why they're losers?

yumm. nietzche, brilliant man shame his nazi sister stole all his ideas, need to read some of his stuff.

What's good and what is evil is all relative, depending upon who you ask or what culture you are observing.

Good things for me are human kindness, empathy, and a sense of justice and order.

Others may feel differently. Like I said it all depends on the individual or society.

In a literal sense however, in the grand scheme of things, there is no "good" or "evil", as those are merely concepts that advanced human thought has developed over time. There was no "good" or "evil" before humans came along. In nature, there is no good or evil, as non-sentient lifeforms have no concept of it, only of survival.

The same can be said about war: what's good and evil do not matter, only survival and the elimination of the enemy do. There is no "good" side or "evil" side, only opposites.

What we consider good may be considered evil by others, and vice versa. What we considered in the past to be evil may now be considered good, and vice versa.

It's all relative.

What is good: To destroy your enemy, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentation of their women.

Couldn't resist. :D