thequestion on Politics: Argument Starter

[CRASHiC]

good- intelligence
evil- stupidity

that is all.

 

[Firus]

good- intelligence
evil- stupidity

that is all.

Except that argument fails the moment you realize that some of the people considered most evil were actually quite intelligent, and there are some very good-natured people who are morons.

And Teran's right, morals are so varied throughout the world...which "good" would the intelligent abide by?

 

[CRASHiC]

Except that argument fails the moment you realize that some of the people considered most evil were actually quite intelligent, and there are some very good-natured people who are morons.

Except that's not what I meant at all.

I meant the true evil of the world is stupidity, and that the true good in the world is intelligence. The individual people behind the intelligent is not of my concern, because would they have convinced others of such things as jews not being people if they were not intelligent themselves?

Stupidity- racism, fundamentalism, closed minded

 

[Teran]

good- intelligence
evil- stupidity

that is all.

I'm pretty sure Osama Bin Laden had some brains to pull off such a well coordinated attack on the Twin Towers.

I'm not sure you want to be saying you had over 2000 of your people killed by an idiot. That means you guys must be even bigger idiots for getting attacked like that.

The moment you start dismissing your enemies as stupid is the moment you get seriously pounded.

Evil isn't stupidity, I don't think Hitler was stupid when he cooked up his giant propaganda train.

It doesn't work like that, mainly because good and evil don't exist, they're all relative. Osama thinks we're evil, Hitler thought the Jews, Gypsies, Blacks, Slavs, etc. were evil.

See what I'm getting at? It's all bull****, it's all to do with our own interests, so just serve your own interests and don't worry about the moral consequences, unless it's against the law, but that's just because abiding by the law is the smart thing to do.

 

[CRASHiC]

I'm pretty sure Osama Bin Laden had some brains to pull off such a well coordinated attack on the Twin Towers.

And yet he is ignorant enough to believe that so many people truly deserved to die. He also believed that only his image of god was correct and true, and that the sacrifice of these innocent lives would cause America to change its ways in his favor. He is an ignorant man, who believes that evil has an address.

I'm not sure you want to be saying you had over 2000 of your people killed by an idiot. That means you guys must be even bigger idiots for getting attacked like that.

You greatly simplify stupidity and intelligent.
A judge recently fired because he refused to wed interracial couples, and claims he does not regret his decision. Despite being an educated man, he still is by far not an intelligent one.
People here are no worse than Bin Laden or anywhere else. Just like anywhere, you will find extremist who wish other extremist harm.

Evil isn't stupidity, I don't think Hitler was stupid when he cooked up his giant propaganda train.

Hitler had the stupidity to blame the hardships of the world on the Jewish people
He had the stupidity to believe that they were more releated to rodents than people
He had the stupidity to give evil an identity.

Stupidity is the evil of the world.
Intelligence is the savior.

 

[Firus]

What you're calling stupid is closer to elitist, arrogant, crazy, and words like that. It may be your opinion that it's stupid, but that is not what it is if you go by the definition of the word.

It is not, by definition, stupid to think that your beliefs are the only correct ones. It is, by definition, elitist.

 

[CRASHiC]

It is stupid. Its sheer ignorance. Ignorance is stupidity. Racism and bigotry in all forms is stupidity.

 

[Firus]

Ignorance is stupidity.

No, it is not. They have different definitions.

Stupidity would be if Hitler knew that Jews are people too and killed them anyways. Ignorance would be if Hitler was uninformed to the point that he thought Jews aren't people.

Ignorance is what Hitler did. Ignorance is what Bin Laden did. And so on.

You're stating your opinion as fact, when it isn't fact.

EDIT: For that matter, what Bin Laden did was affected by his beliefs. You can't call someone ignorant for their beliefs unless what they say directly contrasts a fact. Until we can prove anything about God and the afterlife, or lack thereof, we can't call people ignorant based on their beliefs.

 

[CRASHiC]

Stupidity would be if Hitler knew that Jews are people too and killed them anyways. Ignorance would be if Hitler was uninformed to the point that he thought Jews aren't people.

No, you have it backwards.
Ignorance is refusing the accept the evidence before you. Its subjectively ignoring information.
Stupidity is not knowing better, and thinking that you are right.
Regardless, you must have some sort of logical foul inorder to be ignorant in the first place, making you a stupid person.
You can be as educated as Plato, but if you do not rationalize the world before you, you are a stupid person. If you don't rationality the world before you, you are a dangerous person who sees the world in a shallow light. Anyone who can give evil a name, place, an address is both stupid and ignorant. Anyone who wishes intentional harm on an entire group of people is a stupid person, because he is attaching an entire group with but a select few he has met. A liberal in America is nothing like a conservative in America. A socialist in France is nothing like a conservative in France. Anyone who doesn't see this is not elitist, because they are not saying that "My views are right and there's are wrong" they are being stupid by having such a shallow idea of an entire group of people.

 

[Firus]

No, you have it backwards.
Ignorance is refusing the accept the evidence before you. Its subjectively ignoring information.
Stupidity is not knowing better, and thinking that you are right.

No...you're just making it up as you go along, or something, because that isn't true.

From the Dictionary.com definition of Ignorant:

1. lacking in knowledge or training; unlearned: an ignorant man.
2. lacking knowledge or information as to a particular subject or fact: ignorant of quantum physics.
3. uninformed; unaware.
4. due to or showing lack of knowledge or training: an ignorant statement.

From the Dictionary.com definition of Stupid:

1. lacking ordinary quickness and keenness of mind; dull.
2. characterized by or proceeding from mental dullness; foolish; senseless: a stupid question.

Ignorance is simply not knowing.

Stupidity is just being foolish.

Regardless, you must have some sort of logical foul inorder to be ignorant in the first place, making you a stupid person.

Even going by YOUR definitions, it would actually be impossible to be both ignorant AND stupid, because you'd have to not know better, but know better and choose to ignore the facts in order to do so.

Either way, I was correct in saying that stupidity and ignorance are not the same.

Anyone who wishes intentional harm on an entire group of people is a stupid person, because he is attaching an entire group with but a select few he has met. A liberal in America is nothing like a conservative in America. A socialist in France is nothing like a conservative in France.

No, they are not necessarily stupid. They may be ignorant and they are stereotypical.

Anyone who doesn't see this is not elitist, because they are not saying that "My views are right and there's are wrong" they are being stupid by having such a shallow idea of an entire group of people.

Because this is exactly what both Hitler AND Osama Bin Laden did, they were one and the same.

The Islamic Extremists think that their beliefs are right, they think that it is wrong for us to live the way we do, and therefore they attack us for it. That makes them elitists.

But my point isn't to prove to you that my definitions are correct, but to tell you that good and evil are not inherently intelligent and stupid, because even going by the incorrect, but commonly used, definitions, they are not. You are stereotyping all good and all evil, and you cannot truly stereotype anything, no matter how much "all stereotypes are based on some truth". It is your OPINION that good is intelligent and bad is stupid, but this is not fact.

 

[CRASHiC]

No...you're just making it up as you go along, or something, because that isn't true.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignorance

--Ignorance is the state in which one lacks knowledge, is unaware of something or chooses to subjectively ignore information.

As in the sentence
"Don't be ignorant, look at the facts!" said John towards the end of the debate over health care. It is a common use to claim someone ignorant when they ignore the facts and points you present to them.

Even going by YOUR definitions, it would actually be impossible to be both ignorant AND stupid, because you'd have to not know better, but know better and choose to ignore the facts in order to do so.

Either way, I was correct in saying that stupidity and ignorance are not the same.

No it wouldn't. Because being ignorant hinders your ability to become an intelligent person.
However, I wasn't saying that they were the same thing, I was saying the go hand in hand.

No, they are not necessarily stupid. They may be ignorant and they are stereotypical.

Tell me, how is it that the area with the most black people are also the ones with the highest number of racist groups as well? I've lived in Atlanta Georgia, I've seen it first hand. In fact, by going by your definitions, these people aren't ignorant, because they are around black people every day. The judge who was recently fired lived in an area heavily populated with blacks, serves under a president who is of mixed race, and still holds by his convictions. He is not an ignorant man by your definition, but he is a stupid, foolish, senseless man.

But my point isn't to prove to you that my definitions are correct, but to tell you that good and evil are not inherently intelligent and stupid, because even going by the incorrect, but commonly used, definitions, they are not. You are stereotyping all good and all evil, and you cannot truly stereotype anything, no matter how much "all stereotypes are based on some truth". It is your OPINION that good is intelligent and bad is stupid, but this is not fact.

Based on what you just said, there is a definable good and evil and moral code, other wise you could not argue such a statement.
Those who are intelligent and seek to understand and help the world are the good.
Those who are stupid and seek to propagate hate onto the world are the evil.
These are as close as you will ever get to good and evil.