Is the construct of good and evil an artifact of intelligence?

[ding]

Do you believe the construct of good and evil to be an artifact of intelligence?

 

[Blackrook]

Animals aren't good or evil because it takes intelligence to be one or the other, so yes.

 

[Mac1958]

It's a social construct, necessary for the healthy functioning of a society/civilization.

So yeah, I'd think the rules were drawn over time leveraging observation and innate intelligence.

 

[there4eyeM]

"Good" and "evil" are manifestations of dualistic thinking. This is inherent in the perceptual apparatus and processing humans posses. It can be surmounted through intelligence, or is can be brought to atrocious forms of excess.

 

[G.T.]

It's not apparent because we don't know how existence came to be, or if it action-ably "came" to be...If it came to be by some intelligence that had a purpose for existence's each aspect... or if it merely rolled a ball down a hill and "whatever developed, developed..."

Naturalism does have a perfectly viable explanation for it, as does theism.

 

[Penelope]

What do you mean by artifact of intelligence?

 

[G.T.]

What do you mean by artifact of intelligence?

probably "concept we developed"

 

[alang1216]

Do you believe the construct of good and evil to be an artifact of intelligence?

Yes. Man's intelligence. That is why the concept varies so much between cultures and evolves over time. An example is the OT focus on an eye for an eye and the NT focus on turning the other cheek.

 

[CWayne]

What do you mean by artifact of intelligence?

Do lower forms of animal life consider the concepts of good and evil?

An example, if a Polar Bear catches and eats a salmon from a stream, does the salmon consider the bear evil? Does the bear consider that eating the fish is evil?

 

[Penelope]

What do you mean by artifact of intelligence?

Do lower forms of animal life consider the concepts of good and evil?

An example, if a Polar Bear catches and eats a salmon from a stream, does the salmon consider the bear evil? Does the bear consider that eating the fish is evil?

The bear looks at the salmon as food and the salmon looks at the bear as something that wants to eat him.
There is no good nor evil.

Its all innate.

 

[CWayne]

What do you mean by artifact of intelligence?

Do lower forms of animal life consider the concepts of good and evil?

An example, if a Polar Bear catches and eats a salmon from a stream, does the salmon consider the bear evil? Does the bear consider that eating the fish is evil?

The bear looks at the salmon as food and the salmon looks at the bear as something that wants to eat him.
There is no good nor evil.

Its all innate.

Exactly. Which means you need more intelligence to construct the concept of good and evil.

So, that is what is meant by an 'artifact of intelligence'.

 

[ding]

What do you mean by artifact of intelligence?

I mean is it a product of intelligence or an outcome of intelligence or a natural result of intelligence.

 

[ding]

Do you believe the construct of good and evil to be an artifact of intelligence?

Yes. Man's intelligence. That is why the concept varies so much between cultures and evolves over time. An example is the OT focus on an eye for an eye and the NT focus on turning the other cheek.

Has it ever been diametrically opposed? Has man celebrated being evil for the sake of being evil?

 

[alang1216]

Do you believe the construct of good and evil to be an artifact of intelligence?

Yes. Man's intelligence. That is why the concept varies so much between cultures and evolves over time. An example is the OT focus on an eye for an eye and the NT focus on turning the other cheek.

Has it ever been diametrically opposed? Has man celebrated being evil for the sake of being evil?

No need, man just redefines evil. Do you know an evil that can't be redefined as good by some culture?

 

[ding]

Do you believe the construct of good and evil to be an artifact of intelligence?

Yes. Man's intelligence. That is why the concept varies so much between cultures and evolves over time. An example is the OT focus on an eye for an eye and the NT focus on turning the other cheek.

Has it ever been diametrically opposed? Has man celebrated being evil for the sake of being evil?

No need, man just redefines evil. Do you know an evil that can't be redefined as good by some culture?

Can you provide an example of what you are discussing?

 

[CWayne]

Do you believe the construct of good and evil to be an artifact of intelligence?

Yes. Man's intelligence. That is why the concept varies so much between cultures and evolves over time. An example is the OT focus on an eye for an eye and the NT focus on turning the other cheek.

Has it ever been diametrically opposed? Has man celebrated being evil for the sake of being evil?

No need, man just redefines evil. Do you know an evil that can't be redefined as good by some culture?

Can you provide a culture that finds the eating of still-born infants as good?

 

[progressive hunter]

What do you mean by artifact of intelligence?

sorry P you wouldnt understand

 

[Penelope]

Do you believe the construct of good and evil to be an artifact of intelligence?

What do you think?

 

[alang1216]

Do you believe the construct of good and evil to be an artifact of intelligence?

Yes. Man's intelligence. That is why the concept varies so much between cultures and evolves over time. An example is the OT focus on an eye for an eye and the NT focus on turning the other cheek.

Has it ever been diametrically opposed? Has man celebrated being evil for the sake of being evil?

No need, man just redefines evil. Do you know an evil that can't be redefined as good by some culture?

Can you provide a culture that finds the eating of still-born infants as good?

Not off hand but that doesn't mean there was never one. A lot of cultures practiced cannibalism so it doesn't seem like much of a stretch. I bet the Donner party would have looked on the practice with less disdain than we might.

 

[alang1216]

Do you believe the construct of good and evil to be an artifact of intelligence?

Yes. Man's intelligence. That is why the concept varies so much between cultures and evolves over time. An example is the OT focus on an eye for an eye and the NT focus on turning the other cheek.

Has it ever been diametrically opposed? Has man celebrated being evil for the sake of being evil?

No need, man just redefines evil. Do you know an evil that can't be redefined as good by some culture?

Can you provide an example of what you are discussing?

We generally consider killing innocent children to be evil (lets ignore the abortion thing). We also bombed German cities knowing that innocent children would be killed and hailed those that dropped the bombs as heroes.