Does atheism allow for good and evil?

[BoberFett]

Traditionally, good and evil are defined by religion. In Christianity, God is good, anything against God is evil.

If you believe that there is no supreme being to define good and evil, how do you define it? Is there such a thing? If the universe is just a series of chemical reactions and physics equations, how can there such a thing as good and evil.

Relatively, an individual can decide that something is good or evil. Kindness is good, violence is evil. But another individual can just as easily decide the exact opposite. Is the person who believes that killing is good and kindness is bad incorrect? Or just different?

 

[BoberFett]

Forgot to mention, let's keep this civil. No flame wars, I'm generally interested in this topic; it's something I've given some thought to.

 

[GasX]

Everyone against god is evil?

 

[glen]

good and evil make no sense in a secular universe.
philosophers generally agree on this issue.

 

[waylman]

society, not god, determines good and evil. Heard of laws?

 

[Cerb]

Evil:
3 a : causing harm
Good:
2 a (1) : VIRTUOUS, RIGHT, COMMENDABLE <a good person> <good conduct> (2) : KIND, BENEVOLENT <good intentions> b : UPPER-CLASS <a good family> c : COMPETENT, SKILLFUL <a good doctor> d (1) : LOYAL <a good party man> <a good Catholic> (2) : CLOSE <a good friend> e : free from infirmity or sorrow <I feel good>

 

[Red Dawn]

If you believe that there is no supreme being to define good and evil, how do you define it?

By societal standards. Not all societeis have had a supreme diety yet they were able to define good and bad, Just and unjust.

 

[mchammer187]

Originally posted by: waylman
society, not god, determines good and evil. Heard of laws?

something that is against the law is not necessarily evil

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Referring thread

- M4H

 

[glen]

Originally posted by: waylman
society, not god, determines good and evil. Heard of laws?

No, generally only gods can define good and evil.
What civilizations do is really no more than enforced etiquette.

 

[SaltBoy]

Know this, that every soul is free
To choose his life and what he'll be,
For this eternal truth is given
That God will force no man to heav'n.

He'll call, persuade, direct aright,
And bless with wisdom, love, and light
In nameless ways be good and kind,
But never force the human mind.

Freedom and reason make us men;
Take these away, what are we then?
mere animals, and just as well
The beasts may think of heav'n or hell.

- William Clegg

 

[Red Dawn]

Originally posted by: glen

Originally posted by: waylman
society, not god, determines good and evil. Heard of laws?

No, generally only gods can define good and evil.
What civilizations do is really no more than enforced etiquette.

Yeah but man makes up these Gods so in essense they make up the rules too.

 

[BoberFett]

Originally posted by: glen

Originally posted by: waylman
society, not god, determines good and evil. Heard of laws?

No, generally only gods can define good and evil.
What civilizations do is really no more than enforced etiquette.

That's pretty much what I think. Society can define what they will and will not allow, but good and evil implies universality. I just don't think it should be possible that atheists believe in good and evil.

 

[Brutuskend]

I don't believe in god, but I know the difference between good and evil and right and wrong.

Unless your brain is seriously messed up, you KNOW instinctively what is right and what is wrong IMO.

 

[Red Dawn]

Originally posted by: BoberFett

Originally posted by: glen

Originally posted by: waylman
society, not god, determines good and evil. Heard of laws?

No, generally only gods can define good and evil.
What civilizations do is really no more than enforced etiquette.

That's pretty much what I think. Society can define what they will and will not allow, but good and evil implies universality. I just don't think it should be possible that atheists believe in good and evil.

Why? The only difference between you and I is that I believe in one less God than yu do!

 

[Ferocious]

Do atheists believe Hitler was evil?

(I personally do believe in God.....but not in or through any man-made religions.)

 

[BoberFett]

Originally posted by: Brutuskend
I don't believe in god, but I know the difference between good and evil and right and wrong.

Unless your brain is seriously messed up, you KNOW instinctively what is right and what is wrong IMO.

Instinct? What are instincts besides chemical reactions in the brain? How can a chemical reaction be good or evil? If a chemical reaction can be categorized as evil, then anything in the universe could be considered good or evil. Tulip good, venus fly trap evil?

 

[CPA]

Originally posted by: Brutuskend
I don't believe in god, but I know the difference between good and evil and right and wrong.

Unless your brain is seriously messed up, you KNOW instinctively what is right and what is wrong IMO.

I don't think that is necessarily true. Society (laws and such) tells us what is mostly right and what is mostly wrong. Not only that, if it was instinctive then children would be angels, no pun intended, at they are most definitely not.

 

[Red Dawn]

Originally posted by: BoberFett

Originally posted by: Brutuskend
I don't believe in god, but I know the difference between good and evil and right and wrong.

Unless your brain is seriously messed up, you KNOW instinctively what is right and what is wrong IMO.

Instinct? What are instincts besides chemical reactions in the brain? How can a chemical reaction be good or evil? If a chemical reaction can be categorized as evil, then anything in the universe could be considered good or evil. Tulip good, venus fly trap evil?

But we made up all gods and religins so we as human made up the definitions of what is good and what is evil. That even varies by societies, with or without our made up beliefs.

 

[BoberFett]

Come on Red, I know you're more intelligent than to just throw out cliches.

Let's look at cannibal tribes. They believed that eating other humans was OK. Current society frowns on cannibalism. Does that make us good and cannibals evil?

Are good and evil relative or universal?

 

[Encryptic]

Good and evil is open to interpretation and doesn't necessarily need a God and Satan to represent the concept, IMHO.

 

[Brutuskend]

Ok let me put it this way.

Can you feel empithy for another living being?

Replace instinct with empithy.

IMO feeling empithy for another is the yardstick for measuring humanity.

 

[UglyCasanova]

I'm not sure if this is a question about atheism or not, but no I don't believe in a definate good or evil. Whether people like it or not, morals are relative. Most, if not all cultures adopt the basic ones such as murder or stealing, but other ones are held only in certain cultures. I think one could make an arguement that "good" is whatever is better for the colony/species and it's survival, while "bad" is whatever detracts from the chances of survival.

I see what you are saying though, and yes I do think that we all are nothing but a bunch of chemicals. This opens up the can of worms that is free will, and whether we posses it or not. Is it possible that with an infinately powerful calculator and an absolute understanding of physical/chemical processes you could take into account all different atoms and their properties and calculate anything? I believe so, I've yet to see anything to convince me that anything is above physical laws.

Now, I think it is safe to assume that you have to believe in free will in order to believe in any sort of concept of morals. This gives me a headache though, so I'll let you discuss.

 

[Electric Amish]

How about something like:

For mankind = good?

against mankind = bad?

 

[Red Dawn]

Originally posted by: BoberFett
Come on Red, I know you're more intelligent than to just throw out cliches.

Let's look at cannibal tribes. They believed that eating other humans was OK. Current society frowns on cannibalism. Does that make us good and cannibals evil?

Are good and evil relative or universal?

I am?

BTW, your Cannibal analogy supports my thrown out cliches!