Why must evil exist in order for good to exist?

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thread starter Divination Jun 04 2010 + PM | QUOTE | PERMALINK | REPORT

Why am I asking this? Because this is the most often response I see to Epicurus's famous statement. Why can't there just be good, monism? Where does the existence of good and evil stem from, and why must dualistic properties be involved? Curious, like Epicurus.

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djpinc19 06/04/10 + PM | QUOTE | PERMALINK | REPORT

The destruction of pure good is an ultimate evil. The destruction of pure evil is an ultimate good.

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Humanmango 06/04/10 + PM | QUOTE | PERMALINK | REPORT

Either way, Epicurus' quote is just a multi-pronged false dilemma.

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GyldenDaggry 06/04/10 + PM | QUOTE | PERMALINK | REPORT

Heroes need something to do in their free time; slay evil.

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Sekn 06/04/10 + PM | QUOTE | PERMALINK | REPORT

If evil did not completely exist at all, how would you know what's evil and what's not? It would mean, all of us would just be uninformed of what evil we are doing. Without evil, you would not know what's good.

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PizardWizard 06/04/10 + PM | QUOTE | PERMALINK | REPORT

I will answer this from the viewpoint of a philosophical Taoist, not a Christian, because I am not a Christian. Plainly speaking, in nature good and evil does not exist. Everything simply is, and in the universe, in the stars and planets that are lifeless, they are neither good nor evil. It is the rat's nature to steal grain, and the cat's to kill the rat and eat it, but neither are evil. They are simply life, and they just are how they naturally should be. In this sense, evil and good are created when humans break the natural order of things. Things like child abuse, murder, forced sexual actions, and other actions deemed evil by society would not occur in nature.Thus, in this sense, the creation of evil will lead to good. I hope I did not sound like a moron, because I probably did.

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muffmallow 06/04/10 + PM | QUOTE | PERMALINK | REPORT

With every light there is a shadow. It's all relative. If there was no evil, there couldn't be such a thing as good. And it's so much easier to inspire hatred... Read The Master and Margarita. Evil spawns off of evil, but all it takes is for one genuinely good deed to stunt its growth.

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ryles + PM | QUOTE | PERMALINK | REPORT

Because good and evil are relative. Without evil, nothing seems good, it just seems normal. Without good, nothing seems evil, it just seems normal. edit: odem. ninja'd.

Lanique 06/04/10 + PM | QUOTE | PERMALINK | REPORT

cause the world would be so boring without me

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Ramunesun 06/04/10 + PM | QUOTE | PERMALINK | REPORT

'cause people don't like to conform

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Narcissus 06/04/10 + PM | QUOTE | PERMALINK | REPORT

amga

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Regulus133 + PM | QUOTE | PERMALINK | REPORT

I've been meaning to ask this question myself. It's not that good and evil can't exist without each other, but that one would not perceive them as such without the distinction. The phrase "you can't have good without evil" is perhaps not as accurate as it should be, since it leads people to think that it literally means what it says. The popular metaphor is "you can't have light without darkness." Ignoring the fact that metaphors do not constitute arguments , the above applies to light/darkness as well. You can imagine a perpetually bright world, yes? It is bright even without darkness, but the people of that world, without having experienced darkness, probably would not even bother labeling their world "bright." The light/dark metaphor is also used to argue that evil is the absence of good, just as darkness is the absence of light. But, once again, this is a metaphor, not an argument, and the truth is that the people making this point are just explaining their own take on good and evil.

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Ramunesun + PM | QUOTE | PERMALINK | REPORT

to ponder the answer, we must first define what evil is and what good is... f

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ashesofasoul 06/04/10 + PM | QUOTE | PERMALINK | REPORT

Good can exist without evil.

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cb000 06/04/10 + PM | QUOTE | PERMALINK | REPORT

Because morality is relative. If you haven't noticed yet, in general, what we consider good is good for us, and what we consider evil is bad for us. We defined good and evil relative to our needs and preferences. A truly objective standpoint most likely won't define such concepts.

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