Good

=== Ancient western religions ===
[[File:Faravahar.svg|thumb|right|[[Faravahar]] (or Ferohar), one of the primary symbols of Zoroastrianism, believed to be the depiction of a ''Fravashi'' (a guardian spirit)]]
{{Further|Zoroastrianism|Gnosticism}}
Aside from ancient Greek studies of the "good", more than twenty-five hundred years ago in the eastern part of ancient [[Greater Iran|Persia]] a religious philosopher called [[Zoroaster]] simplified the [[Pantheon (gods)|pantheon]] of early Iranian deities <ref name="Boyce_1979_6-12">{{harvnb|Boyce|1979|pp=6–12}}</ref> into [[Dualistic cosmology|two opposing forces]]: [[Ahura Mazda]] ([[Light (theology)|Illuminating]] [[Wisdom]]) and [[Angra Mainyu]] ([[devil|Destructive Spirit]]) that were in conflict.

For the western world, this idea developed into a religion that spawned many [[sect]]s, some of which embraced an extreme [[Dualistic cosmology|dualistic]] belief that the [[nature|material world]] should be shunned and the [[Sacred|spiritual world]] should be embraced. Gnostic ideas influenced many [[Ancient history|ancient]] religions,<ref>{{cite book |title=The Penguin Dictionary of Religion| year=1997|publisher=Penguin Books UK|author=John Hinnel}}</ref> which teach that ''[[gnosis]]'' (variously interpreted as [[Enlightenment in Buddhism|enlightenment]], [[salvation]], [[moksha|liberation]], or "oneness with God") may be reached by practising philanthropy to the point of personal poverty, [[sexual abstinence]] (as far as possible for ''[[wikt:disciple#Noun|hearers]]'' and totally for ''[[Initiation|initiates]]''), and diligently searching for [[wisdom]] by helping others.<ref name=gph>{{cite book |title=Gnostic Philosophy: From Ancient Persia to Modern Times|first=Tobias |last=Churton|publisher=Inner Traditions – Bear & Company |date=2005|isbn=978-159477-035-7}}</ref>

This development from the relative or habitual to the absolute is evident in the terms ''ethics'' and ''[[morality]]'' as well, both being derived from terms for "regional custom", Greek ἦθος and Latin ''mores'', respectively (see also ''[[:wikt:siðr|siðr]]'').