Is our human ability to choose (which sets us apart from all other animals) the source of all human evil?

Question

TWH 08222006

This Q was not posted in the religions/spirituality category. It was posted in the philosophy category because it concerns an issue that determines whether there is moral/ethical responsibility in many of the theories of ethics. TWH 08302006

:), This stmt:"However, evilness is with the evil itself." is a tautology and adds nothing to our understanding unless it is explained.
TWH 08302006

35 answers shows topic has appeal and I intend to explore its scope.

This Q is not about trivial choices like the choosing to drink or eat water or food respectively. Its about doing evil and what makes doing evil possible. TWH 08302006

Time has run out & its time to pick the best answer to the Q asked not the Q someone wished I had asked instead.

Answer 1

Yes. We are the only creatures that can decide to do something evil. It's the knowing that something is evil, and the choosing to do it anyway that is not only the source of all human evil, it's also the reason that animals are not capable of evil.

Answer 2

Ability to choose is not the basic character. Even animals have the ability to choose. But it may be fixed and not varying. In case of humans it is originated from mind.

While it is the source of evils, it is the source good as well. There are many who choose good out of the options. And others who choose evils out of the options.

Allowing both these options, the Creator identifies the good ones in the whole world.

Answer 3

Alas, evil is not a uniquely human characteristic.
One example:
Researchers have spent time extensively studying the behavior of Baboon society. Baboons can be MEAN. The physical violence prevalent among them aside, they have been observed employing various methods of mental cruelty. One specific instance I remember was an alpha male might let a lesser male "make time" with a lady baboon, and start getting the idea he might get lucky. The alpha watches, unobserved, and at some point makes his presence known to the couple, through a violent outburst. The alpha, having established that this woman was off limits to his counterpart, will stalk the male in an obvious fashion. This can be construed as nothing less than mental torture, the lesser male acting out his nervous, frightned mindset therafter.
Evil is not unique to humans. In fact it's rather conceited and arrogant to think it is.

Answer 4

I don't think so. Putting aside for a moment that "evil" is a notion created by humans to describe what we consider to be immoral, I think our instinct for survival is more akin to the root of evil than our freedom of choice.
This "evolved" instinct for survival is what spawns greed, lust for power and dominion over others, ego, and so on. When you consider it, everything that we ever do in life is for selfish purposes, all of which is ultimately for the purpose of survival. Even when we think we are doing something nice for somebody else we are only trying to satisfy our own emotions (it makes us feel good to help someone) because it bolsters our self confidence and attitude and makes us better able to cope with our environment. In some cases this can backfire and cause us to die or suffer trauma, such as when someone sacrifices his/herself for someone else. Emotion is generally what clouds our instinctive judgement in such cases.
If we don't have to worry about survival because all of our needs are fulfilled and we are impervious to death, then there would be no reason or desire for "evil" acts toward one another because it would serve no purpose. The only way to achieve this is probably to shed our corporeal existence via some form of evolution (biological or technological or both), provided that living as a body-less entity eliminates need. Fundamentally though, this may not be possible (I'm too tired to get into a physics/philosophy lecture right now). Striving for self-betterment is probably the best we can do for now.

Answer 5

Heeltap,

By the way,
TWH = The White House on 22 August, 2006?

If there were one source of evil,
life would be so less complicated.

Ability to choose is certainly a strong one.
Could the ability to think be a stronger one?

Without thinking, we could not choose,
and without choosing, we could not harm?

I cannot think, but I can choose.
Say there's a monkey, and you
throw him a couple of bananas.
He will not go for one right away,
rather, he will pick them up, smell
them, eye them, and finally, he
will choose one over the other.
And that, you call a 'selecting/choosing'
process.

See what I mean?
It's a toughie!!!

Answer 6

Yes, but it is also the source of all human good. Where there is no choice, there is no good or evil. A predator eats another animal. It has no choice in the matter; it is what it is. Therefore, we cannot deem the predator's act of eating another as good or evil. A predator's affinity for another animal's flesh cannot be considered vice or virtue. Only when conscious choice is introduced to the equation can there be evil ... or good.

Answer 7

That is both a Yes and a No! A yes because of
taking of the forbidden fruit in Time of Adam and Evil! A No cause there could be much more evil done by one if we were all under one
person or one entity's control. That is exactly what the devil wants to do to us take our free
will away and follow her/him instead of God!
In a sense our free will if used wisely keeps us
away from becoming evil! If we don't use our free will we lose it!

Answer 8

The real question is, we choose?

Evil is only a human point of view, no more. The source of all human evil maybe is the simple fact that we think, and by way on thinking we accept somethings and refuse others, in brief, while you are thinking you choose all the time. You give judgments.

Answer 9

No. The problem arises from the definition of evil, it is relative. Choice in and of itself is an illusion. We are never and have never been apart from the animals. We are, in some ways, just smarter.

Answer 10

All animals have the ability to choose. That's what life is all about. Even plants make choices.

Evil is an adjective invented to describe things that should be avoided. Poison Ivy is evil, wild blackberies are good.

The "source" of evil is whoever defines something to be evil. If I say that you are evil, then I am the source.