Help
Break an ankle, out for 2 days and *WHAM* a whole flood of philosophical quandries. Well, must keep my ankle elevated, so I'm outta this thread - nice talk though!!
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"You will find that your device is highly non-functional...." - Bad Guy
A complete dissertation on good & evil
#26
- The Shrout One.
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Posted 10 May 2002 - 08:30 PM
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#27
- Lame space monkey
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Posted 11 May 2002 - 10:18 AM
Well, unless I misunderstand you when you say "label," then I believe you've made an incorrect statement there... I make no claims that Good and Evil are interchangeable, and make no claims that they do not exist. However, I believe that they *are* labels - they're not concepts, but simply ways of informing a developing member of the collective whether a particular moral should be assimilated or refuted.
Once you separate yourself from society, the part of your brain responsible for this assimilation still remains, but it has no use anymore. There is no one to be deemed "good," no one to be deemed "evil," and no developing member in which to instill morals.
Young children are capable of learning the words for good and evil, and inherently know that people will generally strive towards good and against evil. They do not understand the difference between an unformed an a formed set of morals, so they may attempt unsuccessfully to alter a formed set.
The fact that their judgement may be faulty merely indicates that they have not yet had their personality and morals set into place. Mentioning it does not help your case in any way. Indoctrination does not mean instilling the idea that good should be adopted and evil refuted, but it *does* mean deciding what good and evil will be.
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"Welcome to our Pirate outpost. Please enjoy your stay, and realize that any irregular actions can and will be used against you in the afterlife."
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Originally posted by htjyang:
Your idea still reflects those of someone who believes that good and evil are artifical constructs and, therefore, by separating oneself from society, one can strip them away. I came to the precisely opposite conclusion.
Your idea still reflects those of someone who believes that good and evil are artifical constructs and, therefore, by separating oneself from society, one can strip them away. I came to the precisely opposite conclusion.
Once you separate yourself from society, the part of your brain responsible for this assimilation still remains, but it has no use anymore. There is no one to be deemed "good," no one to be deemed "evil," and no developing member in which to instill morals.
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Yes, I acknowledge the possibility that if a person is alone with himself and starts thinking about these things at length, he might be able to repudiate the very notion of right and wrong. But the very fact that an intellectual exercise is necessary testifies to how personal values of good and evil are to all of us. Young children, long before they can be indoctrinated by notions of right and wrong by adults, already learned when to say "That's not fair!" or "That's wrong!" We may question their judgment, but the sentiment reflected in the use of such phrases and the ideas represented by such phrases are unmistakable.
Young children are capable of learning the words for good and evil, and inherently know that people will generally strive towards good and against evil. They do not understand the difference between an unformed an a formed set of morals, so they may attempt unsuccessfully to alter a formed set.
The fact that their judgement may be faulty merely indicates that they have not yet had their personality and morals set into place. Mentioning it does not help your case in any way. Indoctrination does not mean instilling the idea that good should be adopted and evil refuted, but it *does* mean deciding what good and evil will be.
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"Welcome to our Pirate outpost. Please enjoy your stay, and realize that any irregular actions can and will be used against you in the afterlife."
#28
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Posted 11 May 2002 - 11:19 AM
Did my thesis help you Pallas or did you already know all this already?
Oh btw, I'm on GR.
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There are only 3 kinds of people: those who can count, and those who can't.
Oh btw, I'm on GR.
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There are only 3 kinds of people: those who can count, and those who can't.
There are only 3 kinds of people; those who can count, and those who can't.
#29
- Lame space monkey
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Posted 12 May 2002 - 05:27 PM
Well, I didn't have a formed opinion before your thesis, but I merely responded with what I figured wascorrect, not what I drew from your posts. Catalyst, but not reactant.
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"Welcome to our Pirate outpost. Please enjoy your stay, and realize that any irregular actions can and will be used against you in the afterlife."
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"Welcome to our Pirate outpost. Please enjoy your stay, and realize that any irregular actions can and will be used against you in the afterlife."
#30
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Posted 13 May 2002 - 07:26 AM
I hope these ideas catch on. It would be great for society if they knew this (though alot of people couldn't handle it.)
You what irks me? The fantasy good/evil novels. They enourage the thinking that evil is some force that is not only against you, but inherently wrong in many ways.
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There are only 3 kinds of people: those who can count, and those who can't.
You what irks me? The fantasy good/evil novels. They enourage the thinking that evil is some force that is not only against you, but inherently wrong in many ways.
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There are only 3 kinds of people: those who can count, and those who can't.
There are only 3 kinds of people; those who can count, and those who can't.
#31
- Lame space monkey
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Posted 14 May 2002 - 06:41 AM
The creation of a fantasy universe tends to generate a new pantheon of gods, and gods will classify other gods as good and evil. The fact that this will carry down to inhabitants of the worlds will definitely amplify any conflict, and make it irreconcilable; Mortal man will not disobey the Gods and initiate a morality shift.
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"Welcome to our Pirate outpost. Please enjoy your stay, and realize that any irregular actions can and will be used against you in the afterlife."
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"Welcome to our Pirate outpost. Please enjoy your stay, and realize that any irregular actions can and will be used against you in the afterlife."
#32
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Posted 14 May 2002 - 10:51 AM
You know, Iluvatar and Marek were almost a direct copy of God and Satan. Just thought I would mention it (read Silmarillion recently).
I'm not saying I'm Satanic or anything, but when reading Paradise Lost I kind of sympathised with Satan more than God. And you?
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There are only 3 kinds of people: those who can count, and those who can't.
I'm not saying I'm Satanic or anything, but when reading Paradise Lost I kind of sympathised with Satan more than God. And you?
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There are only 3 kinds of people: those who can count, and those who can't.
There are only 3 kinds of people; those who can count, and those who can't.
#33
- Lame space monkey
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Posted 15 May 2002 - 06:40 AM
Merek doesn't ring a bell...
Were you referring to Melkor/Morgoth?
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"Welcome to our Pirate outpost. Please enjoy your stay, and realize that any irregular actions can and will be used against you in the afterlife."
Were you referring to Melkor/Morgoth?
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"Welcome to our Pirate outpost. Please enjoy your stay, and realize that any irregular actions can and will be used against you in the afterlife."
