Is there a Right and Is There a Wrong?

I've had this on my mind for a while. I always thought about a point of view of how others would perceive what is right and what is wrong. How can we judge someone for doing what they believe in when we do the same? Some people think helping someone off the street when a car is about to come is Right, and some people think helping someone off the street when a car is about to come is Wrong. But which way is the one we are suppose to do? Now me personally I believe in good and I believe in helping. But I always thought to myself, who am I to judge what people do when I don't know the true moral behind things....What if what I thought was good is really bad?




To Be Honest I actually just come to a conclusion that our own beliefs Decide what is Right and what is Wrong for us. But if you think about it. We have all these beliefs just clashing because we really don't know.





I feel like as humans we are so ignorant to what is real and what is not we must decide that for our own self...So then sometimes I believe that whatever path you think is right. Is the right way, even though it would make much sense considering there should only be One right way.




What if there is no such thing as a Right or a Wrong? What if it's just an Opposite to everything you do. If you Help someone out of Kindness there is an Opposite for that. So what if there is no moral? But then...I get stuck in my mind again remembering that, that wouldn't be true because I come back to the point where I said "We create our own path on what we believe in and what is Right"

My personal belief is that. We do what we believe and that's what we go on. But I'm still going on just a belief. It just proves on if there is a truth that we truly are Ignorant to it. Due to the fact that I'm still guessing and telling you this.










What are your thoughts on this?

But just because we Gain from them makes them a right or wrong situation? I mean of course if we gain, we have obtained more than we we already have. But who's to say helping other across the street doesn't give us any gain? What if that man decides to give us a check for $50,000 for helping him? So when you expect to gain something and when not to gain something it may be switched around then what you first thought it would be.



We Gain Knowledge everyday. May not come to your attention at first but we do. When you wake up the next morning. You have Gained the knowledge that you have lived another day. When you drink or eat some Food. You have Gained The Knowledge that nutrients has been put into your body. That's knowledge and those are memories building up. We gain things everyday, just probably not the things that we would want or hope to expect. But we do, it just isn't seen at first and when I say "Seen" I don't mean with the Eyes. I mean with the mind.



For another thing. I already have my own mind state of what I think is right and what I think is wrong. I wouldn't know how to explain it without being VERY specific.



Check it: If I want to help someone. It's what I want to help someone With, and my own Intentions. I can't just say "I want to help someone be good" Or "I want to help to be good" Because we don't know what good is. Now lets break "good" down. I can't break "good" down in a perspective that everyone can relate too. So good remains Unknown

So now. If there is possibly a good, is the good way the right way? Now you mentioned early about Gain and how we would ensure that our own species stays alive because we gain more by working together. Not killing each other, like how it was in cavemen times.

Now people still Gain from killing and looting. They're still criminals out there Today who do it. Not much has changed since those times to be honest. We still have people who look into dead corpses for money so they can buy Drugs, or just Buy anything. Also, who says we aren't still in cavemen times? We just obtained more knowledge on how to do things and how to stay alive and build Empires and Cites and even have the Power to travel to another planet. But we still have a set of Ignorance and some people abuse what we have for their own needs. For example. We are using something called "Internet" for me to post this message and for you to reply. This "Internet" runs through a Company that provides it for you to do this thing. Now what does the company rely on? Electricity, if there was no electricity life as we know it would change drastically. We would have No lamps. No Cell phones to call people. No Street Lights for when it becomes Dark.



Now if this were to happen. More people would start killing each other and robbing each other because the Criminals would have more of an advantage. Now Would That Become The Right way? You see? Now no one would be helping anymore only a few set of people. Others would be trying to kill and take, to Gain more equipment and products for themselves. We would basically go back in those cavemen times. Now of course this is just my theory. I don't know what would happen if that even Were to occur. But what I do know is that if there were an outbreak of some that we use to today as casual. It would not be the same. We may gain by helping or we may Gain my Not. It's basically all on the person and his strategy on how to survive. We probably would do things differently if that were to happen Who knows.





But in overall. My opinion of course which I do believe to be a Fact. Gain is just things that we obtain. We can use them to our advantage or to our disadvantage. All depending on what the person decides to do.

EDIT: Also, I hope I made my point clear.

Of course there is a thing called right and wrong.
We naturally seek out what is good for us and avoid what is bad.

Everyone can agree that killing another person who did nothing wrong without any reason is wrong, yes? Also, everyone can agree that we should all help one another, yes?

My point is there is common ground to what is good and bad. We just branch out from those commonalities in order to identify and distinguish ourselves from one another.

If there isn't, there wouldn't be something we all know called "Law". But, that doesn't mean you can't question law.

In the older days of Australia, they had something called "White Australia Policy". I'm sure you've heard of it, but my point is that, the word "right" and "wrong" is relative.

Considering the conversation, you appear to be talking about a universal right and wrong, and while I do believe that there is a personal right and wrong, I should let you know that there is no such thing as a universal right and wrong. Here's the reason why:

In order for there to be an absolute "Right and Wrong", it must be objective, because only objective things can be absolute. Therefore there cannot be an absolute "Right and Wrong" because:

"Right and Wrong" is a moral issue

Moral issues are strictly the issues of sentient beings, as they are the only ones who can "Act" (add animals if you consider them sentient, I certainly do)

A sentient being by their very nature must be able to perceive on some level in order to "Act" upon their surroundings.

a perceiving sentient being is unable to be objective, as their perception is not unlimited, and thus they are ignorant or incorrect on some level. Therefore

An absolute "Right and Wrong" cannot exist because it is created by beings who are themselves not absolute, and thus cannot possibly create something that is.

I think I see your point. If there was a "Right Or Wrong" We would be unable to do certain things if they were wrong, and be allowed to do things if they were Right(At least that's what I got out of what you were saying) So basically I think that if there Were a Right and a Wrong we would just be Judged for our Actions in a Way but we still have Freedom to go our own Path. If we wish Wrong we can go that way if there is Right we can go that way.

I think it was Shakespeare who wrote, "there is no such thing as right or wrong, only thinking makes it so".

is it wrong to steal bread to feed the hungry? we are after all, just animals. in nature there is no good or evil, only survival. consider a life beyond society. what would you do to feed yourself, your family, your children? if I had to kill you to feed my kids, fuck you.

like the Schmeed said, "it's either fuck you or fuck me, and it AIN'T fuck me".

Yes indeed, funny how the world works but I guess that's how ruthless things can become. Another funny thing was before making this thread I thought about making a thread about "What would you do to survive?" I've thought about this for a while. Can I really kill someone elses Kids to save mine? Or let them die? How can I bare with the burden of having to kill something else just so another thing can leave?


But then again it's a hard decision. But if I had to kill you to feed my family. I guess it would be Fuck you. But I know you would probably not give up in that fight and I know I wouldn't give up in that fight. But on another condition, I can't really see me being so concerned for my life that if I live you can't feed your kids. So more than likely I would just commit suicide, but I still wouldn't be too sure what I would do in that situation. Does that make it wrong? And How could I just kill that man knowing that their may be people who love him aswell and has kids. Just trying to take care of them? In those circumstances Vengeance can emerge, Hatred, Sadness, Gladness. Or Madness. A lot of thing can become the outcome of just One thing.




Damn, it's quite a shame on what things can come too.





I guess their can be a Right and a Wrong just on our Beliefs. So there is, it's just all in our mental. Our own Individual Perspective can make something be true. At least in my own thoughts




I believe I have found the answer but, one question for you.


Do you think, death is bad? I mean We all are gonna die Some day, why is living So much more important than Death in your own perspective? Why is Dying Such a Tragic or Terrible thing? And if it isn't a Tragic or Terrible thing. Why do you have to give it your all and Live for as Long as you can With no regards and no restraint, just to live on Earth a little bit longer?


Now think about this. I know you may say "Because it's a Natural human Instinct" Or "It's what we are Suppose to do" No. What gives anyone elses Life more Meaning Than Our Own? In my own Personal Belief. Have the meaning to care for someone is just the Value of what you think they are. Now why Kill a Man To Feed your Kids? Because you love and care about them?. Now why Kill your Kids to Feed a Man? Because you hate and despise them? Or Because that man meant more than your Kids?



It's Quite Vicious on how the world works. I'm not saying to accept death and don't give your all to live. What I'm saying is, don't think life or death is any more valuable than one or the other. Because you can't stop Life, and you can't Stop Death. Because they are in everything.






But yeah I would kill you if I had to feed my kids AT LEAST I THINK SO XD.

What is just and what is unjust depends on one's moral values. Plain and simple.

well for me, no
Right or Wrong is defined in each person. our moralities are developed as we grow up and experience life. Everyone has their own set of experiences combine with our different genes we'll see and understand the world in our own way.

it is just about perspective. People rally to what is generally they believe that is right which technically defines the "right" or "wrong" of our society. whatever we say about what is right or wrong would just be opinions (except by providing scientific evidences) for we do not know if this is universally right or is it just the right for ourselves

I believe its not definite meaning of right and wrong either comes from perspective. ultimately your decision of what is right and what is wrong comes from their super-ego: society placing its various forms of morality, codes of conduct and standards onto our brains and therefore its affects our decisions. research has proven that humans do have basic understandings of cooperation and to an extend right and wrong from birth. However what determines right and wrong is mostly from ones upbringing and surroundings. For example various aboriginal tribes believe it is holy to commit cannibalism however in today society we consider each simply just simply killing another human being wrong.

The simple answer to this question:
Do you want to believe that philosophy has answered the question?

--If yes: Then you probably will find an answer, most likely within ignorance.

--If no: You'll find yourself not giving a care, or possibly trying too hard to find an answer.

I think I might have taken the time to draw a humorous diagram to make a farce of these statements, but I think I am feeling lazy.

Ah, I'd also like to mention what my preferred philosophy is on the subject. There are only two universal things: 'Law' and 'Being'. 'Law' is a generalization of things that are seemingly unavoidable, like gravity. Law also represents a natural order that 'Being' follows. Morals that we choose for ourselves and so on. 'Being' is physical matter. Matter that has form. Humans, animals, trees, the earth, etc. I believe 'Law' cannot be with 'Being', and 'Being' cannot be without 'Law'.

Like many things in this universe we don't understand we answer the question by seeing how it affects others.

I think someone mentioned if it's survival, there somehow is no wrong or that it no longer matters. Regardless of why it is you do something, it's not like you don't know if you're doing wrong by violating others rights by initiating force on them or not respecting their property rights.

Let's say that for some reason my kidneys stopped working and I decided to take another person's. Now compare it to stealing a loaf of bread.




Goddammit you're making fucking cringe here OP. You're making it hard for me to not berate you.

It depends on the situation.

I am going to use 'Law' as an example. In some cases, we determine what is right and what is wrong thanks to the existence of 'law'. The purpose of Law is to create order and to protect the rights of the people. In other words, trying to make a fairer world.

But, at the end of the day, as I said, it depends on the circumstances. Lets say for an example, you're in life-and-death situation, and someone about to murder you, and it's kill-or-be-killed situation, is it wrong to kill the person who's trying to kill you?

But even still. Law is just the Rules that were made by another human just like us, people in power wrote Law and made this "Right" and This "Wrong" That doesn't Necessarily means that it is true. But basically meaning it is something we follow so we do not face the charges they have also put up for us as mankind. If we kill a police officer for no reason what so ever just out of pure self concern. Than we do Years in Prison, because they feel as do it is Unjust. Which I believe as well, killing someone for no reason To me is just plain out wrong. But for others it may not be the same. I have explained this in my following Paragraphs above.

You know there's a thread for the discussion of ethical views on the first page of SD right?

The whole point of morals is that there is no Black or White.

There are some extremes that almost all can agree is wrong (such as rape, murder, theft, etc etc) but even those fall within the person's morality.

For example, there are many instances of genocide in the Bible. Wiping out the Canaanites, the people killed for worshiping the Golden Calf, the deaths of firstborn sons in Egypt, etc. But most people do not question the morality of those things happening, after all they believe God did it. But those same people would usually denounce the Holocaust. What makes the difference that it was genocide thousands of years ago, vs the last hundred years? Because they were not God's people, they deserved to die?

Thus when it comes down to it, morality of the individual is what determines what is right and wrong.

If it's helping and making someone happy; it's good
If it's hurting and making someone sad; it's bad
If one is gaining joy from another's pain; it's still bad because someone is still getting getting hurt.
Nothing is truly evil or truly good though.
Everything is really just about perception, in this day and age we perceive slavery as wrong whereas back in the day, it was a normal thing. I don't like the idea of slavery because I think people should be free to do whatever the fuck they want but it wasn't "truly" evil, some people just made it that way by treating their slaves like shit while other's would actually be nice to their slaves. They were getting food and shelter in exchange for work. Again, I am not trying to defend it, I'm just giving an example. I do believe that there is good and bad but it's pretty subjective.

Well I think right and wrong is an illusion people have developed in order to make a civiliced or atleast functioning system where all people can live somewhat safely. If there was no system like that there wouldn't be need for the law or any kind of form of punishing. People would take what they want and do what they want. That would result in chaos and it wouldn't be possible for a human society to live that way (or would it? for example wolves make it work but on a much smaller scale. Then again humans are not wolves so is it futile to compare the two?).
So yes and no: There is a "right and wrong" but it is an illusion.