Will we ever evolve beyond wars and other evil doings

August · 11-10-19, 10:11 AM

Interesting question.

War and evil are pretty expansive words and i'm not sure we can discuss their removal without narrowing the definitions.

I am assuming that you mean War as in the shooting kind, versus a "War on Poverty" or similar call to public action. But even shooting wars themselves can be evil or good things depending on the point of view of the protagonists. For example a soldier fighting to defend his home and family from an invader sacking his town is not going to believe he is evil for doing it. On the other hand a soldier ordered to torch that village may feel his apparent evil act is necessary to achieve a greater good. One or both may be wrong, one or both may be right but even that is all just the opinion of others who weren't there.

Evil is far harder to define as it can be anything. Any human action or inaction, desire or dislike, intention or even the end result of any action (or inaction) including accidental ones. It's basically a societal opinion and one with a fair amount of variance between human cultures too.

There is something in all this about pavement choices for hells highway, but only in the opinion of future generations who are nearly always just trying to use (twist) the event for their own contemporary purposes

11-10-19, 10:11 AM	#6
August Wayfaring Stranger Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 23,258 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Interesting question. War and evil are pretty expansive words and i'm not sure we can discuss their removal without narrowing the definitions. I am assuming that you mean War as in the shooting kind, versus a "War on Poverty" or similar call to public action. But even shooting wars themselves can be evil or good things depending on the point of view of the protagonists. For example a soldier fighting to defend his home and family from an invader sacking his town is not going to believe he is evil for doing it. On the other hand a soldier ordered to torch that village may feel his apparent evil act is necessary to achieve a greater good. One or both may be wrong, one or both may be right but even that is all just the opinion of others who weren't there. Evil is far harder to define as it can be anything. Any human action or inaction, desire or dislike, intention or even the end result of any action (or inaction) including accidental ones. It's basically a societal opinion and one with a fair amount of variance between human cultures too. There is something in all this about pavement choices for hells highway, but only in the opinion of future generations who are nearly always just trying to use (twist) the event for their own contemporary purposes __________________ Flanked by life and the funeral pyre. Putting on a show for you to see.