What is 'the greatest evil'?

[wolfy]

The greatest evil is to hurt babies and children. The greatest good is to help people be stong(er)

 

[Burger King]

The greatest evil is this sub at my local restaurant called the "inferno chicken." Whats even more funny is that it is listed under number "2" under their sub menu category.

The greatest good is love (I don't mean the romantic kind necessarily) & empathy, as cheesy as that sounds.

 

[Lark]

I know that I have a tendency to make leaps between thoughts without regard for how I got there. If there is something I said that you find muddled or confusing, I would be happy to clarify. Is there a particular reason that you find what I said unreasonable?

I'm not entirely certain what the rest of your post is trying to get at. Are you saying that you think that good and evil are governed by physical laws like gravity?

I am suggesting that there does exist an objective reality and part of that objective reality is objective good and evil, they are no more inventions or subjective judgements than the physical laws you mention.

Personally I find a lot of the secularist, atheistic and liberal opinions I read on this forum to be what I would consider "younger" thinking.

 

[Lark]

Oz is informed by the utilitarian philosopher Jeremy Bentham, in fact I live just down the road from Bentham Street. So the working philosophy of Australia is utilitarianism, and the slogan of utilitarianism is, "The greatest good for the greatest number".

And to a degree, with the early introduction of the welfare State, Australia does aim for the greatest good for the greatest number.

Some claim this is a pedestrian aim, while others point out it avoids utopianism.

Still, it has led to a modern welfare State marked by egalitarianism, mate.

I know what it is and were it comes from.

Although I'm not sure about it. What if the greatest good of the greatest number involves persecuting a minority? From a certain perspective the Nazis were pretty utilitarian.

 

[ilikeitlikethat]

You were relieved of doing the job through the use of hemorrhoid creams (or quitting,) I hope.

TBH, My then G/F got me the job; she worked there, went up to her boss 'and since she is just like Wow 'Future Prime Minister Material' and said
"You see that boy there?"
Pointing at me,
"can he have a job please?"
They saw me, I passed the interview and they hired me.
She lived in North London, I'm in South, the commute was 24 miles or something stupid like that and, I use public transport; I used her address when getting the job, or my own, but said I'd be staying with her because she lived much closer. I was fired from that job, I was fired for being late too many times in row, I had a 6 hour commute (there and home), I was only there for over a month, if that.

 

[Thalassa]

Torturing animals or innocent people. Anyone who knowingly and sadistically tortures any living thing, willfully, is being evil. There is no practical excuse for it. It's not because you're hungry (stealing), or because you're scared (lying), or because you have physical needs (lust), or because you're upset (anger)...it's just evil, pure and simple.

And I believe this applies to adults as well as children, I'm always baffled by people who put children above everything, although I do like children, give me a fucking break. It doesn't mean it's okay to torture innocent adults.

The greatest good is unbridled trust, love and generosity.

ETA: No, I agree with [MENTION=4515]wolfy[/MENTION] that helping people to be strong(er) is the greatest good. Which can involve love trust and generosity, but teaching people to toughen up and be able to take care of themselves is also exceedingly important for not only that person, but for everyone.

 

[Within]

Well... what do you believe it is?

Pop culture, without a doubt.

And conversely, what is 'the greatest good'?

Egoists committing to an altruistic cause.

 

[ilikeitlikethat]

The greatest evil? Mk. 2

Spamming and trolling, idk.

I feel evil,

I digress.

 

[Fluffywolf]

*rolls eyes at thread*

The greatest good is freedom of speech!

The greatest evil is as well?

 

[Elisius]

There's different levels to this.
Can we describe a universal evil and good? I'm not sure, I suppose all I can think of is anything that promotes stasis is evil and anything that promotes change is good. But without intent can we call anything good or evil? I don't think so, but I don't think it's really worth looking into at this point.
We can lower our view to lifeforms, that which propagates life is good that which kills it is bad sounds good on paper, but what about that which propagates life that will inevitably destroy all life?
I can't define morality on anything above or below the human societal level, that which enhances the longevity, wellbeing and happiness of humanity is good, and that which does the opposite is bad.
However, I can use my longest-term objective for life itself within my philosophy to establish another criteria that can apply up and down the various views of the universe.
That which may prevent the end of the universe, either by itself or by being a step in a path to something that directly can is good. That which prevents these things is bad.
I suppose ultimately, evil = stasis/death, good = change/life.

 

[dala]

I am suggesting that there does exist an objective reality and part of that objective reality is objective good and evil, they are no more inventions or subjective judgements than the physical laws you mention.

I think I see where we got off track. Terminology notwithstanding (I will switch to yours from here on for the sake of clarity), I think we more or less agree. I agree that there is an objective way to determine if a thing is good or evil. I just went a step further and defined parameters on which I believe objective measurement might be based, those parameters being how harmful/benefitial a thing is.

Of course, if you believe that there is a more appropriate way to determine if something is good or evil, then I would be happy to hear it.

Personally I find a lot of the secularist, atheistic and liberal opinions I read on this forum to be what I would consider "younger" thinking.

Ad hominems make baby Jesus cry.

 

[CzeCze]

Posts Moved

Mod Note:

OT chain moved here.

Please respect the topic of the thread and the OP by staying on track.

Thanks.

 

[onemoretime]

Gotta go with Christian tradition on this one. Pride is the greatest evil, because it provides the basis upon which almost all other kinds of evil originate: the belief that you, individually, are of greater worth than another person, or even another living thing.

 

[UniqueMixture]

I am suggesting that there does exist an objective reality and part of that objective reality is objective good and evil, they are no more inventions or subjective judgements than the physical laws you mention.

Personally I find a lot of the secularist, atheistic and liberal opinions I read on this forum to be what I would consider "younger" thinking.

I agree to an extent, however I think that viewing the world as an atheist is very useful. thoughts are not good or bad, just like feelings, only suited to particular kinds of tasks. I think it is not always useful to talk of absolute morality or God to people who have been hurt by others who have identified themselves with similar words in the past.

I think moving beyond that requires reconciliation.. on both sides.

[YOUTUBE="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6ZWlDks0nQ"]Coldplay - Paradise [/YOUTUBE]

 

[figsfiggyfigs]

Bringing kids into the world when you shouldn't, and not providing as a parent like you should.

 

[Turtledove]

TBH, My then G/F got me the job; she worked there, went up to her boss 'and since she is just like Wow 'Future Prime Minister Material' and said
"You see that boy there?"
Pointing at me,
"can he have a job please?"
They saw me, I passed the interview and they hired me.
She lived in North London, I'm in South, the commute was 24 miles or something stupid like that and, I use public transport; I used her address when getting the job, or my own, but said I'd be staying with her because she lived much closer. I was fired from that job, I was fired for being late too many times in row, I had a 6 hour commute (there and home), I was only there for over a month, if that.

Oh wow, I'm sorry to here about that. It's difficult to have a long distance job to go here and yonder to work. I know people who do do that and don't know how they can.

 

[Lark]

I think I see where we got off track. Terminology notwithstanding (I will switch to yours from here on for the sake of clarity), I think we more or less agree. I agree that there is an objective way to determine if a thing is good or evil. I just went a step further and defined parameters on which I believe objective measurement might be based, those parameters being how harmful/benefitial a thing is.

Of course, if you believe that there is a more appropriate way to determine if something is good or evil, then I would be happy to hear it.



Ad hominems make baby Jesus cry.

There wasnt any ad hominems.

Better way to define good and evil? Good and evil are the definitions and can not be "bettered", I know that a lot of hipster Nietzsche readers arent too hot on the idea but in time either experience or discovering some other author, like Chesterton for instance, makes Nietzsche seem less novel.

Plus I guess growing up just makes it easier to make judgements.

 

[Lark]

I agree to an extent, however I think that viewing the world as an atheist is very useful. thoughts are not good or bad, just like feelings, only suited to particular kinds of tasks. I think it is not always useful to talk of absolute morality or God to people who have been hurt by others who have identified themselves with similar words in the past.

I think moving beyond that requires reconciliation.. on both sides.

[YOUTUBE="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6ZWlDks0nQ"]Coldplay - Paradise [/YOUTUBE]

I'm sorry, there's things you just said that are ridiculous, even by your own lights.

Why is it useful to approach things from an atheist perspective and why is it automatically speaking of God and morality which is insensitive?

Lets look at what atheism and amorality gave us, slavery, communism, nazism, fascism, that's not a great record, so it becomes impossible by your own standard to consider things things from the conceptual stand point you consider objectively correct to do so.

The reality that concepts are abused aswell as used does not invalidate the same concepts altogether, its like applying the worst rationalisations from debates about gun control to language and theory.

Now I know what you wrote was ENTIRELY well meant, though THINK, THINK HARD, go on try it!!

 

[Nicodemus]

Better way to define good and evil? Good and evil are the definitions and can not be "bettered", I know that a lot of hipster Nietzsche readers arent too hot on the idea but in time either experience or discovering some other author, like Chesterton for instance, makes Nietzsche seem less novel.

Plus I guess growing up just makes it easier to make judgements.

You believe good and evil are not merely human concepts? If so, how do you know?

 

[Stanton Moore]

I don't believe there is any such thing as 'evil' beyond humanity and human deeds. There is no free-floating, nefarious force in the universe, no evil spirits, no evil in nature, no 'objective evil'. That's a childish perspective, a duality driven by splitting, which is itself driven from a lack of clear perspective.