While taking a Philosophy of Religion class I was taken by the belief that Free-will precedes evil according to the Christian branches. But I have also studied Biology feverently prior to this so I asked myself; If free-will denotes evil; than how is it that Animals can create evil if it is judged by free-will. For instance, rape occurs quite frequently in the animal kingdom, Killer whales play volleyball with a sea lion, male lions slaughter all of the offspring from the earlier alpha males harem.
So, is it simply humanity’s sentient mind which invokes evil or is our mind the water and the glass is a social constraint, which prevents us from seeing/thinking of the world as a wild and irratic place?
Not sure exactly what you’re asking (esp. “… is our mind the water and the glass is a social constraint, which prevents us from seeing/thinking of the world as a wild and irratic place?”), but here’s a few points that might help you clarify your questions.
It’s not necessarily a Christian concept to think that “good” and “evil” are applicable to humans only. Animals, no matter what they do, are more or less ruled by their instincts, and therefore are amoral. That is, they are neither moral nor immoral, and cannot create good or evil.
In regards to the first comment I mean essentially are we so enamored with ourselves as “higher” beings we forget we are actually just glorified animals.
Perhaps you are right with the comment of the Judeo-Christian ideals (I think it was Aquinas whom I recall reading it from). I also meant to imply that we too are ruled by our instincts. For instance, when I mentioned the male lions killing their harems there has also been a proven correlation between step-parents and child mortality. Perhaps I should have thrown more out there but I want/wanted peoples take on the idea of evil and the conundrum that is humanity.
Well, I disagree with these comments. We are much more than animals, because we can rise above our instincts. True, our biological makeup means we have to mate, eat, and breath, but our conscious minds enable us to do much more beyond what our instinct dictates. We are influenced, not ruled, by our instincts.
It’s this ability to go beyond instinct - call it free will, or a higher mentality - that makes “good” and “evil” legitimate concepts for us humans. When male lions kill their harems, this isn’t evil, because these lions “don’t know better”. But when men kill their step-children, this is evil because these men possess the mentality to understand how that act is wrong. So it seems that an act is not evil in itself, but is evil only in the context of understanding. This is probably what your signature quote by “Billy” is driving at.
Perhaps “ruled” was a overkill. Instinctiveness to me, means an underlying cause which is automatically aroused by a situation w/o alarming our conciousness. I do agree humanity is capable of great things but beyond grandiose constructs and self-affirming thoughts, what is so different? Termite mounds are grandiose by comparison to their size, various animals altruistically sacrifce themselves for the greater good; we are taught these ideals exemplify humanity, no?
You highlighted one of my thoughts here that I ponder. Do lions know better? Or, better yet do the men know better? Sure, society tells them they are wrong. But in the end it occurs. We as a people fight to protect what we are a part of. This includes religion, thought, family etc. Very similiar to animals whom die for the colony, hive, pride etc. I do believe almost all these men would rather have some other child die rather than there own blood. I wonder is this because of “love”, common sense or is it the instinctive power of protecting one’s own genetic code?
Perhaps we should label “evil” as a bad choice? lol I have always had a fascination with what exactly defines evil. And yes I could see the tie in with the quote from “Billie”. I see it as a rationalization of the acts of the individual. Everything on the superficial level just; is. Any thought after the fact is the true definition.
This thought process was pushed by a book entitled “Lucifer’s Principle” by Harold Bloom. Very interesting concepts within.
But please I will await your response when I get up on the morn.
It is the second of those. But the glass does not prevent us from seeing the world as wild and irratic; we see the world like that just fine, and that’s what troubles us. We don’t see the glass that holds the water together.
I understand completly what you’re askin. Good and Evil are fictions… products of our minds… they have nothing to do with anything else found in this universe… Exept maybe aliens who also produced these notions.
Is the lion killing previous offsprings immoral… No… is rape in the animal world immoral ? No… Why ? Well because they do not posses consciousness.
Are murder and rape immoral in human society ? Yes… Why ? Because each human is the proud owner of a consciousness and a non-biological will do live (or die).
Moreover animals do not posses rationality… therefor they cannot judge if something is moral or immoral where as you because of your infinite free will and fredom of choise; you have the power to choose acording to your own rationality and that my friend makes you responsible for your actions.
Evil is evil by intent not so much action but intent. If an act is commited for self glorification or greed then that is evil, but, if the same act is commited for protection or help then it is not. That may be wrong either way but the intent seperates the two.
A man robs a store for greed is evil. A man that robs a store to feed his family is not. The action must be punished yes but, the family man should not be punished in the same way as the greedy one.
Two women kill their children One knows what she is doing is wrong but still she commits the act, the other woman feels she is doing it out of protection and love. both are sick yes but, one is evil sick the other is just sick. both should be punished, but one deserves leniency the other deserves death.
Plenty separate us from animals and the main quality that makes us higher or better is our level of consciousness. From that springs our rationality, free will, morality, etc. The examples of termites and self-sacrificing animals you mentioned merely show how evolution is a gradual process, that human “ideals” such as creativity and love exist in simpler or primitive forms in the animal world.
It’s an aim of some sciences to explain human cultural behaviour in terms of biology. It’s a form of “reductionism” that sometimes makes sense, but often it doesn’t. About those stepfathers killing their adopted children - yes, it makes biological sense in terms of passing on their genes, hence such behaviour may be “explained” biologically. But, as you say, society tells them they are wrong. In fact, millions of stepfathers bring up and love their stepchildren - such “anti-biological” behaviour is regarded as normal, killing them is abnormal. This is another example of how human beings, as a rule, rise above their instincts, unlike animals.
