What is "evil"?

[ananda]

How do you define "evil"?

 

[True Scotsman]

How do you define "evil"?

That which is harmful to man's life qua human being, I.e. The rational animal with volitional consciousness. Anything which interferes with his ability to reason and live by his own judgement.

 

[ananda]

That which is harmful to man's life qua human being, I.e. The rational animal with volitional consciousness. Anything which interferes with his ability to reason and live by his own judgement.

I see. Would you say that destruction of man (aka "death") is then "evil"?

 

[RC1970]

The negation or deprivation of good.

 

[ananda]

The negation or deprivation of good.

Then what is "good"?

 

[RC1970]

Then what is "good"?

Everything that corresponds to the will of God.

 

[ananda]

Everything that corresponds to the will of God.

Do you believe that the Highest (God/Source/etc.) has a will?

I'm starting to believe that it doesn't. A will implies choice, and choice implies choosing from among various options within time and space. If the Highest is not limited by either, then it wouldn't have a will, and therefore there would be no "will of God" ... and subsequently, nothing inherently good or evil.

 

[RC1970]

Do you believe that the Highest (God/Source/etc.) has a will?

I'm starting to believe that it doesn't. A will implies choice, and choice implies choosing from among various options within time and space. If the Highest is not limited by either, then it wouldn't have a will, and therefore there would be no "will of God" ... and subsequently, nothing inherently good or evil.

God's will and human will are not the same thing, so making an anthropomorphic analogy doesn't quite work.

God's will is immutable, perfect and altogether good.

 

[quatona]

How do you define "evil"?

Firstly, kudos for not asking "What is X?", but "How do you define 'X'?". :thumb:
Personally, I don´t seem to have any use for the word "evil".

 

[juvenissun]

How do you define "evil"?

Everything that prevents you from going to the Heaven.

This definition is true in Christianity, it is also true in Buddhism.

 

[juvenissun]

Do you believe that the Highest (God/Source/etc.) has a will?

I'm starting to believe that it doesn't. A will implies choice, and choice implies choosing from among various options within time and space. If the Highest is not limited by either, then it wouldn't have a will, and therefore there would be no "will of God" ... and subsequently, nothing inherently good or evil.

This is not what Buddhism says. If you like Buddhism, this should be a serious problem to you.

 

[juvenissun]

Then what is "good"?

Everything that helps you to go to the Heaven.

Note: this definition is not "good" enough to Christianity. But it is "good" to Buddhism.

 

[paulm50]

How do you define "evil"?

Harming, hurting innocent people.

 

[juvenissun]

Harming, hurting innocent people.

So, abuse your pet is not evil?
Humanist can never have a good definition of evil. You are better off to pretend that evil does not exist.

 

[paulm50]

So, abuse your pet is not evil?
Humanist can never have a good definition of evil. You are better off to pretend that evil does not exist.

I would never dream of hurting an animal. I wonder what made you look for the gap in my statement.

 

[Eudaimonist]

I see. Would you say that destruction of man (aka "death") is then "evil"?

I would. Death always has an element of tragedy, though not as much if one is old and is at the natural end to one's lifespan.

Death (especially an untimely death or a murder) is an evil. It is something to be avoided if one can help it.


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[Eudaimonist]

So, abuse your pet is not evil?

I eat meat, so I don't have any problem, in principle, with using non-human animals for my ends, even if there might be suffering involved. I draw the line at pets because there are human beings that suffer when pet animals are mistreated. I don't want human beings to suffer, and so I support special legal protections for pet animals.

Furthermore, I want even food animals to encounter no pointless suffering, but that is only because I don't want to see human beings nourish cruelty or insensitivity in themselves. It is again for their sake that I would want to limit suffering to animals.


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[ananda]

Firstly, kudos for not asking "What is X?", but "How do you define 'X'?". :thumb:
Personally, I don´t seem to have any use for the word "evil".

Do you have a definition for "good"?

 

[ananda]

Everything that prevents you from going to the Heaven.

This definition is true in Christianity, it is also true in Buddhism.

What prevents you from going to the heavens?

 

[ananda]

This is not what Buddhism says. If you like Buddhism, this should be a serious problem to you.

Buddha stated that things are either skillful or non-skillful; everything is subject to birth/creation, preservation, and death/destruction, but none of the three are inherently good or evil.