Why is a thing bad or evil?

Question

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Have a great day!

Answer 1

Greetings again Third P!

I'm assuming in this question that you are not emphasizing the distinction between 'bad' and 'evil' as much as you are asking about the origin of the definition or even experience of evil or bad.

The question of why something is evil is so important that I must try to share my thoughts with you.

I was never really a great fan of Billy Graham. But one of the most powerful statements I've ever heard came out of his mind and his speech at the memorial for the Oklahoma Bombing back in the 90's. He said as his opening remark: "Evil is a mystery, but it is very, very real'.

I have respected Mr. Graham quite deeply ever since that speech.

The real question that arises here is whether evil is merely subjective and relative or whether there is something categorical about it; something absolute. In other words can one treat 'evil' the way Plato treats specific Ideas, Forms, etc?. Is it an absolute force or action or intention? Or is it merely a subjective result?

If a person makes a mistake and harms you, is that evil or just bad and unfortunate? I think the latter. I think many things in life can really hurt you, really harm and hamper you, but you cannot call it evil. Subjectively you can really feel miserable about it - especially if the bad effects linger. But if you apply your mind with a discriminating maturity you will know that misfortune cannot be called evil.

I do not think evil is an independent force, though at times, historically, it certainly appears that way!

It is relative. It is a very negative accumulation of something that causes serious harm to another sentient creature. To me evil is very concrete, even if relative. It arises in concrete situations. What really qualifies evil, in my view, is when a person knows that what they are doing is harmful to another - or others - and yet persists in doing it. Real evil arises when a person is aware that they are hurting, damaging, undermining, another living creature that itself is seeking wholeness, health, intelligence, life, liberty or just happiness.

I believe there are degrees of evil, or grades of evil just like there are degrees of hate or love or intelligence or even enlightenment. What makes evil different from just unfortunate or bad, is when it results from conscious intention even if much of the motivation also remains unconscious. Some consciousness or willfulness is requisite for evil to become concrete. If a person or group has been told again and again that what they are doing is harmful to others and they persist in doing it out of disregard for the well-being of others, then evil has come into the world. So there is a certain amount of free will associated with evil. It is almost uniquely human. We probably cannot ever completely erradicate evil tendencies in ourselves, but we can exercise free-will, sensitivity, knowledge and greatly reduce the causes of evil in our own lives. But we cannot do this if we are not making progress in something good or creative. We need to have some satisfaction in our lives. We need to be growing. We need to have healthy relationships. Evil accumulates when we are bitter, resentful, frustrated, angry, vengeful, etc. When it reaches a theshold any of these things can suddenly transform into what we could call categorically 'evil'.

Each individual has to be on guard within themselves against allowing this threshold to be reached. We have to dissolve our bitterness, our feelings of injustice, our frustrations and hates before they crystallize into evil; before we start to plot ways to consciously harm others.

"Great Evil" is when somebody masterminds ways to hurt the innocent of this world. It is hard not to be mystified by such occurrrences and yet it happens and it is real. And it is extremely tragic.

Your question is very important. I hope I have expressed the kernel of my belief in this short passage.

Thanks for asking it!

Answer 2

It's a cultural value. What we perceive of as bad or evil is instilled through our culture, environment and education. Things that are considered bad or evil sometimes change over time, through cultural change to where they're no longer considered bad or evil.

When early feminist Mary Wollstonecraft wrote her treatises on gender equality in the late eighteenth century, she was denounced as supporting evil by many in her time. This is an example of how culture can change. In the two centuries since Mary Wollstonecraft died, most people no longer consider the concept of women having the same legal rights as men as bad or evil.

However something like murder, has retained its taboo and its capacity to instill loathing as something evil throughout different cultures and different eras. But the justifications permitted by a society for putting someone to death have changed over time. During the Renaissance, many European states brought the death penalty to those who refused to convert to the state religion, something unthinkable in today's EU.

Answer 3

A thing or action becomes bad when it takes humanity from people.

For example, war. Like right before a soldier has to shoot. They have to despise the person they are aiming at a lot to do it. That is a very human emotion. But then, after a life is lost, they aren't human because they have extinguished the flame of a human. War is bad because everyone deserves to have humanity.


From across the pond!

Answer 4

Here we go again......first you have to realize, that this concept is not viewed from the "persons" looking at it...but, the one doing it,or speaking..or even thinking it(conceiving) ..when you see it from this point of view, it's easy to see the differance..ready? "It's all a matter of the intentions of the heart of the individual, as to "why" they are doing it in the first place, that makes it evil or good...so, if the persons intentions are "bad" then it's ment for evil..likewise, if the intentions are ment for "good" then...understand? (now, we are speaking of mature persons, in their right mind, having their senses about them) "Peace!" Robin Hood robbed from the rich and gave to the poor...in a kingdom ruled by an evil king...did he do good? through breaking the law? helping the people who were being robbed and oppressed? or, else? remember, we are on the "exterior"

Answer 5

A thing is bad or evil because it isn't good!

You know this answer, but here goes.

Sometimes, without malice, a person does something that turns out bad. Evil takes advantage of that situation.

Good, with knowledge and forethought, can take that something bad and turn it into something great!

Answer 6

I think good and bad is really like saying "from which angle do you want to look at this" I say this for two reasons
1 good and bad must both be present as comparison for each other(can't have one without the other).
2 Not everyone will agree on all comparisons that are made.
BUT....
This does not help you reach a decision, however I think it important and should be considered before you do reach one.

Answer 7

If it goes against the direction of the Lord (also known as Krishna, Allah, Jehovah, Vishnu, Rama, etc.) Because it can cause us and others suffering. Bringing unnecessary suffering to any living being is evil or bad. Knowing the Laws of God and material nature and following them will protect us. We should take this as the Love and mercy of God not punishment. If a good father chastises or grounds their child is that bad? No it is out of love. Everything God does is out of pure love. Thanks.

Answer 8

Any 'thing' is evil, according to Plato.. Every ideas or thoughts are good, until they are incorporated with material form.. Meaning to say, ideas in the mind are all by nature good, but through sense perception, these ideas are impressed to the lifeless matter, making these pure ideas evil..Exampli gratia: a man is content of what his mind has absorbed from the bible but later on, is distracted by a pornographic picture. The ideas are now transforming to evil through the incorporation of the evil matter(porn picture) with the ideas(form).

As such, it has been discussed by all christian philosophers(St. Augustine, St. Acquinas), Aristotle, Plato, and Socrates, Kant to mention a few that the mind, is, by nature, embedded with pure and good ideas..

Answer 9

In my opinion there are no such things as inanimate objects being good or bad by itself it is only in the minds of those who use them that it could be 'good or bad'. For example water can be used to give life to many or can be used as a form of torture. Having stated that I would like to add that if our minds are impure then so will our environment. So if the world we perceive is impure then it is our minds that are impure. Our environment and us are not separate. What makes us unique is that we are awakening to that fact. We are no longer content with blaming others nor of not taking responsibility. We are all one.

Thank you for your question

Answer 10

i think of that actual everyone has rage and anger...enormously much yet another character this is purely below the exterior. I even have seen that individual and that i save him buried deep interior me. If somebody harmed somebody that I enjoyed on objective with merciless reason, i know that i might purely enable that darker section out, and that i might manage to ending a existence. Righteous vengeance.