I understand the term “evil” as being analogous to “bad” in that it is a human construct or concept that is relative to and dependant on that in which a human perceives as “good.” Good and evil are simply the results of one’s discrimination between this and that and are in relation to how one thinks things “ought” to be. So it is my observation that evil does not exist in form, only in concept.
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Pretty much! And in that light, the same goes for goodness. That’s why nearly all abstract concepts/ideals are so individual to each person. That is furthermore, why terrorism exists and why Hitler was able to justify his atrocious acts. They are able to justify their “evil” behavior as actually beneficial by contributing to what is in their minds, the greater good.
Do you agree? Or am I off the point…. I’m just typing words as they come to me, like I do with everything I think and feel ;)
The Blogger Exposed’s last blog post..A Slimy Can Of Worms
Hi, Blogger Exposed. That is correct, the same goes for goodness.
I can’t say for certain if Hitler thought his actions were good and justified or not. Maybe he knew he was doing wrong and just didn’t care. I would have to study more about Hitler to get a better understanding of his mindset.
I agree that people have their own individual ideas of right and wrong. But I don’t really think these values are truly conceived own their own. We are conditioned. The chemistry of ones genetic makeup combined with the conditions of ones environment determine ones beliefs, values, character, and life as a whole.
We are at the mercy of our environment, and ironically, we also contribute to its offense.
Travis’s last blog post..Evil does not exist
Hell, yeah! We are VERY conditioned. That’s been the premise for my whole soapbox stance! It’s shamefully true.
The Blogger Exposed’s last blog post..A Slimy Can Of Worms
That’s the same way I see the term “weird”. There are many things that my friends just don’t seem to understand about me and call me “weird” because of it and I just tell them that “That’s how I like it and it isn’t “weird” to me.”.
7h1m0′s last blog post..[2003] 1349 – Liberation
I like this observation, which has the same sense as one of my own, which I have not revisited in some time. Your definition of evil is wholly based on the subjective; I rather wish to consider whether it might exist in an objective way. At a cursory glance, the closest I can get is some sort of universal subjective case defining good and evil.
a. julie’s last blog post..Overheard: on the sublime.
Hi Julie, that’s right, and I agree with your cursory glance.
Travis Morgan’s last blog post..Evil does not exist
Evil is the absence of good.
We distinguish good and bad through something instilled in every single man. That thing is morality.
So in the reformed sense, evil is that which morality does not approve of.
I have to say this, evil… it sure does exist. The webster’s dictionary defines “evil” as sinful or wicked. So alot of what you are saying on your website is evil, because it is blasphemy agaist God (whom you are going to have to face up to some day soon).
And of course there is good, now good has many meaning, but in the case of evils oposite it sits as right, honorable, and true. All those being what God is, and we can’t be right, honorable, and true without God. Because we are all sinful untill we are washed clean of our sins by the blood of Jesus, and if we are sinful then we must be evil. So yes, as Nate said “evil is the absence of good”, because of the absence of God.
I would agree that the idea of evil is an obtuse abstraction at best and therefore does not truly exist. It seems that the only universal moral code is that it is wrong to kill your own kind. and even that one is stretched to its limits. all other so called morals are derived from the established norms of a particular society or religion, and are highly subjective.
There are many other things that don’t really exist that we put our faith in. Take mathematics. Does math really exist? surely it is a way of describing our perceived reality, but math is likewise just an abstraction. Does Truth exist? And how about Goodness? You would probably be hard pressed to give a universal, cross cultural, objective definition of what is “good” without resorting to personal, subjective examples based on other emotional abstractions or religious definitions. Abstractions can be very useful (language is a good example) and very dangerous – as in the case of the belief in evil and the need to conquer it, which paradoxically almost always involves violence. The problem is that humans invent abstractions as a way of understanding reality, but then forget that these are merely illusory abstractions.
I have had this discussion several times with both deep and shallow thinkers and have come to no real solid ground. Is there right and wrong? I personally don’t believe there is, yet I understand the need for these ideas to keep a functioning society. To me “evil” is a remnant from a very old description of our universe and not very useful at all. In fact the only people I’ve spoken with that seem conflicted with evil are those that are of highly dogmatic faiths. they insist that it exists, that there are bad guys out there and that there is some unknown (or simply satanic) force behind them. In my eyes, this is simply a gaping lack of communication! just about everybody thinks that they are right. and what happens when you get two or more people who are CONVINCED that they are “right” in a room together? all out war! if we acknowledged the flexible nature of “rightness” (what’s right for you is different from what’s right for me (and that’s okay…)) things would be alright.
You are correct, evil and good are purely subjective. The ancient aramaic is better translated as “ripe” and “unripe” which makes a lot more sense and can be applied to our understanding a lot better. Sadly they were translated into moot words like “good” and “evil” which really makes about as much sense as the words “time” and “space”
Empty words given to oppress free minds from discovering the truth.
I’ve said before on a previous comment, life is a fractal – therefore the geometry of all is sacred, in that the pattern is replicated in every aspect of everything seen and unseen. The answers cannot be truly hidden because in every single thing visible is the pattern of everything else.
To sum up, only Good exists, what people call evil is merely the consequence of human beings on this planet having been given volition to choose things which do not actually exist and find no place in the geometry. Therefore evil is that which does not truly exist – it is an illusion, wherefore many ancient texts will explain good and truth as the light, and evil as darkness. Here we can see that this explains it perfectly, using the sacred geometry all around us – light is life, and darkness is the lack of light.
Therefore, Good=Everything, Evil=Lack of Good, leaving us with Evil=Nothing
just as Light=All Colours, Darkness=Lack of Light, leaving us with Darkness=Nothing.
Interesting how Darkness is the only thing we can see and know about as if it is almost a tangible essence, and yet in truth it is the complete lack of anything, it’s not actually real in any way. This is the evil we see in the world.
J
After reading the article, I feel that I need more info. Could you suggest some resources please?
I think as Jay says that evil is the absence of things or the things that we can’t see in this way good for people is something they they don’t see and it seems to them that is correct and consequently,it is objectively the right thing,it is an adoubtful belief which has power to all people objectively.It seems then that when people have no education and no sharp perception of things,they believe immediately to any subjective and wrong opinion they have on something as they can’t understand it deeply to the roots of its existence.And because of this lack of perceiving real things,their immature they arbitrarily believe that this is the correct opinion and of course this implies to everything and it is an objective,general truth.They believe that all the people perceive the same thing.So,having different views of what is wrong and right doesn’t mean that good and evil is subjective.It means that we the people may are subjective and we believe in false things so we can’t have an objective idea of what is right and wrong.And I think wright and wrong is what Jay says that good is the light,things that we then see and feel that exist and evil is the darkness,the abscence of truth,the existing of nothing.Good for me is equal to the right,whicn means the ability to see what is true,the full consciencious state of human,so every action he makes is right for him and for the others.Evil is the situation we are when we are not conscious of situation we are and we act in a way that brings bad impacts to our lives making us do mistakenly things,failing to fulfill our wishes and aims.So,evil does not exist,there is only false,I accept only this as existing.In this world we can manage or do wrong things and it is something that exists and when we do wrong it is the only way to make right,to ameliorate something.So,every wrong exists in order to help us be better and conquer better life.W
Sorry for the previous I made a mistake.I continue.
Wrong is not necessarily bad and evil.It is a part of ourselves and the mechanism with which things become better.I can only accept the definition evil to talk for the humen who can murder the others or destructing their lives when living without having the possibility to change or think about what they are doing or feel guilty for it who are like politics,leaders and people who only lie or cheat and so on.These express bad for me.The others beyond them are simple,authentic humen who can make things in a right and ina wrong way,they sometimes behave right and some other badly.This contare to evil.
In the christianic texts there is the word ”???????” which we have wrong translated as sin but this word means to fail,to not reach to my target,to fail fulfilling my aim.So,to do something falsely.And when I do this,I can’t see things clearly,in light,I can’t understand them and I can’t manage my target,I harm people,situations,I fail.
The word I wanted to put was in Greek but it wasn’t accepted so I put it in latin:”amartia”.
Evil does not exist? Ask yourself when all the intelligence animals especially us humans are gone where is the evil? When all the humans are gone what happens to mass murderers, cult leaders, dictators, and of those ilk. Is a male lion who murders another a young male cub that’s not his own son evil? No, he’s doing what a comes natural, ensuring the best possible chance that his genes will the ones that are passed on. Even if you believe animal can commit evil, then when our sun finally runs out of hydrogen and then swells into a red giant swallowing our earth with it where is the evil then? Stars, comets, and meteors? I don’t think so.