The Good And The Bad In People

Surname 1

Name:

Course:

Date:

The Good and the Bad in People

Are People Good or Bad?

Are people good or bad? This is a fundamental question to ask in our endeavor to find the

true nature of humans with the full knowledge of genetics and nature of people. To this end,

scholars have written and argued from either end and the aim here, far from answering the

0question, is really to compare 0.52both arguments for and against the theme and make an

.informed decision to one side..

Three views shall be considered under this subtopic to assess reasons for humans being

bad. Psychological egoist is the number one view that has an early origin. Because the term

“bad” is distasteful for so many individuals, scholars would rather replace the word with “self-

interested” people. This behavior comes from the evolutionary aspects of survival for the fittest

and the only the strong get through the difficult moments. So, these behaviors are claimed to

reveal an individual’s genetic predisposition to do a self-interested act, because it is in their

nature to do so. Hence, a certain group would achieve lots of things such as better reproduction

and passed their genes over to the coming generation. In other words, a certain phenotype will

reproduce to ensure its own species survive and overcome every challenge. At other times, they

can realize that they would barely survive the future predicament facing them and so they decide

to sustain the second-level genes of their kind, a term known as selfish gene strategy. To them,

Surname 2

competitiveness is the way to go for the scare resources on the earth. Hence, no one should really

expect anything from anyone because the individual is only developing is family lineage.

Following that, it isn’t surprising to find a worker steal from his boss since he hasn’t placed a

theft-detective system, and so on.

Thomas Hobbes presents to us the other view of humans as bad based on his firm

arguments on genetics. Hobbes argued that people are naturally competitive and ambitious in any

environment featured with limited goods and services yet innumerable wants. In general,

Hobbies claimed that people are equal in this manner: if individual X possessed traits a, b and c;

individual Y had the traits d, e and f. In effect, each had a balance share of genes because any

competition took place. To him, no person was uncompetitive to achieve whatever he desired but

limited prizes would force the other to lose. For instance, twenty individuals are invited to a

night party and each has an invitation card. When it comes to the dining room, after the service

of meals, only nineteen seats are available for the guests and no more. As people take seats one is

left without. More often than not, the overbearing and aggressive people secure seats whereas the

quiet and cooperative ones are ruled by their fellows. Well, tough as it looks, this is the metaphor

that Hobbies puts the situation of people as inherently bad. So, people have the highest selfish

tendencies and only clear controls will defend the weaker ones.

Religious thinkers made up view number three that deals with people as bad. According

to Christianity, each person is born in sin and only a redemption from the pure blood of Jesus

Christ can cause them to consciously decide to stop bad inclinations and become good persons in

society. This is not so with Judaism or the Islam religion, as examples of other many religions.

To them, people are inherently pure unless the individual chooses to be otherwise. In fact, this is

the measure deemed as ideal by most major religions on the planet earth. Hence, Christianity

Surname 3

declares that people are bad unless they invite Jesus into their lives and he turns around their

altruistic behavior for the beneficence purposes. Other religions put it that people make any

choice for the good, but unfortunately it deviates from the morally balance basis. At last,

religious thinkers declare that unless individuals make an informed decision in formulation of

their worldview regarding what people take as good, or less they fall into competitive excesses as

relates personal self-interested obesity.

Humans Are Good

This subtopic is a vital one in the sense that one need to find what characteristics that

they may be perceived as good, and again, three perspectives are put to discussion: altruists,

Lockians and religious thinkers. Altruists who are mostly sociobiologists claim that there is an

evolutionary merit in becoming open to altruism. They reason that altruism often breeds

cooperation that could improve the social frameworks. Thus, those living in better functional

social framework would pass their genes to the subsequent generation as compared to those who

do not. To that end, cooperative behavior serves as a good thing to the agent. Examples of these

sociobiologists are Sober and Wilson that suggest biological position has nothing to incline to

affect egoism or hedonism. These authors describe childcare in the view of altruism and also a

pluralistic motivation. The writers clearly take a stand that altruism wins the argument.

Therefore, they propose that humans are probably good based on biology.

Humans Are Bad

John Locke makes the second perspective of people as good, not basing on their

competitiveness but their cooperation. This perception directly contracts Hobbes way of

thinking. Lockians believe that are naturally good but possible they can perform bad things. They

suggest that the individual besides exhibiting the human nature, he or she may pervert his nature.

Surname 4

Although the personal behaviors might be same, reasons for which a particular behavior is

performed can largely be different.

Third perspective is the religious thinkers; some say humans are good because good God

made them. Other religions engage God in both good and bad. Expounding on the former

statement, arguers say that since God who created us is good, then definitely humans are also

good as He is. No way could He create what is not part of his goodness. In other words, if trait X

of goodness is in him, then the individual must be having that trait too. So, if God is good and

the maker of all things then obviously everything in the whole earth is good too. Well, we

engage into the latter aspect that perceives God as both bad and good. These criticizers begin

from the view that, since good and bad are seen on earth, and God is the creator of all, then He

inevitably contains all (good and bad). Further, they declare that this God tricks people and

performs seriously bad things to some people thus forcing them to be bad in return. To those He

chooses to show His favor and do well, they respond by being good to others. Hence, God does

bad things as part of inscrutable plan.

Deciding Moment for People as Good or Bad

Naked Reverse is a book written by Michael Boylan that details the life of a philosophy

college professor who goes through a metamorphosis in his life after discovering the betrayal of

his wife. The focus of this essay is on the scene in which Andrew finds his wife in bed with

another man. IT is a point that marks a new chapter in the life of the college professor and

decides that he be no longer in charge of other people’s affairs. He has to focus on his life if

there is to be a hope and a future for him (Boylan 19). Andrew is a man who has been a push-

over for much of his life. He has had to deal with the responsibilities that have been allocated to

him due to societal demands and expectations. The result is that he finds himself living a life

Surname 5

which does not necessarily represent his dreams and aspirations (Boylan 32). It is a sad state of

affairs considering that Andrew is one of the most logical and philosophical people.

One of the most intriguing things about Andrew’s life is that he is a deeply perceptive

individual who applies thought and rationality into every problem that he encounters. Naked

Reverse details the conversation that goes through his mind as he deliberates about the judicial

process which determines whether a person has committed a crime or not. Andrew makes it clear

that even among the most respected and noble of professions, there are still gaping holes in

concept analysis and the process that leads to a conclusion (Boylan 8). At the end of the day,

Andrew finds that he has to live a life in which the things which are in his head must be

expressed in a free-flowing manner in his day-to-day life. He cannot afford to live as if

everything is normal despite the fact that society demands it to be so.

The great moment of change is reflected in his encounter with his philandering wife in

which he suddenly discovers that he has been living a lie (Boylan 23). One does not help but

sympathize with the protagonist in the story as he channels his thoughts towards a moment of

clarity and definition. A rich history of pain, betrayal, and bullying comes to the fore in which

one wonders whether it is worth the hustle for people to submit to all sorts of oppressive

situations and considerations. Andrew’s moment of epiphany opens a door towards the discovery

of who he is and the true nature of people. His desire to always conform to established norms

and standards is massively tested and he becomes suspicious of the acts of men and women he

comes across. Even after finding the true love of his life, Andrew has to learn to shed off some of

his inadequacies as well as inhibitions towards trust and companionship (Boylan 56). At the end

of the day, Andrew’s evolutionary journey is an expression of his understanding of his life rather

than the lives of the people around him.

Surname 6

There are some theories that have been used to explain the nature of people and the

interactions that humans have with each other. It is common knowledge that we live in a world

with finite resources with time being the most limited resources of all. Everyone seems to be in a

rush to find something of value that will automatically enhance their lives (Bunge 21). Andrew

seems always to come to this conclusion as he goes through his usual mind puzzles and

conversations. Perhaps, it is this understanding that helped him to come and understand his

nature and trajectory in life thus enabling him to come to a place of resolution. With regards to

his wife act of betrayal, it is easy for a person to condemn her and automatically label her as a

bad person. After all, it is required of partners in marriage to be faithful to one another to the end.

The society has always demanded of marriages to be stable, and this is partly because marriages

are the most basic and fundamental units of virtually all human societies (Bunge 44). As such,

for his wife to cheat on him despite his best intentions to be committed and faithful to the end, it

represents a high level of selfishness and callousness.

Psychologists argue that it be like people to prioritize the self over that of others. It is like

the human being to look after themselves as it is genetically encoded in our DNA. Darwinism

best explains this theory in which the survival of the fittest dynamic has always pushed people to

develop the best strategies for sustainable success across generations (Bunge 38). Indeed,

Andrew’s reasoning reveals that he was already struggling with this notion. Andrew’s wife was

not necessarily his best choice if he would have been afforded the choice to get married to a

woman. As his personal dialogue unfolds, one discovers that these two are the most incompatible

of actions. The two of them have only been offering much sorrow to each other even though

outward appearances beggar to deceive. Their different personalities and interests show that, in

this particular instance, it is the society that has brought sadness into their individual lives. A life

Surname 7

of marriage is supposed to factor in two people who come together and are supposed to act like

one. They are required to showcase a unit that is intact and functional. At best, Andrew’s

marriage was merely functional at the physical level. The lack of romance and vision to face

life’s challenges together as a unit is a reflection of failed marriage even though no one would

have suspected it to be so. One cannot escape the feeling that the dictates of the society around

the couple were responsible for the creation of a miserable marriage that was bound to fail in a

horrible fashion.

However, one wonders whether such a situation could have been avoided in the first

place. While it can be easy to blame the society for forcing this couple into a marriage, it is also

important to understand that everyone is responsible for his or her actions (Boylan 43). Even

though Andrew was not happy in the marriage, he was not the person who cheated. His wife is

the one who pulled the trigger which caused him to regret many things he had secretly been

shoving aside in his mind. There is a moral element in these proceedings in the sense that

Andrew’s wife did not choose the most amicable of ways to end the relationship. For one, it is

expected that these two are adults and are, for that reason, expected to share their feelings in an

open and transparent manner. Divorce proceedings can be instituted in amicable ways without

necessarily having to endure pain and embarrassment. Andrew’s wife did not do the right thing

in this particular instance. Marriage is an institution that is based on trust and understanding.

Once the trust is broken, then it becomes increasingly difficult to repair any wounds in a

marriage. Andrew’s wife exhibited a nature that religious thinkers will express as the norm in all

human beings.

In the religious sense, all people are equipped with the capacity to commit sin as humans

are born in sin. It is a view that is particularly prevalent in the Christian setting. Each person is

Surname 8

born in sin, and the only redemption is to be cleansed by the pure blood of Jesus Christ. The

blood of Jesus Christ is designed to erase in people the need to be sinful. However, it does not

end there as people are required to continuously and consistently apply themselves to the

cheatings of repentance and righteous living (Bunge 39). The word of God found in the Bible is

designed to equip the people with the necessary truth and knowledge that will help them flee

away from all manner of evil. A born-again Christian, and through the help of the Holy Spirit is,

for that reason, equipped with the necessary resources that will help him fight evil and sin. The

inborn nature to commit sin can thus explain Andrew’s wife decision to commit adultery by

sleeping with another man. It is this perspective that seems to been ingrained into Andrew’s

framework of thought even as he interacts with other people in his life. He becomes suspicious

of the actions of other people and feels that no one can provide the necessary reassurances that

he needs.

The view that people are intrinsically designed to focus on self-interest is also seen in

other philosophers such as Hobbes who have placed credence on genetics and its ability to

influence the choices and actions of people (Bunge 53). On one of his travels and search to find

the true meaning of his existence, Andrew falls in love with a beautiful woman who is also

facing her demons. She is running away from her partner who is involved in the underworld of

crime and violence. She feels trapped in that world and seeks a better form of life that is free

from guilt and fear of death. Andrew cannot help but feel the striking resemblance with his life

considering that he was just coming out of a situation in which he was trapped in a marriage

(Boylan 42). The only difference in this instance is reflected by the fact that his was a legal entity

that was free from moral uncertainties. For this woman, it was clear that she needed to drastic

action that would save her from a future of certain doom (Boylan 61). The woman decision to

Surname 9

take action and run away is considered to be a particularly impressive one considering the certain

danger that followed her every move. However, she acted out of pure self-interest. She had made

a decision to live a life of freedom and one that was far from a life of crime. Self-interest in this

instance was not such a bad thing. In fact, it was the best decision considering the repercussions

of associating with a person who was on the crime scene. There are others who would have seen

this act as an act of betrayal as evidenced by the fact she was on the run, always looking over her

shoulder.

Her act of self-interest is then expressed in the fact that she, at one time, used him to

achieve her aims and objectives. She asked for help and Andrew was obliged to assist her.

However, it turned out to be a ploy, and this did not prevent Andrew from pursuing her (Boylan

33). One wonders whether it is like Andrew to be easily deceived and used by beautiful women.

One is taken to Andrew’s earliest mental conversations in which he discusses the limitations of

the rational thinking process and logic that determines the laws of evidence and crime

conviction. In his understanding, the lack of evidence does not necessarily prove a person has not

committed a crime. It only limits a system to a particular prescribed way of doing things. For a

person who is dependent on rationality and logic, the action to pursue the girl seemed to be out

of sorts. However, it ended up in bearing much fruit in the end.

It is in this instance that one sees that there is also good in people. Even if people are

intrinsically designed and wired to pursue self-interest, the manifestation of this self-interest is

what makes the difference. It is the thing that determines whether an action is good or bad in the

end (Boylan 21). If Andrew’s wife would not have cheated, then Andrew would not necessarily

have left his marriage in search of answers. The question of good and bad in people does not

necessarily have a black and white answer. They are various sheds of grey that are dependent on

Surname 10

the outcomes of interlinked processes of events (Boylan 39). In looking at the act of adultery that

changed Andrew’s life, the isolated event seems to be particularly distasteful, and it is. However,

in the long-run, it seemed to work out for the couple. Self interest does not necessarily have to be

a bad thing after all. The motive behind self-interest, as well as its immediate repercussions,

makes it difficult to pass judgment on a person (Boylan 87). For one, Andrew and the girl go to

help one another in many ways which helped to foster a stable and self-sustaining dynamic that

they had not experienced in their previous relationships.

It takes one to the view of the Altruists and the Lockians who believe that it is possible

for good people to do bad things. The essence in this analogy is not to label people but rather

events and processes that come out of people (Bunge 65). Even in the darkest of moments, it is

possible for people to do good things. The environment in which a person operates in matters as

well and these are issues that have to be factored in when seeking meaning into some of the most

puzzling of situations in a person’s life (Boylan 92). Positive thinkers believe that even though

the nature to do bad things resides in people; the same people do have the capacity to do good

things. The environment influences a person’s thinking system. The thinking system can be

reprogrammed to elicit positive actions and words (Boylan 25). Andrew’s decision to walk away

from a life-changing event helped him to be centered and concentrate on his true qualities rather

than react to the actions of a person that would have potentially damaged his future.

The Naked Reverse shows the ability of people being to progressively overcome their

fears and hurts and choose to exhibit good behavior in the midst of pain and betrayal. Andrew

does not come across as a saint as he is also a person who has his flaws (Boylan 81). The wife

would not have cheated on him should he have done his fair bit to make the marriage work. He

was in a marriage that was designed to fail from the beginning. However, he should have taken

Surname 11

the necessary bold action as a man to ensure that any eventual split did not come at such a high

cost. His reluctance to not act early is revealed in his later analysis of events surrounding other

people and the new girl whom he fell in love with. He was able to learn from his mistakes and

could not allow the pain and fear of being hurt to change his fortune again. The fact that Andrew

decided to go after the girl even though she had swindled him shows that good things can come

from bad situations. It is not the environment that makes a man, but rather the thing that a man

decides to do with it (Boylan 29). It is a perspective that goes against the views of the negative

thinkers who believe that once a person is bad, then he is that way forever.

In many instances, a person who discovers an act of betrayal from a cheating spouse

usually results in an uncontrollable series of hurtful behavior. A person becomes erratic in their

decisions, and it can result in even more heartache than previously seen before (Bunge 41).

Andrew’s instance shows that different a careful and deliberate thought process can help in

turning out these scenarios into positive ones. Although one cannot help but wonder if it is

possible for everyone to be that reasonable and thoughtful. Is it blind optimism? Is it naivety?

Andrew was known to be a meek person who would rather let other people have their way. It is

something that would haunt him as seen in the breakdown of his marriage. However, it also

seemed to bolster his beliefs and ambitions when he encountered different people on his journey

of discovery (Boylan 58). Andrew underwent a metamorphosis that saw him become a strong

person who was confident and determined to fight for that which he believed to be true. He stood

up to his wife in the end, and this caused much happiness in his life. More importantly, it was

also influential in changing the lives of others whom he would encounter in his next phase of

life. Andrew and his new found love evolved from a position of fear and mistrust to one of

strength and trust. However, it was a radical and deliberate choice that he made to arrive at that

Surname 12

position. The environment that these two created for each other was enough to cause positive

change. It was different from the one that they had experienced when they were with their former

partners.

Surname 13

Works Cited

Boylan, Michael. Basic Ethics. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2000. Print.

Boylan, Michael. Naked Reverse. 1st ed. PWI Books, 2015. Print.

Bunge, Mario. Treatise on Basic Philosophy: Ethics: The Good and The Right. Vol. 8. Springer

Science & Business Media, 2012.

Place new order. It's free, fast and safe

Paper type

Deadline

Page count

550 words

Total price: $ 15.00

Our customers say

Jeff Curtis

USA, Student

"I'm fully satisfied with the essay I've just received. When I read it, I felt like it was exactly what I wanted to say, but couldn’t find the necessary words. Thank you!"

Ian McGregor

UK, Student

"I don’t know what I would do without your assistance! With your help, I met my deadline just in time and the work was very professional. I will be back in several days with another assignment!"

Shannon Williams

Canada, Student

"It was the perfect experience! I enjoyed working with my writer, he delivered my work on time and followed all the guidelines about the referencing and contents."