Does Good And Evil Exist?

[Dubbelosix]

I'd be prone to think good and evil are words attributed to the actions of men, so men can be evil or good. But does good and evil as we understand it exist? Why for instance, do the majority of humans find themselves ruled by their empathy? Is it just an evolutionary facet or is there something more to it, concerning maybe the nature of the universe?

 

Of course, concepts of right and wrong, good and evil, can not only be appreciated by intelligent animals, like ourselves. Mice have shown to have levels of empathy, perhaps. Other animals have shown regards for other animals in distress.

 

Please, contribute if you have anything to say about the subject.

[Vee]

No They Only Exist When Opinions Are Formed and even then they are illusions you've manifested.

[Deepwater6]

They may only exist as opinions, but they do exist in some form or another and to make this convo. easier to understand lets use good and evil as a description of the subject. There is an old movie called K-PAX starring Kevin Spacey and Jeff Bridges. Spacey plays the part of an alien inside a human body and he is committed to a mental health facility as no one believes he is extraterrestrial.

 

During his sessions with Jeff Bridges who plays the doctor treating him Bridges asks what his world is like. He asks how societal structure works on Spacey's home planet K-PAX. Spacey explains that there are no lawyers no laws. Puzzled by this Bridges asks "how do people on your planet know right from wrong?" His response is "every being in the universe knows right from wrong."

 

I often think about that, especially when I watch the documentaries about the genocide that took place during the 2nd world war and watch what Japan did in China and of course the Germans atrocities against the Jews.

 

I think about the mindset of the soldiers who carried out this horrific loss of life. Did they all think they were doing wrong, but did so under orders? Did they, all or most feel it was a good thing to do so to exterminate the perceived groups of people who can cause harm to the greater population?

 

To be honest there are times I purposely do wrong, nothing diabolical, but I often travel faster than the posted speed limit is this evil? I believe everyone is on their own good and evil sliding scale. Where trading child pornography may be acceptable to some it is the worst of the worst to others. Where insider trading, insurance fraud and pyramid schemes are viewed by some as victimless crimes are they evil or just wrong and is there a difference?