5 page assessment
Delissia36
GoodandEviledit.pdf
Good and Evil
The concepts of good and evil or right and wrong have been debated throughout human history. Arguments surrounding those concepts have led to the question of whether good and evil truly exist. The interpretations surrounding the concepts of good and evil have further complicated the matter, particularly in ethics, religion, psychology, and philosophy, where such interpretations are diverse. All the same, all the four fields, religion, ethics, psychology, and philosophy, view good and evil from the same perspective. That is to say; they are in agreement that good and evil are right and wrong respectively and that doing what is good means doing what is acceptable, while doing evil is involving oneself in what is unacceptable (Taylor, 2013). Also, the religious, ethicists, philosophers, and psychologists agree that those who do evil possess common qualities, and those who indulge in good deeds also share a lot in common. Generally, this shows that the concepts of right and wrong are human constructs. To be precise, they are not limited to religion, ethics, or any other field. This paper investigates the general concepts of good and evil, right and wrong. YOUR INTRODUCTION DOESN’T REALLY PREPARE YOUR READER FOR YOUR PAPER. INSTEAD OF TALKING ABOUT WHAT OTHERS HAVE TALKED ABOUT AND WHAT OTHER GROUPS OF PEOPLE THINK GOOD AND EVIL ARE, INSTEAD TALK ABOUT HOW YOU DEFINE GOOD AND EVIL AND HOW YOU SEE THOSE DEFINITIONS WORKING IN THE TEXTS THAT WE READ AS A CLASS.
Defining Good-Evil
Taylor (2013) defines “good’ as a lack of self-centeredness. In other words, good is the ability to show compassion or empathize with other people. By being good, one sacrifices their wellbeing for the sake of others. In other words, good is about prioritizing others' interests as opposed to putting individual interests first. Taylor asserts that ‘good’ concerns altruism, benevolence, self-centeredness, and self-sacrifice aimed at a greater cause (2013). EVERY SENTENCE IN THIS PARAGRAPH SHOULD BE CITED. REARANGING THE AUTHOR’S WORDS AND PRESENTING THEM AS YOUR OWN IS PLAGIARISM. INSTEAD OF USING SOMEONE ELSE’S
IDEAS ABOUT WHAT GOOD AND EVIL IS, IT WOULD BE FAR MORE WORTHWHILE TO CREAT YOUR OWN DEFINITIONS.
On the other hand, evil refers to the lack of empathy. To be specific, evil is an aspect of being wicked or immoral. In a nutshell, evil is the opposite of good. Therefore, people who involve themselves in wicked or sinful acts cannot empathize with other people (Taylor, 2013). Specifically, evil people prioritize their own needs and desires instead of other people’s needs and desires. As such, they are self-centered.
What it means to do Good or Evil
To do good, as mentioned above, is to be compassionate or empathetic to others. It is to be morally upright, having high standards of decency, being welcoming and pleasing. Moreover, to do good is to be gentle, selfless, benevolent, and kind (Hasa, 2017). Also, it is to put the interests of others before personal interests. Doing charity work, helping someone in need, and helping a jobless person with employment are examples of good actions. WHY ARE YOU DEFING GOOD AGAIN?
Meanwhile, to do evil, as noted earlier, is to do the opposite of good. As Hasa notes, doing evil is to do something harmful to other people (2017). It is to be selfish, immoral, and wicked. Rape, murder, robbery, violence, cruelty, and adultery are examples of evil actions (Hasa, 2017). IS WHY ARE YOU REDEFINING THESE TERMS
Good and evil concepts are not restricted to a certain area like religion, ethics or philosophy. In fact, good and evil are human constructs that also have nothing to do with a deity. In other words, good and evil are not determined by a god or religion. This can be attributed to the fact that good and evil might have been in existence long before religion and gods were discovered.
It is imperative to note that areas such as religion have only formalized ethical codes of conduct that already existed prior to religion and gods' birth. I DON’T SEE THIS HELPING YOUR ARGUMENT
According to the Iliad and the Inferno writers, right and wrong are concepts of human notions of morality and ethics (Classical Literature, n.d., Hollander, 2000). In Iliad, Homer presents the ancient Greek people's gods as bad (Classical Literature, n.d.). Unlike the deity of the Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions that are presented as good, Greek gods in Homer's The Iliad are unwise and imprudent. They are deceitful, vain, and unpredictable. WHERE DO YOU SEE THIS ? CITE There are good and evil deities or gods in the Judeo-Christian religions, represented by God and Satan. This demonstrates that deities may not determine good and evil. HOW DOES IT DO THAT ?
Fundamentally, good and evil are not as absolute as they may seem to be. To be precise, both are relative and vigorous and are prone to changes and adaptation at different times. Also, good and evil vary, often considerably, between diverse peoples and or cultures. Therefore, the concepts of right and wrong and doing good or evil are determined by communal existence instead of philosophical principles, a deity, or religious teachings. Accordingly, as a community creates and develops the practices and customs that define right and wrong, such practices are construed to be essential for the moral order that defines what should be acceptable and unacceptable behavior. INSTEAD OF SAYING THIS YOU NEED TO SHOW WHERE YOU SEE IT IN THE texts that we read.
According to Homer, there are no permanently designed people to be good and others evil (Classical Literature, n.d.). <-IS THIS A QUOTE ? (YOU NEED TO REDO THIS CITATION, THE LINK DOES NOT WORK.) Indeed, we have also witnessed situations in which a person does right at some point and later engages in unacceptable behavior. In Homer's The Iliad, Achilleus and Hektor cannot be said to be good or evil (Classical Literature, n.d.). It is uncommon to characterize a person as neither a good one nor an evil one. This is because an individual may choose to do the right thing today and do the wrong thing tomorrow. This proves that both good and evil are dynamic and relative as well.
I believe that people, including myself, are likely to behave in either way. Often, when egocentric impulses force us to prioritize our own needs, we may do evil things. However, when
compassion and sympathy compel us to put our needs aside and prioritize the needs and desires of others, we may do ‘good’. THIS SOUNDS LIKE YOU ARE CONCLUDING
Common Qualities among Evil Doers
Evildoers share a lot in common. All evildoers, including the corrupt serial killers and or murderers, thieves, dictators, and rapists, share the same characteristics. Particularly, evildoers are selfish people. They pursue self-interests. They pursue gains such as material wealth, recognition in society, occupational achievements, happiness, and social status. WHERE DO YOU SEE THIS IN THE TEXTS WE READ? Also, evildoers are sadists and egoists who are excessively concerned with their pleasure or benefits at others' expense. According to Taylor (2013), evildoers are selfish, narcissistic, and self-absorbing. If people attempt to show selflessness towards other people, they do so only to fulfill their own needs, not because they are compassionate. That is to say; evildoers can only value others when they want to exploit them or satisfy their own needs and desires (Taylor, 2013).
WHY IS THIS A NEW PARAGRAPH ? They are not in a position to sense other people’s feelings or emotions. They view other people as objects; hence, their sufferings do not matter to them as long as they (evildoers) achieve their goals. In general, their most common trait is an inability to be kind to others.
Also, evil people want to control others and or everything. Specifically, all evil people want to be in charge of everything. WHERE DO YOU SEE THIS IN THE TEXTS ? They want to have their way and are prepared to do anything to ensure that they have succeeded. In this regard, they will manipulate other people and situations to achieve their will (Hollander, 2000). Furthermore,
evildoers conceal their true colors. One may not likely know that a person is bad until they have acted. They are mean and seldom take responsibility for their evil actions.
Common Qualities among Good Doers
Meanwhile, good people also share many common traits. For instance, they are compassionate. Generally, good people show empathy toward others. After all, empathy is the most attribute of ‘good’ and good people. Also, good people are selfless. WHERE DO YOU SEE THIS IN THE TEXTS? That is to say, people who do ‘good’ are ever concerned with the interests of others. Their concerns never come first. As noted earlier, the doers of good are even ready to sacrifice their happiness and satisfaction for others' sake.
Conclusion
Overall, the concepts of good and evil are not fixed. This means that an individual can develop empathy or lose it; thus, becoming good or evil, respectively. Importantly, as discussed in this paper, right and wrong concepts are not determined by deities or any particular field such as religion or philosophy. Humans - people and or cultures determine the idea of right and wrong. Good or right is associated with the values or qualities of empathy, selflessness, and self-sacrifice. Nevertheless, evil or wrong is associated with a lack of empathy, selfishness, and other vices.
References
Classical Literature. (n.d.). The Iliad – Homer – Poem. Retrieved from http://www.ancient-literature.com/greece_homer-iliad-html THIS LINK DOES NOT WORK
Hasa. (2017). Difference between good and evil. Retrieved from https://www.differencebetween.com/differences-between-good-and-vs-evil/
Hollander, R. (2000). Note on inferno I: In Robert and Jean Hollander, trans., The inferno by Dante. New York: Random House.
Taylor, S. (2013). The real meaning of ‘good’ and ‘evil’. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/out-the-darkness/201308/the-real-meaning-good-a nd-evil
FIRST AND FOREMOST, YOU MUST ENSURE THAT YOU USE QUOTES WHEN YOU ARE USING PEOPLE’S EXACT WORDS. SECOND, WHEN YOU ARE PARAPHRASING WHAT THEY SAY, YOU MUST ALSO PROVIDE A CITAITON.
ONCE YOU HAVE COMPLETELY DONE THOSE TWO THINGS, YOU MUST TALK ABOUT THE TEXTS WE READ AS A CLASS IN EACH OF YOUR BODY PARAGRPAHS. THE PURPOSE OF THE PAPER WASN’T TO SPEAK ABOUT GOOD AN EVIL IN GENERAL BUT TO DEMONSTRATE HOW YOU SEE THE CONCEPTS PRESENTING THEMSELVES IN THE LITERATURE WE READ. THIS IS, AFTER ALL, A LITERATURE CLASS.
202103_ENG_205_KNA
Data retention summary
For those of you still struggling:
Here is a possible outline you could use to help you.
INTRO: GOOD AND EVIL CAN BE SEEN IN THE TEXTS OF Iliad and The Inferno
thesis: something like GOOD AND EVIL can be defined.
1ST BODY DEFINE GOOD .
FIND AN EXAMPLE FROM EITHER TEXT THAT EXEMPLIFIES GOOD .
EXPLAIN WHY THAT EXAMPLE IS POWERFUL/ MEANINGFUL WHY IT IS INTERESTING
2ND BODY PARAGRAPH
DEFINE EVIL
FIND AN EXAMPLE FROM EITHER TEXT THAT EXEMPLIFIES EVIL .
EXPLAIN WHY THAT EXAMPLE IS POWERFUL/ MEANINGFUL WHY IT IS INTERESTING
3RD BODY PARAGRPAH
WHAT ARE SOME ATTRIBUTES OF EVIL ?
IN OTHER WORDS YOU DEFINED EVIL , MAYBE IT’S BAD, MAYBE IT’S THE OPPOSITE OF GOOD, BUT WHAT HAPPENS TO A PERSON WHEN THEY COMMIT AN EVIL ACT? WHAT IF THEY KEEP DOING THE EVIL THING? DO THEY FEEL BAD , GUILTY ? ARE THEY MORE LIKELY TO COMMIT MORE EVIL ACTS? PICK SOMETHING PARTICULARLY EVIL, SUCH AS MURDER OR TORTURE. FIND AN EXAMPLE FROM ONE OF THE TEXTS TO ANALYZE.
4TH BODY PARAGRAPH
FURTHER ANALYSIS OF THE ATTRIBUTES OF EVIL
DOES EVIL LITERALLY INFECT OTHER PEOPLE ? IF A PERSON HURTS SOMEONE DELIBERATELY IN AN AWFUL WAY, IS THAT PERSON THE SAME? IS THEIR HAPPINESS AFFECTED. DOES EVIL MAKE THE WORLD A WORSE PLACE? FIND AN EXAMPLE FROM ONE OF THE TEXTS TO ANALYZE.
5TH BODY PARAGRAPH
WHAT ARE SOME ATTRIBUTES OF GOOD?
IN OTHER WORDS YOU DEFINED GOOD, MAYBE IT’S NOT BAD, MAYBE IT’S THE OPPOSITE OF EVIL, BUT WHAT HAPPENS TO A PERSON WHEN THEY COMMIT AN ACT OF GOOD? WHAT IF THEY KEEP DOING THE GOOD THINGS? WILL THEY START TO FEEL BETTER ABOUT THEMSELVES? IS THE WORLD AFFECT IN A POSSITIVE WAY? FIND AN EXAMPLE FROM ONE OF THE TEXTS TO ANALYZE.
CONCLUSION:
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO KNOW EACH OF THESE POINTS ?
paragraph 1 point
paragraph 2 point
paragraph 3 point
paragraph 4 point
paragraph 5 point
make a general point about understanding good and evil
