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Mankind, Inherently good, or bad?

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AGallant
Posts: 85 - Karma: 250
Hey NS, I'm doing a research project for school that requires me to ask other peoples opinions on a question that has been asked for hundreds of years. Is mankind inherently good, or bad? I thought i would ask you guys just because i think you may have some good input. Thanks!

P.S i don't really want to be one of those people, but, +k for good stuff.
Apr 8 2013 7:08PM
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Bogs
Posts: 4296 - Karma: 1,361
"Similar" isn't interchangeable with "same."

And has it? I don't know about you, but I can't think of a single group of boys I know who have been stranded on a deserted island all on their own and forced to find a way to survive for a few years.

Point is, you can't use a work of fiction to prove something about the real-life inherent nature of man kind.
Apr 10 2013 9:23AM
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louie.mirags
Posts: 6015 - Karma: 5,028
I see what you're getting at; however, the story is supposed to represent mankind. Originally, the guy was just starting his opinion. It may be less thought out than yours. But, it is still his opinion and which means it not wrong. It just represents how he feels...
Apr 10 2013 9:35AM
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Bogs
Posts: 4296 - Karma: 1,361
I understand it's supposed to represent mankind, but it's still a work of fiction and can hardly be used as a case study.

And, maybe i'm reading too much into it, but it seemed as if the guy was saying that the book is undeniable proof of the badness of man kind, which is not the same as him saying that's his opinion. I'm not saying his opinion that mankind is inherently bad is wrong, I'm saying his utilization of a work of fiction as proof for his beliefs is wrong.
Apr 10 2013 9:48AM
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Bogs
Posts: 4296 - Karma: 1,361
It's the same as getting into an argument about whether or not life exists in other places in the universe and taking any science fiction book or movie with aliens in it and saying "look, obviously life exists in other places, here's the proof."
Apr 10 2013 9:53AM
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Pmoore
Posts: 1802 - Karma: 1,246
Story of Gygies. All men will do bad if they know there are not repercussions. Does not mean all men are bad, just that all people will take advantage of who and what they can to get ahead. In my mind there is nothing wrong with that. Most people disagree
Apr 10 2013 9:55AM
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johnnyBuz
Posts: 1438 - Karma: 1,270
There is no argument about whether life exists in other places in the universe - it does, even if we never get around to communicating with them.

The universe is an infinitely large and growing space. I don't think people truly fathom how big the universe is and how the Earth is a mere spec of sand on the beach that is the universe.

Probability theory dictates life exists out there but due to the sheer distance between stars, galaxies, etc. we will most likely never establish contact with the myriad of other life forms that are out there.
Apr 10 2013 10:00AM
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k-rob
Posts: 14217 - Karma: 2,890
we've already proven there is life out there, ie. the krill-like creatures under the crust of one of jupiter's moons. people just don't care unless it's intelligent, that's the thing, and if it is intelligent, i highly doubt it would let a disease like the human race contact it.
Apr 10 2013 10:06AM
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k-rob
Posts: 14217 - Karma: 2,890
sorry, i should haven't have said "proven," it's just highly likely. but we've yet to explore much of the ocean on our own planet, we only recently got video footage of the giant squid, i think it's safe to say whatever else might be out there is (thankfully) beyond our reach for now, and is probably, as in the case of many species on earth, avoiding us.
Apr 10 2013 10:20AM
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louie.mirags
Posts: 6015 - Karma: 5,028
Or they could be equally as greedy and looking for our contact for the wrong reasons... $$$
Apr 10 2013 10:21AM
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Bogs
Posts: 4296 - Karma: 1,361
You've completely missed the point, which is that you couldn't take, say, star trek and the alien species in it and use it as prove that life exists in other places in the universe.
Apr 10 2013 10:28AM
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icon1234
Posts: 3081 - Karma: 1,475
The answer lies in evolution. Our actions should try and increase our fitness, whether or not you deem that good or bad or not is simply a point of view.
Apr 10 2013 10:31AM
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k-rob
Posts: 14217 - Karma: 2,890
related.
Click for larger image
Apr 10 2013 10:32AM
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Bar_Down
Posts: 5896 - Karma: 395
I recently had to read The Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes for a course and I found his opinions pretty interesting.

He says that in the state of nature, there is no good or bad; those terms don't exist. Good/bad is subjective; what may be good according to one might be different for another. Objects in nature don't hold within themselves a notion of right or wrong, good or bad.

"But whatsoever is the object of any man's appetite or desire, that is it which he for his part calls good; and the object of his hate and aversion, evil;... For these words of good, evil, and contemptible are ever used with relation to the person that uses them, there being nothing simply or absolutely so, nor any common rule of good and evil to be taken from the nature of the objects themselves..."

In short, there is no good or bad. Those concepts are things that we created.
Apr 10 2013 10:34AM
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Dustin.
Posts: 13839 - Karma: 7,704
The fact that you recognize that proves that mankind is inherently good. We not only recognize our need to satisfy our own self interests, but we have a capacity to set and improve on standards as to how we should all go about it. Slavery (to use your example) was a method of meeting our own self interests, but we don't do that anymore do we? As a society we fixed that.
Apr 10 2013 10:47AM
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louie.mirags
Posts: 6015 - Karma: 5,028
http://slaveryfootprint.org/survey/woah man sorry to break it to you but if you have a new smartphone, laptop or even an electric car you support slavery... i support mankind as well, but, we are not innocent. Lithium requires a conflict mineral.Just one example though check this:
Apr 10 2013 11:03AM
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louie.mirags
Posts: 6015 - Karma: 5,028
^link posted weird, but you get what i mean.. just remove the woah from the link above..
Apr 10 2013 11:04AM
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act.resist
Posts: 8875 - Karma: 513
mankind is inherently stupid
Apr 11 2013 8:27PM
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louie.mirags
Posts: 6015 - Karma: 5,028
user error.
Apr 11 2013 9:38PM
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AGallant
Posts: 85 - Karma: 250
Yes^
Apr 19 2013 10:11PM
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