Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!ucsd!sdcsvax!ucsdhub!hp-sdd!hplabs!hpda!hpcupt1!hpisod2!decot
From: decot@hpisod2.HP.COM (Dave Decot)
Newsgroups: sci.psychology
Subject: Re: superego/ego/id : some general questions
Message-ID: <14830006@hpisod2.HP.COM>
Date: 13 Apr 88 21:30:38 GMT
References: <6171@watdragon.waterloo.edu>
Organization: Hewlett Packard, Cupertino
Lines: 41

> Dave Decot writes:
> )I use the term "good" to mean "aiding in survival", of whatever, including
> )one's body, his family, his groups, his race, his planet, the physical
> )universe.  Art and religious beliefs can be said to be "good" for a person
> )when they help maintain his mental health, by improving his affinity,
> )reality, communication, and understanding, all of which helps him survive.
> )The opposite of this definition of "good" would be "causing pain and death".
> 
> Survival of one's body, family, groups (newsgroups?), race, etc. may require
> opposite actions thus one may have to give up ones body to save a member of
> ones family.

Granted.  One's personality determines which of these "dynamics" has priority
over which others.

"Good" is a value word and thus cannot be derived solely from
> facts (else someone with a competing value accepting your definition could
> rightly say "why do what's good?".)

I was attempting to remove the subjective (or "value") nature from the word
and nail it down a little better.  I have no answer for the question.
What's good for one dynamic can be bad for another.  Why do what's good?
Depends on whether you want the various dynamics to survive.  It's
perfectly imaginable to not want them to survive, although most such
people are classified as "insane" by the society.

> Clearly you think survival is a good thing.

By my definition of "good" only.  I do not mean to imply that I personally
think anybody in particular "should" do anything in particular.  Also,
depending on one's personal weighting of the dynamics, survival of one's own
body may not be the most "good".

> Are there any suicidal readers out there who wish to contest this?

Probably.  If their suicide helps the society, or their family, or even
their own spirit, it can be termed a "good" thing to do.

Was Hitler's suicide "good"?  Depends on who you are and what you want,
probably.

Dave