Author: Kalregorn (---.151.34)
Date: 07-24-2002 10:25
I just posted this on the "that pesky moral thing" topic, but realized it was more appropriate here.
For everyone that wants to use the word "evil" or "wrong", I think it helpful that you at least clairify what definition you are using. I also added to it. Apologies for a long read.
As I see it, there are a couple possible (very broad) definitions of "good/evil" where "evil" is simply the opposite of "good".
1) Good is that which supports/obeys the decrees and/or moral philosophy of a higher power (usually a monotheistic god, but could be government).
2) Good is that which agrees with the moral philosophy of your or the dominant culture. Using this mentality to guide your actions is safe, but highly relativistic.
3) Good is that which benifits your self/family/culture/nation/planet/etc, as relevant, in the long term. If you chose this, you also have to add a definition for "benefit".
4) I'm sure I forgot something, but that's all I can think of now.
Note that 1 and 2 are surrendering judgment to someone or something else, for better or worse. In 3 you can have potential conflicts between short and long term benefits and between scales, ie what's "good" for my family is "bad" for my country or planet.
Something else of possible value is my definitions of Honor and what I call "Greater Honor". It's a concept I use in the RPG I run.
Personal Honor
Personal honor is what most people mean when they talk about “honor”. Definitions of personal honor vary greatly from culture to culture. Generally “honor” requires honesty to “your people”, Doing what you say you will do, and consistently believing and obeying a culturally dominant moral philosophy.
“Greater” Honor
“Greater” Honor is an extension of personal honor to a much larger scope. It is usually only vaguely referred to and often lumped in with personal honor. In short, greater honor is doing what is best for others, regardless of the cost to yourself. However, there is more to it than this. The scope that greater honor is concerned with is the largest scope, in the farthest future that has any meaning to the situation. For example, if a crisis affects your family, then greater honor would dictate that you do what is in the best long term interests of your family and friends, given all available information. Unfortunately, the best choice for your family & friends might not be the best choice for your future, or might conflict with personal honor. If your family rules a nation, then greater honor dictates that you react to the family crisis in whatever way is best for the long term improvement of that nation. If your family’s nation is strong enough to affect the decisions of other nations, then greater honor dictates that you respond to the family crisis (given the best available information) with an action that is likely to cause the greatest longest term improvement in your culture/species/world, depending on the greatest scope that has meaning. What does “longest term” mean? In this case it means the longest time interval that is meaningful to the decision maker. For a commoner the longest term that had meaning is probably the expected lifespan of their grandchildren. For the ruler of a small nation, that longest meaningful time span would be at least two generations, and could extend to the best case lifespan of the nation. For the ruler of a large nation the longest meaningful term could be the expected lifespan of the ruler’s species, while the greatest scope could be any place that the ruler’s species is capable of having an impact. Then there are the questions of what is “improvement” and who determines whether it will occur. The answer to the first question is that the definition of “improvement” is determined by the moral philosophy of the person making the decision. Similarly, the decision maker must also make a best guess about how much improvement/benefit is likely to be gained in the longest term at the greatest scope, based on all the information available at the time. The decision maker must also make some estimate of both the risks and chance of success, again at the greatest scope and the longest term that has meaning.
Just my $2 worth (pennys are worthless). I can clairify or expand if requested.
Kalregorn
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