Is there evil in the animal world?
What would be the basis of a standard of evil for animals?
Is not evil merely a creation of man to describe behaviors that are harmful to others?
Who believes that evil is palpable and personfied in devils and demons?
2006-09-25 17:06:52 · 20 answers · asked by AuroraDawn 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Great questions .. and a topic that has kept philosophers busy for thousands of years.
In fact, there is a whole new field of Darwinian psychology or evolutionary psychology that is shedding light on this topic.
With what we have learned from modern science, especially with our understanding of evolution, we now know that "evil" is merely a concept that serves an evolutionary purpose.
In other words, there is really no objective "good" or "evil," but our patterns of thinking have evolved in ways that work for the survival of members of the species.
Since it does not serve an evolutionary purpose for families to destroy themselves, we think of family disputes as evil.
Unfortunately, we also have evolved to think that it is "good" to kill members of rival groups. This tribal psychology has led to religous wars in which members of one superstition kill members of another superstitition, and nationalism, involving killing of people from other nations.
The answer to your question is that there is no such thing as good and evil, but our minds have evolved to have those concepts .. and unfortunately those concepts (including all the major religions) will lead to our self-destruction.
2006-09-25 17:09:11 · answer #1 · answered by Jim 5 · 2⤊ 2⤋
It's sad but true. There wouldn't be any evil in the world without humans. Some animals kill only because it's their natural instinct to survive or defend their loved ones. Humans, on the other hand, can make the conscious decision to harm others for sheer pleasure.
2006-09-26 00:15:57 · answer #2 · answered by asic design gal 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, evil exist because of mankind. Sin reigns in the Earth affecting humans,animals etc...God created evil but we as humans must make the choice to Not do evil. Evil is personified not only in demons and devils but also in humans who allow entrance.
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2006-09-26 00:16:46 · answer #3 · answered by Pashur 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is evil in the animal world, but its difficult to explain. You do get 'rogues' that refuse to live within the norm, in all species. The standard for evil is the same as ours - interfering with the way the majority want to live.
I believe evil CAN be personified, but Im still thinking about it honestly.
2006-09-26 00:12:14 · answer #4 · answered by kalikapsychosis 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Good question, Aurora. I think this is the same as the Zen koan, "If a tree falls and no one hears it, does it make a sound?"
And more than that.
If there was no human to make the moral judgment, then there wouldn't be anything called evil.
But I also think that humans actually are what bring evil into the world.
Then there's the good news: it's also humans that bring love into the world.
At least that seems to me to be the basic outline of the mission.
2006-09-26 00:15:59 · answer #5 · answered by anyone 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Of course it wouldn't. Animals know no evil. A lion will eat a baby human as quickly as a gazelle.
But thank whatever authority you wish to thank (p.c. for those who shrink when someone says "god"...why do you care, you won't melt...will you?) That we have the choice.
The problem is nowadays that morality is SO subjective that evil isn't evil anymore. I mean, Grown-a*s men want ethical permission to have sex with pre-adolescent boys. Child-rapists get off scot-free.
So evil exists only as long as there are humans. But we do a piss-poor job of policing ourselves. Evil FTW.
2006-09-26 00:11:24 · answer #6 · answered by Rabid 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No there is no evil in the animal kingdom, nor good and bad...just survival and instinct.
Good, bad, evil are all Human concepts and creations and actions.
I personally do not believe in devils and demons per se....
2006-09-26 00:11:01 · answer #7 · answered by CrazyCatLady 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. If carnivores in the wild used this reasoning, they would not survive. Evil is a human construct. If you do something that to someone else that you wouldn't want done to you, that is evil. The same thing would still exist without humans, but it wouldn't be called evil.
2006-09-26 00:12:38 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Evil is embodied in Satan and in all the angels who followed him.
Even without humans there would still be an ongoing war with the forces of evil.
Animals act on pre-programmed instinct, so cannot make free choices, and are not capable of evil, as we define it.
2006-09-26 01:07:22 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well like Eddie Izzard says, it's not like you come across many evil giraffes right?
I think evil is born out of free will which is something only us humans have so no the world would be evil free if we weren't here.
2006-09-26 00:09:24 · answer #10 · answered by Sara 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋