An Idea ?

[Marjorie Allworth]

Dear all,

Some little time ago I watched a program called murder in Amish country.

I wondered if - whatever the type of upbringing there may be a 'bell curve' of types of people in all cultures with, violent types at one farthest end and actual saintly types at the other?

I have an idea that I know why this might be [if correct] but will need to pluck up courage to send it in.

Best wishes,

Marj.

 

[Hayseed]

A bell curve for good and evil? I don't think so. A bell curve would show an equal amount of good with an equal amount of evil.

And we all know better than that.

 

[Onemetertwometer]

Dear all,

Some little time ago I watched a program called murder in Amish country.

I wondered if - whatever the type of upbringing there may be a 'bell curve' of types of people in all cultures with, violent types at one farthest end and actual saintly types at the other?

I have an idea that I know why this might be [if correct] but will need to pluck up courage to send it in.

Best wishes,

Marj.

I think you might find the work of Jonathan Haidt relevant here. Morals are subjective at the end of the day and heavily influenced by culture. Many of the biggest killers in human history for example believed themselves to be morally justified and were supported by the culture of their place and time. While a pacifist will argue that killing is always wrong, killing for the security of the state is widely accepted as a morally justified necessary evil. Some day, Lord willing, humanity will reach a place of collective enlightenment that will bring about a consensus that killing is wrong, period. For that to happen, much work needs to be done and/or our collective perspective must be altered by significant trauma. That is often how evolution works, sadly. Our mammalian ancestors would never have gotten a shot at intelligence if not for the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs.

 

[Existential Dreams]

No one is born evil, It's how you are treated by your family , experiences in life and by sociality as a whole , mental health , etc