Can People Be Inherently Evil?

[Portzania]

No one can deny evidence of people in the world doing evil things, and humans in general doing horrible acts.

However, in my opinion I do not think the human itself is unredeemable evil for doing evil acts (In the culture's definition of such acts), and can be rehabilitated and made into a decent, or even a good person. The evil actions that a person does is more of a result of ignorance from their surroundings or the values of their society rather than that of themselves.

What do you think?

[Floofybit]

No one is born evil

[Andronya]

Yes and no
A lot of people like to forget that humans do have a natural impulse towards evil, HOWEVER; we also have a natural impulse towards good, we're a combination of both.

[Kenmoria]

Without humans, there would be no standard against which the goodness or evilness of a human could exist. The world would be one of perfect amorality. With one human, there would be but one standard, so that human would be inherently good, at least so far as the present is concerned, for nobody thinks of himself or herself as a villain. Evil could exist only in retrospect.

With more than one human, of course, there are competing standards, and it is this clash which generates the moral diversity that forms the basis for societal progress. However, that is not inherent, because it is contingent on a meeting between these humans. Therefore, inherently, humans are good. No single person can be inherently evil, because evil is a result of a moral conversation, rather than a monologue.

[Portzania]

No single person can be inherently evil, because evil is a result of a moral conversation, rather than a monologue.

I can agree with this terminology.

[Zanderlock]

No one is born evil

*Inhales*
Jeffery Dahmer
John Wayne Gacy
Ed Gein
Edmund Kemper
Irma Grese
Vlad The Impaler
Charles Manson
The Zodiac Killer
Jack The Ripper
May I name more, or should I stop?

[Andronya]

No one is born evil

*Inhales*
Jeffery Dahmer
John Wayne Gacy
Ed Gein
Edmund Kemper
Irma Grese
Vlad The Impaler
Charles Manson
The Zodiac Killer
Jack The Ripper
May I name more, or should I stop?

They're moral relativists, even if you provided them with a billion examples they'd still think it's all relative

[Dimetrodon Empire]

Yes, they're called psychopaths.

Richard Ramirez, Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, Jeffrey Dhamer, amonst others.

Born without a moral compass, guilt, or even the ability to feel fear, they are the real life versions of one dimensional villains that are deemed crappy writing in story telling. Evil for its own sake, as it brings them pleasure to harm others, with no more of a thought than one would dispose of a cardboard box they would end someone's life.

The reason why they're like that are due to various genes in their DNA.

Psychopaths are often serial killers... and in the CEO office of major corporations.

[Exarkyon]

No one can deny evidence of people in the world doing evil things, and humans in general doing horrible acts.

However, in my opinion I do not think the human itself is unredeemable evil for doing evil acts (In the culture's definition of such acts), and can be rehabilitated and made into a decent, or even a good person. The evil actions that a person does is more of a result of ignorance from their surroundings or the values of their society rather than that of themselves.

What do you think?

Humans are fallen; we have impulses to evil. We are not completely fallen; we have impulses towards good.

Nobody is truly impossible to redeem unless they choose not to be. That choice is not made with any act, but by refusing to accept redemption.

Re-stated positively:

Anyone can be redeemed if they are willing.

[Rakhalia]

"evil" is a moralistic cope used by people to describe things they dislike. there's no big source of 'evil' and all things have social prerogatives, no matter how fucked up or twisted they may be. it's just a filler so people don't have to try and think about and explain the more complex phenomena behind human behaviour.

[The Astral Mandate]

While we are drawn toward some evil deeds, we have a moral compass (most of us), even if it is flawed.

[Portzania]

"evil" is a moralistic cope used by people to describe things they dislike. there's no big source of 'evil' and all things have social prerogatives, no matter how fucked up or twisted they may be. it's just a filler so people don't have to try and think about and explain the more complex phenomena behind human behaviour.

What do you consider being morally "bad" then? Morals are subjective as it varies from culture to culture. Do you have morals? Or do you think we should get rid of such terms?

[Rakhalia]

"evil" is a moralistic cope used by people to describe things they dislike. there's no big source of 'evil' and all things have social prerogatives, no matter how fucked up or twisted they may be. it's just a filler so people don't have to try and think about and explain the more complex phenomena behind human behaviour.

What do you consider being morally "bad" then? Morals are subjective as it varies from culture to culture. Do you have morals? Or do you think we should get rid of such terms?

i got personal morals but i don't recognise them as some universal moral code, because that would require me to believe in some higher metaphysical authority -- which i dont. really, what we consider a valid "moral compass" is just what's broadly accepted and not accepted by the society around us.

[The Astral Mandate]

What do you consider being morally "bad" then? Morals are subjective as it varies from culture to culture. Do you have morals? Or do you think we should get rid of such terms?

i got personal morals but i don't recognise them as some universal moral code, because that would require me to believe in some higher metaphysical authority -- which i dont. really, what we consider a valid "moral compass" is just what's broadly accepted and not accepted by the society around us.

Contractarianism?

[Rakhalia]

i got personal morals but i don't recognise them as some universal moral code, because that would require me to believe in some higher metaphysical authority -- which i dont. really, what we consider a valid "moral compass" is just what's broadly accepted and not accepted by the society around us.

Contractarianism?

in the hobbesian sense?

[The Astral Mandate]

Contractarianism?

in the hobbesian sense?

Yes

[New Zoigai]

Yes, everyone is born with qualities that could make them evil should they cultivate them, they are also born with vice-versa

[Rakhalia]

in the hobbesian sense?

Yes

nah fuck that lmao

[Bewaffnete Krafte]

"evil" is a moralistic cope used by people to describe things they dislike. there's no big well of evil and all things have social prerogatives, no matter how fucked up or twisted they may be. it's just a filler so people don't have to try and think about and explain the more complex phenomena behind human behaviour.

Bullshit. Things are bad. Society agrees on it. We didn't make it up, it's been a part of human nature to be good to others or disgusted by evil actions for as long as we have existed. Evil's definition has changed, but its always been around, and its very real. Fuck the "everything's relative" argument, because its not. The vast, vast majority of humans agree that certain things are off limits. We might not all agree on the specifics but evil is still a thing. Evil's more real than language or farming.

[Valentine Z]

A person or two may have wake up evil, eat breakfast evilly, go to work evilly, knock over a co-worker's coffee cup, ate evil lunch, do evil work, go back home, take a hot evil shower, and then finally sleeping it off, thinking evil thoughts and dreams of malice. And they repeat this until they die. Then they go to an underworld not to get punished, but to become devil's little helper.

At least, that's my silly thoughts.

[Rakhalia]

Bullshit. Things are bad. Society agrees on it. We didn't make it up, it's been a part of human nature to be good to others or disgusted by evil actions for as long as we exist. Evil's definition has changed, but its always been around, and its very real.

In some societies, contemporary and historical, paedophilia was considered socially acceptable. People even considered it to be healthy. It disgusts you and I to be sure, but such a vast breach between moral consensuses would suggest that there's no real binding sense of morality among all human beings.

[Risottia]

No one is born evil

EVERYONE is born evil, that is, utterly selfish. Good is acquired through education.

[Page]

Evil is really quite irrelevant. The suffering inflicted by the likes of twisted motherfuckers like Albert Fish is just a tiny fraction of the aggregate suffering in this world. Many of us might go through our entire lives without ever crossing paths with a willfully malicious person. It's people who sincerely believe they're doing the right thing you have to watch out for.

Anyway, I don't care what people intend, I care what people do and what the reprecussions of their actions are.

[Andronya]

No one is born evil

EVERYONE is born evil, that is, utterly selfish. Good is acquired through education.

Even that position is more acceptable than the moral-relativism one.

[Bewaffnete Krafte]

Bullshit. Things are bad. Society agrees on it. We didn't make it up, it's been a part of human nature to be good to others or disgusted by evil actions for as long as we exist. Evil's definition has changed, but its always been around, and its very real.

In some societies, contemporary and historical, paedophilia was considered socially acceptable. People even considered it to be healthy. It disgusts you and I to be sure, but such a vast breach between moral consensuses would suggest that there's no real binding sense of morality among all human beings.

So? Humans have always agreed that at least something was evil, on the local scale or the global scale. Perceptions of evil can differ over time or culture, but evil still exists and the idea of evil is baked into human conscience.