Do you believe there is such thing as evil?

[Forever]

It only exists because man says so.

Edit: when I said man, I meant both men and women.

 

[Galaxy Gazer]

Long answer: I do not. Well, at least not a clear, absolute definition of evil. There are only personal morals, socially accepted ethics, and the sacrifice of one or both for a self-serving purpose. People usually associate self-involvement with evil, but some of the most heinous acts in history have been carried out by people who thought they were completely, unquestionably in the right. What is "evil" to people willing to hurt others to serve their moral doctrine? Is there opinion on such a thing even valid since they're clearly out of touch with societal ethics? By that logic, "evil" is anything that is far out of line with accepted group ethics and rules/"common sense" laws. In many cases, though, this logic doesn't work. For example, a 2015 recent Gallup Historical Trends survey says that approximately 61% of Americans are in favor of the death penalty. It is very clearly a socially accepted view; however, I don't see how opposition to the death penalty could be seen as "evil" unless a person who opposes it has an ulterior motive (such as planning a murder and trying to avoid the death penalty), but then it is the associated action that is "evil," not the value itself. Still following this logic, it would be reasonable to say that "evil" is radical deviance from the ethical norm *with the intention to hurt others.

So now we look at various religious and cultural groups. I was raised into Christianity (although I don't associate myself with it anymore), so I'll use that as an example. According to the Bible as well as many Christians, several things are "evil" that do not cause harm to others. Rejection of the biblical God and sexual impurity are the two most obvious. The former is replicated in many religions, essentially labeling everyone as "evil" by various standards. The latter has been a hot debate topic for decades, and has both factual evidence and fluff on both sides. One might say that those who oppose things like same-sex marriage and sexual liberation of women are evil because they are trying to influence society (and inevitably hurt some people) to align it with their personal moral code, just as one might say that those who promote highly sexual and inappropriate behavior are evil for the same reason.

Short answer: Evil is whatever you believe it is, unless you're crazy or out of touch with reality.

The closest thing to "evil" that I can think of is a person who hurts others for the sole purpose of entertainment, but that is based on my personal values that may be very different from someone else's.

 

[Lark]

Okay.

Good luck.

 

[AphroditeGoneAwry]

Yes. Evil is satan, the devil, his demons, and all those people he can get a foothold in (which isn't hard).

I used to think evil was a principle only, but now I know it is a real entity or force with intent and motive. The spiritual antithesis of God and good.

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

Yes and no. There's no special "evilness" that exists until we determine what is evil and apply our criteria for the evil to objects, actions, peoples, etc. No, evil doesn't exist as a universal constant. Yes, it exists when humans determine it exists and start attaching the label to things. There are things that I consider evil. Child sex trafficking, animal cruelty, evaluating people on their race or gender rather than their talents and minds, etc. but in the grand scheme of the universe, I see that the evils I abhor are still just part of a greater process that just is.

 

[Cellmold]

I'm not going to pull an objective pie crust over this tasty berry mix.

But I will say I think evil exists in refusing to excite the possibility of being wrong. Or at least that's where it starts, alongside seeing people as things rather than people.

Of course that means we all have that potential and often fulfil it, but pulling back from the brink of indulgence with it in the moment is the hard part and catching the burning emotional rush of the brain's overreactions is the key to everything.

If we can't learn this; then we're done.....probably have been past that brink for a long time.

At least this is my belief.

 

[EcK]

No more or less than I believe in santa.

It's a cultural creation. Like any other abstract notion to a degree or another.

The issue with such simplistic polarised notions is that people rally behind them and start believing they 'know the truth'.
Right and wrong, good and evil. They're made of the same kind of stuff they use to stone women, blow shit up and wage war on reason and civilians alike.

So I'd rather stick with relativism and evolutionary biology. Thank you but no thanks.

 

[EcK]

Yes. Evil is satan, the devil, his demons, and all those people he can get a foothold in (which isn't hard).

I used to think evil was a principle only, but now I know it is a real entity or force with intent and motive. The spiritual antithesis of God and good.

If you can't point at it, touch it, test it and show evidence for it it's generally in your head or/and somebody else's head.

You don't believe Hansel and Gretel got eaten by a witch, you don't believe that Sauron is real. Why then believe in that specific book of tall tales?

Using 2000 year old iron age morals as our guide? That's a recipe for human rights violations.

If I go around asking for people to kill their sons and commit genocide because the voice in my head told me so they'd put me in handcuffs and call me crazy. And rightly so.

If I write a book about it using vague, allegorical and self contradictory statements with some luck in 1000 years it'd be a religion and people would swear they saw me walk on water.

People are gullible.

 

[jixmixfix]

feminism is evil.

 

[Yama]

No one ever thinks they're the "bad guy." People consider "evil" to be whatever is wrong to them, whether that goes with or against the majority's opinion. None of us can come up with one objective definition of evil because we're all biased.

 

[EcK]

It only exists because man says so.

Edit: when I said man, I meant both men and women.

sexist pig

 

[Forever]

sexist pig

Does calling them under one constitute my sexism?

Do you want to know what evil is rearranged? Live.

Do you want to know what live is rearranged? Vile.

Do you want to know what Vile is rearranged?

THERE IS NONE. BECAUSE WHY? NOTHING TO COMPARE TO.

 

[morganelise48]

Yes I do.

Evil is what causes people to intentionally harm others for their own amusement or pleasure.

But what do you constitute as harm? Would other people consider harm differently? Thus, what's a definite evil? Wouldn't that make evil subjective? Or are only certain evils concrete?

 

[Mole]

No one ever thinks they're the "bad guy." People consider "evil" to be whatever is wrong to them, whether that goes with or against the majority's opinion. None of us can come up with one objective definition of evil because we're all biased.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights gives us an objective definition of evil. So we now know that the violation of human rights is evil. And in particular, we know genocide is the touchstone of evil.

Of course moral relativism says there is no one objective definition of evil, but moral relativism is just special pleading.

Moral relativism is designed to confuse so that we will find it difficult or impossible to defend human rights.

It is difficult to directly advocate for evil, so instead we advocate for moral relativism.

 

[Yama]

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights gives us an objective definition of evil. So we now know that the violation of human rights is evil. And in particular, we know genocide is the touchstone of evil.

Of course moral relativism says there is no one objective definition of evil, but moral relativism is just special pleading.

Moral relativism is designed to confuse so that we will find it difficult or impossible to defend human rights.

It is difficult to directly advocate for evil, so instead we advocate for moral relativism.

It was written by humans who all subscribe to their own subjective view of good and evil and therefore in itself existed as biased.

I've got my own views and morals that I strongly agree with and fight for, and there are acts some people do that I would definitely call evil--according to my definition. And no one would ever be able to convince me that they aren't evil. I think I'm right. But everyone thinks they're right.

 

[Mole]

It was written by humans who all subscribe to their own subjective view of good and evil and therefore in itself existed as biased.

I've got my own views and morals that I strongly agree with and fight for, and there are acts some people do that I would definitely call evil--according to my definition. And no one would ever be able to convince me that they aren't evil. I think I'm right. But everyone thinks they're right.

If everyone thinks they are right, we can't all be right so some of us must be right and some wrong.

For instance, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is an object that can be rejected or accepted. My country and most countries in the United Nations accept The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, except 57 Islamic countries which reject The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in favour of Sharia.

So The Declaration of Human Rights can be objectively accepted or rejected.

And it is becoming plain that the narcissistic personality lacks an objective understanding of morality and so can do nothing else but have a subjective view of good and evil.

And such narcissism is an evil in itself.

 

[Yama]

If everyone thinks they are right, we can't all be right so some of us must be right and some wrong.

Yes. Because what I might think is the right thing to do, someone else might think is wrong, and vice versa.

For instance, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is an object that can be rejected or accepted. My country and most countries in the United Nations accept The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, except 57 Islamic countries which reject The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in favour of Sharia.

So The Declaration of Human Rights can be objectively accepted or rejected.

I don't see how one country accepting something makes it objective. Especially since I'm sure there's at least one person in that country who rejects it. Just because the majority accepts something doesn't make it true--take, for example, the rewriting of history. The winners write history and the "truth" if often forgotten. Our own account of human history is purely a subjective account by now.

I don't know anything about the contents of this Declaration of Human Rights, so please know that I'm talking about it as an object or idea and not agreeing or disagreeing with what it actually stands for.

And it is becoming plain that the narcissistic personality lacks an objective understanding of morality and so can do nothing else but have a subjective view of good and evil.

And such narcissism is an evil in itself.

According to your subjective opinion of evil.

Which is why the entire thing is so complicated.

Now, do I think there there are objective rights and wrongs? On a personal level, I do. But taking a step back I can see how it's impossible for any of us to really be objective about anything that we're personally involved in.

 

[Lark]

There has been an awakening....

Of the dark side...

And the light.

 

[Beorn]

If everyone thinks they are right, we can't all be right so some of us must be right and some wrong.

For instance, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is an object that can be rejected or accepted. My country and most countries in the United Nations accept The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, except 57 Islamic countries which reject The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in favour of Sharia.

So The Declaration of Human Rights can be objectively accepted or rejected.

And it is becoming plain that the narcissistic personality lacks an objective understanding of morality and so can do nothing else but have a subjective view of good and evil.

And such narcissism is an evil in itself.

It's adorable the way you pretend your consensus based beliefs are objective.

 

[Such Irony]

The definition of evil is highly subjective but personally, I think it's doing things with the intention to cause harm, either to people or to things. I'd also add that those who are evil, typically don't feel remorse for their actions. Oftentimes, they are glad to have caused harm.