Evil

Is evil real and something to be avoided, or merely a construct of the human mind?

Originally posted by @dj2becker
Is evil real and something to be avoided, or merely a construct of the human mind?

Can'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?

Originally posted by @kellyjay
Can'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?

If evil is real I wonder how atheism would account for its existence.

Originally posted by @kellyjay
Can'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?

What is evil for you may not be for me, and vice versa. This is disturbing for some.

Originally posted by @apathist
What is evil for you may not be for me, and vice versa. This is disturbing for some.

Is evil real or a construct of the mind?

Originally posted by @apathist
What is evil for you may not be for me, and vice versa. This is disturbing for some.

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 @kellyjay
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.

Evil is subjective. My evil may not be yours. But I care about our species surviving, and then evil becomes clear.

Originally posted by @kellyjay
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.

I don't disagree. In reality we don't get much hindsight though. Evil opposes our growth.

Evil is anything in opposition to thw will of God. It's God's creation, God makes the rules.

Evil is anything in opposition to the will of God. It's God's creation, God makes the rules.

Originally posted by @dj2becker
Is evil real or a construct of the mind?

The 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.

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".

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.

Originally posted by @sonship
Dismissing evil as completely imagined is not an answer to the problem.

And who has dismissed evil as completely imagined? Which thread was that on sonship?

Originally posted by @sonship
Mental hospitals contain people with false guilt.

Mental 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.

Originally posted by @dj2becker
If evil is real I wonder how atheism would account for its existence.

Atheism is nothing more than being unconvinced that gods exist. It is silent on everything else, including opinions on morality.