Can you know "right and wrong, but not good from evil"?

[ahs]

I think the answer is “yes”, that one can know right from wrong, but not good from evil. Here is the question as it was posed to me, and my answer [it ties into Adam and Eve, and the fall/original sin] :

Is there any state of being you have personally experienced where you know the difference between right and wrong, but not good from evil? If so, would you elaborate here?

I think that children are a perfect example of knowing “right from wrong” without knowing “good from evil”. A child can know it is right to obey his parents, and wrong to disobey them…and have no clue as to why it is “good or evil” in either case. Little Dave knew it was wrong to disobey his dad’s warning not to put the paper clip in the wall socket. But he had no idea of why that act would be “evil” until he did it, and felt the physical evil that was delivered to his body when the electrical current surged through him. His dad was protecting him from an evil that little Dave didn’t understand, by giving a command (“don’t stick this there”) that little Dave knew would be wrong to disobey. [This is a true story, by the way…slightly modified.]

 

[kateyu]

Ahs, I agree that a person can know right from wrong, but not good from evil. My oldest son is nearly 40 and he takes in for meals his “friends” who are every kind of … Strange. His own wife has another woman in their house whom she calls “wife.” He sees nothing evil or wrong in this. In fact, would be furious if anyone spoke or acted against this situation. He has raised my grandson to reject Catholic and to accept his definition the right=good and wrong=evil.

All I can do is pray, pray & pray. Thanks for reading and thanks for your prayers.

God bless your 2016

 

[laircy]

Some people think right and wrong are simply the conventions of society and good and evil are intrinsic qualities of actions, while believing the latter does not really exist.

 

[fhansen]

I think the answer is “yes”, that one can know right from wrong, but not good from evil. Here is the question as it was posed to me, and my answer [it ties into Adam and Eve, and the fall/original sin] :

Is there any state of being you have personally experienced where you know the difference between right and wrong, but not good from evil? If so, would you elaborate here?

I think that children are a perfect example of knowing “right from wrong” without knowing “good from evil”. A child can know it is right to obey his parents, and wrong to disobey them…and have no clue as to why it is “good or evil” in either case. Little Dave knew it was wrong to disobey his dad’s warning not to put the paper clip in the wall socket. But he had no idea of why that act would be “evil” until he did it, and felt the physical evil that was delivered to his body when the electrical current surged through him. His dad was protecting him from an evil that little Dave didn’t understand, by giving a command (“don’t stick this there”) that little Dave knew would be wrong to disobey. [This is a true story, by the way…slightly modified.]

I think that’s probably a good example. The “knowledge of good and evil” comes via direct experience- intimate knowledge which Adam and Eve didn’t possess until they, themselves, participated in the evil of rebelling against God, all sin being opposed to Him and His will.

Prior to that they knew, because that knowledge or law had been written in their consciences, that some things were right and others wrong. But they couldn’t yet personally identify evil, and so contrast it with and therefore distinguish it from, good, as two separate realities-because they didn’t* know *evil, being innocent of such knowledge or experience. They didn’t yet know for themselves that God was trustworthy after all, IOW.

 

[edwest2]

I think that’s probably a good example. The “knowledge of good and evil” comes via direct experience- intimate knowledge which Adam and Eve didn’t possess until they, themselves, participated in the evil of rebelling against God, all sin being opposed to Him and His will.

Prior to that they knew, because that knowledge or law had been written in their consciences, that some things were right and others wrong. But they couldn’t yet personally identify evil, and so contrast it with and therefore distinguish it from, good, as two separate realities-because they didn’t* know *evil, being innocent of such knowledge or experience. They didn’t yet know for themselves that God was trustworthy after all, IOW.

Right and wrong have been made ambiguous on purpose. Right and wrong, good and evil. Evil was marketed gradually over the decades till now, good is bad and right is whatever we want. We can’t be neutral about it.

Ed

amazon.com/The-Marketing-Evil-Pseudo-Experts-Corruption/dp/1581824599

 

[fhansen]

Right and wrong have been made ambiguous on purpose. Right and wrong, good and evil. Evil was marketed gradually over the decades till now, good is bad and right is whatever we want. We can’t be neutral about it.

Ed

amazon.com/The-Marketing-Evil-Pseudo-Experts-Corruption/dp/1581824599

I think Adam actually introduced moral relativism.

 

[Sacred_Heart_1]

I think the answer is “yes”, that one can know right from wrong, but not good from evil. Here is the question as it was posed to me, and my answer [it ties into Adam and Eve, and the fall/original sin] :

Is there any state of being you have personally experienced where you know the difference between right and wrong, but not good from evil? If so, would you elaborate here?

I think that children are a perfect example of knowing “right from wrong” without knowing “good from evil”. A child can know it is right to obey his parents, and wrong to disobey them…and have no clue as to why it is “good or evil” in either case. Little Dave knew it was wrong to disobey his dad’s warning not to put the paper clip in the wall socket. But he had no idea of why that act would be “evil” until he did it, and felt the physical evil that was delivered to his body when the electrical current surged through him. His dad was protecting him from an evil that little Dave didn’t understand, by giving a command (“don’t stick this there”) that little Dave knew would be wrong to disobey. [This is a true story, by the way…slightly modified.]

By definition Wisdom is the knowledge between good and evil. We are all born and taught this knowledge from right and wrong. We all eat from the same tree. The difference between knowing right and wrong; and knowing good and evil is our individual understanding–Its development and its application. Some people may have a more developed sense of good and evil; according to their Wisdom. Some people are wise and some people are fools, however, a fool knows right from wrong and therefore; has a sense of good and evil to their own individual understanding. It’s just in wise people it may be more evident.

 

[edwest2]

By definition Wisdom is the knowledge between good and evil. We are all born and taught this knowledge from right and wrong. We all eat from the same tree. The difference between knowing right and wrong; and knowing good and evil is our individual understanding–Its development and its application. Some people may have a more developed sense of good and evil; according to their Wisdom. Some people are wise and some people are fools, however, a fool knows right from wrong and therefore; has a sense of good and evil to their own individual understanding. It’s just in wise people it may be more evident.

Some of us are born into situations where stealing and/or selling illegal drugs are just a way of life. Some of us are convinced that there is a new or greater wisdom involved in New Age beliefs and practices.

biblehub.com/proverbs/4-7.htm

Some of us may be told something wise but do not understand how to apply it to our daily lives. And because of that, we just do want we want or are neutral regarding some things that really matter. “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law.” Aleister Crowley

Ed

 

[fhansen]

Some of us are born into situations where stealing and/or selling illegal drugs are just a way of life. Some of us are convinced that there is a new or greater wisdom involved in New Age beliefs and practices.

biblehub.com/proverbs/4-7.htm

Some of us may be told something wise but do not understand how to apply it to our daily lives. And because of that, we just do want we want or are neutral regarding some things that really matter. “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law.” Aleister Crowley

Ed

Well that certainly describes fallen man. Do you believe in natural law doctrine?

 

[Sacred_Heart_1]

Some of us are born into situations where stealing and/or selling illegal drugs are just a way of life. Some of us are convinced that there is a new or greater wisdom involved in New Age beliefs and practices.

biblehub.com/proverbs/4-7.htm

Some of us may be told something wise but do not understand how to apply it to our daily lives. And because of that, we just do want we want or are neutral regarding some things that really matter. “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law.” Aleister Crowley

Ed

But you’re forgetting about consequences. To tell me what is right or wrong there would have to be an association of consequence. The same is true with good and evil. Fear is also relevant. Just because someone chooses to do right or wrong, good or evil, Does not mean they don’t know the difference. Its according to their understanding that they perceive; however, there is no one who does not know the sense of good and evil. Fear is upon our conscience, fear of consequence. Just because someone is not fluent in good and evil, morality, wisdom; does not mean that the sense of it is not there.

By eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, Wisdom became the world. Just look at your fear–the fear of consequence and you will see that there is a sense of good and evil within your thoughts. Some people choose wrong but they still know the fear of consequence. It is this process that tells us right from wrong; and if you have an understanding of what is right and wrong then you have the sense of good and evil. Right and wrong, and good and evil are synonymous.

 

[ericc]

Perhaps the “rightness” and “wrongness” of an act is dependent on societal norms. Bad manners may not be intrinsically evil, but wrong by societal standards or as a reflection of poor “education” or some call it “ill-bred”. Breaking administrative rules may be deemed bad but sometimes may not be deemed evil because such laws could be unjust, discriminatory, nonsensical etc. An example would be jaywalking with no traffic in sight in the middle of a dead winter night.

If there is a tug between obeying Caesar and obeying God, obeying God and disobeying Caesar may be consider wrong but not evil. The reverse would be true.

Where would one place such an event: disobeying atheist parents of the Dawkins caliber but obeying God? Extreme example but good for illustration?

 

[edwest2]

Well that certainly describes fallen man. Do you believe in natural law doctrine?

Of course I do, but as I was told, “Some people wake up every day to steal like others wake up to go to work.” Desperate people will do desperate things. And I grew up in Detroit. A drug dealer was shot by someone (I don’t recall if he returned fire) but he was back to dealing shortly after recovering. I am not saying these people have no concept of right or wrong but justifications are documented. One example:

“Nobody forces anyone to buy squares [cigarettes] but people do it anyway. We don’t force people to buy dope and if anything happens to them, it was their choice. They come to me, ya know?”

So, the blame for bad consequences gets shifted to the buyer, not the seller. Sometimes, it’s “A man’s got to do what a man’s got to do.”

For some, going to jail is not that high a price to pay. Poor, desperate, with little, if any, help. This way, they get food, a warm place to stay and others who know what they know and who come from similar backgrounds. Yes, some manage to get out of dealing and find a better way.

Ed

 

[John_Martin]

Right and wrong have to do more with true or false.
Good and Evil have to do with desirable and undesirable. “Good” and “Desirable” are convertible terms.

Whether a child knows “good” or “evil” would mean he knows what is desirable to himself and what he does not desire.

With the paperclip, the child may not know electricity kills, but he does desire the smile of his father and does not desire the yelling of his father. Good and evil understood in the child’s perception.

The “evil of a paperclip in an electrical outlet” is perceived differently by two people, but it is evil to both (undesirable to both), nonetheless.

Right and wrong involve understanding what is “really real”, what is true. I would say that this is what a child does not yet know when his father tells him to keep the paperclip out of the socket. That is why children are always asking, “Why?”

 

[ahs]

Right and wrong have to do more with true or false.
Good and Evil have to do with desirable and undesirable. “Good” and “Desirable” are convertible terms.

Whether a child knows “good” or “evil” would mean he knows what is desirable to himself and what he does not desire.

With the paperclip, the child may not know electricity kills, but he does desire the smile of his father and does not desire the yelling of his father. Good and evil understood in the child’s perception.

The “evil of a paperclip in an electrical outlet” is perceived differently by two people, but it is evil to both (undesirable to both), nonetheless.

Right and wrong involve understanding what is “really real”, what is true. I would say that this is what a child does not yet know when his father tells him to keep the paperclip out of the socket. That is why children are always asking, “Why?”

Up to this point, my own thread has been soaring above my head where I could not comprehend more than a few words. This makes sense to me.

 

[John_Martin]

Up to this point, my own thread has been soaring above my head where I could not comprehend more than a few words. This makes sense to me.

Glad to hear it - btw, I write more stuff that makes sense at my website listed on my signature - that is my goal; explaining.