A doctor saves lives, but he is a murderer in normal life. Is he good or bad? Or Both? [closed]
Clash Royale CLAN TAG#URR8PPP
Is he or is he not? Does the society accept him/her like that? This question came up to my mind when my father mentioned about a professional killer whose nickname was The Iceman.
Normal life means trying to be good for their offspring , wife, family, neighbors.. but just not good when he/she for example might be a serial killer. Could such person be good or bad? Should I consider motives of this person?
PS. Don't know what about the tags.. could you please help me with them.
Thank you in advance.
ethics
asked Feb 19 at 7:19
BalttazarrBalttazarr
276
closed as primarily opinion-based by virmaior, Mozibur Ullah, Jishin Noben, Bread, Swami Vishwananda Feb 19 at 14:42
Many good questions generate some degree of opinion based on expert experience, but answers to this question will tend to be almost entirely based on opinions, rather than facts, references, or specific expertise. If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
|
show 2 more comments
Is he or is he not? Does the society accept him/her like that? This question came up to my mind when my father mentioned about a professional killer whose nickname was The Iceman.
Normal life means trying to be good for their offspring , wife, family, neighbors.. but just not good when he/she for example might be a serial killer. Could such person be good or bad? Should I consider motives of this person?
PS. Don't know what about the tags.. could you please help me with them.
Thank you in advance.
ethics
asked Feb 19 at 7:19
BalttazarrBalttazarr
276
closed as primarily opinion-based by virmaior, Mozibur Ullah, Jishin Noben, Bread, Swami Vishwananda Feb 19 at 14:42
Many good questions generate some degree of opinion based on expert experience, but answers to this question will tend to be almost entirely based on opinions, rather than facts, references, or specific expertise. If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
1
You can save lives in your day job because it's your day job, but being a "murderer in normal life" suggests malevolent intent. If intention is important in moral assessment, then that would lean towards bad. I think we'd need you to elaborate a bit on your idea of "normal life", though, because it kinda risks begging the question. If you're assuming that he's "normally" a murderer, rather than "normally" a doctor, then you've probably already made your mind up!
– Paul Ross
Feb 19 at 8:09
1
Possible duplicate of Are there any non-divine objective standards of good/evil?
– Bread
Feb 19 at 10:26
You mean like Harold Shipman? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Shipman
– Neil
Feb 19 at 13:07
Ted Bundy volunteered at Seattle’s Suicide Hotline Crisis center, and wrote a rape prevention pamphlet. Was he good or evil?
– NonCreature0714
Feb 19 at 14:13
The easiest way to avoid the conundrum is to judge people as good as their worst traits. A murderer is a bad person regardless of what else they do.
– Cell
Feb 19 at 15:33
|
show 2 more comments
Is he or is he not? Does the society accept him/her like that? This question came up to my mind when my father mentioned about a professional killer whose nickname was The Iceman.
Normal life means trying to be good for their offspring , wife, family, neighbors.. but just not good when he/she for example might be a serial killer. Could such person be good or bad? Should I consider motives of this person?
PS. Don't know what about the tags.. could you please help me with them.
Thank you in advance.
ethics
asked Feb 19 at 7:19
BalttazarrBalttazarr
276
Is he or is he not? Does the society accept him/her like that? This question came up to my mind when my father mentioned about a professional killer whose nickname was The Iceman.
Normal life means trying to be good for their offspring , wife, family, neighbors.. but just not good when he/she for example might be a serial killer. Could such person be good or bad? Should I consider motives of this person?
PS. Don't know what about the tags.. could you please help me with them.
Thank you in advance.
ethics
ethics
asked Feb 19 at 7:19
BalttazarrBalttazarr
276
asked Feb 19 at 7:19
BalttazarrBalttazarr
276
edited Feb 20 at 12:45
Balttazarr
asked Feb 19 at 7:19
BalttazarrBalttazarr
276
asked Feb 19 at 7:19
BalttazarrBalttazarr
276
asked Feb 19 at 7:19
BalttazarrBalttazarr
276
276
closed as primarily opinion-based by virmaior, Mozibur Ullah, Jishin Noben, Bread, Swami Vishwananda Feb 19 at 14:42
Many good questions generate some degree of opinion based on expert experience, but answers to this question will tend to be almost entirely based on opinions, rather than facts, references, or specific expertise. If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
closed as primarily opinion-based by virmaior, Mozibur Ullah, Jishin Noben, Bread, Swami Vishwananda Feb 19 at 14:42
Many good questions generate some degree of opinion based on expert experience, but answers to this question will tend to be almost entirely based on opinions, rather than facts, references, or specific expertise. If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
1
You can save lives in your day job because it's your day job, but being a "murderer in normal life" suggests malevolent intent. If intention is important in moral assessment, then that would lean towards bad. I think we'd need you to elaborate a bit on your idea of "normal life", though, because it kinda risks begging the question. If you're assuming that he's "normally" a murderer, rather than "normally" a doctor, then you've probably already made your mind up!
– Paul Ross
Feb 19 at 8:09
1
Possible duplicate of Are there any non-divine objective standards of good/evil?
– Bread
Feb 19 at 10:26
You mean like Harold Shipman? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Shipman
– Neil
Feb 19 at 13:07
Ted Bundy volunteered at Seattle’s Suicide Hotline Crisis center, and wrote a rape prevention pamphlet. Was he good or evil?
– NonCreature0714
Feb 19 at 14:13
The easiest way to avoid the conundrum is to judge people as good as their worst traits. A murderer is a bad person regardless of what else they do.
– Cell
Feb 19 at 15:33
|
show 2 more comments
1
You can save lives in your day job because it's your day job, but being a "murderer in normal life" suggests malevolent intent. If intention is important in moral assessment, then that would lean towards bad. I think we'd need you to elaborate a bit on your idea of "normal life", though, because it kinda risks begging the question. If you're assuming that he's "normally" a murderer, rather than "normally" a doctor, then you've probably already made your mind up!
– Paul Ross
Feb 19 at 8:09
1
Possible duplicate of Are there any non-divine objective standards of good/evil?
– Bread
Feb 19 at 10:26
You mean like Harold Shipman? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Shipman
– Neil
Feb 19 at 13:07
Ted Bundy volunteered at Seattle’s Suicide Hotline Crisis center, and wrote a rape prevention pamphlet. Was he good or evil?
– NonCreature0714
Feb 19 at 14:13
The easiest way to avoid the conundrum is to judge people as good as their worst traits. A murderer is a bad person regardless of what else they do.
– Cell
Feb 19 at 15:33
1
1
You can save lives in your day job because it's your day job, but being a "murderer in normal life" suggests malevolent intent. If intention is important in moral assessment, then that would lean towards bad. I think we'd need you to elaborate a bit on your idea of "normal life", though, because it kinda risks begging the question. If you're assuming that he's "normally" a murderer, rather than "normally" a doctor, then you've probably already made your mind up!
– Paul Ross
Feb 19 at 8:09
You can save lives in your day job because it's your day job, but being a "murderer in normal life" suggests malevolent intent. If intention is important in moral assessment, then that would lean towards bad. I think we'd need you to elaborate a bit on your idea of "normal life", though, because it kinda risks begging the question. If you're assuming that he's "normally" a murderer, rather than "normally" a doctor, then you've probably already made your mind up!
– Paul Ross
Feb 19 at 8:09
1
1
Possible duplicate of Are there any non-divine objective standards of good/evil?
– Bread
Feb 19 at 10:26
Possible duplicate of Are there any non-divine objective standards of good/evil?
– Bread
Feb 19 at 10:26
You mean like Harold Shipman? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Shipman
– Neil
Feb 19 at 13:07
You mean like Harold Shipman? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Shipman
– Neil
Feb 19 at 13:07
Ted Bundy volunteered at Seattle’s Suicide Hotline Crisis center, and wrote a rape prevention pamphlet. Was he good or evil?
– NonCreature0714
Feb 19 at 14:13
Ted Bundy volunteered at Seattle’s Suicide Hotline Crisis center, and wrote a rape prevention pamphlet. Was he good or evil?
– NonCreature0714
Feb 19 at 14:13
The easiest way to avoid the conundrum is to judge people as good as their worst traits. A murderer is a bad person regardless of what else they do.
– Cell
Feb 19 at 15:33
The easiest way to avoid the conundrum is to judge people as good as their worst traits. A murderer is a bad person regardless of what else they do.
– Cell
Feb 19 at 15:33
|
show 2 more comments
4 Answers
4
active
oldest
votes
'Good man' is a comprehensive, all things considered judgement or assessment. I'm not sure that this is possible on the slender data supplied.
Suppose the doctor saved a great many lives in his professional capacity, but only because as a member of a team he could not avoid doing so (he would much rather have let the patients die or actually killed them) and his murders inflict suffering for his/ her personal pleasure. This is hardly the picture of a good man.
But the situation could be different. The doctor might be totally dedicated to saving the lives of patients wherever possible and murder purely when he morally considered mercy killing to be justified or even required in the interests of alleviating suffering. It would not be totally implausible to describe such a doctor as a good man. (He might have an erroneous conscience in the case of mercy killing but that bare fact would not make him a bad man. There is moral virtue in following one's conscience.)
So I think the judgement swings one way or another depending on the circumstances : 'circumstances alter cases'. We would need more data about the doctor than the question provides.
answered Feb 19 at 12:04
Geoffrey Thomas♦Geoffrey Thomas
26.7k221103
add a comment |
Calling such a person "good" would be quite a stretch, even for a utilitarian. If all the people he kills are murderers themselves, then one could argue that he's helping society. (However, there are a number of arguments against such a judgment.)
However, the great majority of doctors save lives and do not murder people. In fact, the medical profession has a pretty strict code of ethics which ought to make murder even more unpalatable. I think most doctors would therefore call this guy a "bad doctor."
In fact, if his crimes were disclosed, he would likely lose his license and would almost certainly wind up in prison.
Saving lives might be a good trait, but if this guy was in prison, could his patients not be saved by other doctors?
Verdict: This doctor is bad.
answered Feb 19 at 11:19
David BlomstromDavid Blomstrom
3,3022919
add a comment |
Let's say this man saved 100 lives as a doctor, and murdered three people. It would be tempting to say "society is 97 lives ahead, so he is a good man."
But that is wrong. If he didn't work as a doctor, someone else would have done his job, and those 100 lives would have been saved anyway. And the doctor is paid to save lives, the taxpayers that fund him have just as much to do with the saving of lives as he does. He doesn't save lives to be a good person, he saves them because that's his job. I know a car mechanic who saved the lives of hundreds of cars. There is no reason why you would think the doctor is a better person than the car mechanic.
So no, he is just evil and nothing else.
answered Feb 19 at 14:01
gnasher729gnasher729
3,11957
add a comment |
Society's judgements/reasonings about such matters can be goofy, whereby your question's relative merits/demerits can't really be quantitatively assessed to arrive at an unambiguous conclusion. Not directly related to your question, but addressing the goofiness contributing to its unaddressability, is the following (apparently true) story...
On Oct 13, 1943, poet and Jehovah's Witness Robert Lowell was
sentenced to a year in New York's West Street jail for evading
the draft. There he met Murder Inc's Louis ("Czar") Lepke, who
mentioned, "I'm in jail for killing somebody, why are you here?"
Lowell replied, "I'm in jail for refusing to kill anybody."
answered Feb 19 at 12:14
John ForkoshJohn Forkosh
1,600610
add a comment |
4 Answers
4
active
oldest
votes
4 Answers
4
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
'Good man' is a comprehensive, all things considered judgement or assessment. I'm not sure that this is possible on the slender data supplied.
Suppose the doctor saved a great many lives in his professional capacity, but only because as a member of a team he could not avoid doing so (he would much rather have let the patients die or actually killed them) and his murders inflict suffering for his/ her personal pleasure. This is hardly the picture of a good man.
But the situation could be different. The doctor might be totally dedicated to saving the lives of patients wherever possible and murder purely when he morally considered mercy killing to be justified or even required in the interests of alleviating suffering. It would not be totally implausible to describe such a doctor as a good man. (He might have an erroneous conscience in the case of mercy killing but that bare fact would not make him a bad man. There is moral virtue in following one's conscience.)
So I think the judgement swings one way or another depending on the circumstances : 'circumstances alter cases'. We would need more data about the doctor than the question provides.
answered Feb 19 at 12:04
Geoffrey Thomas♦Geoffrey Thomas
26.7k221103
add a comment |
'Good man' is a comprehensive, all things considered judgement or assessment. I'm not sure that this is possible on the slender data supplied.
Suppose the doctor saved a great many lives in his professional capacity, but only because as a member of a team he could not avoid doing so (he would much rather have let the patients die or actually killed them) and his murders inflict suffering for his/ her personal pleasure. This is hardly the picture of a good man.
But the situation could be different. The doctor might be totally dedicated to saving the lives of patients wherever possible and murder purely when he morally considered mercy killing to be justified or even required in the interests of alleviating suffering. It would not be totally implausible to describe such a doctor as a good man. (He might have an erroneous conscience in the case of mercy killing but that bare fact would not make him a bad man. There is moral virtue in following one's conscience.)
So I think the judgement swings one way or another depending on the circumstances : 'circumstances alter cases'. We would need more data about the doctor than the question provides.
answered Feb 19 at 12:04
Geoffrey Thomas♦Geoffrey Thomas
26.7k221103
add a comment |
'Good man' is a comprehensive, all things considered judgement or assessment. I'm not sure that this is possible on the slender data supplied.
Suppose the doctor saved a great many lives in his professional capacity, but only because as a member of a team he could not avoid doing so (he would much rather have let the patients die or actually killed them) and his murders inflict suffering for his/ her personal pleasure. This is hardly the picture of a good man.
But the situation could be different. The doctor might be totally dedicated to saving the lives of patients wherever possible and murder purely when he morally considered mercy killing to be justified or even required in the interests of alleviating suffering. It would not be totally implausible to describe such a doctor as a good man. (He might have an erroneous conscience in the case of mercy killing but that bare fact would not make him a bad man. There is moral virtue in following one's conscience.)
So I think the judgement swings one way or another depending on the circumstances : 'circumstances alter cases'. We would need more data about the doctor than the question provides.
answered Feb 19 at 12:04
Geoffrey Thomas♦Geoffrey Thomas
26.7k221103
'Good man' is a comprehensive, all things considered judgement or assessment. I'm not sure that this is possible on the slender data supplied.
Suppose the doctor saved a great many lives in his professional capacity, but only because as a member of a team he could not avoid doing so (he would much rather have let the patients die or actually killed them) and his murders inflict suffering for his/ her personal pleasure. This is hardly the picture of a good man.
But the situation could be different. The doctor might be totally dedicated to saving the lives of patients wherever possible and murder purely when he morally considered mercy killing to be justified or even required in the interests of alleviating suffering. It would not be totally implausible to describe such a doctor as a good man. (He might have an erroneous conscience in the case of mercy killing but that bare fact would not make him a bad man. There is moral virtue in following one's conscience.)
So I think the judgement swings one way or another depending on the circumstances : 'circumstances alter cases'. We would need more data about the doctor than the question provides.
answered Feb 19 at 12:04
Geoffrey Thomas♦Geoffrey Thomas
26.7k221103
answered Feb 19 at 12:04
Geoffrey Thomas♦Geoffrey Thomas
26.7k221103
answered Feb 19 at 12:04
Geoffrey Thomas♦Geoffrey Thomas
26.7k221103
answered Feb 19 at 12:04
Geoffrey Thomas♦Geoffrey Thomas
26.7k221103
26.7k221103
add a comment |
add a comment |
Calling such a person "good" would be quite a stretch, even for a utilitarian. If all the people he kills are murderers themselves, then one could argue that he's helping society. (However, there are a number of arguments against such a judgment.)
However, the great majority of doctors save lives and do not murder people. In fact, the medical profession has a pretty strict code of ethics which ought to make murder even more unpalatable. I think most doctors would therefore call this guy a "bad doctor."
In fact, if his crimes were disclosed, he would likely lose his license and would almost certainly wind up in prison.
Saving lives might be a good trait, but if this guy was in prison, could his patients not be saved by other doctors?
Verdict: This doctor is bad.
answered Feb 19 at 11:19
David BlomstromDavid Blomstrom
3,3022919
add a comment |
Calling such a person "good" would be quite a stretch, even for a utilitarian. If all the people he kills are murderers themselves, then one could argue that he's helping society. (However, there are a number of arguments against such a judgment.)
However, the great majority of doctors save lives and do not murder people. In fact, the medical profession has a pretty strict code of ethics which ought to make murder even more unpalatable. I think most doctors would therefore call this guy a "bad doctor."
In fact, if his crimes were disclosed, he would likely lose his license and would almost certainly wind up in prison.
Saving lives might be a good trait, but if this guy was in prison, could his patients not be saved by other doctors?
Verdict: This doctor is bad.
answered Feb 19 at 11:19
David BlomstromDavid Blomstrom
3,3022919
add a comment |
Calling such a person "good" would be quite a stretch, even for a utilitarian. If all the people he kills are murderers themselves, then one could argue that he's helping society. (However, there are a number of arguments against such a judgment.)
However, the great majority of doctors save lives and do not murder people. In fact, the medical profession has a pretty strict code of ethics which ought to make murder even more unpalatable. I think most doctors would therefore call this guy a "bad doctor."
In fact, if his crimes were disclosed, he would likely lose his license and would almost certainly wind up in prison.
Saving lives might be a good trait, but if this guy was in prison, could his patients not be saved by other doctors?
Verdict: This doctor is bad.
answered Feb 19 at 11:19
David BlomstromDavid Blomstrom
3,3022919
Calling such a person "good" would be quite a stretch, even for a utilitarian. If all the people he kills are murderers themselves, then one could argue that he's helping society. (However, there are a number of arguments against such a judgment.)
However, the great majority of doctors save lives and do not murder people. In fact, the medical profession has a pretty strict code of ethics which ought to make murder even more unpalatable. I think most doctors would therefore call this guy a "bad doctor."
In fact, if his crimes were disclosed, he would likely lose his license and would almost certainly wind up in prison.
Saving lives might be a good trait, but if this guy was in prison, could his patients not be saved by other doctors?
Verdict: This doctor is bad.
answered Feb 19 at 11:19
David BlomstromDavid Blomstrom
3,3022919
answered Feb 19 at 11:19
David BlomstromDavid Blomstrom
3,3022919
answered Feb 19 at 11:19
David BlomstromDavid Blomstrom
3,3022919
answered Feb 19 at 11:19
David BlomstromDavid Blomstrom
3,3022919
3,3022919
add a comment |
add a comment |
Let's say this man saved 100 lives as a doctor, and murdered three people. It would be tempting to say "society is 97 lives ahead, so he is a good man."
But that is wrong. If he didn't work as a doctor, someone else would have done his job, and those 100 lives would have been saved anyway. And the doctor is paid to save lives, the taxpayers that fund him have just as much to do with the saving of lives as he does. He doesn't save lives to be a good person, he saves them because that's his job. I know a car mechanic who saved the lives of hundreds of cars. There is no reason why you would think the doctor is a better person than the car mechanic.
So no, he is just evil and nothing else.
answered Feb 19 at 14:01
gnasher729gnasher729
3,11957
add a comment |
Let's say this man saved 100 lives as a doctor, and murdered three people. It would be tempting to say "society is 97 lives ahead, so he is a good man."
But that is wrong. If he didn't work as a doctor, someone else would have done his job, and those 100 lives would have been saved anyway. And the doctor is paid to save lives, the taxpayers that fund him have just as much to do with the saving of lives as he does. He doesn't save lives to be a good person, he saves them because that's his job. I know a car mechanic who saved the lives of hundreds of cars. There is no reason why you would think the doctor is a better person than the car mechanic.
So no, he is just evil and nothing else.
answered Feb 19 at 14:01
gnasher729gnasher729
3,11957
add a comment |
Let's say this man saved 100 lives as a doctor, and murdered three people. It would be tempting to say "society is 97 lives ahead, so he is a good man."
But that is wrong. If he didn't work as a doctor, someone else would have done his job, and those 100 lives would have been saved anyway. And the doctor is paid to save lives, the taxpayers that fund him have just as much to do with the saving of lives as he does. He doesn't save lives to be a good person, he saves them because that's his job. I know a car mechanic who saved the lives of hundreds of cars. There is no reason why you would think the doctor is a better person than the car mechanic.
So no, he is just evil and nothing else.
answered Feb 19 at 14:01
gnasher729gnasher729
3,11957
Let's say this man saved 100 lives as a doctor, and murdered three people. It would be tempting to say "society is 97 lives ahead, so he is a good man."
But that is wrong. If he didn't work as a doctor, someone else would have done his job, and those 100 lives would have been saved anyway. And the doctor is paid to save lives, the taxpayers that fund him have just as much to do with the saving of lives as he does. He doesn't save lives to be a good person, he saves them because that's his job. I know a car mechanic who saved the lives of hundreds of cars. There is no reason why you would think the doctor is a better person than the car mechanic.
So no, he is just evil and nothing else.
answered Feb 19 at 14:01
gnasher729gnasher729
3,11957
answered Feb 19 at 14:01
gnasher729gnasher729
3,11957
answered Feb 19 at 14:01
gnasher729gnasher729
3,11957
answered Feb 19 at 14:01
gnasher729gnasher729
3,11957
3,11957
add a comment |
add a comment |
Society's judgements/reasonings about such matters can be goofy, whereby your question's relative merits/demerits can't really be quantitatively assessed to arrive at an unambiguous conclusion. Not directly related to your question, but addressing the goofiness contributing to its unaddressability, is the following (apparently true) story...
On Oct 13, 1943, poet and Jehovah's Witness Robert Lowell was
sentenced to a year in New York's West Street jail for evading
the draft. There he met Murder Inc's Louis ("Czar") Lepke, who
mentioned, "I'm in jail for killing somebody, why are you here?"
Lowell replied, "I'm in jail for refusing to kill anybody."
answered Feb 19 at 12:14
John ForkoshJohn Forkosh
1,600610
add a comment |
Society's judgements/reasonings about such matters can be goofy, whereby your question's relative merits/demerits can't really be quantitatively assessed to arrive at an unambiguous conclusion. Not directly related to your question, but addressing the goofiness contributing to its unaddressability, is the following (apparently true) story...
On Oct 13, 1943, poet and Jehovah's Witness Robert Lowell was
sentenced to a year in New York's West Street jail for evading
the draft. There he met Murder Inc's Louis ("Czar") Lepke, who
mentioned, "I'm in jail for killing somebody, why are you here?"
Lowell replied, "I'm in jail for refusing to kill anybody."
answered Feb 19 at 12:14
John ForkoshJohn Forkosh
1,600610
add a comment |
Society's judgements/reasonings about such matters can be goofy, whereby your question's relative merits/demerits can't really be quantitatively assessed to arrive at an unambiguous conclusion. Not directly related to your question, but addressing the goofiness contributing to its unaddressability, is the following (apparently true) story...
On Oct 13, 1943, poet and Jehovah's Witness Robert Lowell was
sentenced to a year in New York's West Street jail for evading
the draft. There he met Murder Inc's Louis ("Czar") Lepke, who
mentioned, "I'm in jail for killing somebody, why are you here?"
Lowell replied, "I'm in jail for refusing to kill anybody."
answered Feb 19 at 12:14
John ForkoshJohn Forkosh
1,600610
Society's judgements/reasonings about such matters can be goofy, whereby your question's relative merits/demerits can't really be quantitatively assessed to arrive at an unambiguous conclusion. Not directly related to your question, but addressing the goofiness contributing to its unaddressability, is the following (apparently true) story...
On Oct 13, 1943, poet and Jehovah's Witness Robert Lowell was
sentenced to a year in New York's West Street jail for evading
the draft. There he met Murder Inc's Louis ("Czar") Lepke, who
mentioned, "I'm in jail for killing somebody, why are you here?"
Lowell replied, "I'm in jail for refusing to kill anybody."
answered Feb 19 at 12:14
John ForkoshJohn Forkosh
1,600610
answered Feb 19 at 12:14
John ForkoshJohn Forkosh
1,600610
answered Feb 19 at 12:14
John ForkoshJohn Forkosh
1,600610
answered Feb 19 at 12:14
John ForkoshJohn Forkosh
1,600610
1,600610
add a comment |
add a comment |
1
You can save lives in your day job because it's your day job, but being a "murderer in normal life" suggests malevolent intent. If intention is important in moral assessment, then that would lean towards bad. I think we'd need you to elaborate a bit on your idea of "normal life", though, because it kinda risks begging the question. If you're assuming that he's "normally" a murderer, rather than "normally" a doctor, then you've probably already made your mind up!
– Paul Ross
Feb 19 at 8:09
1
Possible duplicate of Are there any non-divine objective standards of good/evil?
– Bread
Feb 19 at 10:26
You mean like Harold Shipman? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Shipman
– Neil
Feb 19 at 13:07
Ted Bundy volunteered at Seattle’s Suicide Hotline Crisis center, and wrote a rape prevention pamphlet. Was he good or evil?
– NonCreature0714
Feb 19 at 14:13
The easiest way to avoid the conundrum is to judge people as good as their worst traits. A murderer is a bad person regardless of what else they do.
– Cell
Feb 19 at 15:33