Feelings

[Morality Games]

My reflections on psychology and language tonight have yielded the following results. Disagree or elaborate on any point.

The term 'truth' can usefully designate a feeling that an idea reflects the state of how things actually are.

The term 'fairness' can usefully designate a feeling that people are being treated the way they deserve.

The term 'justice' can usefully designate a feeling that a particular activity is an effective one for producing fairness.

The term 'unfairness' can usefully designate a feeling that people are not being treated the way they deserve.

The term 'injustice' can usefully designate a feeling that a particular activity is an effective one for securing unfairness.

The term 'good' can usefully designate a feeling that something is excellent.

The terms 'bad' and 'evil' can usefully designate a feeling that something is terrible.

These are by no means the only objectives these terms can represent, but they seem consistant with what is typically thought of these entities.

[Domino]

The terms 'bad' and 'evil' can usefully designate a feeling that something is terrible.

I would distinguish between these. 'Bad', I think, connotes misfortune, while 'evil' connotes malicious intent. However, they are certainly interchangeable, colloquially, and that's not a bad reason to lump them together.

You could define 'good' and 'evil' using the terms previously established:
'The term 'good' can usefully designate a feeling that justice prevails.'
'The terms 'bad' and 'evil' can usefully designate a feeling that injustice prevails.'

[Court463]

Some would argue that evil is the absence of good, and that evil doesn't actully exist, its just the absence of good. same as cold doesn't exist, its just the absence of heat.

[ItsDarts]

Quote by: Court463 Some would argue that evil is the absence of good, and that evil doesn't actully exist, its just the absence of good. same as cold doesn't exist, its just the absence of heat.

I always found these arguments lacking. Indeed cold does exist and infact IS the default state in the absence of energy, period. If its the default state (and it is) then it exists. Good and evil are subjective, not objective and therefore both exist equally depending on your perspective. What you may consider bad, I may find perfectly enjoyable, depending on our perspecitves and there is a 3rd concept that relates to both terms, and thats indifferent, or meloncholy, average, etc....Its not black and white.

[Morality Games]

I would distinguish between these. 'Bad', I think, connotes misfortune, while 'evil' connotes malicious intent. However, they are certainly interchangeable, colloquially, and that's not a bad reason to lump them together.

True enough all round, but I used the word 'usefully' to designate that these ideas aren't necessarily the final word, just that it makes more sense to use them to reference these feelings than other things.

'The term 'good' can usefully designate a feeling that justice prevails.' 'The terms 'bad' and 'evil' can usefully designate a feeling that injustice prevails.'

I thought of that, but I wanted to keep 'good' and 'bad, evil' as broad as possible. People will frequently use the terms 'good' and 'bad' in situations where justice doesn't seem to apply. However, what you said above is logically consistant with the first statement.

Some would argue that evil is the absence of good, and that evil doesn't actully exist, its just the absence of good. same as cold doesn't exist, its just the absence of heat.

Metaphor is a type of description, but not necessarily a proof. Here it does not demonstrate anything. Moreover, I could say it is as likely that good does not exist, it is just the absence of evil -- just as heat is the absence of cold.

Those like myself who live in Iowa will surely agree that cold does exist, which is why we have a word to describe it.