UPSB v4

Off-topic / Are you a good person because the justice system makes you good or because you choose

  1. Soren
    Date: Tue, Nov 4 2014 10:49:42

    Damn thread title cut off my question. Are you a good person because the justice system makes you good or because you choose to be good? Granted, just because you follow the justice system, it doesn't necessarily mean that you are good. Since, by following the justice system, there might just be a lack of doing bad things. Rather than doing good things instead. The justice system only dictates what we shouldn't do, but doesn't teach us what we should do. (I don't study law or whatever, so if I'm wrong about this please point it out.) So just because you follow the justice system, it doesn't mean that you are a good person. Before I go any further, I just came up with this question in my head by thinking about what kinds of things I would do if there was no justice system in the world. I was originally going to ask something like "what kind of things would you be doing if there were no justice system in the world?" but then I came up with a better question. And I haven't thought too much into this, so I'm not even sure about what I'm saying. I'm just here to listen to your opinions. So, discuss.

  2. Pen15
    Date: Tue, Nov 4 2014 11:14:11

    Everybody is evil, Nobody is just plain good.

  3. Soren
    Date: Tue, Nov 4 2014 12:00:51

    Pen15 wrote: Everybody is evil, Nobody is just plain good.
    You made a claim. But what's you're reason for supposing that.

  4. nv16
    Date: Tue, Nov 4 2014 13:21:13

    Like you've said, I believe that following the justice systems doesn't make you inherently good as it's not there to tell people what is bad or good. Rather it's there to allow people to justify punishing people who do something that people largely agree is 'Bad'. While it does stop people from doing these 'Bad' things, that is what I see the main purpose of it as. Going off this concept it brings in the question of what is good and what is bad, because different groups of people with differing ideologies can have binary opposite opinions on what is good and bad. But through the years people have largely agreed on certain things that they think are undoubtedly bad, hence the reason justice systems exist. Going off this it could possibly be derived that people are good because humans, being social animals, will agree with the standards and morals of their peers and their perception of good will be based off those of the society they've been in and around throughout their lives. Like, is killing someone truly bad or wrong? Yeah you'll be causing them pain and their friends and family emotional pain, but is causing people pain actually, wrong? If yes then why? My theory is that it's because people are selfish and think "I don't want that happening to me" have have a fear of death of themselves and their loved ones, so they then deem it to be something wrong. Anyways that's just my thoughts, sorry if I'm derailing your thread by answering your question with a question lol :P (disclaimer: I don't think that killing people is OK, I've just been asking myself a lot lately, why do people deem certain things as wrong?)

  5. Walkaz
    Date: Tue, Nov 4 2014 13:59:41

    But then again what is good, what is bad? Different society have different definition of what is good, what is bad. Often these moral values contradicts each otger. All things can be deemed good if you see it from one perspective and it can also be bad if you see it from another perspective. So there s no good nor bad, so is there such thing as a good person?

  6. Xienix
    Date: Tue, Nov 4 2014 14:06:35

    "a friend is an enemy who hasn't attacked yet" nuf said