Evil

1. 84

   gmwilliamsposted 5 years ago

   
   I have decided to take a pause from the usual political discussions to discuss the subject of evil.  Is evil absolute or is it relative?  Is the concept of evil relevant today or is it a judgmental exercise? Who decides what is evil?

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2. 72

   henrymenckenposted 5 years ago

   The concept of 'evil' has historically been ambiguous. Different conceptual understandings of evil will have different consequences.
   
   A relativist's view of evil should allow for some margin for error. And for that reason it's not as harmful, because we concede some sympathy for the 'evildoer'.
   
   An absolutist view of evil, meaning totally evil and doing evil things (whatever they may be) simply for the sake of Evil, implies the property of evil to be otherworldly and fixed--unhuman, if you will. Alarm bells should go off when an absolutist takes a hard stance, because it tends to lead to isolation or worse for the condemned. Which leads to:
   
   "Who decides what is evil?"
   
   Not enough people reflect on this. It's a good question. One that many philosophers have tried to answer. Nietzsche (perhaps the most enigmatic of these philosophers) didn't really trust the people who spoke much about 'evil'. He believed that concerning ourselves too much about the very concept of 'evil' hurts human potential. He described it as a tool of the weak and incompetent to undermine the successful. Rather than examining where evil might exist (and then destroying it), he encourages a skepticism towards those who constantly use the concept of evil and to examine their motives instead. He is an interesting one to read material from on this topic.

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   1. 84

      gmwilliamsposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      Great answer but is there ABSOLUTE evil?

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      1. 77

         Kathryn L Hillposted 5 years agoin reply to this

         I have no idea what absolute evil would be. To me, evil is in the mind of the person who acts ignorantly of what produces true happiness.
         I would say, evil and sin go hand in hand and are the result of IGNORANCE.
         
         EVIL= A complete lack of wisdom.

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3. 77

   Kathryn L Hillposted 5 years ago

   There is evil. It has a job: To keep us in the dark.

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4. 77

   Kathryn L Hillposted 5 years ago

   what is darkness?
   
   ... abandonment of laws and
   
     God.  (Good)

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5. 77

   Kathryn L Hillposted 5 years ago

   *abandonment of moderation, and instead embracing excess.
   
   *forgetting the beauty of nature, and instead destroying what is natural, beautiful and good.
   
   *disrespecting the young and tyrannizing over them in the name of education.
   
   *calling women out of the home and into the workplace to abandon their children to government daycare and preschools. (better not to have them)
   
   The list goes on and on in today's modern world.

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