Is it better for a person to choose to be bad than to be forced to be good?

Question

If you found this question interesting than you should read/watch A Clock Work Orange.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_clockwork_orange

Answer 1

One does not realize one's purpose in virtue if virtue is coerced, it must be chosen by a relatively free act of the will. But your question carries with it the implication that to be free is essentially better than good or evil-- and that simply reveals a prejudice of modernity. Freedom is only what it is intended to be if it is directed toward its proper end-- which is goodness. One is not free if one is held captive to the proclivities of evil or the performance of evil deeds. "Choosing" to be bad means that one is not free.

Answer 2

Yay Clockwork Orange, loved that book!

I personally think that everyone has an internal moral code independent of society's rules. It may be that the code adheres to society's rules, it may be that they are entirely different, but as long as people adhere to that internal code then they are doing what they beleive to be good. Forcing someone to do what is against their moral code is then bad, even if it makes them more socially good.

As for choosing to be bad, I think that in situations where we choose between so called right and wrong we assess the situation selfishly, i.e. what is the lowest risk, and what is the highest gain if I do this. A lot of the time, people won't help others because it's too high risk, or too low gain to do it, and then I believe that they are choosing to be bad, rather than be forced to be good. I think it depends onthe situation really. But good and bad are so subjective, it's so har to tell.

Answer 3

This is an interesting question. Lots of children grow up to think their parents forced them to be good. This is a bunch of "malarky." We just wanted our children to be christians and to have eternal life. When you "grow up", you need to quit blaming parents for things they did not expose you to. In other words, I got into sin because you did not expose me to it when I was little, so it was so enticing and etc. and etc. I will never hold that a person should choose a "bad" way of life (whatever that is). Some parents try and do the best they can and still their children turn out wrong. All we can do is pray for them all the time. Where there is life, there is hope. Please think about this and let it make sense to you.

Answer 4

Interesting question, had me thinking for a while..

In the end it's obvious though; it's better for everyone else if a bad person be forced to do good, but not better for the bad person. I guess, placed in society, you have to look at the greater good- therefore keeping those with bad intentions away from others.

Answer 5

I would never force anyone to be good. Force often leads to resistance and forcing someone to do this can have the opposite effect.

Those who choose to be bad are also looking to be punished for something. If you know that doing something bad will result in a punishment then, it is the punishment that you seek. There are enough masochistic people to demonstrate this point.

Answer 6

Depends on who's view-point you are looking from.

From the person being forced to good...of course it's not good for them. If they want to be bad, they will not be pleased to be have to be good.

From society's view, it would be better for the person to be forced to be good IF they could not eventually act out in even worse ways than they would before: from being bottled up with rage for so long.

You also have to have a firm understanding of what equates bad and good. It's different for everyone.

Answer 7

I don't think a person can be forced to be good. I think the very force used in such a case will backfire nine times out of ten. Goodness is just inside a person and present in many of their choices, or it isn't.

As for choosing to be bad, unless it's on a small scale and occasional, I don't think a person can choose to be bad, either. They are truly bad or they aren't, that's all there is to that.

Answer 8

There really is no one answer to this. If a bad person is, well, bad, then everything he or she does that is bad will be whole hearted, and genuine. A bad person forced to be good will not contribute to this idea of "greater good," because he or she will not pour his or her heart and soul into his or her actions.

It depends on whether productivity or efficiency of ones actions are in question, and whether or not morality is in question. I would say being genuine in your actions would be the best solution, because more will be accomplished.

Answer 9

I think a person who is forced to be good is really not good at all. A person who is forced to be good would probably choose to be bad, so really they are virtually the same thing. 0.o

Answer 10

for me its better to choose to be good.,

basically, we all rather choose to be forced to be good, because thats whats happening in our world, the more we are forced to be good, the more we wanted to do bad but I know that someday which i guess is true is that good persons will have their reward in time for God will grant us everything that we ask maybe not now but at the right time,. in addition to it, to be good needs or requires us to sacrifice something, meaning we need to be forced to give up our bad habits for example.

Always remember Jesus said take up your cross so i guess for us to have a little chance to save our souls better if we will choose to be good.

goodbless