NationStates Jolt Archive

Are humans inherently good or evil?

Are humans inherently good or evil?
No.

Are humans inherently good or evil?
Megh, no.

Are humans inherently good or evil?

Humans have the capacity for brutality and compassion, we can hate and we can cherish, we can destroy and we can create and we can do much more. Humanity have done all of these things and more in our time. You wish to know Man's inherent alignment? Here you are. Man is. Anything to define us further then that is inherently flawed due to a lack of total scope. We may describe individuals or groups but we certainly can’t accurately (or justly) define us further.

As a race we simply are what we are, anything else is entirely up to you.

Humans are inherently good and bad. There is no such thing as 'evil'.

Introduction to those who don't know me: I have a split personality...My primary personality believes that there is an absolute good and evil
but yet my more idealogical side asks, what is good and evil but the acceptance of certain actions into our own culture...My first personality was born out of a slight catholic upbringing and ridged code of ethics... My second personality was born out of confusion of my world. My parents are of seperate races, religions and cultures, from this I took a more open view of many other cultures....my second personality can see how each culture and religion came to be, and believes that there is no right and wrong, there is only cause and effect.

1. believes that humans are naturally good; however, if survival is at stake, humans will do what they need to do.
2. Fate....freudian view.....we are imprinted be our youth, individually based

Humanity is neither truly good or truly evil. What is "good" and what is "evil" varies from person to person & culture to culture, and because of this we can't really label humanity as inherently either one.

Personally, using my definitions of good and evil, I think all humans are capable of both. It all depends on an individual's experiences and environment. I don't see humans as inherently either one.

i believe that humans are inherently evil and just are good because we were taught to be when we were little and that remained with us or because we think we can "make a difference" or the biggest reason of all: we think we will get caught

people in general arent afraid of doing something bad its the punishment they are afraid of, aka thinking something is wrong because it is illegal and therefore not doing it

humans are basically predatory creatures looking for the opportunity to further themselves and their own seed
lots of people do good things because it gives them more power because then people look up to----> they are trying to further themselves and their seed
people are evil and selfish and immoral and cant be changed

nether due to the fact that we can make choices. Each have there own out comes. Sometimes we may choose an option which would be considered good but turns out bad. Same for a bad option but turns out good.

My dragons say: Evil...
My humans have a different opinion...

Myself, i think that, as always, the truth lies somewhere in between.

Are humans inherently good or evil?

They're evil.

Didn't you hear about that experiment they did when they mixed all the worst and nasty traits of animals together?

mattr0cka

Humanity is naturally evil beyond a shadow of a doubt. Only with God's intervention is any truly selfless act commited. Ethical egoism is a rather common phenomenon. People do nice things so they are perceived as nice by others thus improving their image and gaining them many benifits.

Well, evil being malicious and spiteful and simply concerned with wreaking pain or associated situation, and good being concerned with the wellbeing of others or feeling compassion, it is much more than this but I will keep it simple, then humans are absolutely neither. Humans fight each other naturally, but do so selfishly, and humans naturally, instinctively, protect and help only the ones they love (and themselves), but this is also a selfish reason, because they want those people to live and keep being with them. Why else would Christians be able to go to a funeral where all they hear is "he/she is in a much better place where there is no suffering or crying or pain and it is where we all want to go," and still cry and mourn for the death of said person. Humans are neither intrinsically good nor intrinsically evil: they are intrinsically self-concerned, or selfish. Just look at animalistic, instincitive human behavior of say tribespeople or even historic "cavemen"

Didn't you hear about that experiment they did when they mixed all the worst and nasty traits of animals together?[/QUOTE]
"Turns out it's man." The Scary Door

Humans are inherently good, if we weren't we wouldn't have prospered and flourished as we have.

For all of you claiming that absolute good/bad right/wrong don't exist, I hope you aren't ones who will also constantly talk about "human rights" and stuff like that. If you don't believe in an absolute standard of morality, I don't see how you can have any weight behind those statements.

Also if you don't believe in right and wrong, there's no point to ever argue with someone about anything. When you argue you're appealing to some standard which you're subsequently claiming doesn't exist.

Read CS Lewis "Mere Christianity" it covers all this stuff.

But yeah, human's are inherently compassionate and caring.

People do nice things so they are perceived as nice by others thus improving their image and gaining them many benifits.
Not everyone does nice and caring and compassionate things just because others will perceive them as nice. What of those who do "nice" things regardless of what others think of them - even when the people they are helping are not grateful? Those people understand that in order for humans to survive and maintain the intellectual level which some have achieved, we must act selflessly, in order to show the rest of humanity that only when you stop worrying about yourself can you make this world a better place. Some of us actually do have humanity's and the world's populace's concern in mind.

Are humans inherently good or evil?

I'm not sure how you define good or bad, so I'm not sure. If you mean it in the Augustinian sense, then I'd say neither.

Humans are by nature rational creatures, and doing what is rational for man is by extension what is also beneficial for them. In that sense, you could say that man is by nature "Good", because his natural inclination is to do what makes him and other people around him better, stronger, and more rational. Only by mistaking what is beneficial for him does man turn to evil.

As you might note, this is a far more Platonic/Aristotelian take on Good/evil than an Augustinian one. I have no truck with the notion that man was originally perfect and then somehow turned evil by biting a silly fruit.

before the discussion can continue.

define good and define evil

Neither evil, nor good on default...

I'd go for "just bloody annoying"

Normal humans want to do what is good for them and maybe for their community but humans are idiots so sometimes good intentions can become bad. Or sometimes humans have a screwed up view of what is good (Hitler, Stalin put any dictator here)

The Voluntary Human Extinction Movement (http://www.vhemt.org/)

The Voluntary Human Extinction Movement (http://www.vhemt.org/)

That is a little freaky a tiny bit excuse me while I now run around my house like in one of those horror movies when a monster is chasing me

Individualnost
Some of us actually do have humanity's and the world's populace's concern in mind.

But you are sitting there bragging about your state-of-mind. This impresses others and gains you companionship, maybe not from the people you are helping but from those who hear of your good deads. Hey, I'm guilty of it too, trying to cut back though. Oh, and don't think this is a personal attack, I find it hard to see any act not devinely inspired to be truly selfless.

i personally am evil but i can't speak for anyone else