What is Evil

There's nobody here that can prove evil even exists,
let alone give a good definition of what it is. Thats
because evil isn't a thing, its an opinion. It changes
with the times, what was evil a hundred years ago,
is often the accepted standard today. Therefore, evil
doesn't exist as something written in stone, its something
thats fluid and trendy.

What is the point of your post? Or the answer you seek? That anyone can justify their actions because the idea of evil is a creation of human thought? Dont understand where you are going with this.

The point is, the word evil has been used a lot
in the religious posts lately and nobody even
knows what it means. They can't know, its not
a thing, its an opinion. Whats evil to one person
can be a boon to another.

6:5???

Quote: Wavy70

6:5???

Good example. Evil for the player, a boon to the casino.

All I can say is that if you've never experienced it, thank your lucky stars.

Quote: odiousgambit

All I can say is that if you've never experienced it, thank your lucky stars.

What? Experienced what? Give details.

I guess evil is species dependent - anything that is counter to survival of the individual and survival of the species is evil. Being that we seem to be more aware than other species maybe anything counter to survival of the planet should be evil to us except we are too wrapped up in the survival of the individual. Maybe that is evil for us picking our interests over that of the species.

Quote: ncfatcat

I guess evil is species dependent -

Not quite. Evil requires an immoral act. Animals and inanimate objects are outside the sphere of morality, because they lack volition. The concept of evil applies, for the moment, only to human beings; and not even to all human beings. Very young children who lack the understanding of consequences, the mentaly retarded, the insane, are also largely outside of morality.

Yes animals are more "hard wired" than humans. They have no choice but to obey the prime directives. This brings me to a pet peeve of mine. The criminally insane should get the death penalty automatically since they have no moral volition and will always be a problem to humanity. So why feed and shelter them till the end of their natural days?

Quote: Nareed

Not quite. Evil requires an immoral act.

So there's no evil 'force' making us do things,
evil is just an idea, a concept.

You are stating that evil is a subjective thing, not a objective thing. It doesn't actually matter if it's a concept or idea (infinity is a concept as well), but whether the concept is something all logical would consider to be "evil" or it depends on the beholder.

I'm slightly uncomfortable in stating Evil is subjective, but I don't have a good counter-argument, and just "feeling" something shouldn't be so is not an argument.

"Evil is just an idea, a concept."

Yeah, I'd say so. Evil is an adjective and not a noun. The wiki article on evil's first sentence is pretty spot on: Evil is the violation of, or intent to violate, some moral code.

Because moral codes can be relative (in my opinion) what it is seen as an evil act can be relative as well.

By the way, the argument I referred to in those threads, The Problem of Evil, doesn't really require a steadfast definition to work, just an admission that evil, however defined, exists. I strongly suspect that anyone that truly does not admit the existence of evil in some form (i.e. are completely void of any moral compass) is in jail or dead.

Quote: progrocker

I strongly suspect that anyone that truly does not admit the existence of evil in some form (i.e. are completely void of any moral compass) is in jail or dead.

Existence of evil in what way? If its just an opinion, a concept,
its as real as Santa or the Easter Bunny.

Small is just an opinion, a concept. Do things you consider small exist?

Quote: EvenBob

Quote: progrocker

I strongly suspect that anyone that truly does not admit the existence of evil in some form (i.e. are completely void of any moral compass) is in jail or dead.

Existence of evil in what way? If its just an opinion, a concept,
its as real as Santa or the Easter Bunny.

An opinion is different from a concept, and we are probably heading Plato's world with the idea of a concept being an absolute truth (see his cave and all that jazz).

A concept can be real even if it's not concrete.

If evil is just an opinion, then good is just an opinion to. Can you have a useful moral code IF evil is a subjective -opinion- (or can we define it based on a set of moral axioms?). I know some churchs HATE moral relativism.

In the end, it doesn't matter. It's wrong to go and punch EvenBob on the nose, even if that's an opinion I hold or an absolute truth. I am sure Bob would agree it's wrong to punch him on the noise, even if he's reasoning might be that if I punch him on the noise he'll introduce me to the business end of a firearm. That's not the reason I wouldn't punch EvenBob on the nose, but it might be a reason other people don't.

(* all opinions of punching people on the nose herewithin are designed to be to discuss a point).

Quote: progrocker

Small is just an opinion, a concept. Do things you consider small exist?

Its small only in relation to something bigger. Evil
and good are relative to where you're standing at
the time.

Right, and someone who was incapable of understanding the relationship between good and evil (no moral compass) would be just as bad off relating to society as someone who was incapable of understanding small and big. It doesn't matter that the terms are relative abstractions, they're important concepts to understand if you wish to act as a rational human being.