What is evil?
 

Well, for the book I'm writing currently, I need some insight into the nature of evil from human perspective. I would greatly appreciate any views you guys have, as I highly respect some of the intellectuals in this community. It doesn't have to be a huge discourse on it, but the more insight you have, the more I'd like to hear it. That being said....what IS evil?




MB

One man evil is another man religion.

One evil is to treat another person as a thing.

A more subtle evil is to think you know what's best for people more than they know themselves. Among other things, this allows you to justify the ends.


You could also read up on Dante's Divine Comedy for some classical ideas as to what "evil" is. See this translation by John Ciardi, or an updated version of Inferno by Pournelle and Niven. That last is out of print, but used copies are available. No, I'm not interested in selling mine.

Think of it as research.

With the war in Iraq taking the forefront now, you will likely get many answers about mind control, torture, removal of one's freedoms, etc. But really, evil stems from very basic disrespect. Disrespect of the rights of others - denying humanities so to speak.

Read anything by Nietzche, especially Beyond Good and Evil and The Geneology of Morals

I don't use the concept of evil in my thinking -- I find it impractical and unnecessary to explain things that people consider acts of "evil." It also promotes a dehumanization of others that can lead to perpetual cycles of aggression.

Most "evil" things, I feel, are caused by one or a combination of ambition, greed, misunderstanding of doctrines, and moral disengagement (moral justification, displacing responsibility, distorting the consequences of one's actions). Sadism sometimes plays a role but I see that as a purely psychological phenomenon, caused either by social learning or some sort of neural dysfunction.

Any action that is supposed to cause emotional or physical harm...

eg 1) A landslide crushes thousands of people..... Not evil.

eg 2) A person causes a landslide with the intent to crush thousands of people.

evil is realitive

I think that evil in many of its forms is strongly linked to cruelty, which is a desire to hurt others or cause them suffering for the sake of pleasure. Evil can be seen in the young person who smiles as they crush bugs or shoot pellet guns at cats.

Contrary to what most people believe, I don't feel that evil is necessarily an all-consuming sort of thing. A person most certainly can be completely evil, but I think that for the most part, evil manifests itself in smaller, more numerous, less noticed ways. Pushing forcefully past someone who has annoyed you on the bus. Zooming around and cutting off the person you've been waiting behind in traffic. Small things that bring you satisfaction in showing your displeasure, in inconveniencing someone as they've inconvenienced you. Little evils.

Sounds like you have large areas of agreement with Danté.

Ignorance.

evil is violating your own moral standards because of fear or greed

Me.

evil is an abstract term, a relative property that can be given to an action, a person, a way of thinking.
Evil cannot exist without a relative tie to something.

But by distilling pieces from the way it is used, you can form a quasi-evil. a semi-evil.

I call it mini-me! (oh wait) :)

Anyway, evil creatures are creatures who want destruction, harm, pain and all kinds of suffering. Or any combination.

Evil acts are acts of either hurt, malicious intent, destruction, mental or physical pain, ...

Evil is just an abstract grouping of properties that seem possibly or in reality damaging or negative towards the person using the term. And therefor highly relative.

In my mind there is very little evil in the world.

Most people or things described as evil are in fact due to selfishness, misunderstanding, greed, sociopathalogical faults etc.

To me evil implies a malevolent, conscious, dark and deliberate action or design.

There's not much of that about. I can think of only a few; Adolph Hitler being the prime example.

What most people consider evil today (with stupid comments like "Axis of Evil") are just selfish, arrogant, greedy people or states, or those you consider your enemies.


Mr Mephisto

this really should be on your must read list if your gonna write such a paper...

this book is interesting to say the least...
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...books&n=507846


also, many would consider this book:http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...glance&s=books

to be the DEFINITIVE guide to human evil...

Allow me to second the recommendation for Baumeister's book. The author is a top authority regarding the psychology of human aggression and in the past few years, and aside from his book, he has begun to accumulate experimental evidence supporting his hypothesis that narcissistic thinking is a big predictor of aggression.

My Mother-in-Law.

No question about it.

HAHA

I believe evil is getting pleasure from another person's loss or pain.

evil is an art.
evil is subjective, as like all arts.
evil could be something that is good.
evil could be something that is bad.
I could be called evil, you could be called evil.
evil is an abstract noun.
evil is an adjective.

This is the answer I wanted to give, but gave over in favor of my original response.

Suppose it's a bit late to go changing now.

In order:


Organized Xtianity (this alone covers the Inquisition, the Crusades, and millions of missionaries over the centuries that have spread these guilt trip-ridden lies. Hitler's got nothing on Xtianity)
The thief driving the Cab full of Toys for the terminal kid.
Adolf Hitler
John Ashcroft
George Bush (both of them)
Drunk Drivers
Saddam Hussein
bin Laden
RIAA/MPAA

to name a few.

Evil = Misunderstood
Am I evil….yes I am

Evil is the absence of good
It is in the make up of intention.

People often try to label events, circumstances, objects, etc... as evil.
Not so.
These things just are.

Bad, or harmful events are often tragic and hurt many people, but also they inspire acts of heroism, art, poetry, music, and general human growth and strength.

The evil of 9/11 for intance was not in the tragic loss of life. The first wave of death was devasting, the second wave (the responders... police, firefighters, rescue personal, etc...) was eaqually tragic.

But it must be noted that these people in the second wave died well. They died doing what they felt was their duty, they were there at great personal danger and cost to save whomever they could. They gave their lives saving others. If you were able to ask any of those people they would tell you that this is what they do. They put there lives on the line for the safety of others.

In my opinion there is no higher calling.

Were these events evil? No many people proved to themselves and others that unlimited good still exists in this world.

Were the people who planned the events evil (OBL and his close associates)? Absolutely! They undertook a program which would take the lives of they belived hundreds of innocent people as well as many of their own members (who had no idea what was to happen).

The intention of the actors in the events were evil... the concequences were tragic. Good did not come out of the evil intentions, death did.

Any good that came of this came out of the heart and intentions of the responders, the plane passengers who force down the one plane at the cost of their own lives, the people and volunteers who gave time, money, and went above and beyond to meet the needs of those effected by the events of the evil planners.

Evil cannot be judged by the outcome... it must be judged by the intentions of the actor(s).

Good always conquers Evil.

:lol:

Pure Evil is reporting a business to the IRS for tax fraud... or anything to do with the IRS... :lol::p Yes... I can be so evil if pissed off at a company... :lol:

Evil= Lack of Conscience

I agree that evil is relative. What exactly can be said to be entirely evil? Is it the destruction caused by an evil action or the reaction to an action that causes people to believe it's an evil?

I dunno really, bc i myself have been told i'm evil so i have yet to really go in depth.

this one...
http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com...irez_ny178.jpg

and this one...
http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com...lt-277x381.jpg

notice the resemblance???

For me, evil is not a thing to be categorized - as you would with a book or a species of plant.

Evil is the profound lack of concern for or consideration of others' feelings, or how one's actions will impact them.

So, if you don't bother to think about it (or just don't give a shit), then your action would qualify as evil in my book.

"evil" is a nondescript constant which is necessary in order that the other nondescript constant "good" can be measured and compared

treat other as you want to be treated. if you break that rule and push it to an extreme than it's evil

m0ntyblack

Hey! I was searching through Tilted Philosphy so I don't make a duplicate thread.. and I came upon a thread similar to this one! Hopefully It can become of more use to you :)

here it is: http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthr...threadid=16575

I really agree with Mr. Mephisto on this. I think evil requires a conscious desire to harm people, eschewing normal values. Very few people fall into this mold--many people who would be considered evil were doing what they were doing out of some belief that it was bettering their country, people, whatever. Bad people--yes. Evil--no.

I don't. Mere shadenfreude isn't evil. It's just human nature, "shameful" though it may be.

I don't think there's any such thing as evil, per se. In the same sense as: the winner writes the history books. No (healthy) human being takes significant action AT ALL without a good reason and without thinking that what they're doing is right. Nobody walks around saying, "I'm evil. What I'm doing is bad and wrong, and I'm going to do it anyway and enjoy it."

However, from an external perspective, it may very well look that way. From over where I'm sitting, the actions of the Bush Administration look downright evil--Karl Rove looks like the antichrist. But I'm sure it seems like the right and sensible thing to be doing, to them.