Is evil an illusion?
Is evil an illusion or a reality that we can control. Is it something that really exists in the world or are those just destinies and choices people create?
I don't think that evil can be summed up as mere illusion. If evil were an illusion, that would imply that someone raping or murdering another person in cold blood could be justified. There are countless unspeakable acts that have occurred in this world that are undeniably evil.
I would consider 'good' and 'evil' as standards, and I think most of us have similar standards in this respect. Most of us consider murder an evil act, and giving to charity a good one, for example. I know you only ask about 'evil', but I feel it relevant to talk about 'good' and 'evil', simply because one cannot exist without the other. If that is to say that good and evil do exist, then they can't possibly be illusions.
Evil in a pure form exists only as a concept but in reality for those who believe in this concept (good versus evil in a religious sense...ie the Evil One against Jesus Christ). Other religious people may also believe in this concept.
This doesn't mean its an objective fact per se. An atheist for example would deny the existence of pure evil (as in the guise of an actual demonic being) but they might use the word as an everyday term denoting a monstrous act.
A Christian might believe in the physical reality of a demonic being and seek the help of a priest or similar if they perceive evil close by?
Since the introduction of psychology in the western world and subsequent studies into the workings of the human psyche it could be said that evil is nothing more than a manifestation of a disturbed mind, which is capable of committing atrocious acts. For the truly disturbed I'm not sure they're consciously choosing to act against the 'good', although history shows that many perhaps do decide to perpetrate acts of horror out of twisted belief and ideologies.
I prefer to think of evil as a psychological disturbance of some kind and don't go for the religious associations.
Evil is strictly a human concept tied to our survival. In order to weather the dangers of the world, early humans had to band together and form systems of trust amongst themselves. Killing a member of the group hurt everyone, therefore the concept of murder became 'evil'. Similarly, rival groups that threatened to take resources also became 'evil'. Today our concepts of morality are a bit more convoluted, but they all stem from that primal survival instinct.
by Ruben Rivera 13 years ago
Cool videohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8tbm8Es35Y
by awesome77 13 years ago
I have observed how we humans are consumed by our desire to go to heaven when we die! No wonder we have feel good preachers and political leaches who prey on peoples ignorance!How can you believe a theory that has never been verified!Based on the concept of who is going to heaven as written in the...
by Jane Bovary 13 years ago
One of the many stumbling blocks non-believers face in the path of christian doctrine is accepting the notion of a loving God, for how could such a God allow such terrible suffering down here on Earth? This is commonly known as the problem of evil and is usually answered by theologians with the...
by Phil Perez 9 years ago
I'm doubtful of hearing about the concept of evil. I honestly don't know how to feel about the term. Mainly because I've come to realize that it sounds like you know right from wrong, good from bad, but you still choose the bad, the wrong. Logically, that makes no sense. If good is better than bad...
by VC L Veasey 10 years ago
Is Time Really Real?
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The forward and linear progress of time is central to human experience. And as noted in a recent Facebook posting by the World Science Festival's "Rethink Science" feature:"The past drifts away and the future relentlessly approaches. But does time really flow? Or, as Einstein...
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