#37624 - 04/15/10 04:45 AM
Re: Humanity: Inherently Good Or Evil?
[Re: Dan_Dread]
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Anne
stranger
Registered: 11/25/09
Posts: 30
Loc: Denmark
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In the words of Anton LaVey, "Good is what you like, evil is what you don't like"
That pretty much summons up my beliefs..
But truthfully it ain't something that I put into much consideration as long I feel well.. I can be a good person, I can be an evil person, and people can be good or evil to me, but I try to react as instinctive as possible, listning to carnal desires 
_________________________
There is no heaven, there is no hell, except here on earth.. - Anton LaVey
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#37649 - 04/16/10 02:24 AM
Re: Humanity: Inherently Good Or Evil?
[Re: MelanosDivinity]
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Doomsage680
member
Registered: 10/01/09
Posts: 109
Loc: NJ, USA
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Well if you're asking this question, you have to have a working definition of good and evil. I believe they are outdated concepts.
Think of where we came from. We are animals that evolved. We were nice to our family and tribe, while mean to others who threatened it. We did what we needed to for survival.
Have you read Freakonomics, or its sequel, Superfreakonomics?
They accurately demonstrate that people respond to incentives. However, because we understand that the benefits of working together are quite often greater than those of killing each other off, we have created such a system as Capitalism.
Ayn Rand once said, "Money demands that you sell, not your weakness to men's stupidity, but your talent to their reason."
I happen to believe that reason is ultimately beneficial to individuals and society in general, so if you are asking whether humanity is ultimately "good" I would say "Yes." But we must not forget that this is "ultimately."
Ta2zz response was spot on.
I happen to find that the more I respond to my natural abilities and desires, the better I become, in a quantifiable way.
Humans were made to be on the move, so while sitting around reading may be great, getting regular exercise has been proven to benefit the thinking faculties as well as other parts of the human body significantly.
It turns out that sexual repression has severe affects on children and young teens. Other forms of oppression that defy the way we evolved have also been shown to have great backlash.
To let humanity embrace human nature is to transcend the twisted nightmare of morality and altruism and allow people to care for each other and care for themselves based on reason, which is more effective and beneficial to the individual as well as society.
This isn't belief based on faith, this is belief based on reason. My source for why humanity is better left free rather than forced to be moral can be found on CATO.org, a libertarian think-tank.
Next time some teacher asks me that pointed question I will throw mad facts in their face. Get'r Done!
_________________________
"I who have nothing but the comfort of my sins"
- Vinny Paz
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#37796 - 04/18/10 02:03 PM
Re: Humanity: Inherently Good Or Evil?
[Re: Doomsage680]
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oroborus
lurker
Registered: 04/10/10
Posts: 3
Loc: England
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Doomsage is right on the money when he talks about morality being forced upon the individual. Religion is responsible for a lot of morals, especially when you compare the ten commandments with the law system of most countries, thou shalt not steal, kill etc.
One of the key points I picked up on when reading TSB was Anton Laveys explanation of how love and hate cannot exist without the other. We need to have feelings of anger and hatred towards individuals who threaten our personal happiness and security, in order to develop stronger feelings of love towards those who deserve it. The ideas of equal love for all look good in theory, but are not possible, for to do so would mean we had to deny the very thing that makes us exist, being a primal instinct of selection and survival.
Human beings are inherently evil I would say, using our own definition of the word. I believe that all good deeds are selfish, and that evil is what brought us out of the woods in the first place.
_________________________
I have as much authority as the Pope, I just don't have as many people who believe it.
George Carlin
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#38584 - 05/15/10 05:24 PM
Re: Humanity: Inherently Good Or Evil?
[Re: oroborus]
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DemonicDaddy666
stranger
Registered: 05/12/10
Posts: 10
Loc: Alabama
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In my opinion, we are neither inherently "good" or "bad", but a combination. I believe it all depends on the situation and or perception, whether somethings good or bad. Personally I dont think killing for food is bad, but some do. I dont think capitol punishment is bad, but some do. I do think killing out of religious bigotry(ex.Xtian Crusades,Islamic radicals), or racial hate(ex.Nazism) is wrong, but again some dont. Humans have both good and bad qualities,its a part of our nature, but no one is born all "evil" or born all "good".
Edited by DemonicDaddy666 (05/15/10 05:32 PM)
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#38642 - 05/17/10 03:40 PM
Re: Humanity: Inherently Good Or Evil?
[Re: Phobos]
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primal-mortal
stranger
Registered: 10/08/08
Posts: 18
Loc: Auckland, New Zealand
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There is no evil, just a carnal yearning. AKA instinct.
we all have it written into us. instinct in the media is seen to evil only because the greatest of them are scribbed down as "Sins". thinking with your head and your heart Should not be considered evil.
You may call a murderer evil, but then it comes down to insanity (as well) and thats a new ball park.
When a Wolf hunts and kills the sick straggler, do you thinks its "evil" or sad. or is the Wolf just tryning to get by?
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#38644 - 05/17/10 05:36 PM
Re: Humanity: Inherently Good Or Evil?
[Re: MelanosDivinity]
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spiral
stranger
Registered: 01/31/10
Posts: 17
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I believe Good and Evil are tought, not inherent in any way. There IS good and evil, but not inherent. I believe human beings are neither inherently good, nor inherently evil. I believe they're inherently human.
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#38654 - 05/18/10 12:14 PM
Re: Humanity: Inherently Good Or Evil?
[Re: MelanosDivinity]
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Mindmaster
stranger
Registered: 03/17/10
Posts: 45
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Most will contend that evil is a subjective matter, but I digress that is is something that can be measured and observed. Rather unanimously slavery, intolerance, racism, bigotry, and murder are viewed as evil as a rule. I would tend to think even most of the Satanist types around here would agree.
Roughly defined evil is any act which would upset the status quo. You're supposed to go to work and be a good little robot, marry a good woman, have 2.4 kids, go to church on Sunday, drive an SUV or minivan, and live until you are older than dirt. In the meanwhile you are supposed to watch commercials, buy movies and music, and every slap chop you can find. Anything you do to to upset this is largely viewed as evil by some individual in your immediate vicinity.
What I tend to view as the worst evil is the spiritual slavery of the God religions, and their propagation of all the evils I have mentioned at the beginning of this post. I believe that spiritual servitude is the greatest evil visited upon humanity and has become a consistent obstacle to our progress. So in my view that is what I guard myself against the most being that it comes from all corners masked as the 'normal' thing to do. Doing what others have decided you should be doing is accepting your place and relinquishing your personal freedom.
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