Are People Capable Of Goodness?

[Kowani]

Given an incentive, people will do good.

[Diahon]

Yes.

It is up to them to choose to do good, however.

[Cameroi]

completely capable of, just as apes and wolves and even cats.

just not by hating logic, or equating aggressive inconsiderateness with freedom.

and goodness IS consideration, it also takes logic to avoid causing harm. logic in the service of consideration.
but it doesn't take rocket science to be logical or considerate either.

nor does the existence or nonexistence of self aware nonphysical beings have anything to do with it.

i define goodness as the avoidance of causing suffering and harm though, because any other definition seems to me rather pointless.

[-Ocelot-]

All humans can be good, you just need to give them proper incentives.

[TRIEADMORE]

Oh yes.People are always capable of good, even totally or really really good.Everyone is always capable of being very very bad too.Some exist in a grey zone where every thing is not simply black or white. It’s not bad to be good.It’s not bad to be bad sometimes.

I’m saying this in 2020,when nothing’s going right.I try to keep a smile on my face this year in public and society but deep inside I cry.But I’m trying to move on to a brighter future now,if nothing else goes wrong this year.

[Nuroblav]

To answer the title: Yes, people are capable of doing 'good', depending on what standards we're talking about here.

To answer the question posed in the OP: I don't think 'entirely good' is really an ideal standard to set - I have never heard of, or come across, someone who is entirely perfect (although some have arguably come close). I think everyone is capable, but it would still be extremely hard, albeit a tiny bit easier with incentive.

[Echellia]

Yes

[Geneviev]

Given an incentive, people will do good.

If they need an incentive, are they really good?

[Noahs Second Country]

There's the argument that pure altruism doesn't exist - effectively everyone will do an action for some greater incentive, whether they are conscious of it or not.

[Echellia]

I remember many years ago, there was an incident right here on NS when a user posted that he was going through some rough times and implied that he was thinking of committing suicide. Instead of people trolling him and trying to make him feel worse (which I have seen happen on this site a couple times), a very large portion of the community came together to track him down and reach out to his RL friends and family to help him. The mods even allowed a DoS to come back to help, and help they did. It was beautiful. If this isn't goodness, I don't know what is.

[Latvijas Otra Republika]

Neither good or bad, just people.

[Dogmeat]

Yes.

But I may be biased because they feed me, and then follow me around with a plastic bag to recollect my food.

[Major-Tom]

Are people capable of being good? With such a broad question, the answer is yes, of course. Are people always good, and do they always act altruistically? No.

Humans are neither inherently good nor inherently evil, we're social animals who care for one another, but factors such as external environment, a need to attain status in a competitive world, and even genetic and biological factors in some ultimately determine who is more altruistic and selfless than others.

[Northwest Slobovia]

The poll needs more categories, since there's a big gap between "sometimes" and "always".

[x] People are good most of the time, but can be led into evil.

[Northwest Slobovia]

Given an incentive, people will do good.

If they need an incentive, are they really good?

Does it matter? If somebody dives into a river to save a drowning person because they believe it will get them their five minutes of fame, they still have taken on a great risk to save a life. That seems good by itself.

[Ethel mermania]

Can we do good? Yes
Can one be good by nature? I would say yes
Can one always be or do good? I think not.


And that is before we try and get to the definition of what "good" is.

[Post War America]

Yes.

But I may be biased because they feed me, and then follow me around with a plastic bag to recollect my food.

Yeah but like don't they load you down with junk to carry? and expose you to raider gunfire?

[Kowani]

Given an incentive, people will do good.

If they need an incentive, are they really good?

The incentive-rational or not-is the motivator for all action.

[Geneviev]

If they need an incentive, are they really good?

Does it matter? If somebody dives into a river to save a drowning person because they believe it will get them their five minutes of fame, they still have taken on a great risk to save a life. That seems good by itself.

It's a good action, yes. But I don't know if the person is good if they're only thinking of themselves.

[West Leas Oros 2]

Capable, yes.

[Northwest Slobovia]

Does it matter? If somebody dives into a river to save a drowning person because they believe it will get them their five minutes of fame, they still have taken on a great risk to save a life. That seems good by itself.

It's a good action, yes. But I don't know if the person is good if they're only thinking of themselves.

True, thinking only of themselves isn't good, but in my example, they are thinking another person as well. They always have the option of just walking away, which seems indefensible.

Obviously, people who can't swim, or who know that they can't rescue a drowning person -- I've read it's dangerous, because drowning people tend to pull their rescuers down in their desperation -- shouldn't jump in, but there are other things they can do (throw them something that floats, call 911, etc). Which, again, even with fame in mind, seems good... and that's what we see people doing.

[Torisakia]

No. Everyone always has an ulterior motive.

[Geneviev]

It's a good action, yes. But I don't know if the person is good if they're only thinking of themselves.

True, thinking only of themselves isn't good, but in my example, they are thinking another person as well. They always have the option of just walking away, which seems indefensible.

Obviously, people who can't swim, or who know that they can't rescue a drowning person -- I've read it's dangerous, because drowning people tend to pull their rescuers down in their desperation -- shouldn't jump in, but there are other things they can do (throw them something that floats, call 911, etc). Which, again, even with fame in mind, seems good... and that's what we see people doing.

Considering things like that isn't wrong. But I still don't believe that thinking only of yourself and fame, of all things, is good.

[West Leas Oros 2]

Generally though, most people are assholes.

[Old Tyrannia]

Not by themselves, no. I follow the Augustinian view that man is held in bondage to sin, and incapable of true goodness without the intervention of God.