Hello everyone. This is a question that came up when we were studying King Lear in my English class. Ahh, Shakespeare, doesn't he just make you think about the big issues? (no? Oh well…)

The question was:

What do you think defines someone as being purely evil?

And to put a more positive spin on it, let's turn it around and say:

what defines someone as being purely good?

Do pure good and pure evil actually exist? Are evil deeds, for example, redeemed slightly by insanity or remorse? Are 'good' and 'evil' white and black or are they shades of grey?

This is a bit of a yin/yang topic, I'd like to hear your views.

Bex

Also another thought, in order for shades of grey to even exist there must be a concept, or perspective, of black and white, so I believe to some extent the shades of grey argument kills itself.

quote:

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But what about the infinite number of COLORS in the spectrum? You can't really say that orange is more black or more white than red. Similarly, you can't say that one person/force/idea/culture/whatever is more or less good or evil than another.

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Sure I can, if you base it off ones perspective, which ultimately everybody is basing there ideas and concepts off of, their perception.
So it’s not impossible to have a worldly concept of "good" and "evil" but again transcendental, that’s where the question is.

*whoosh*

Well, some of that went way over my head.

I think that evil does exist. The most basic definition of evil, for me, is taking pleasure in causing other people pain. Good is trying to counteract pain, to consider other peoples' happiness important.

I think that everyone is capable of good or evil deeds. Whether anyone can actually be purely evil is more difficult. Psychopaths, serial killers, child murderers. Are they pure evil? Does madness excuse evil?

I think that it is overwhelmingly shades of grey, but in very rare cases, you get white and black.

Bex

Pure good and pure evil? Certainly no such thing. (At least, I'm certain.)

But good and evil? Hmm, don't think so.

I'm such a druid at heart.

Even if there are *real* forces of good and evil, I think the very concepts get in the way of understanding. We tend to think of things in terms of black and white. When we grow up, we begin to realize that there are tones of gray as well, and perhaps everything is truly gray.

But what about the infinite number of COLORS in the spectrum? You can't really say that orange is more black or more white than red. Similarly, you can't say that one person/force/idea/culture/whatever is more or less good or evil than another. When we think about it, and force the conclusion that red is blacker than orange, we're just pushing the beauty and complexity of the rainbow into the world of grays and blacks and whites. It's artificial.

I think.


-Jenny

Interesting question,
I believe to some extent pure evil exists, but not necessarily in a worldly form we can pickup. The very fact that we think of pure evil makes it to some extent exist.
The real problem here is the problem of perspective, ultimately what is deemed as "good" or "evil" relies on what the person perceives as "good" or "evil." So for one person there could be a worldly representation of pure "evil."
Even if they have the capability to perform "good" I believe this doesn't change the fact that they can be perceived as pure "evil". The real question that should be asked is "is there a transcendental concept of good and evil," and then of course it could be asked if transcendental concepts even exist.
Wohoo my philosophy classes are actually being useful for once.

Although no one has yet questioned what I said earlier, I would like to point out that I never said pure good and evil exists. I merely tried defining what pure good/evil are in my views.

Ok I hold that there is no "pure" evil in this world. I often pose this question to religious folk to combat thier dualism of Heaven and Hell, God and Satan.

Here is the question:

Name one living organism in this world that is not able to do at least one good thing.

Now for kicks, I will allow you to even use dead things and people. I have yet to be proven that pure evil exists and the proof is in the fact that no one can answer this.

pure evil and pure good. hmmm, interesting. i dont think either exist, unless you believe that god and the devil are the dephinitions. i think everything is either positive or negative. many things are in the gray area, like you said.

i have no direction with what im saying.

pure evil or pure good dont exist in the way we think it does. like my favourite author konstantinos said, basically the same thing. think of good and evil as a four quadrant graph. the top right is light-good, the bottom left is dark-good, the top left is light-evil, the bottom left is dark-evil. those who are in the top are attracted to light, those in the bottom are attracted to dark. those on the right are good, and those on the left are evil. the closer you are to the center, the more gray you are, the further you are from the center, the more dephined you are in any of the four quadrants. i think that is a pretty good way to look at it. we see most evil people with the dark colours, but many good people are attracted to the dark as well, and we dont think of evil people being in the light, countless examples could be brought up, yet some are. things arent always as they seem. a pathetic cliche, but fitting.

This question has been a major one in most philosophers works from Descarte to Nietzsche they have all tried to explain it. I haven't really come to my conclusion on what pure evil and good is. But one interesting thing about good and evil is one cannot exist without the other because if only evil existed it could not be deemed as evil because there is no good to compare it with. The same goes with good; they both are dependent on each other for existence.

good and evil are not at all tangible things. They are mentalities - polar opposites. good requires understanding, regaurd, love and a long list of other things. evil is just the opposite. Nothing is "pure" because no one is perfect and those that are "evil", i believe everyone has some good in them that is potential to become a good person.

There is no pure evil or pure good, or so I see it...evil is just a lack of good, and good a lack of evil. I believe my cousin(s) told me that, and I agreed.
As for good and evil being black and white, I think they're more grey...

That's an interesting question, by they way!

-rito

I believe that pure evil is having no care or respect for living things. Not caring about anyone or anything.

Pure good, on the other hand, is having the highest regard for living things. Caring about all life and its importance.

Most people, however are going to be in that grey area you mentioned.