6 ms·

If not wanting to harm others, AND wanting to help others were core beliefs held by everyone, I think quite soon we would have nothing to worry about.

WalterBright 4y ago
A big chunk (most?) of the evil in the world is done by people convinced that they know what's best for everyone else, and so are justified in forcing it on them.
- pessimizer 4y ago
  > A big chunk (most?) of the evil in the world is done by people convinced that they know what's best for everyone else Not only do I think that's a small part of the harm done in the world, and that the vast majority of the harm done in the world is done through simple selfishness (with possibly overwrought moralistic rationalizations), but also that it's important to make the distinction that this is the source of none of the evil. Evil can't include people trying to be kind badly, or else it's just become a general euphemism to give every petty grievance one has a grand, millennialist, Manichean cast. Or to be realistic, it's usually just warmed over early-mid 20c anti-New Dealer, anticommunist bullshit.
  - WalterBright 4y ago
    Consider the harm wrought by organized religions in the sincere belief that they were "saving" others. > Evil can't include people trying to be kind badly Oh, yes it can, and often is. I just gave you an example. How about another one? Trying to cure people of homosexuality. > anticommunist bullshit Communism has wrought more evil than about any other ideology. All with good intentions, of course.
    - fragmede 4y ago
      The intense poverty and destitution and hopelessness in the inner cities suggests Americanism (America's brand of capitalism) isn't without it's own flaws though, so there's something to be learned from the communists
      - WalterBright 4y ago
        Something like 90% of it is drug addiction. The communists simply made everyone poor and hopeless.
    - amag 4y ago
      I'm currently considering the Pentecostal church which sent missionaries to Congo to build hospitals and teach/train doctors, for instance dr. Denis Mukwege[1], who was awarded The Nobel Peace Prize for his work helping and saving thousands of women who have been raped. The reason these women were raped is not religion, it's technology (the war is about valuable land with rare earth minerals). [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denis_Mukwege https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denis_Mukwege

WalterBright 4y ago

A big chunk (most?) of the evil in the world is done by people convinced that they know what's best for everyone else, and so are justified in forcing it on them.

pessimizer 4y ago
> A big chunk (most?) of the evil in the world is done by people convinced that they know what's best for everyone else Not only do I think that's a small part of the harm done in the world, and that the vast majority of the harm done in the world is done through simple selfishness (with possibly overwrought moralistic rationalizations), but also that it's important to make the distinction that this is the source of none of the evil. Evil can't include people trying to be kind badly, or else it's just become a general euphemism to give every petty grievance one has a grand, millennialist, Manichean cast. Or to be realistic, it's usually just warmed over early-mid 20c anti-New Dealer, anticommunist bullshit.
- WalterBright 4y ago
  Consider the harm wrought by organized religions in the sincere belief that they were "saving" others. > Evil can't include people trying to be kind badly Oh, yes it can, and often is. I just gave you an example. How about another one? Trying to cure people of homosexuality. > anticommunist bullshit Communism has wrought more evil than about any other ideology. All with good intentions, of course.
  - fragmede 4y ago
    The intense poverty and destitution and hopelessness in the inner cities suggests Americanism (America's brand of capitalism) isn't without it's own flaws though, so there's something to be learned from the communists
    - WalterBright 4y ago
      Something like 90% of it is drug addiction. The communists simply made everyone poor and hopeless.
  - amag 4y ago
    I'm currently considering the Pentecostal church which sent missionaries to Congo to build hospitals and teach/train doctors, for instance dr. Denis Mukwege[1], who was awarded The Nobel Peace Prize for his work helping and saving thousands of women who have been raped. The reason these women were raped is not religion, it's technology (the war is about valuable land with rare earth minerals). [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denis_Mukwege https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denis_Mukwege