Are people basically good, or basically evil?

[Feanorcurufinwe]

[vi5]

1. My take: We are all self centered....whether that's good or evil

I think every one of us strives first and foremost for self-preservation. I think a person's good/evil status comes from the degree to which their concept of "self" extends outward. To some of us "self" includes only our own friends and family. To others it could include their town, state, or their country. Or their religion.

To the truly great, "self" includes every human being. Much as we'd all like to think of ourselves in this category, I would personally say that there are very few people who have ever fit into this category.

[sandnsea]

2. People are individuals

The extent to which each indivdiual is "good" or "evil" varies within the individual. But I guess I think that if any group of individuals had absolutely no social structure, they'd tend to create an inclusive, accepting community. Because we do have a "group" nature for certain.

[Az]

3. We are social creatures

As such our basic instincts lead us to cooperate with each other and help each other out. Circumstances and learned patterns of thinking can lead us away from this basic nature. If you look to the basic drives within social creatures you will find all the definitions of good that we have come to define.

[regularguy]

4. Other.

Very few people would be theorectically in favor of evil. It's easy and satisfying to be in favor of "Good". When it's difficult to do the right thing, when it requires sacrifice, many (maybe me) will sometimes do the evil thing.

[bloodyjack]

5. insofar as evil = selfishness

we are innately selfish, atruism is engendered as we mature — thru good parenting, proper education, religion . . . general social contact, to establish that sense of the Other.

on the other hand, i am full of shit.

[mvd]

6. If you have a decent conscience, I'd say..

basically good. But we are all capable of evil.