What is evil?

Question

Not what things are evil. What exactly is evil? What is the exact definition? Be precise.

These definitions are pretty subjective for sure. Wow.

If evil is subjective then is religion hoax?

Answer 1

Evil is the product of being egocentric.

An egocentric person perceives events in life that don't benefit them as evil.

Answer 2

I rather think you're asking to argue, but hey, why not.

Evil is a demonstrative tool, used by someone to declare someone or something else as the least in their interest and the most to be avoided. To label something as evil demonstrates the direction not to go, the things never to do, to declare anathema on this thing. But all of this is from the point of view of the entity saying "evil." Things may be evil to a church, things may be evil to a cause or to a political unit, but at the end of the day, it's fundamentally subjective and a way to suggest the actions of others.

Regarding your additional details:

Evil is subjective by definition, it requires a point of view. At the most objective level the universe is just a bunch of physics, the concept of Evil doesn't fit until someone judges it so.

Religion isn't a hoax, but that also doesn't mean any particular religion is correct. People may well and truly believe something that can't be proven, testable or observable, and whether they are right or wrong, the belief is still very real.

Answer 3

Evil is often used by religions to lable those who oppose it as something bad... that is where it first occurs... just as these religions... catholics first then the christians...proclaim they are serving good.. meaning that which serves these religion... but when we look beyond religions we begin to understand right and wrong ... wich are rarely the same as the religious good and evil... Through out our human history we see how the catholics and the christians regularly murdered and warred against that which opposed it.. just because they challenged it, heretics and witches were nothing more that regular people challenging the theology of the churches and as the justification of this abuse became challenged the lies about these people became more and more obsurd and unbeleivable... So what is good and what is evil... eventually we the humans evolved into expecting them to mean the same as right and wrong... but the church still expects it to remain for or against the church.. that which cannot evolve into accepting that good and evil must reflect the actual behavior of right and wrong does become a reflection of evil itself.

Answer 4

Evil has been variously defined by many groups and societies, as standing against what they saw as "good"
From "The evil of music/dancing" to
"The evil of (insert religious stance here)"

It's been a useful propaganda tool in demonising whoever the enemy of the moment happens to be (and as George Orwell pointed out in 1984, it can suddenly change!)

I suggest the only certain usage of evil applies when an individual is sure in their own mind what the right thing to do is, and deliberately does other.
(For malice, profit, or whatever motivation...)
To deliberately chose the wrong in one's own mind, that is evil.

There may be MORE to evil than that, where evil can be committed by someone who thinks they are doing good, but that's much more subject to controversy.

Answer 5

Evil stems from deception, fear, ignorance, money, power, and misunderstanding. It's a subjective thing; whatever is not "good" or neutral to yourself would be evil.

Answer 6

Evil is the essense of what brings out the worse in people. Its acts of distruction that serve no purpose but cause pain.

Answer 7

In my opinion evil is the thing that causes one to do wrong, hateful things against their better judgement.

Answer 8

Evil is the idea of intentionally doing harm to something or someone.

Answer 9

A christian god who is so filled with hate that he sentences anyone who does not blindly follow his precepts to an eternity of fire and torment.

Answer 10

evil is the opposite of good,
i suppose things like murder