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Absolute Evil
| Philosophy 101 |
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Absolute Evil |
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Huan Yi Member Ascendant
since 2004-10-12
Posts 6688Waukegan 
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What action committed regardless of on whom is considered a universal wrong? At first thought, I imagined harm to children, yet in the Tale of Heike I read of children beheaded and/or buried alive without adverse comment. And who can forget: “Lice makes lace?” Is all morality/ethics relative then? . |
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Kalle Member
since 2007-10-15
Posts 89Finland |
Morals are relative Conscience is not |
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Huan Yi Member Ascendant
since 2004-10-12
Posts 6688Waukegan |
. "Morals are relative Conscience is not" Which suggests an absolute measure and what is that? And what is conscience except an expression of "Morals"? . |
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Kalle Member
since 2007-10-15
Posts 89Finland |
Well, the christian view is that concscience is part of the holy ghost And there is a truth beyond different cultures that are but a mere expression of the capacity of man possible, of human being as it could be as a race as angels perhaps... the difference is somewhat metaphysical by nature, but yeah it exist |
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Stephanos
since 2000-07-31
Posts 3618Statesboro, GA, USA |
quote: Cannot individuals or groups act against their own moral insight, and go on to strangulate and stifle it over time? Depravity does not prove moral relativity, but only our relativity to the moral law. A lack of commentary may indicate something other than a complete unawareness of wrong. Numbness, apathy, or even despairing guilt could lead to such a ambivalent and stolid description of evil. Stephen |
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Essorant Member Elite
since 2002-08-10
Posts 4769Regina, Saskatchewan; Canada |
Obviously peoples differ in manners, morals, and laws. But no matter how different, stealing is still stealing, harrassment harassment, rape rape, murder murder, war war. These things don't stop being wrongful because peoples' morality varies in degrees of judgement and tolerance. People accepting things that are wronging and harmful to life doesn't make them righting and helpful anymore than accepting poison makes it a healthy drink. |
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Huan Yi Member Ascendant
since 2004-10-12
Posts 6688Waukegan |
"stealing is still stealing, harrassment harassment, rape rape, murder murder, war war." But not if committed against those outside your own group. I don't think Moses and those that followed had much of a problem with that. |
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Stephanos
since 2000-07-31
Posts 3618Statesboro, GA, USA |
John: quote: Believe it or not, the Hebrew approach to justice (an eye for an eye) and warfare represented a mitigation and tempering of the typical brutality of the Ancient Near East. It was a bright spot among dark historical surroundings, though by pacifist standards still quite dim. You've got a point though ... that brutality and significant limits upon mercy were still present. A question you might go on to ask, is whether there is a universal presence of the same moral principle, only varying in how far to carry it? One says "love your kinsman and friends", another "love your countrymen", and another "love even your enemies". Same obligation with varying degrees of application. Would that indicate true moral relativity, or only varying degrees of moral progress? Stephen |
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Essorant Member Elite
since 2002-08-10
Posts 4769Regina, Saskatchewan; Canada |
"Same obligation with varying degrees of application. " By the way, I think that says it most wisely. |
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Huan Yi Member Ascendant
since 2004-10-12
Posts 6688Waukegan |
. Then is there an absolute evil living with and thereby aiding which is a measure of moral cowardice? . |
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Stephanos
since 2000-07-31
Posts 3618Statesboro, GA, USA |
quote: Evil is not so original as that. It seems to be defined soley by its relation to the good. There is no positively evil thing I can think of, but only perversions of good. Isn't self preservation a good thing in most cases, and only considered cowardly when taken to an extreme, or excercised at the wrong times? Stephen |
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TomMark Member Elite
since 2007-07-27
Posts 2133LA,CA |
Sir Huan "Is all morality/ethics relative then?" To each individual's judgement based on one's value, they are absolute, I think. If one believe that God is the truth then evil is absolute.... If one views God as reference then evil, if you want to argue..is relative. my thought |
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Brad Member Ascendant
since 1999-08-20
Posts 5705Jejudo, South Korea |
Iago. |
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Huan Yi Member Ascendant
since 2004-10-12
Posts 6688Waukegan |
. "There is no positively evil thing I can think of . . . Is there a positively good? . |
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TomMark Member Elite
since 2007-07-27
Posts 2133LA,CA |
Dear Sir Brad, what is "Lago"? Dear Sir Huan, ---"There is no positively evil thing I can think of . . . Is there a positively good?--- positive, negative is more to an impact on human feelings. They are not right or wrong which is to principle or good, evil to charater. your question is asking if there is a negatively good? (it is conflict by common sense). So, if there is no genatively good, then there shall be no positively good either. Then there shall be no positively or negatively evil either. right? |
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Ron
Administrator
Member Rara Avis
since 1999-05-19
Posts 8669Michigan, US |
quote: That's a capital I, not a lowercase L. Iago, not Lago. And what is it? It's a very subtle mechanism some teachers use to show people the value of personal research. Instead of asking what Iago is, try looking it up. It's one of those words that should be very easy to research and I suspect you'll find the sense of accomplishment more gratifying than a simple answer from someone here. |
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Essorant Member Elite
since 2002-08-10
Posts 4769Regina, Saskatchewan; Canada |
We all for the most part need do the same most general things to live: move, eat, drink, sleep etc. "Good" and "evil" are manners of doing these things well or worse. One man eats a wellbalanced meal, while the other man eats unhealthy and immoderately. One man earns money for a living, the other man steals it. One degree of the same thing is good, the other degree of the same thing is evil. |
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Stephanos
since 2000-07-31
Posts 3618Statesboro, GA, USA |
quote: Yes. My point was that evil is only ever a corruption of something else. Essorant seems to be hinting at the same truth. Stephen |
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TomMark Member Elite
since 2007-07-27
Posts 2133LA,CA |
Sir Ron, the Great, your words are so provoking. I went to search...pardon me, many are blocked in my place. It says "the villain of Shakespeare's tragedy Othello" in a dictionary. what that has to do with this thread? does he give an example of evil? |
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oceanvu2 Senior Member
since 2007-02-24
Posts 1066Santa Monica, California, USA |
Hi John -- I don't know about absolute evil, but, to paraphrase Dennis Miller, there are some truly evil (stinkpots) out there, and occasionally it helps to thin the herd. Jim |
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