The Kintyre Forum

I would contend violence - as being neither good or bad. Violence occurs naturally in all life processes. In essence the force of matter and motion. Child birth is a violent act. Terms like good or bad - are judgemental and highly subjective.
Take two scenario's,
1. If someone where to slice open your skin with a sharp blade . Good or Bad ?
If that someone was a ned - then one could be reasonably satisfied that this act is bad.
Then again if that someone - using a sharp blade to open up your skin - happens to be a surgeon. That same act could be described as good.
It really is down to circumstance. A wee bit like stealing - is stealing good or bad?
2. If someone stole an old women's purse - then that could be described as bad.
However if your children where dying from hunger - stealing to keep them alive could be described as good.

I would argue that it's not a case of good or bad. Your examples show good and necessary. Necessity does not have to be good or bad.
After all, as you know Ionns, there has been more evil done for the sake of goodness than for any other cause.

Aye fair enough - however the poor examples change nothing really - violence lies outside the realm of moral judgement - end a story.

Violence is inherent in all humans, whether they admit it or not. Even wanting to lash out at someone proves this.

Well, in a civilized world, even animals can learn self control.

Wasnt an excuse, just a statement.

A couple of points that need to be clarified . In my opinion - matter and force ( violence ) are inherent in all life forms. Be it the act of childbirth - to an earthquake or electrical storm. Poverty and War are avoidable acts of violence. The sperm penetrating the egg is perhaps the most expressive example of violence. In this light - violence is neither good or bad .
The boiling /freezing point of water is violent. As is a wee green shoot pushing it's way upwards through the soil. All acts of violence.

ionnsaigh wrote: As is a wee green shoot pushing it's way upwards through the soil. All acts of violence.

I just don't see it from your pessimistic point of view. A wee green shoot emerging from the soil is, to me, the opposite of violence. But perhaps it's only pedantic - as my pal Bob once said, "We always did feel the same,
We just saw it from a different point of view"