Illusions of Good & Evil

[Quintessence]

Nearly all human behavior - including assessments of "good" and "evil" is grounded in values. Those values are a product of life experiences and cultural environment. I wouldn't call that illusory. Subjective and contextual, perhaps, but not illusory.

 

[Audie]

Good and Evil are Illusions.

If two countries are at war.. The media on one side portrays the other as evil and wrong doing.
...And the opposing countries media shows the former as evil and wrong doing.

So, what's good? What's evil?

Isn't it strictly perception?

There's no ultimate world judge so who is to say? Shouldn't we all embrace our own light and darkness?

My family was in Hong Kong when the Japanese came to
visit in WW2.

DONT try to give me that "who is to say" garbage.

 

[Road Less Traveled]

At the end of the day, I know nothing.

In many instances, that is a sound way to approach matters unknown, or unsure of to oneself. By making no judgement(s).

 

[bobhikes]

"You just know" isn't a valid answer. To claim that you are sensible and people to think another way are assumed mentally ill seems kinda lazy. You don't know how they think. Sure, some may have the thought its bad and want to do it anyway where as others genuinely think its acceptable and will never suffer plague of negative haggling thought you describe. Just because I don't agree with what you are saying doesn't mean I don't understand it. I have done my fair share of good and evil as we all have. Never claim to know what others are thinking, its absurd.

How could you have done a fair share of good and evil when your OP claims they are illusions? If you know what evil is then define your value for me. I have defined mine. I know you don't agree with me because I have stated evil is real and you call it an illusion in a statement. Not all people are mentally ill if they don't agree with me and 99% of the population won't have my same morals, for example Killing another human can be considered evil by one person because of their moral code and not evil by another person because of their moral code. Personally I am fine with killing another person in certain circumstance. As I said evil is personal and subjective to your own code.

 

[Road Less Traveled]

If two countries are at war.. The media on one side portrays the other as evil and wrong doing.
...And the opposing countries media shows the former as evil and wrong doing.

Essentially: the government people make the decision, the military people are just doing what they’re told to do/what they have in themselves to do, the media’s paint pictures, the common people just listen to what is painted.

 

[Terry Sampson]

So, what's good? What's evil? Isn't it strictly perception? There's no ultimate world judge so who is to say? Shouldn't we all embrace our own light and darkness?

So you're the penultimate "lawless" man, eh? Nice. Just how lawless are you? Do civil laws and law enforcement authorities in your country temper your commitment to lawlessness just a little bit, during the light of day, or do you do what thou wilt anytime and anywhere you fancy doing so? Let me know if and when you're going to pass through my neighborhood and I'll send our neighborhood watch guys out to accompany you as you pass through.

 

[dybmh]

Good and Evil are Illusions.

If two countries are at war.. The media on one side portrays the other as evil and wrong doing.
...And the opposing countries media shows the former as evil and wrong doing.

So, what's good? What's evil?

Isn't it strictly perception?

There's no ultimate world judge so who is to say? Shouldn't we all embrace our own light and darkness?

I don't agree that good and evil are illusions.

What is good? Good is constructive.
What is evil? Evil is destructive.

Is it strictly perception? No. I don't think so. For small compartmentalized events, I think a person can judge good vs. evil accurately.

Is there an ultimate world Judge? I don't know for sure. But I hope so.

Should we all embrace our own light and our own darkness? If the wording you chose is intentional: "light" "darkness", then yes. I think we should all embrace our own light and darkness. Replacing the words "light" and "darkness" with "good" and "evil".... No. I don't think that we all should embrace our own "evil".

I think we should accept that our own behavior can be "evil". I think that on introspection and reflection, "evil" behavior is a result of mental illness and/or natural animalistic inclinations. But acceptance, IMHO, is not the same as embrace. I do not think people should embrace their mental illnesses and animalistic nature when it results in evil behavior.

 

[Erebus]

Nearly all human behavior - including assessments of "good" and "evil" is grounded in values. Those values are a product of life experiences and cultural environment. I wouldn't call that illusory. Subjective and contextual, perhaps, but not illusory.

Right.

Also it's worth noting that not believing in objective morality doesn't prevent you from having your own moral code. I may not believe that anything is objectively good or evil but I'm comfortable using those labels when I feel it's appropriate.

 

[Quintessence]

What is good? Good is constructive.
What is evil? Evil is destructive.

This is a good guideline provided we add the most important bit of all - values. Good is constructive with respect to that which the person values. Evil is destructive with respect to that which the person values. I add this because it is impossible to have construction without deconstruction. Our universe is governed by exchanges of energy, so nothing is created without something else being destroyed. The question is what you are okay with sacrificing, which is a question of values.

 

[Vee]

Good and Evil are Illusions.

If two countries are at war.. The media on one side portrays the other as evil and wrong doing.
...And the opposing countries media shows the former as evil and wrong doing.

So, what's good? What's evil?

Isn't it strictly perception?

There's no ultimate world judge so who is to say? Shouldn't we all embrace our own light and darkness?

I don't think it's strictly perception, although our perception can be influenced and manipulated, like in the example you mentioned.

Evil actions exist, and so do good actions. We see them everyday. I think most, if not all people, agree that sexually abuse a child is evil. We also agree that helping someone in need is good. There are many, many examples of good actions and evil actions.
I don't think that someone can be only good or only evil though. Sometimes good people do evil things and people who might not be very nice can do good things too (this advertisement comes to mind

) .
It's not black and white.

I think we should accept that we have, like you say, light and darkness, but we need to chose which one to use in the way we conduct our lives.

 

[Enoch07]

So is it their fault they think that way?

Maybe, maybe not, it is their choice to act on it or not.

Who's fault for thinking the way you do?

My abuser, probably.

Do you get to choose the thoughts that come in your head?

No, but I chose what actions I take despite what's in my head.

Or is it a recycling of experience?[/QUOTE

Could be, but doesn't have to be.

To me is naive to say I was told one thing is bad and another is good so ill believe what I was told.

I wasn't told anything, I experienced it.

Would you like to experience true evil so that you may see it and know the difference between an illusion and reality?

 

[David T]

Good and Evil are Illusions.

If two countries are at war.. The media on one side portrays the other as evil and wrong doing.
...And the opposing countries media shows the former as evil and wrong doing.

So, what's good? What's evil?

Isn't it strictly perception?

There's no ultimate world judge so who is to say? Shouldn't we all embrace our own light and darkness?

Well it may be a perception of a duality held in tension which is what!?
Singular.
So now you have one choice not two choices.

In star wars the jedi and the sith are the same. Both see into.
Which ever you choose reveals who you are. Who are you? Your choices and your actions after that reveal who you are. Regardless.

Be kind,... Is the proper path. Fail and you will only discover, be kind is the proper path. Really only one choice. Not much freewill actually but also not deterministic either.

 

[Vinayaka]

Good and Evil are Illusions.

If two countries are at war.. The media on one side portrays the other as evil and wrong doing.
...And the opposing countries media shows the former as evil and wrong doing.

So, what's good? What's evil?

Isn't it strictly perception?

There's no ultimate world judge so who is to say? Shouldn't we all embrace our own light and darkness?

It's simple really. For those who adhere to the good/evil paradigm (I certainly don't) the way I think is good, and the way others think is evil. Not much more to it than that. I'm right (good) and you're wrong (evil).

 

[Jos]

It's simple really. For those who adhere to the good/evil paradigm (I certainly don't) the way I think is good, and the way others think is evil. Not much more to it than that. I'm right (good) and you're wrong (evil).

Do you believe everything is indifferent?

 

[Vinayaka]

Do you believe everything is indifferent?

Not sure what you mean by indifferent.

 

[osgart]

Ridiculously false! This illusion crud is willful blindness to reality. Yack!

 

[Jos]

Not sure what you mean by indifferent.

Nothing is good or evil... there is just neutrality.

 

[Vinayaka]

Nothing is good or evil... there is just is neutrality.

No I don't believe that either. I believe it's a continuum, ranging from what is against dharma, (adharmic) to what is of dharma. Life is complicated. But nothing is pure evil, or pure goodness. It's all on a range.

 

[Jos]

Just because I think its evil I don't know how to justify it as such with the label because I have nothing to base anything. At the end of the day, I know nothing.

I'm in the same place as you are with respect to my understanding of morality. I feel as though I know nothing about it. The entire topic is complex IMO and I can't seem to figure it out. On the one hand, it seems to be objective, then on the other hand it seems to be subjective but then again it also seems to be illusory and nonexistent at times. I honestly don't know what to believe. I feel as though certain actions are good and evil but I see no objective basis on which to ground them and so it all seems subjective and personal but then I begin to think that the universe and nature is ultimately indifferent and so it makes no sense to call anything moral or immoral but then it I think about it a little more and morals seem to be objective again and so I go back and forth in circles trying to understand the nature of morality but it doesn't seem as though I'll get an answer anytime soon.

 

[Neutral Name]

Good and Evil are Illusions.

If two countries are at war.. The media on one side portrays the other as evil and wrong doing.
...And the opposing countries media shows the former as evil and wrong doing.

So, what's good? What's evil?

Isn't it strictly perception?

There's no ultimate world judge so who is to say? Shouldn't we all embrace our own light and darkness?

I'm sorry but I believe that some things are truly evil. Child abuse, spousal abuse, murder, cheating old people out of their life savings, human trafficking, defrauding people in the name of God and so many more things are evil.