Slimebeast said:
Really? So can think of a scenario where it's a good act to torture a baby? Or rather, do you mean it is irrelevant to ever describe the act of torturing a child good/right or evil/wrong? |
Good and evil can be matters of perspective. Everyone has a biological instinct to feel empathy for those around us and for our fellow humans, but these can be overwritten by culture, upbringing, religion etc.
Is it OK to torture a baby? The vast majority of people would say no because it's an instinctial and biological response to be disgusted at the torture of a child that requires our protection. However, as has happened and continues to happen, what if the parents believed the child to be possesed? They may torture the child in an attempt to "exorcise" the demon from the child. From the parents perspective they are morally correct to torture that child as they firmly believe they are doing so for good of the child and the good of humanity. In the past this would be the most common view so in this context it becomes morally "good".
Moral authority comes from the beliefs and the culture of the time. Acts that we would class as evil and go against most peoples biological and moral instincts are nearly always done under the belief of "good".
