Knowledge itself is not "good or evil"; rather using knowledge can be "good or evil" or neither (i.e. instrumental, pragmatic).

Knowledge itself is not "good or evil"; rather using knowledge can be "good or evil" or neither (i.e. instrumental, pragmatic). — 180 Proof

Adam did not use the knowledge he gained before Yahweh evicted him from Eden.

Can you use knowledge for good or evil when you have none?

Would Adam have been better off to never reproduce or know what that thing between his legs was there to do?

Was na godlike moral sense not worthy of his wanting?

Regards
DL

Adam did not use the knowledge he gained before Yahweh evicted him from Eden. — Gnostic Christian Bishop

Sure he did. He used it to cover his and Eve's 'nakedness' from Yahweh.

It must be Ialdaboath tricking them :wink:.

About the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil" (Genesis 2:17) - it probably has nothing to do with good and evil as such. It's generally thought to be an example of merism: the combination of two contrasting words to refer to an entirety. For example: we searched high and low.It's a literary device that pairs opposite terms together in order to create a general meaning, so that the phrase "good and evil" would simply imply "everything."

Knowledge of both is essential to recognise them. Someone only interested in ‘the good’ is setting themselves up for denial of their potentially ‘evil actions’ as they are only ‘good’ in their mind.

It’s a really tough thing to look deep into our own sense of right and wrong rather than just blithely skirt around the difficulty of deciding where and when to draw the line.

Staying within religion, if the knowledge of good and evil were good then, god wouldn't have punished A & E. On the flip side, were it evil, god would've dealt with it in a much more severe fashion.

Neither good nor evil, it appears but wait...

If the knowledge of good and evil were not evil then why did god punish A & E? And if it were not good why was the punishment so light?

So, knowledge of good and evil is:
1. Good...light punishment
2. Evil...punishment
3. Not good...punishment
4. Not evil...light punishment

Of course, that there was punishment, notwithstanding the leniency which can be chalked up to god's mercy, suggests that, by and large, eating the forbidden fruit was evilish.

In what sense is knowledge of good and evil something evilish? Perhaps because it bespeaks a rebellious nature, an innate instinct to disobey - the seeds, as it were, of a tendency to violate rules and rules (laws) are a necessary feature for harmony, something that must surely be at the top of god's list of desiderata.

It seems, therefore, that the tree of knowledge of good and evil was nothing more than the embodiment of disobedience, disorder and chaos; that its fruit was "the knowledge of good and evil" is of no significance to the overall plot except if one is of the opinion that knowledge of good and evil are the highest temptations in god's arsenal.

I believe the bible is irrelevant. However...for the sake of boredom, yeah, I would argue that sky daddy punished them for simply disobeying his commandment. I assume it wouldn't have mattered what the commandment was, it would have been the same outcome, since god knew they would disobey and that he would punish them that way. The bigger question here is: Why did god create them, or anyone for that matter, if he already knew the outcome?

good and evil — Gnostic Christian Bishop

If you accept that humans are not "bad" but in fact "selfish", you can see that, in fact, "good" is just a reflection of someone's selfish nature. So, in conclusion, good is unnecessary, but in order to exist as an option in life, selfishness is bound to exist.

Or maybe like Nietzsche knowledge is "beyond good and evil"

Knowledge is useless unless you act on it. Also, good and evil is just one's conditioning. Something that is good is evil to another. So in a nutshell, perceptions are reality.

Sure he did. He used it to cover his and Eve's 'nakedness' from Yahweh. — 180 Proof

Point to you. I was thinking of the reproduction angle.

God did the killing for the skins though. Bad Yahweh.

Regards
DL

It must be Ialdaboath tricking them — schopenhauer1

He does not have that power. No myth does.

Regards
DL

It’s a really tough thing to look deep into our own sense of right and wrong rather than just blithely skirt around the difficulty of deciding where and when to draw the line. — I like sushi

Insightful.

Critical thinking helps, but some of those evils are sure good and hard to pas up..

Regards
DL

if one is of the opinion that knowledge of good and evil are the highest temptations in god's arsenal. — TheMadFool

It is what Adam fell for. He even ignored the tree of life.

I guess he recognized that life without an education was just not worth living.

As to our rebelling. All should rebel against those who would keep us dumbed down and stupid, which is what Yahweh tried and failed to do with A & E.

Some have used that knowledge to praise a genocidal Yahweh and the more moral have used it to condemn his sorry ass.

Regards
DL

Why did god create them, or anyone for that matter, if he already knew the outcome? — GTTRPNK

Yes. It does seem like Yahweh was just bored and wanted slaves.

They had to invent a reason for Yahweh abandoning us and they used sin.

Regards
DL

If you accept that humans are not "bad" but in fact "selfish", you can see that, in fact, "good" is just a reflection of someone's selfish nature. So, in conclusion, good is unnecessary, but in order to exist as an option in life, selfishness is bound to exist. — Gus Lamarch

Insightful.

God is indeed unnecessary, and is in fact a hindrance to moral thinking, as shown by the supernatural god religions adoring a genocidal satanic god.

Regards
DL

Or maybe like Nietzsche knowledge is "beyond good and evil" — prothero

I do not see that as possible. Do you have an example?

Regards
DL

It is what Adam fell for. He even ignored the tree of life.

I guess he recognized that life without an education was just not worth living.

As to our rebelling. All should rebel against those who would keep us dumbed down and stupid, which is what Yahweh tried and failed to do with A & E.

Some have used that knowledge to praise a genocidal Yahweh and the more moral have used it to condemn his sorry ass.

Regards
DL — Gnostic Christian Bishop

:ok:

Knowledge is useless unless you act on it. Also, good and evil is just one's conditioning. Something that is good is evil to another. So in a nutshell, perceptions are reality. — Ugesh

You are not talking of normal people. More like S & Ms.

Most of those will agree on what is good or evil, unless they are moral cowards who follow a genocidal god out of fear.

Stats show that better than 70% of us begin our moral thinking with the Golden Rule.

Regards
DL

As scriptures say, he was mentally and morally blind without it. — Gnostic Christian Bishop

Where does it say that?

Is the knowledge of good and evil, good or evil? — Gnostic Christian Bishop

knowledge is power, power can be wielded for good and for evil. So it's neither and it's both, not necessarily one or the other. Good and evil are not determined by what we know or think we know, but instead by how we choose to act.

Where does it say that? — tim wood

Where Yahweh indicates that their eyes were opened after they ate from the tree of knowledge.

Regards
DL

knowledge is power, power can be wielded for good and for evil. So it's neither and it's both, not necessarily one or the other. Good and evil are not determined by what we know or think we know, but instead by how we choose to act. — Tomseltje

We act on what we think we know.

I E. If we think the road is icy, be it or not, we will likely slow down.

Is that knowing, even if wrong, better than not having no knowledge to make an opinion at all?

Regards
DL

And where does it say that? "Where" means where.

And where does it say that? "Where" means where. — tim wood

Do I know which of the many Christian fairy tale for adults you have?

I use a Jewish one so let me know if it matches yours.

ז וַתִּפָּקַחְנָה, עֵינֵי שְׁנֵיהֶם, וַיֵּדְעוּ, כִּי עֵירֻמִּם הֵם; וַיִּתְפְּרוּ עֲלֵה תְאֵנָה, וַיַּעֲשׂוּ לָהֶם חֲגֹרֹת.

Gen 3;7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig-leaves together, and made themselves girdles.

Regards
DL

of the many Christian fairy tale for adults — Gnostic Christian Bishop

Indeed, just so. Why are you so concerned with fairy tales?

Is the knowledge of good and evil, good or evil? — Gnostic Christian Bishop

The Hebrew ( עֵ֕ץ הַדַּ֖עַת ט֥וֹב וָרָֽע) clearly indicates an "and" between the Hebrew words good and evil.

There's a brief informative Wiki on this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_of_the_knowledge_of_good_and_evil

How you interpret this phrase is dependant upon the tradition you start with, with Judaism, Islam, Christianity, and secular views imparting different meaning to it. You'll note that the secular interpretation doesn't even consider the knowledge of "good and evil" to refer to moral knowledge specifically, but to all knowledge generally because "good and evil" is interpreted as from good to evil, as in from A to Z.

Why are you so concerned with fairy tales? — tim wood

Those fairy tales are literally believed by many and they use it to discriminate against women and gays without a just cause.

If you live by the Golden Rule, you too will be concerned for your fellow man and act to reduce the harm of homophobia and misogyny.

I have family that are women and gays and I owe it to them as well as everyone else to try to oppose those who discriminate against them without a just cause.

Regards
DL

The Hebrew ( עֵ֕ץ הַדַּ֖עַת ט֥וֹב וָרָֽע) clearly indicates an "and" between the Hebrew words good and evil. — Hanover

I did not change it.

I did use "or" in my question but did not use or for the TOK.

I agree that there is a scale between good and evil but that does not change my question.

Was Adam wise or dumb to seek knowledge to the point of ignoring god's command to stay stupid and with his moral eyes closed?

Regards
DL