Why some humans are so evil: double standards and irreligion

[Cyberman]

Those things you listed are fundamentally different from any post-mortem judgement and ensuing punishment - I know they exist and can be taken from me without any notice. However, it's even more basic than the fear of losing what I have which prevents me from raping, killing and torturing, or even lying, stealing and cheating - I simply don't want to. I'm not wired that way.  That some people think that the only thing stopping them being 'evil', for want of a better word, is fear of reprisal - illusory or otherwise - is a revealing commentary about them, as opposed to a thing lacking in me.

Why don't you want to do it, is the trick.  It's all very tenuous.

No, it's actually the opposite of that. I specifically stated that I'm not wired that way. I quite simply do not have it in me deliberately to inflict harm on another being (unless you're a spider, in which case all bets are off).

In my opinion, what keeps us from being awful is circumstance.  If you and I were born 200 years ago, we'd very likely have no problem owning some slaves.  400 years ago, we'd almost certainly be devoutly religious, maybe burning some people for witchcraft?  I don't think there's anything special about you and I that we aren't out raping and stealing.  What's special is the circumstances into which we were born.  That's primarily what's kept us from being a terrible people.  A coincidence of time and place.

To channel my inner Thunderf00t, were I to find myself suddenly transported into those times with the same mind I have at present, ie I'm the sazme person as I am now, then no I would not do those things. I could not do those things. On the other hand, if I was to find myself a product of my time, then that person would not be me to the extent that I could not say either way how I might behave. That's why I can reflect on the worst periods in history and think how terrible that people were subjected to them.