Are People ‘Basically Good’?

Depends on what ‘basically’ means

Good by Stefan Keller from Pixabay

The English qualifier “basically,” attached to “good,” used to refer to humanity, might mean any of a few things.

Here are some possibilities.

Goodness Is Intrinsic

Whatever we are “intrinsically,” we are that way because:

• We were created so (per religious worldviews).
• We evolved so, biologically (per scientific theories).
• We arrange ourselves so, socially (per sociological examinations).

In all cases, our goodness is seen as “natural,” whatever nature may mean.

People are basically good. Here, “basically” means fundamental: what we just are.

Goodness Is Voluntary

Much of the goodness we call intrinsic may be unconscious.

But other goodness is intentional. It’s an act of will. We may not feel good or practice the good yet, but we strive to feel and practice it.

When we simply want something, philosophers call it a “first-order desire”; when we “want to want” something, it’s a “second-order desire.” “Wanting to want” means we’re critiquing our own desires, developing our habits, and planning to change.