Philosophy Now Forum

The Stanford Prison Experiment and The Milgram Experiments is clear evidence that humans are fundamentally evil.

There are only few good people amongst the entire human race. It is less than 1 %.

What is you stance? I agree. I've always said that humans are fundamentally evil.

Looking back at the entire history of humanity, it has done nothing good to the world. Humans love treating other animals including their own species like shit, because they think it is fun. It is also heavily polluting the planet.

Humans are evil. No doubt about it.

...and those same folks can be remarkably noble, but not all the time, not across all circumstances.

Most of the time, most folks are just workin' to keep their heads above water, not bein' particularly good or bad.

Interspersed throughout any population there's a small number of saints and devils, folks who are good or bad all the damned time, across all friggin' circumstances.

Thank Crom such folks are rare.

Humans for the most part aren't 'anything' really. They are 'idea followers'. Some humans come up with good (and bad) ideas that catch on, and the rest go along for the ride. Few humans want to rock the boat or go against 'mobthink'.
Humans are certainly not 'inherently good'--they are inherently 'amoral', like every other species.
I remember seeng the Milgram experiment on TV. I have a feeling the results would be a lot different today. Society has evolved into a blob of self-absorbed, selfish, unempathetic, phony (I wonder where that started) fuckwads.

henry quirk wrote: ↑Sat Sep 01, 2018 8:44 pm ...and those same folks can be remarkably noble, but not all the time, not across all circumstances.

Most of the time, most folks are just workin' to keep their heads above water, not bein' particularly good or bad.

Interspersed throughout any population there's a small number of saints and devils, folks who are good or bad all the damned time, across all friggin' circumstances.

Thank Crom such folks are rare.

In the "right" circumstances, most people will be evil. This is enough to classify most people as evil, regardless of the situation.
If you have the potential to be evil, you are evil.

What we need are saints, not devils, not those not being particularly good or bad, but saints. All of them.

philosopher wrote: ↑Sat Sep 01, 2018 10:43 pm

henry quirk wrote: ↑Sat Sep 01, 2018 8:44 pm ...and those same folks can be remarkably noble, but not all the time, not across all circumstances.

Most of the time, most folks are just workin' to keep their heads above water, not bein' particularly good or bad.

Interspersed throughout any population there's a small number of saints and devils, folks who are good or bad all the damned time, across all friggin' circumstances.

Thank Crom such folks are rare.

In the "right" circumstances, most people will be evil. This is enough to classify most people as evil, regardless of the situation.
If you have the potential to be evil, you are evil.

What we need are saints, not devils, not those not being particularly good or bad, but saints. All of them.

What does 'evil' even mean? There is no such thing. Some humans have less developed compassion and empathy than others, but 'evil' is a silly superstitious concept and copout.

vegetariantaxidermy wrote: ↑Sat Sep 01, 2018 10:46 pm

philosopher wrote: ↑Sat Sep 01, 2018 10:43 pm

henry quirk wrote: ↑Sat Sep 01, 2018 8:44 pm ...and those same folks can be remarkably noble, but not all the time, not across all circumstances.

Most of the time, most folks are just workin' to keep their heads above water, not bein' particularly good or bad.

Interspersed throughout any population there's a small number of saints and devils, folks who are good or bad all the damned time, across all friggin' circumstances.

Thank Crom such folks are rare.

In the "right" circumstances, most people will be evil. This is enough to classify most people as evil, regardless of the situation.
If you have the potential to be evil, you are evil.

What we need are saints, not devils, not those not being particularly good or bad, but saints. All of them.

What does 'evil' even mean? There is no such thing. Some humans have less developed compassion and empathy than others but 'evil' is a stupid superstitious concept.

Evil is what I would describe the situations regarding the guards in the Stanford Prison Experiment.

If you have the potential to be good, you are good.

Most people don't get the chance to prove it one way or another.

henry quirk wrote: ↑Sat Sep 01, 2018 8:44 pm Thank Crom such folks are rare.

Isn't that a little "barbaric" to Conan so strong?

Back in primordial times, nice people didn't survive, you had to fight in the pecking order in the clan and family, fight other clans for hunting grounds, fight for the hottest women, fight for loot ..etc etc.

Crom ain't barbaric, just 'tetchy'.

As for Conan O'Brian: what the hell does he have to do with the price of ice in Hell?

All children are fundamentally good as they are born by the virtue of life!

However, Utopia may happen in the future, we have some struggles until then. We are getting there unless massive stupidity to prevent it!

Seems to me: a newborn is 'innocent', which is not the same thing as being 'good'.

philosopher wrote: ↑Sat Sep 01, 2018 8:09 pm clear evidence that humans are fundamentally evil.

In the Stanford Prison Experiment, the conclusion was that it demonstrated that the simulated-prison situation, rather than individual personality traits, caused the participants' behavior. People were told what to do, and how to act-out. The participants played their roles to varying degrees.

The Milgram Experiment measured the willingness of male study participants to obey an authority figure who instructed them to perform acts conflicting with their personal conscience. The experiment found that a very high proportion of men would fully obey the instructions, albeit reluctantly.

Neither of these experiments point to your claim that: "humans are fundamentally evil. There are only few good people amongst the entire human race. It is less than 1 %."

philosopher wrote: ↑Sat Sep 01, 2018 8:09 pmI've always said that humans are fundamentally evil.

And this is likely why you'll see "clear and total evidence" wherever you choose, so that you can maintain that what you think is "right". Yes? Maybe it has been your own experience that people seem mostly evil, but that is far different from it being an ultimate/supreme truth about humankind. If you want the truth, you have to be willing to truly understand and question what's currently going on in your own head. No one's perception/reality is the reality of and for all. Makes sense, doesn't it?

Have you ever pondered divine nature in all?

philosopher wrote: ↑Sat Sep 01, 2018 8:09 pm Humans are evil. No doubt about it.

You may be right. If so, the question is why. Is it because of human nature, or is it because of possession by a foreign installation? For example, relatively simple parasitic organisms often affect complex mammalian behavior in ways beneficial to the parasite and evil to the host.