...Have you ever wondered about the difference between good and evil? Have you ever thought about why no ever really talks about it? The difference between good and evil is that they are quality judgments, just like hot and cold, light and dark, and near and far are quality judgments. Quality judgments are evaluations that we humans make relative to our own experience as human beings. Hot is what is hot to us. Far is what is far to us. Good is what is good to us. Evil is what is bad to us. Good and evil are quality judgments that we make relative to ourselves and our experiences here on Earth. But if good and evil are quality judgments, what's the quantity being judged? And what's the phenomena being quantified? At a glance I would say that the quantity that good and evil qualify is morality. Good and evil are moral evaluations, so morality is the scale being used to quantify the phenomena. And if morality is a scale we are using to quantify a phenomenon, then the phenomena would by definition be human behavior, as morality applies only to human behavior. Or to view it from the other way round, there is a perceived phenomenon that we define as human behavior. We measure the range of that behavior using morality as our scale, and we qualify this range of morality as being good or evil depending upon how it affects us experientially. So essentially, then, good and evil are quality judgments passed by ourselves, relative to ourselves, about ourselves. Some of us are really not...
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...share many similarities. The storyline develops as Ultima comes to live with the Marez y Luna family during the last of her days. Antonio, the young boy, witnesses the deaths of Lupitio and Narciso causing him to face the reality that everything living is everything that dies. Throughout the book and movie, Antonio constantly struggles between choosing his mother’s wish for him to become a priest or becoming vaquero like the men on his father’s side of the family. Each of these choices were equally honorable. There is also an ongoing battle between good and evil in the village; Ultima, representing the good being, and the evil of Tenorio and his witch daughters. In the end, as in all good stories, good destroys evil and Antonio recognizes that change has brought him peace. He understands wisdom and has a better understanding of his reality. I found that there were more similarities between the book and the movie than there were differences. Although, I noticed in the movie that the Golden Carp was nonexistent compared to the written literature. In the book, the Golden Carp was God-like to Antonio where he was constantly going back and forth between the beliefs of God and the ways of the Golden Carp. Anaya states, “The orange of the golden carp appeared at the edge of the pond. As he came out of the darkness of the pond the sun caught his shiny scales and the light reflected orange and yellow and red. He swam very close to our feet. His body was round and smooth in the clear water...
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...What is the “Problem of Evil”? What is the difference, if there is a difference, between so-called “moral evil” and “natural evil”? How exactly does John Hick, in his essay “Problem of Evil”, solve the problem of both “Moral evil” and “natural evil”? Do you think that either or both, of Hick’s solutions is really able to solve what appears to be a unique problem of evil in Arthur C. Clarke’s short story, “The Star”? Unhappiness, as a whole, is a challenge to the idea of good. When one hears or discovers about the disasters or the pain and suffering of wars, violence, earthquakes and killings it is safe to ask one’s self, what the problem of evil is. Investigating the short story “Problem of Evil” written by John Hick the author talks about the differences in “moral evil” and “natural evil” while defining the main question with god and evil. Furthermore in “moral evil” and “natural evil” John Hicks explanations are studied throughout the short story titled The Star by Arthur C. Clark. The problem that is most debated among believers and non-believers of God is the problem of evil. This debate is due to the belief of the omnipotence of God, saying how he is all loving, all powerful and all knowing. For all these meanings of God, there is a major defect, if the almighty is capable of revealing these abilities then how could he let evil enter into the world. If he is all- loving, then why is there so much hatred revolving around us and ultimately, If he is all-powerful, then should...
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...use of Scripture in their presentations with the use of and the reference of the likeness of God. How man was created out of the likeness of God. Irenaeus of Lyon talks about the perfection of God and how …”God was not born and always remains the same, he can do anything, as far as depends on himself.” (Irenaeus of Lyon pg. 23) God created things to be lesser than him and how everything needs to have a beginning to learn and grow. God could have created things to be perfect but he needed people to figure things out for themselves to raise a true heart to then be blessed and receive God upon death. Irenaeus of Lyon uses good and evil as references in his presentation and how everything is born with the understanding of good and evil and need to be tempted by this evil to find a true good. “By grasping the nature of what is opposed to the sweet and good, it will never again try to taste disobedience to God.” (Irenaeus of Lyon pg. 27) Gregory also uses the true of heart from scripture for his presentation over and over again; “Blessed are the pure at heart, for they shall see God.” (Gregory of Nyssa pg. 29) He references the apostles and how they say “for no one can see God and live” (Gregory of Nyssa pg. 29) How there is a promised blessedness throughout both presentations through the discovery of self and awareness of self. Wisdom is big in the presentation of Gregory of Nyssa. “It is possible, through the wisdom perceptible in all things, to perceive aptly him who made...
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...position in the Confucian tradition as Mencius’s belief that human nature is originally good has often been interpreted into certain sayings of Confucius. Additionally, Xunzi’s claim that human nature is “evil” and that people can be transformed to become good may be inconsistent, as they imply Mencius’s claim that human nature is inherently good. For this reason, it is crucial to analyze both thinkers separately as integration of one thinker’s original thought to another may obscure the important aspects of the assimilated thinker’s position. Secondly, this method of analysis will show that the debate is not one conducted from extreme opposites as it may seem at first sight, for both Mencius and Xunzi agreed that man must cultivate his goodness consciously regardless of whether he is born with it or acquires it from the state. The differences in their views on human nature lead to the ultimate difference of interpretation of the betterment of human nature. Although both philosophers had differences, their ultimate goal was to suggest that human beings can be good and this is what the state needed in such a crucial time in China’s history. To elaborate further on human nature, it is crucial to look at its development within each philosopher’s teachings. Mencius, being the idealist that he was, believed in the innate goodness of man. He believed that man's ability to learn how to be a good and responsible citizen stems from and thrives upon his innate...
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...similarities and differences between the Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault’s versions of Cinderella are that in both stories Cinderella’s mother dies and her father marries a cruel stepmother who treats Cinderella poorly. Another similarity between the two is she was forced to wear poor clothes while her step sisters wear the finest silk dresses, and is forced to do chores for her stepmother and sisters. Also in both stories when the festival comes for the prince to find a bride, she helps her step sisters do their hair for the party. Some differences to state would be that in the Brothers Grimm story she never had a fairy godmother that gave her the gowns, but planted a tree by her mother’s grave from which a bird would bring the gowns. Also in the Brothers Grimm version, the festival takes place in three consecutive days during which she goes in the dresses a bird brings to her. A third difference is the older step-sister cuts off her big toe and the younger step-sister cuts off some of her heel (Grimm and Scharl 122-125). Some similarities and differences between the Brothers Grimm story and Disney’s film of Snow White are that in both the story and movie the Evil Queen tries to have the Huntsman kill Snow White, and he fails to do so. Another similarity between the two is that ends up living with seven dwarfs who love her dearly. Also in both the Evil Queen tries killing her with a poisoned apple. Some differences to note is that in the story, in the book the Evil Queen asks...
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...Minkoff and Allers present a clear difference between good and evil, whereas Shakespeare’s depiction of good and evil character in Hamlet is not so clear. The characters in The Lion King are categorised almost immediately in the orientation of the film, with the image of the characters giving the audience a clear picture of who the suspected betrayer is. However in the play Hamlet it’s a lot more difficult to label the characters as good or evil, the audience cannot be certain that Claudius is evil until the climax when he reacts to the play organised by Hamlet. There is a clear distinction between good and bad in The Lion King, this makes the audience highly suspect scar’s future betrayal of Mufasa and Simba. While in Hamlet we can never be sure about which characters to trust, as it’s difficult to ascertain whether Claudius is guilty for Hamlet’s (King) death because of his overly normal personality and lack in signs of guilt and worriedness. This indicates to the audience that Claudius is a calm and logical person, while it is then young Hamlet that is viewed to be untrustworthy due to his constant displays of madness. In The Lion King Scar is depleted as a skinny full grown adult male lion with a black mane, green eyes and a brown dark dirty fur complexion. Scars description connotes that he’s an unusual lion, most likely evil and unable to be trusted. Certain traits and events in The Lion King sets upon the audience that scar is evil, an example of this can be found in...
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...Throughout all of history people have been writing about the temptations of mankind and their rise to glory and honour, which can ultimately lead to their demise. Through the three plays Agamemnon by Aeschylus, Oedipus the King by Sophocles and Hippolytus by Euripides, there are three prevalent themes. These are the role of the gods, the difference between good and evil and human responsibilities. All three of these tragedies reveal the importance of the role the gods play to mankind. The gods have control over mankind and sometimes use them as pawns to achieve their ambitions; the gods also ensure that each individual’s fate is secured. The tragedies also reveal to the audience the difference between good and evil; quite often the individual’s good intentions are misconstrued and in turn cause them to do evil. Another common theme in the tragedies is the responsibility of humanity; although often tempted or controlled by the gods individuals need to learn to control their emotions and take responsibility for their own actions. The role the gods play is an essential part of the Greek tragedies and without them the stories would be drastically different. The role of the gods is to watch over the people and ensure that they fulfill their destiny. In the ancient times, they believed that each person’s life was determined by destiny or fate, which they could not escape; no matter what a person does to avoid their fate, the gods made sure that their destiny was fulfilled. An individual’s...
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...There have been so many cliffhangers in The Walking Dead that make viewers keep coming back to watch more. There is no line between good and evil characters, they all do bad things and they all do good things that can complicate the plot even more. No viewer knows what way the plot is going to go. There is always time for unexpected turns. With The Boondock Saints, there is a clear line between good and evil characters. You can always expect the good characters to come out on top of the evil characters. It is easy to predict what the outcome of the film will be. The difference between the plot of television shows and films is very clear. The creators of films have to take time into consideration when thinking about a complex plot. They have to make a clean ending that their viewers can understand. Television shows have the ability to create a very complex plot because they have the time to make a clean and neat...
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...View of Good and Evil: Hinduism and Jainism Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation View of Good and Evil: Hinduism and Jainism Good and evil are seen as forces that compete for dominance in a person and the world. Sometimes there is an ethnocentric idea that ‘our’ group is the good one, and all outsiders are ‘evil’. This approach can lead to wars and conflicts. These beliefs also vary from one religion to another. In addition, they differ in their views on the cause of evil and good in the world. This essay will discuss this view based on the Hinduism and the Jainism beliefs. Hinduism The Hindus believe that every action, good or evil, has consequences. Pain, suffering, and evil are not imposed by God; rather they are due to the actions of anyone else. They also believe that good happens due to the good deeds of human beings (Doniger, 1976). According to them, things happen because the law of Karma that states that for every action, there is a resultant consequence (Doniger, 1976). They believe that one cannot conduct an evil and get away with it without punishment. They also believe that people may be either rewarded or punished for their deeds in the next lie. It happens in the event that one does not receive it in this world. Alternatively, they are happening now because of the actions that one executed in a previous life. They believe that God is not blemish and that He is not the cause of evil and suffering in the world. According to them, man was...
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...now possessing the knowledge of good and evil. This beast, the serpent, is often debated to be the devil amongst many scholars and theologians. Is this possible when there is no textual reference to Satan or Lucifer in Chapter 3 of Genesis? This difficult question contains many questions and theories within, making it one of the most interesting mysteries of the Old Testament.2) However, after truly understanding the context and clues surrounding the serpent’s role in this creation story, it can be stated that Satan uses the serpent as his instrument in tempting Eve to disobey the Lord. 3) The Bible refers to Satan as an ancient serpent, but does not identify him with the Genesis serpent. With this said, it would be safe to say that there is no connection between Satan and the serpent. However, according to conservative Christian teachings, the whole Bible is divinely inspired and so were those, in various Councils, who selected which books were to be included in the Bible. So, from this initial belief, it makes perfect sense to interpret earlier writings in light of later ones as well as vice versa. With this theory in mind, it makes it plausible to use future references of Satan presented in the entirety of the Bible as a basis of understanding of the manipulator behind the serpent’s acts. Maybe the serpent had eaten from the tree of knowledge which would explain his knowledge of good and evil. It stated that Eve “saw that the tree was good for eating and lust to the eyes”...
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...Golding’s point of view on the issue of man can be evil, when they want to be, because recent studies or events demonstrate that men do have the power to control the amount of evil inside of them, it is just the way that they express or use that amount of evil. Power, is good when used correctly, but on the other hand power can be evil, when used incorrectly. In “Lord of the Flies” and in CNN’s “Trump’s Korea hopes thrown into turmoil”, they both express the differences between good and evil, and the use of power. Since biblical times, people, especially men, have been influenced by man’s potential for evil, because to most people it is easier to express yourself in a negative or evil manner, than a good and peaceful manner. According to...
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...Kant’s – making her writing just that much more successful. Specifically, I find that in Kant’s original points concerning the difference between good and evil values and overcoming instinct, de Beauvoir uses her explanation of such topics in the light of freedom in a much more concrete and identifiable way – as opposed to Kant’s abstractions. To begin, although Kant addresses evil in this particular writing,...
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...The answer is in their DNA and brain activity. “Brain scans revealed that psychopathy in criminals was associated with decreased connectivity between the amygdala , a subcortical structure of the brain that processes negative stimuli and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex” (Brogaard). Psychopaths who are people just like others had brain development that was unusual which triggered the “evil” that is in each and every one of us already to react. “..the Minnesota Twin Study is a project originally led by Minnesota Professor of Psychology Thomas Joseph Bouchard, Jr. The Minnesota twin study has shown that psychopathy is 60 percent heritable” (Brogaard). Psychopaths who commit murder and other evil acts are born naturally selfish and greedy that there isn't anything that can be done about it because it is heritable in their genes and abnormal brain development. Many disclaim this concept because it would give an easy getaway to criminal’s actions, but in general many scientists agree with this...
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...Explain the difference between moral absolutism and relativism (25) There are two different ways in distinguishing whether something is right or wrong within ethics. Absolutism is a deontological theory, which determines whether an action is intrinsically right or wrong. Whereas relativism is a teleological theory, which determines whether an action is right or wrong based on the outcomes of the action, on its consequences, this is linked with situation ethics and consequentialism. They are two different ways in approaching ethics. Absolutism is a moral command that is objectively and universally right or wrong for all people, in all times, places and cultures. It can be said to be deontological and so something is either right or wrong intrinsically (in itself) and therefore consequences have no bearing. Whereas, relativism is a subjective theory and believe that all truth is relative and dependent upon the values of an individual or society or even situation. Relativism is a teleological approach and therefore takes into account the consequences of a situation. Therefore there are many differences between moral absolutism and relativism. An example of absolutism would be the Ten Commandments, that Natural Law portrays, which are absolute, ‘do not murder’, as this is a law that applies to everyone. Therefore an absolutist would say that it is always wrong to murder in every, and any situation. In contrast, a relativist might argue that in some situations, given the outcome...
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