As a follow-up to my last post, just a few thoughts on Good.
If Evil can be defined as deriving from selfishness or ignorance (or both), then it should follow that Good is best understood as flowing from its opposite. Selfless thought and action, and Understanding.
Take a moment and consider something good you have seen or heard. Something hopeful and positive. Every good thing I can think of does seem to link up to those two ideals: Selflessness and Understanding. Scientific discoveries, charitable acts, even (as my brother suggests) someone showing up at work with cupcakes for no particular reason.
Greater understanding of our world and of each other. Selfless acts to enrich each others lives. Learning and Charity.
Good.
I haven't been able to come up with a better definition of the concept.
This is all just thinking of course. In the hopes of someday building my own moral compass, independent of the one I was raised with, independent of the Christian values I was taught. Not different, necessarily, but deriving from reason and my own judgment rather than from external sources. I'm not entirely sure that it is even possible.
But I have my hopes.
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