When it comes to teaching our fellow humans how to behave to one another, one of the main features include the use of punishment to those who fail to behave accordingly. This is seen when toys are removed from mean children, criminals are sent to jail and sinners end up in hell after their death. The idea is as simple as it gets: By making people fear doing wrong, less people will do wrong. If there is no punishment involved, why would anyone refrain from stealing (for instance) if the result is nothing but profit?

So the question is this: Would people do bad things if the fear of doing wrong was removed? Or from a religious perspective: Does it have to be a hell for good deeds to be motivated, or would people choose to be good even if sinners where not punished? Because if the fear of doing wrong is absolutely necessary for us to do good, then wouldn't we all be considered evil if this fear was removed?

As I see it, the fear of doing wrong is not necessary. If a person does something that would be considered 'wrong' by the masses, it only does so because that's what it thought would be the most enjoyable/profitable (or whatever motivates it) thing to do. It either fail to see the profits of doing good or sees the short term profits of doing bad as the better option. Whether this person is mentally stable or not does not matter; It needs guidance. Fearing doing what the masses consider 'wrong' will not magically make it realize why wrong is wrong.

So yeah, I don't think we are evil by nature, or that punishment is necessary for us to be good. Fearing doing wrong is redundant as long as being a good person results in more profit. (Which, unfortunately, is not always the case.)

What about you?

evil is a lie, the same action that is demonized as evil by one group of people will be celebrated as heroic by another.

humans aren't good or evil, we are selfish.




now where's my cookie?

I'm no psychology graduate or anything so I don't think I'm qualified to say what would happen in the scenario you presented. But if I had to guess, I'd say humans would for the most part do bad without punishment. Again, this is just a guess. I don't think simply "guiding" people will always be effective at making people "good". You can make people realize what's right or wrong, but that doesn't necessarily mean the person will still be "bad" , I.e steal from others kill because they enjoy it, etc. Just my opinion, I don't what will happen, but getting rid of punishment is too much of a risk. Anything could happen. So yeah, I think punishment is perfectly necessary.

That's why throughout history the good guys keep winning the wars. The concept of good vs. bad is painted by the winners. :P

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/road-and-rail-transport/8642177/Aberystwyth-The-town-without-traffic-wardens.html

When the council removed the traffic wardens in this town, the entire transport system collapsed in a matter of weeks. Make of that what you wish

I don't think we are fully evil by nature.

Even if we didn't have punishment I still think we would be able to make decision's on what is right or wrong to do to someone/something.

Nope. Humans are molded by the instincts wired in our brains during eons of evolution. At the same time we are selfish because each individual wants to success, to survive and pass his genes on, but we are also fairly cooperative animals, with good social skills and the possibility to defuse aggression through sex due to our absence of a mating cycle.

A lot like a fine-tuned yin-yang, really. It's even reflected on our close relatives, the chimps being selfish and aggressive side and the bonobos being the love-not-war, cooperative side. It's up to each and everyone of us to choose which path to follow.

Well, the greatest issue is that doing bad things sometimes result in great and/or more easily accessible profit than being lawful. So, as you said, even if they know that it is wrong or even feel guilty about it afterwards, they will do it again. The problem here would neither be them doing what they think they have to do nor lack of sympathy/empathy. The problem would be society.

We are selfish by nature

Define evil. That is relevant. What is evil has changed over the time. In old times it was acceptable to beat his wife and children. Or there was a time, then it was acceptable to slave other humans.

There is some sort of common sense about evil in a given culture and time. This common sense will follow most people even without the fear of punishment. See "failed states", states without a proper government that can force punishment for crimes. Most people follow the common sense of ethics. The sad thing is that a few who are not doing this are enough to destroy and damage everything and everyone.