Freud and the Problem of Evil (Or the Plurality of Types)

"All humans aim at the good" said Aristotle (and Plato) over 2000 years ago. This famous first line of Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics just means that we are by nature compassionate. Or at least we try to be. 

Two ways we can go wrong. First, we don't know what the good is. We try to be good and we do it, although what we thought was good was actually evil. Second, we may be weak willed or what Aristotle termed 'incontinence' - that is, we may not be unable to do the good (a rational innate necessity) because our inclinations pull us to perform evil - we know it's bad but we eat the extra piece of cake anyway. 

Now where does Freud come into all of this? According to one scientist, Freud isn't studied not because he's not right, but because "he's not even wrong" - ie his theories are beyond (scientific) testing. He is right, Freud - but you're not missing much. Because when you study Freud all you are studying is precisely this incontinence that people have and the neural workings. In other words, studying Freud is studying the nature of evil. Which you don't need to know unless you're a psychologist of sorts

So there are 4 main types in the world: 

1. You know the good and you're strong enough to carry it out

2. You know the good but you're weak enough not to carry it out

3. You're incontinent (evil) and you're strong enough to carry it out

4. You're incontinent but you're weak enough not to carry it out (ie you end up doing the good out of the wrong motive, trading one fear for another rather than being strong and doing it out of duty as those of the first type do)

So two questions - do you agree? And, which of the four types are you - which of the four types are your family or friends?

And are types 1 and 3 different or are they the same?

Hint: ETAMP

or SETAMP

A lot of stuff in here that needs to be pulled apart and discussed. 

1. "we are by nature compassionate:" Is this true? And if it is, aren't we also by nature hateful, possessive, destructive & violent?
2. "there are 4 main types in the world:" Is this a fact? Is it possible that there are more types, or that we are all one of these types in different situations, at different times in our lives?
3. And of course, defining "good and evil," which is extremely difficult if you really think about it. They may not even exist, or only be opinions. Is there good and evil in the jungle? In space? Are we talking about a warrior ethic (killing your enemy in battle is good) or an altruistic ethic (turn the other cheek, love your enemy)?

Good! what do you think?

think ETAMP

How about "ETAMPS: The Double Death of Quincas Water-Yell"

Socrates / Quincas comes back from the dead to show that true knowledge or wisdom is acquired by a feeling of pleasure or rather love

Question: What was Socrates' last name?

Answer: Water-Bray

"Socrates Water-Bray"

there is nothing either good or
bad, but thinking makes it so.

Maybe Plato and that bunch didn't know everything.

“The ideas of Freud were popularized by people who only imperfectly understood them, who were incapable of the great effort required to grasp them in their relationship to larger truths, and who therefore assigned to them a prominence out of all proportion to their true importance.” 
― Alfred North Whitehead

I'm gonna pop you, Whitehead!

Whitehead popped years ago! ;P

not this dickheadery plonkosity again! OP is croozin fur a broozin.

I took philosophy for one semester, was the lamest course ever. But I got A so I was happy :)

well done v_akshay! was there any mention of "living in the now" on the course ?

The point is when you know something it means you know how it is made so to speak

Somehow I think misuse of the word 'to know' causes all evil