Questions on Right and Wrong? Good And Evil?

Question

The more and more thought I put into these questions; the more and more I think that these are social constructions. Yes, morality by definition means conforming to the established principles of right and wrong. I am trying to figure out my own ideas of right and wrong or good and evil. What makes something right or wrong or good or evil. And yes I know that our actions are not purely good or purely evil that they are just actions and others view them as good or evil. But whats the ideal Good and whats the ideal evil or ideal right and so on...

Answer 1

They are relative to society. In America it is wrong to marry your cousin, overseas it is not. In America it is evil to kill your wife, overseas it is customary. Good, bad, right and wrong are all relative. One must determine where one stands on the issues as to what is internally good, bad, right or wrong for oneself.

Answer 2

Great Question. I think it's easy to decide who's evil than who's good. It's almost as though we find it easier to judge others for the most terrible things they've done rather than the good wholesome things. For example, a baby. If you accidentally do something to make it cry it can take a long time before it will laugh again. You can do so many different things, give it a bottle, play ,sing and yet it will still continue to cry or snuff you out. I think this shows that even from our early years how judgemental and how much we, as humans really hold our grudges. Then again, there are some babies that indeed don't hold onto the past and let it go.
I think good could and should be described by the postive actions that we do in our lifetime. Evil although shouldn't just be negative actions because sometimes those actions can merely be lapses in thinking or just plain accidents I think it should be described as the negative actions that were deliberatly set-up to harm others. But really in the end I don't think we should be the one to judge what is evil and what is not, because naturally I think that we all have different opionions on what is good and what is right, just like how as a baby some cry longer than others. Its just life, and I guess that it's too big and too broad to be described in one post. Even so, this is just my opinion, so it just goes to show that Evil and Good could be described as so much more or so much less.

Answer 3

There is no ideal Good or ideal Evil. It's put complex to be placed in a black or white area, you know that. Ideals change depending on the time period or situation. That's a simple answer but oh so true. Also, the Ideal can force people to think stagnantly and not "let things come to them." Something creative or innovative can be lost if being on a rigid path towards the Ideal. Life becomes mundane in this case (For example, the Victorians who considered everything in this life ought to be done for the redemption in the next life [Heaven being the IDEAL]). Don't look at life in terms of the Perfect Ideal. Your ideal today will be different tomorrow because tomorrow you will be a more mature, evolved person.

Answer 4

Hi. "Good" (hehe) question indeed, good replies as well. But I will disagree with some of them, especially with the one that says that "there is only 'I like' or 'I do not like'". Precisely because just as fundamentally there's no right and wrong, there's no self and no other either. I strongly believe that we are biased in all aspects of life, all choices that we make are based on 'conditioned upbringing.'
I think you need to take a break from this loop otherwise, in Zen's words, you'll become 'hotter and colder, eventually burning your head'. And yes, Zen teachings deal with this subject, so find, if possible, a copy of Alan Watts' book The Way of Zen.
If you cannot find it, try to think of discharged batteries, magnets that do not have positive/negative poles, monastery bells that know not of north, east, south or west, but sound as the wind blows (that's taken from a haiku). Try to become like such objects for a second. :O

Answer 5

Before you can have right or wrong or whatever evil is supposed to be, you first have to have goals. If your goal is personal advancement, advancement of the species, personal advancement while doing the least harm to others in case you're wrong, glorifying God, or just existing in the universe - you are going to have very different ideas of wight and wrong for each one. Figure out what you believe and then develop the system of actions that furthers those goals.

Answer 6

Right and wrong are decided by the society in which you live. Suicide bombers in the middle east believe they are doing good when they kill many innocent people along with themselves, but anywhere else in the world, this would be viewed as wrong. Parents play a great deal in what we decide right vs. wrong. Some families bring their kids up to be racist, they don't think it's wrong, but in most people's views it is. Every person you contact in your life and every experience you have has some bearing on what you perceive as right or wrong.

Answer 7

right or wrong; good or evil is just the state of our minds. Each of us has a different view about everything in life, and it depends on our personalities, situations, educations... So the ideal good or evil... is just the way we see things.

"A man is truly honest when he was born" _ Buddha

Answer 8

In pop subculture Vampires are both. It purely relies upon on who's interpretation of a vampire you want proper. some trust vampires do not truly might want to kill yet purely feed. also it would not might want to be on people both. they purely choose blood to live on with some writers writing their selection being human blood and with the blood of a virgin being the most prized. some have even conquer blood lust like i trust Lestat and others did in Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles. truly they're nether as they don't exist as you observed. in my opinion i'm with you. people as an total are a lot worse than any vampire and under no circumstances almost as cool.

Answer 9

We are all born with a moral compass but for those who have lost theirs or have chosen to refuse it's existence, All things positive or uplifting are good. All things negative or putting down are bad.

Answer 10

Wrong or Evil is: any cause or action designed or intended to cause or inflict pain.
Good or Right is: any cause or action designed or intended to Soothe or Heal pain.