VOLUME III

Chapter II - Beyond Good and Evil (善悪)
Zen'aku

The concevi of good and evil has been a topic of great debat by humanity for years.

As we grow up in a family, society and traditions, we learn moral values. Through repetition these become seen as authoritative and almost become truths. However, are we really being told what is right or just what has been passed down through generations?

Many philosophers had different views on what constituted good. Aristotle used to believe that virtuous acts were about character and judgement. Kant used to believe that good acts were those that were done out of moral duty rather than personal wants and Mill used to believe that actions should be judged based on their outcome However, when faced with differing opinions, problems occur. If an action results in a terrible outcome can it still be seen as morally good? If we suffer while following our duty can it still be seen as righteous? Can we excuse damage caused by having good intentions?

Perhaps the most apparent issue with morality occurs when the values conflict. While we despise lying at times we expect people to tell the truth even if it serves no purpose other than to be cruel. While we praise loyalty, it can also be used to protect wrong doing. The same value can protect one person but oppress another.

This does not mean that morality is random but it shows that we need to consider what we are protecting with our values.

Perhaps the biggest risk with morality is that we are so confident we are doing good that we do not realise we are causing evil in its wake.