In my last post I wrote that when we say “the world is good,” we have two specific, distinct meanings: 1) the world is useful for man’s life, and 2) the world and man are useful for God’s purposes.
Today I want to generalize and discuss the full meaning of “good.”
Let’s start with the most simple meaning: “good” can mean “useful.” A tree can be good for food. A pen can be good for writing. Here, “good” means functional.
Left in the rain! A favorite book—ruined.
It was a growing-up experience for many book lovers, accidentally ruining a prized book. And how does it feel? The feeling is sadness, but also moral guilt.
I’ve been writing about the concept of “goodness,” and today I would like to look at a special aspect of goodness: morality.
I informally surveyed my friends and asked:
What does good mean? How do we determine if something is good? What is “goodness” in your own words? What is the standard?
Here is Part 2 of my informal survey, asking “what does good mean?”
Answer #3. Good means “pleasing.”
Today I continue to look at the answers various friends gave when I asked, “What does good mean?”
Answer #2. Good means being loving and considerate toward other people.
