What Prompts Violence In Society?

[devonin]

Re: What Prompts Violence In Society?

Right and wrong is decided by your morals and he had a different set than yours and your beliefs aren't any more right than his, mine, or the next guy. Maybe to him, he felt justice in his actions, maybe he didn't. Nowhere does it say that murdering random people you don't know is an absolute wrong.

That's not to say that I support random murder, but whatever.

~Tsugomaru

There's a very large danger in pointing to the subjectivity of morality. If your morals aren't any more correct than mine, why should I ever respect yours? The suggestion is made that if my morals say that it is okay to kill you for stepping on my foot, that perhaps if you step on my foot, in some cases it is -right- for me to kill you, even if you personally disagree.

What morality is the legal system pointing to when it says what is and is not acceptable behavior? If not an absolute morality that is objective, is it simply the whim of lawmakers' personal morality? The general consensus morality of the people? If I feel a law is unjust or immoral, why am I obliged to follow it anyway or face consequences?

An interest question that follows: Ought someone potentially be able to forfiet all the protections of law, in order to no longer be constrained by that law?

[tsugomaru]

Re: What Prompts Violence In Society?

"Absolute" objective moral is determined by the larger and dominating group of people. As the group changes, the "Absolute" moral will too. The offender group will most likely have a different set of morals from the dominating group and when the offender group does something bad, everything is against them because they have no power to say that they're right according to their set of morals whereas the dominating group can.

To your other question, my guess would be we're always looking after ourselves and making sure we're as comfortable and protected as possible. If we sacrifice a little for a larger gain, why not?

~Tsugomaru

[devonin]

Re: What Prompts Violence In Society?

But that's not an absolute moral truth, that's just a subjective moral truth being applied really forcefully by a lot of people...

Do you think there can be a concept of truly objective morality without being forced to include some sort of "god" style creator outside the system to set hard and fast rules? Can it just actually and universally always simply -be- that it is wrong to kill someone for no reason, whether a given culture has decided to go with that or not?

Given the general universality of some laws (No killing, no stealing etc) do we just assume that coincidentally everyone has a vested interest in making murder illegal, or can we actually say that all these legal systems independantly come up with a stricture against murder because it is universally morally wrong?

[tsugomaru]

Re: What Prompts Violence In Society?

It is seen as wrong by many because no one would ever want their love ones to be killed. However, the issue about murder being wrong is still subjective because the ethics surrounding it comes from emotion.

~Tsugomaru

[Xx{Midday}xX]

Re: What Prompts Violence In Society?

I do a lot of self destructive violence, main reason being, I'm very lonesome. Having no social relations with people besides your family can amount to tons of stress. I'm bleeding somewhere at least once every week, whether it's a bruise from falling, or a knife to the wrist... I've alleviated much of this stress since I started ffr a month ago.

[devonin]

Re: What Prompts Violence In Society?

That is indicative of many substantially more serious problems, for which you should seek formalized help.

[Xx{Midday}xX]

Re: What Prompts Violence In Society?

That is indicative of many substantially more serious problems, for which you should seek formalized help.

I totally agree XD! But its ok..., well its not ok, but its ok... Its not as serious as it sounds.

[Master_of_the_Faster]

Re: What Prompts Violence In Society?

I believe that violence is caused when people jump to conclusions on various topics like the Earth being flat or round (assuming that if they didn't jump to conclusions, there wouldn't be any violence). Otherwise, I think people are just sadists who like to see violence (I won't lie. To some extent, I am a sadist, but I assure you that I won't just randomly fight someone without a justified cause).

Edit: Also, violence is one of the results that may occur from certain types of stress like failing exams, deceased family members, etc. (though these may or may not stress all people and they may or may not stress them to the point of violence, I think everyone should get the point).

Edit 2: The only thing that repels me from randomly killing someone is the general, logical concept of treating others the way you would want to be treated. When it comes to something like revenge, I ask myself to what extent would one's vengeance be more logical than to the extent of that person refraining from the act.

[Go_Oilers_Go]

Re: What Prompts Violence In Society?

I didn't read all the posts, but I'm just gonna give my opinion on the main topic.
I think it all boils down to self-control. Most kids grew up in secure families, in secure schools, and secure areas. (I'm speaking for the majority of the population, which is middle class.) When a kid walks into a situation hes never encountered before, especially when hes with his friends, he really doesn't know how to respond to it. He just does what his friends to, so he can fit in, because people don't like to be "outsiders"
Thats why I think people act out on violence. Of course, its in human nature to be violent, but when a person walks into a situation he doesn't know how to respond to, he does the only human thing he thinks is most logical. To be violent.
Hope that makes sense...?

I feel that there's a bit of a contradiction in your point. Firstly, you're saying that it's in human nature to be violent, but then you further develop your thoughts by saying that the person does what he deems to be the most logical thing in whatever situation he is in.

You're implying that logic = instinct, which is a false statement. So I'm willing to grant that I do see what you're talking about, but saying that he does something logically implies that he thinks it through, and saying that it's human nature implies that it's just natural and is done without thought.

Personally I think that logic would inhibit one's ability to act violently because logic basically enforces the strictures imposed on us by society.

However, I'm willing to concede that one can use logic to think of how he can commit a violent act.

[KardinalSyn]

Re: What Prompts Violence In Society?

Personally I think that logic would inhibit one's ability to act violently because logic basically enforces the strictures imposed on us by society.

However, I'm willing to concede that one can use logic to think of how he can commit a violent act.

Well put. Most violence isn't prompted at all. It's simply reactional. Human beings, in general, are not logical. They will do what they feel like doing at the time without giving the future any thought at all.

[Coolgamer]

Re: What Prompts Violence In Society?

I totally agree XD! But its ok..., well its not ok, but its ok... Its not as serious as it sounds.

Yes, it is. I've had that problem before, and let me tell you, it will just keep getting worse until you get help or end up killing yourself, either on purpose or by accident.