24 Aug 17
Originally posted by @dj2beckerCan't it be both? Being real doesn't mean we grasp it for what it really is, so we ponder it, it's reality, and what are the ramifications?
Is evil real and something to be avoided, or merely a construct of the human mind?
24 Aug 17
Originally posted by @apathistMy point evil could be both, something very real that doesn't need us to define it, and something we attempt to grasp or ignore to our own peril.
What is evil for you may not be for me, and vice versa. This is disturbing for some.
Originally posted by @kellyjayEvil is subjective. My evil may not be yours. But I care about our species surviving, and then evil becomes clear.
My point evil could be both, something very real that doesn't need us to define it, and something we attempt to grasp or ignore to our own peril.
24 Aug 17
Originally posted by @kellyjayI don't disagree. In reality we don't get much hindsight though. Evil opposes our growth.
My point evil could be both, something very real that doesn't need us to define it, and something we attempt to grasp or ignore to our own peril.
Originally posted by @dj2beckerThe word "evil" refers to certain kinds of morally unsound behaviour. It is a human (i.e. mundane) social construct, not a supernatural one, even if many humans do superimpose such notions onto the concept in their efforts to make sense of the human condition.
Is evil real or a construct of the mind?
I would suggest that "evil" is egregious immorality (as already defined in other discussions) and gratuitous, sociopathic action that is gravely detrimental and/or damaging to others, and which stems from an abject lack or even absence of empathy and compassion.
To avoid confusion, it's probably best used as an adjective rather than a noun. It's not a 'thing' that exists or that was instituted by an evil being. The word "evil" is simply an adjective that is more loaded up with disapproval than the word "bad".
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Evil is real. But there is also the problem of an over sensitive human conscience.
In other words evil being real does yet not man's conscience may falsely convict him.
Mental hospitals contain people with false guilt.
Dismissing evil as completely imagined is not an answer to the problem.
25 Aug 17
Originally posted by @sonshipMental hospitals also contain people who have done things that are perceived as "evil" but the diminished responsibility of those inmates may well explain why their actions do not warrant the descriptor "evil". The criminal justice system is often able to deal with this.
Mental hospitals contain people with false guilt.
Originally posted by @dj2beckerAtheism is nothing more than being unconvinced that gods exist. It is silent on everything else, including opinions on morality.
If evil is real I wonder how atheism would account for its existence.