I believe that most of us are born with a sane mind. Yet some people, due to social consequences ( like child abuse, rape, rejection, discrimination...), grow to become Monsters.
But that doesn't make this person "Evil".
It just makes him "someone with a mental dysfunction".
Why would someone like Hueng-Sui massacre 32 people, hadn't he been so phucked up in his "mind"?
Hence, my question is: is it accurate to judge people as GOOD and EVIL? Or should we rather say SANE and INSANE? Can we control our mind disorders?
Take Switzerland for example. Most Swiss are atheists, yet the crime rate there is very low.
I believe that a modern just society like that of Switzerland is more effective than a "prayer", for conquering "evil".
2007-05-14 17:01:14 · 20 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
No.Good and evil are human concepts, and subject to change as the society sees fit.There are a few things that do seem to remain constant, but not totally ieThere are very few societies that advocate killing and eating your parents.However in some cultures it is considered shameful NOT to...
2007-05-14 17:10:59 · answer #1 · answered by otterscantdance 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
No. The closest you can get to right and wrong (in science) is ethical values that either make the society more successful or less successful. More successful = right. Less successful = wrong (from a purely scientific standpoint).
Turns out that societies that value compassion and love are more successful, and societies that value murder and rape are less successful - that's why there isn't a nation of murdering rapists running the world (for the most part - think what you want about America - I don't think it fits that definition).
Also, there are moral gray areas, so I don't think a classification of either 'sane' or 'insane' really cuts it.
Why not ask this in the science section? The question is clearly science-related.
2007-05-14 17:08:54 · answer #2 · answered by Dylan H 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't think there is such a thing as Good and Evil.
I think we, and the media, label these "monsters" as evil to disassociate ourselves with the monsters as much as possible. We are all capable of doing terrible things. I know I very nearly murdered someone and I think if I was any less of a person (or any less sane, perhaps) , I would have gone through with it. We just don't like to believe that we can sometimes be very close to doing terrible things.
People like to throw the word "evil" around, for people like Hitler, and they forget that Hitler was elected, and that eugenics was a very popular "science" back in the day. If WWII hadn't happened, would eugenics ever have become a bad word? Would we still describe Hitler as being evil? Quite honestly, I don't think so.
The Nazis certainly did a lot of horrible things, but while no one was looking, a lot of National Socialist policies and tactics have crept into modern mainstream politics.
2007-05-14 17:19:05 · answer #3 · answered by Tao 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Well, science doesn't speak of good or evil.
Myself, I tend to abuse the word 'evil' -- using it for anything from really chocolatey chocolate, to a really great snide remark.
I don't think in those terms.
There's good and harm, damage.
And there are clear-minded, long-sighted people, and deeply confused people, messed up people.
If fewer of our young were severely damaged, we'd have much less "evil" down the road.
In the specific case you mentioned, people had noted that he needed serious psychiatric help, but that was ignored.
He "fell through the cracks" and so those people died, and more were traumatized.
I think we'd be much better off if we thought in terms of healing and helping -- rather than in terms of punishment and notions like "evil".
2007-05-14 18:52:33 · answer #4 · answered by tehabwa 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
How then do yo account for the masses who do insane acts? Were all the Nazi's insane? Can it be scientifically proven they were all insane? How about the communists or any groups that commit mass murders? Were they all simply insane? Can this be proven? I do believe in the concept of good and evil. Though some may deny this their actions betray them. If someone steals from them they call the police or try and take back what they believe is rightfully theirs. If they feel they are treated unfairly the complain or try and remedy the situation. By their actions they show they believe that morality truly exists. Our actions show what we really believe.
2007-05-14 17:12:25 · answer #5 · answered by Edward J 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Many crimes were and still are committed in name of God and religion, which in some cases is taught without tolerance (or even, with hate) of different beliefs.
If many of the Swiss don't believe in God, that is a big less source of problems to worry about.
2007-05-14 17:12:28 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Good / Evil , Sane / Insane , do the crime do the time.
2007-05-14 17:05:00 · answer #7 · answered by S.O.S. 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Objectively (meaning with out a human centered viewpoint), there is no good or evil. There is only more or less harmful or helpful. (And even that is not divorced from a human perspective.)
2007-05-14 17:10:01 · answer #8 · answered by NHBaritone 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
People choose to murder. If we went by what you have suggested, then any mass murderer could just say "I was insane". Murder is evil and murderers and rapist would use sane and insane for a justification for killing people. There is no justification for murder and rape.
2007-05-14 17:16:24 · answer #9 · answered by tracy211968 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes, good can be defined as anything that is advantageous, beneficial, or pleasing. bad is anything that is detremental, unpleasant, or threatening. all of these things are, obviously, completely open to the interpretations of the individual. as far as controlling mental disorders, who's to say that their reality is not as real as ours, or that we have the problem and they know the truth? we cant say because reality is an individual affair.
2007-05-14 17:14:14 · answer #10 · answered by phallacide 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋