Welcome home! Please contact lincoln@icrontic.com if you have any difficulty logging in or using the site. New registrations must be manually approved which may take several days. Can't log in? Try clearing your browser's cookies.
Three traits of a good person
Bunks
Australia Veteran
Extracted from the ABC news website here in Australia:
Kantianism: when we treat people as means to themselves, as opposed to means to an end. Basically, we're not out to use them. It's pretty much the opposite of Machiavellianism, and is based on the philosophy of Immanuel Kant.
Humanism: valuing the dignity and worth of each individual person.
Faith in humanity: we believe that people are fundamentally good.
6
Comments
Not bad. Does that mean we should all convert to being Kantian Humanists with Faith in Humanity?
Perhaps people are fundamentally good, but they can acquire desires, drives and motivations which are not. The process of growing from a baby into an adult leaves all kinds of scars on all of us, and some a lot more than others.
We had a case here of a man who stabbed three people to death who were out walking their dogs in the forest. He is now in a closed psychiatric ward being assessed, prior to his court case. Sometimes people just snap, and then it’s a question of what comes up in their minds.
Those are all important values. I think morality is often more complicated though. It's not that we should abandon those values but sometimes additional considerations come into play. For example the whole notion of utilitarianism, the greatest good for the greatest number of people. Or the trolley problem, if people aren't ever a means to an end is it ever okay to sacrifice one life to save five?
I'm on board with the first two. However, our impending Federal Election has quickly extinguished number 3 for me... ???
People ARE fundamentally good - until the "What's in it for me" instinct kicks in.
And for some people, it kicks in at around 6 months of age...
Yes fundamentally I am good ... unfortunately I am not a fundamentalist.
However I believe in people. Buddha was a people (strange but true) ...
The great trick is to be good. However first we have to dwell in and retain beginner/fundamental/empty mind ... genuine good or natural being comes from this simplicity ....