Are Humans Stupid or Evil?

[Livianicen]

Oh definitely a bit of both. We're the ONLY species that really goes into warfare, BIG warfare, within it's own species.

Ants do this aswell. Not only warfare, but slavery.

 

[ScarlettRage]

Both.

 

[Agrosmurf]

Well you cannot say that humans are "stuped" because there is no other being to compare us with. Also because we created the word stuped, you can't exactly generalize us all under a word we created. Because wether somone is stuped is objective. Evil? Well I would just say the same thing for us all being evil.

 

[manaman]

Oh definitely a bit of both. We're the ONLY species that really goes into warfare, BIG warfare, within it's own species.

Ants do this aswell. Not only warfare, but slavery.

Ants fight over territory as well, and will launch massive attacks against nest that are invading their food sources. Pretty common as ant's "territory" depends on food availability. The more scare food is the further they wander away.

 

[Seydaman]

both?

 

[RootbeerJello]

I believe humans are pretty ignorant, but definitely not evil. That is to say, they don't harm the environment for the sake of watching it burn. I think we just aren't willing to change our ways.

Well you cannot say that humans are "stuped"

This just made my day.

 

[Aesir23]

Both, but stupidity occurs more often than true evil.

 

[Razorback0z]

evil humans are evil by nature which is why im athiest... i choose to be good without fear of a deity going to hell orheavan

An Aetheist who believes in the concept of good and evil ??

Have you read a definition of Aetheism recently ?

http://richarddawkins.net/atheistResources

Do yourself a favour, click the link and read about what you claim to believe and make sure you understand the concepts.

"Atheists reject superstition and prejudice along with the irrational fears they cause. We recognise the complexity and interdependence of life on this planet. As rational and ethical beings we accept the challenge of making a creative and responsible contribution to life."

Good and Evil and concepts borne out of superstition and flawed reasoning. There is is simply ignorance of a topic, or knowledge of a topic. There is no good, there is no evil.

 

[geldonyetich]

Humankind is merely ignorant, and ignorance is the root of all evil. (Not money, which is but a conduit it might travel.)

You want to combat evil? Seek knowledge and the training to interpret it without following it blindly. In other words, an education, ideally a critical-thinking focused one that doesn't teach you to just parrot answers.

The fight against evil starts and ends with every individual's capacity to reason.

-gives hi-five and a bag of Skittles-

Huzzah! Virtual hi-fives and Skittles. And they say the fight against evil is thankless.

 

[Headless Zombie]

In my opinion humans have the potential to be intelligent.

As for evil, that's just a label given to justify something.

 

[Marbas]

Humans are human. Once you start looking at the species as a whole as one or the other, that's when the trouble begins.

 

[Akai Shizuku]

In my opinion humans have the potential to be intelligent.

As for evil, that's just a label given to justify something.

Because it's perfectly fine to run over little kids, isn't it.

 

[smithy1234]

Many people have both of those qualities.

 

[lostclause]

An Aetheist who believes in the concept of good and evil ??

Have you read a definition of Aetheism recently ?

http://richarddawkins.net/atheistResources

Do yourself a favour, click the link and read about what you claim to believe and make sure you understand the concepts.

"Atheists reject superstition and prejudice along with the irrational fears they cause. We recognise the complexity and interdependence of life on this planet. As rational and ethical beings we accept the challenge of making a creative and responsible contribution to life."

Good and Evil and concepts borne out of superstition and flawed reasoning. There is is simply ignorance of a topic, or knowledge of a topic. There is no good, there is no evil.

Not quite true, there is a morality based on evolution. Dawkins himself acknowledges that in The Selfish Gene (if you want to continue this can I ask that it's by pm so as to not derail the thread).
On topic: I would say yes to both, Lord of the Flies helped me come to a conclusion about evil and idiocy is common even from intelligent people.

 

[Vredesbyrd67]

I've found that most evil acts are the result of some form of ignorance, be it an underdeveloped moral value system, inability to plan ahead, or just plain apathy for other people's well-being. And since people are, I have also found, mostly thick, the answer is... both! Yay!

 

[ddon]

we just do what partly comes naturely to all animals and thats killing. we just seem to want to keep what makes us animals without knowing it. we keep doing this because it came naturely to us when we were normal stupid animals and this can sometimes be harder to stop then a haroin addiction. its let just say our last animal instincs. we should learn how to get rid of this and i should practice my spelling.

 

[lacktheknack]

A PERSON can be intelligent and reasonable, but people in groups are stupid, easily manipulated and barely above a herd of animals.

just look at those who watch fox news!

Took the words out of my mouth, except the acute observation at the end.

 

[Lazy Kitty]

In general, humans aren't evil, unless you count me.

 

[Headless Zombie]

In my opinion humans have the potential to be intelligent.

As for evil, that's just a label given to justify something.

Because it's perfectly fine to run over little kids, isn't it.

To you, no. But the person that ran the children over nearly always wouldn't view their actions as evil. Evil isn't universal.

 

[Razorback0z]

An Aetheist who believes in the concept of good and evil ??

Have you read a definition of Aetheism recently ?

http://richarddawkins.net/atheistResources

Do yourself a favour, click the link and read about what you claim to believe and make sure you understand the concepts.

"Atheists reject superstition and prejudice along with the irrational fears they cause. We recognise the complexity and interdependence of life on this planet. As rational and ethical beings we accept the challenge of making a creative and responsible contribution to life."

Good and Evil and concepts borne out of superstition and flawed reasoning. There is is simply ignorance of a topic, or knowledge of a topic. There is no good, there is no evil.

Not quite true, there is a morality based on evolution. Dawkins himself acknowledges that in The Selfish Gene (if you want to continue this can I ask that it's by pm so as to not derail the thread).
On topic: I would say yes to both, Lord of the Flies helped me come to a conclusion about evil and idiocy is common even from intelligent people.

On the contrary I think this is perfectly part of the thread.

The origin of the notions of good and evil are very much part of this topic.

I think it is confusing to say the least to equate Dawkins statements on how genes can affect behaviours in ways that could be construde as morality, with concepts like good and evil.

Good and Evil are labels humans have used to describe a perspective issue. Nothing more.

If your country is invaded, the invaders are "evil" the defenders are "good". Except if the country you are invading can be presented to your populace as "evil" (or better yet an axis of evil) then you can be an invader and be good all at the same time. Except to the people you are invading, who see you as evil.

Intelligent people recognise this for the pure cynical deception of the populace that it is. Ignorant people confuse it with notions like Patriotism and Nationalism, which themselves are concepts borne of pure ignorance but thats another story.

Genetic morality,.........good and evil........... not even loosly related in any other conceptual environment other than descriptive language.