Druid Posted July 12, 2005 Share Posted July 12, 2005 Just a thought I've been having for the last few days. Does a person who does the "right" thing because of fear or the possiblity of reward, actually deserve reward? I mean how can someone be considered a good person if he does good for reasons of personal benefit? Does a secular humanist deserve heaven more than a christian on a purely moral level? I'm interested in everybodies opinion to help focus my thoughts on this and come to a personal understanding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizard Posted July 12, 2005 Share Posted July 12, 2005 Can you clarify "doing good?" If you mean, helping people, etc,that's one thing. But, is it "behaving" in a certain way that you mean? That would be something else.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Druid Posted July 12, 2005 Author Share Posted July 12, 2005 Can you clarify "doing good?" <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Not really. As my own inability to define "good" is one reason why I started this thread. To try and get a sort of clarity on what consitutes a "good" person. For example I don't consider giving to chartiy as "good" in a moral sense but only "good" in a social sense. It is an obligation as all I own I owe to the society and more generally the world that helped me obtain my possesions. Therefore I don't consider myself as a good person for doing this. Giving back makes you a "good" citizen not a person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizard Posted July 12, 2005 Share Posted July 12, 2005 Hmm..ok. It is hard to define "good" vs. social responsibility. Am I "good" as a wife if I don't cheat on my husband? Or just fulfilling a responsibility? I think a person who would stop on a freeway to help someone who broke down, could be considered "good"..but, those who drive on, I wouldn't say were "bad".. Ok..now I am thoroughly confusing myself.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panther Posted July 12, 2005 Share Posted July 12, 2005 me too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panther Posted July 12, 2005 Share Posted July 12, 2005 Just a thought I've been having for the last few days. Does a person who does the "right" thing because of fear or the possiblity of reward, actually deserve reward? I mean how can someone be considered a good person if he does good for reasons of personal benefit? Does a secular humanist deserve heaven more than a christian on a purely moral level? I'm interested in everybodies opinion to help focus my thoughts on this and come to a personal understanding. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I think if you are doing good because you fear something else, well, someone is maniuplating you. That is not your own choice, but rather someone else's. I think doing good means you thought of it...you exucuted the idea..and there were no reasons for personal gain. But then again, isn't there personal gain in much we do if we really think about it? OK..confusing myself too.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thurisaz Posted July 13, 2005 Share Posted July 13, 2005 I'd say you deserve, then, a small reward... but considering that you remain on level 1 of the Kohlberg scale, you better don't hope for much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Japedo Posted July 13, 2005 Share Posted July 13, 2005 Just a thought I've been having for the last few days. Does a person who does the "right" thing because of fear or the possiblity of reward, actually deserve reward? I mean how can someone be considered a good person if he does good for reasons of personal benefit? Does a secular humanist deserve heaven more than a christian on a purely moral level? I'm interested in everybodies opinion to help focus my thoughts on this and come to a personal understanding. To help bring your question into perspective, How about this Question. Would a Christian Give up his seat in Heaven and offer to give to a 'heretic atheist's who did much good in the world and go in his place to hell? I think Christians should be confronted with their "Love and worry" for lost souls on that level. I'm sure the answer will be obvious what they will say if Anything. Actually I'm not sure you'd even get an answer, just a horrified look like Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bdp Posted July 13, 2005 Share Posted July 13, 2005 Sometimes you do the right thing simply because it is the right thing to do knowing there is no personal gain or recompense in it for you. When I was a kid my mom bought these two sets of books put together by a 7th day adventist minister who called himself Uncle Arthur; they were all 'morality' tales that were supposed to edify children and put 'Godly' concepts of behaviour into them. One story I remeber had a boy at a benefit Christmas party passing up a really nifty fire truck with hoses that really shot water so he could take a doll to his siter in the hospital, earning the hate of all the girls who wanted the doll and the derision of the boys for choosing a 'sissy' toy. Nobody knew about his sister but the director of the benefit, who showed up at the boy's house later that night with the fire truck he had passed up. This story took a basically good concept about doing something nice and thoughtful and tacked on an unstated thought that if you do the right thing there may be something really good in it for you. The books were full of those kinds of stories, do the right thing and get a great reward. Terrible lesson for kids. You do good because you should, and you do the right thing because it is the right thing. That's what I think. bdp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts