# How do you reconcile the fact that good requires evil to defend itself

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-reconcile-the-fact-that-good-requires-evil-to-defend-itself/817364>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [July 6, 2018, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-reconcile-the-fact-that-good-requires-evil-to-defend-itself/817364 "2018-07-06T05:25:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\
**Post date:** [July 8, 2018, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-reconcile-the-fact-that-good-requires-evil-to-defend-itself/817364/61 "2018-07-08T15:19:08Z")

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> [@Quartz](#):
>
> Every individual is entitled to their own belief of what is good and evil; whether they act on it is up to them.
> 
> If their views are contrary to the consensus they may find it prudent to not act, but it’s their decision - and their responsibility to bear the consequences. But sometimes you need to stand up and be counted. Or sit down, in the case of Rosa Parks. It’s up to you.

I’ll admit I find it hard to accept a moral system which says that Martin Luther King and Bull Connor were acting with equal morality; both men were defending what they saw as good against what they saw as evil. The system seems to be saying there is no such thing as good or evil.

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**Author:** ![Silver\_lining](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aca169/32.png) [@Silver\_lining](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_lining)\
**Post date:** [July 10, 2018, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-reconcile-the-fact-that-good-requires-evil-to-defend-itself/817364/62 "2018-07-10T14:58:36Z")

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A person can do many good deeds. Evil does not define a person’s ability to be good. It only defines partly good when it has to be confronted.

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**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\
**Post date:** [July 10, 2018, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-reconcile-the-fact-that-good-requires-evil-to-defend-itself/817364/63 "2018-07-10T16:03:36Z")

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> [@Little\_Nemo](#):
>
> I’ll admit I find it hard to accept a moral system which says that Martin Luther King and Bull Connor were acting with equal morality; both men were defending what they saw as good against what they saw as evil.

Just because you believe something to be good doesn’t mean it actually is good; just because you believe something to be evil doesn’t mean it actually is evil.

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**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\
**Post date:** [July 10, 2018, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-reconcile-the-fact-that-good-requires-evil-to-defend-itself/817364/64 "2018-07-10T16:38:57Z")

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> [@Quartz](#):
>
> Just because you believe something to be good doesn’t mean it actually is good; just because you believe something to be evil doesn’t mean it actually is evil.

What do you depend on then, if not your personal beliefs?

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