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Religious and Philosophical Views of Good and Evil. English 12B Mrs. Malaspino. Philosophical Naturalism:. Humans are purely natural phenomena, sophisticated beings which have evolved into our present state.
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Religious and Philosophical Views of Good and Evil English 12B Mrs. Malaspino
Philosophical Naturalism: • Humans are purely natural phenomena, sophisticated beings which have evolved into our present state. • Good and evil are mere labels placed on how well individual behavior conforms to societal expectations.
Western Religions • Include Christianity, Judaism, and Islam • Humans are spiritual beings created by God/Jehovah/Allah and in a continued relationship with their creator. • Good and evil are defined in terms of how well human beings conform to God’s character or God’s law. • Christian doctrine of “original sin” states that human beings are inherently corrupt because of the sins of Adam and Eve. • Human nature is in constant spiritual battle between good and evil.
Polytheistic Religions • Human beings are citizens in a world inhabited by other intelligent spiritual beings. • Human evil is often regarded as the result of supernatural influences.
Pantheistic Religions • Include Buddhism, Hinduism, and other forms of Eastern philosophy. • Regard humanity as existing within God or as part of the divine cosmos. • Human evil is usually regarded as the result of ignorance of this universal Divine nature.
Social/Biological Determinism • Human behavior is determined by biological and social factors. • Inherent human instincts are not truly to blame for actions considered “bad” or truly credited for actions considered “good.”
John Locke 17th century English philosopher • Humans are inherently good. • Humans in their natural state have perfect freedom to act according to the laws of nature.
Thomas Hobbes17th Century English Philisopher • Humans are inherently in a “war of all against all.” • In the state of nature, life is “nasty, brutish, and short.” • State of nature is remedied by good government.
Pelagius4th century Welsh monk • Humans are fully capable of choosing good or evil.
Bertrand Russell 20th Century British philosopher • Moral evil or sin is actually derived from instincts transmitted to us from our ancestry of beasts of prey.
John Locke17th Century English Philosopher • Human nature is tabula rasa (a blank slate). • Rules for right and wrong are formed solely by our experiences.
Jean Jacques Rousseau18th Century Swiss Philosopher • Man is innocent when is in the state of nature, but is corrupted by society. • Humans in the state of nature may act with all of the ferocity of an animal. • Humans are good because they are self-sufficient and thus not subject to the vices of political society.
Karl Marx19th Century German Philosopher • Human character depends entirely on socialization and experience. • People are influenced and, in part, determined by their environments.