Does a good deed done by an evil person become evil?

@moonbus said
I do not under your question, where morality comes from. Where does physics come from? Where does zoology come from? Where does cartography come from? Nothing useful or even moderately enlightening would constitute an answer to such questions.

Where do Porsches come from? I can answer you that. The company headquarters is in Stuttgart.

Exactly! It's Spiritual; even without God if you wish; if possible. 🙂

@KingDavid403 said
Exactly! It's Spiritual; even without God if you wish; if possible. 🙂

If your where-does-it-come-from question is of a historical nature, then I suppose the answer is that some tribe in ancient prehistory realized that might makes right is not a very nice way to live for anybody except the high and mighty. As Nietzsche somewhere says, morality is the herd instinct in the human animal.

Kant claimed that morality comes from pure reason, but this is disputed.

Mill claimed that the basic principle of morality is utility, broadly beneficial consequences for as many people as possible.

Rousseau claimed the basis of morality is empathy and compassion.

And so on.

There is a very broad range of options in between KellyJay’s there must be one morality for everyone for all time from God, and everybody just does whatever he feels like at the moment.

@moonbus said
If your where-does-it-come-from question is of a historical nature, then I suppose the answer is that some tribe in ancient prehistory realized that might makes right is not a very nice way to live for anybody except the high and mighty. As Nietzsche somewhere says, morality is the herd instinct in the human animal.

Kant claimed that morality comes from pure reason, but th ...[text shortened]... ty for everyone for all time from God, and everybody just does whatever he feels like at the moment.

True, I agree somewhat. However, I'm talking more of 'spiritual love' for others; which defines "Morality" to I.
Again, is "Love" a spiritual thing or not, to you?
Or, do you just think all feelings and passions are natural animal instincts? Edit (I personally believe that animals are spiritual beings also.)

@KingDavid403 said
True, I agree somewhat. However, I'm talking more of 'spiritual love' for others; which defines "Morality" to I.
Again, is "Love" a spiritual thing or not, to you?
Or, do you just think all feelings and passions are natural animal instincts? Edit (I personally believe that animals are spiritual beings also.)

I do not doubt that there is such a thing as spiritual love, among love’s many other variations. However, I do not believe that this has anything to do with morality as such. Morality is about regulating behavior, not feelings.

@moonbus said
I do not doubt that there is such a thing as spiritual love, among love’s many other variations. However, I do not believe that this has anything to do with morality as such. Morality is about regulating behavior, not feelings.

So we should not care for the hungry? those devastated by nature? the Sick? Etc?

I don't think these things fall under "regulating behavior." However, I do see your point also. It's the middle path in between that's hard to find.

@KellyJay said
Any judgment that isn’t the same for all is more of a personal preference, not much of a judgment, don’t you think? Like if I condemned someone for something I myself do.

What are you on about, it's why we have laws, and a judiciary system, everyone equal under the law, you know?

@KellyJay said
I see the danger as personal presences being past off as an enlighten standards, that justifies everything one wants to call right and the proper way of behave.

Keep taking the meds, you'll be fine.

@moonbus said
I do not under your question, where morality comes from. Where does physics come from? Where does zoology come from? Where does cartography come from? Nothing useful or even moderately enlightening would constitute an answer to such questions.

Where do Porsches come from? I can answer you that. The company headquarters is in Stuttgart.

Were you not suggesting we have an improving morality?

@KellyJay said
Were you not suggesting we have an improving morality?

Yes, in two senses; individual and collective.

There is empirical evidence that as individuals mature, they become better able to make correct moral judgments. This is of course not true for every individual. Some grown/ups remain their whole lives moral infants.

Collectively, some societies also improve, morally. America abolished slavery. This was a moral improvement. Just in my own lifetime, miscegenation was a crime in some states of the USA. At that time, it was considered immoral, a sin, against God and nature, and legally prohibitable. America moved on from that, such laws were struck down, and sensible people now view anti/miscegenation laws as not a moral issue at all, but sheer bigotry. Miscegenation has become so normalized that Gen Z doesn’t even know what the word means. This is a collective moral improvement.

We don’t burn people at the stake for heresy or witchcraft any more. This is also a collective moral improvement.

Of course, not every individual and not every community went along with these developments. Some individuals still think miscegenation is wrong. Saudi Arabia executed someone for witchcraft in this century.

@moonbus said
Yes, in two senses; individual and collective.

There is empirical evidence that as individuals mature, they become better able to make correct moral judgments. This is of course not true for every individual. Some grown/ups remain their whole lives moral infants.

Collectively, some societies also improve, morally. America abolished slavery. This was a moral improvemen ...[text shortened]... ls still think miscegenation is wrong. Saudi Arabia executed someone for witchcraft in this century.

So, according to you, your sliding scales are moving in the right direction, correct?

@KellyJay said
So, according to you, your sliding scales are moving in the right direction, correct?

Not across the board, not uniformly, and not all at the same pace. Some individuals and some communities are stuck.

@KellyJay said
You’d think so, and I agree, but when all it takes is seeing someone to find faults, is it about what they do or the person?

So Pol Pot sees a kid drowning. He for some reason needs that kid so he saves him, but that kid was a 12 YO girl whom will be put into prostitution.
So Pol Pot is Poster boy for evil, so does it matter the motive for saving the girl's life? If he hadn't come by nobody else was near enough to save her live which he did be with nefarious reasons so my take is he is still evil and if it had been say a boy he knew would never be a warrior or some such, he would have walked away so it is complicated.

@moonbus said
Not across the board, not uniformly, and not all at the same pace. Some individuals and some communities are stuck.

Can they go back up and get worse?

@Suzianne said
We know the difference.

Morally corrupt people confuse the border between the two. Anti-social behavior needs always be corrected, or isolated.

Then explain the difference. Answer the questions I posted. Is this only about people or is killing your dog evil? Is it just your dog or any dog? I ask because people have their own dogs killed sometimes.

https://theconversation.com/when-is-it-ethical-to-euthanize-your-pet-44806

You do not speak for everybody. Do not say we. What is evil is very much an opinion and not everybody will agree with you if you answer my questions. You know it too. That is why you will not answer them. You are not honest as we all know.

@KellyJay said
Do you think anything that is not is true, is part of reality? Maybe if you define truth by what you think, but that is not truth that is your opinion. Opinions can be right or wrong, unless you think you are the exception where what you think is always right and true.

You have the cart before the horse here, as usual.