the only thing necessary for triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. what do you think? explain?

Answer 1

This thesis sometimes holds true but is not universal. Here are some specific examples of when it might apply:

1. The fall of the Western Roman Empire took place in the context of tension and competition with the East rather than mutual cooperation and preservation of their mutual culture against barbarism.

2. During the Hundred Years' War, Joan of Arc was burned alive after what was clearly a politically motivated trial run by clerics who were completely indifferent to the injustice they were enacting.

3. The beheading of Charles V, Mary Queen of Scots, Marie Antoinette, Louis XVI, and the shooting of the whole Russian imperial family was met by no repurcussions from the rest of the world.

4. The world did not stop the Ottoman Turks from genocide against the Armenians in the early 20th century.

5. The world, weary of war, allowed Hitler to break increasing numbers of treaties and conquer other lands/oppress minorities before anything was done about it.

6. The German populace just accepted or ignored the Holocaust.

7. The modern world does nothing to stop genocide or totalitarian regimes in the Sudan or Myanmar.

However, "evil" is a relative term--the quote basically seems to be suggesting that lack of military action against hostile powers is wrong. Surely in history, hostile powers have sometimes triumphed despite coordinated attempts by "good men" to stave off disaster--the quote is not a universal law.

Answer 2

This is a perpetual conundrum.The triumph of iniquity predicated on the inactivity of the virtuous. It supposes that all is in balance or tension and that evil can and will triumph because there are "good" men who do nothing. It may well be that that will happen, but I think the statement is too facile and biased by dualism and determinism. I don't worship at the altar of "Our Lady of Perpetual Responsibility". While I believe in a call to arms and active positivism, I know that the strength and power of the good in this world is far far greater than the negativity of evil and will endure and persevere even mankind's lack and lapses of virtue. The question is where are we when the action counts? When all is summed up are we with the sheep or the goats?

Answer 3

Yup. It's true. If all the good people in the world just sat on their hands and looked away while all the bad people did whatever they wanted, what do you think the world would look like?

There would be no criminal ever convicted of a crime because there would never be any witnesses.
There would not even be any criminal caught for any crime because there would be no one trying to catch them.
There would not even be any laws to make anyone a criminal in the first place because there would have never been anyone to make the laws, let alone enforce them.
There would be no safety for anyone. We would live in total chaos, always trying to hide from anyone bigger and stronger or be hurt or killed, because no one would ever be there to help anyone in trouble.

It's a call to action and an urge to take responsibility, that's all. If you consider yourself "good", then stand up and take responsibility for your actions and don't just stand by and let something bad happen without speaking up and doing something about it. Even if you don't think you can do anything about it or your voice doesn't matter. If you don't do anything, you are letting evil win. However small it is, it matters.

It's not the power of evil that wins, it's all the good people who are just afraid of opening their mouth and looking foolish when they see something bad happening. We like to talk about how bad "the world" is today, but we like to forget that "the world" is made up of individuals, which means you and me. We have to start with one at a time, and the best person to start with is ourself.

It happens all around us today. One person "owns" a neighborhood. How does this happen? A neighborhood of a hundred people "owned" by one person with a gang of maybe 10 or 12 thugs. It's not because the neighborhood is not stronger than those few, it's because each individual in the neighborhood is afraid to make a stand. It's good people , or good men doing nothing.

Answer 4

This is an old adage, and as such, is true as a generalization, but begins to muddy under actual application. Life is too complex for it to have firm hold, but to the human mind, it seems like something that is irrefutable. The truth, as always, is somewhere in between.

Answer 5

First off it is a quote:
It is often used to promote a certain kind of action, like military.
It can be interpreted to act in the responsible way that you feel is appropriate such as prayer, peaceful demonstration like Burma etc.
The axiom is true. The application is personal.

Answer 6

Well, this is basically speaking of "exhaustion." When evil is rampant, the good man will leave those who do so on their way. Sooner or later, after getting the last drop of the vice at hand, the evil-doers will tire of the vice itself and be brought back to good deeds.

This is basically "Let Him/Her Learn for him/herself" psychology. It really works. Who other than the person him/herself can really say no to what not and come back to goodness?

Answer 7

Mr. Burkes words strikes a cord in every Soul who believe's in a divine Creator,,It confirms that there is true evil in the World and left unchecked it will consume humanity itself, casting it into the abyss of Hell itself…It stands the test of time because his words are true,,simple,,,and too the point and easy for all good men too understand them and act upon it's message,,,His thoughts are divinely inspired, by something greater than himself, To those of evil hearts his words are bitter and despised!,,,His message is too the righteous souls,,,who believe we were created for a higher calling and a higher purpose, We are too stand against tyranny in all its forms and not be callous about it,,just because it does not affect us at the moment,,,Should we hide our faces,, and close our ears too the cry of those who are abused,,we too could find ourselves in the same predicament.

Answer 8

"A good man in an evil society is the greatest villian of all." I'm not sure who said that, but I think it applies to your question. People will always villify the "other"--in this case, the good person--so that person has no recourse but to stay quiet and do good deeds secretly.

Answer 9

How do you define evil? Generally evil only becomes apparent in retrospect. How can a person stop what they neither see nor recognise as evil?

Answer 10

Staying away from vioence do not amount to non violenace, says Mahatma Gandhi. Contributing to non violeance is what is counted as non violence. We are not interested in passive recepients, good and bad alike.