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I've been pontificating of late, and I find myself trying to decide whether 'right' and 'good' are the same thing or not, and if not, then what is the difference between the two.

For example. You catch a repeat paedophile. Now you may feel that the right thing to do is to kill him. But surely the good thing to do is to send him to the law courts. Or vice versa.

Or take another example. Vengeance killing. I kill the person who killed my family. Now I feel that it was a rightful killing. But was it the kind of thing a good person would do? Can it be rightful, and evil at the same time?

Your thoughts please, gentlemen.

As I seem to be considered the barbarian for speaking what is on other people's minds and expressing what they reallly would do I'll just say:

It is right that I should not eat the entire pizza, however, it is SO GOOD....

They're words, with the "right" viewpoint right and good are the same thing.

If you believe in the absoluteness of your justice system and social contract sending a pedo to court is both right and good.

If you live in a society were vendettas are condoned by society and law, killing can be both right and good.

First, define 'right' and 'good'.

Having mercy on the killer/pedophile/scumbag and not killing him but rather placing him in jail is a compassionate thing to do, and could be considered "Good".

Strictly defined, they are nearly the same thing with "Right" carrying some moral connotations on top of goodness; Right is defined as "morally correct, just, good, fair, proper, fitting, straight".

Meh I don't see a difference in most things between good and right.

Act like you're grandmother is there watching you do whatever you're doing or not doing. The grandmother test works wonders for these issues (unless its Grandma Barker of course).

Can I replace grandma with old man Frazz instead?

He who wins decides everything, the loser has to accept it regardless.

Hmm. Interesting question you've posed here. I think there are quite often occurrences where the 2 conflict.

For example many acts during a war are 'Right' but they are not necessarily 'Good'. Forgiving someone may be a good thing to go but isn't necessarily the right thing to do.

The 'Right' thing may often be a necessary evil as opposed to a good thing.

"Right": The View of whoever won the war.
"Good": The opposite.

I've always been taught that good is a qualitative concept predicated on feeling, while right is quantitative* one predicated on logic.

In this system 'good' defines 'right' so that if you believe something is good, it is right to pursue it. The quantitative dimension of right comes in when multiple beliefs, or believers, lead to the same desired end; thereby increasing the 'rightness' of the pursuit.





* Quantitative in only the very loosest sense. There is no way of empirically measuring 'rightness'; excepting a perfect popular vote.

The difference is spelling.

The right thing: is something that benefits someone else according to your own view point

The Good thing: is usually something that benefits yourself.

Its dependant on your circumstance and your viewpoint.

Right is not posting a picture of such ultimate pizza deliciousness when I'm waiting for a $1 tv dinner to finish transmogrifying into something marginally edible in the microwave. Grrr....

Wouldn't it depend on the view point of the indervidual ? I believe Killing the pedo would be BOTH right and good...but the woman sat next to me thinks Helping him over come his demons is the right and good thing to do...I would also kill her if i could...that would be right...oh so right.......