Defining Good and Evil

When I think of the concept of “evil,” I think of The Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius. In The Consolation of Philosophy, Lady Philosophy stated:

Evil in this context is regarding to all suffering, pain and horror. Evil can be categorized as natural evil and moral evil. Natural evil is that which occurs by natural means e.g. earthquakes, tsunamis etc. Moral evil is that which is imposed on humans by humans e.g.

How does one characterize good and evil? Throughout time, people have asked this question and only received opinions based on references from

By definition, evil is an act or feeling that is “profoundly immoral and malevolent”. The problem is that evil is a subjective term. Each person sees evil differently.

The distinction between good and evil is a very abstract one and can change with the passing of time. According to Ian A. McFarland from the Faculty of Divinity of University of Cambridge, evil is: “that which is against the good”, while good is “identified with God’s will”. Most people would define good and evil in a very subjective way according to their own likes and dislikes. Nobody likes pain, arrogance, hatred, or the unknown, therefore they are all considered evil. On the other hand, good is anything that is beneficial to us, or something we like. We all like comfort, empathy, love, and wisdom thus these are all considered good things. However, it is evident that one cannot exist without the other. Without pain we wouldn’t know

Evil can be categorized into two forms, moral evil and natural evil. Moral evil is brought about by bad choices that stem from our free will. Natural evil is bad things that happen to people, whether they deserve them or not. The problem with evil is,

According to the current definition from Webster, good is defined as morally excellent; virtuous; righteous; pious; where as evil is defined as morally wrong or bad; immoral; wicked. One could

Naturally, there is good and evil in every person. However, it is often difficult to see the

What is evil? Is it characterized by a desire to cause hurt or harm, “an evil mood”? What causes people to do evil? The strong feelings of hatred and dislike that builds up in all of us or simply that all our emotions are constantly on the dark side for such a long period of time. What is right from wrong when the hate in our hearts makes us all make terrible mistakes and commit evil. The writings of Confucius say, “There is no light without darkness, no positive without negative, no good without evil.” Throughout the history of humanity, humans have committed inconceivable and unthinkable acts of cruelty towards one another. From the brutal wars during the times of the ancient Greeks and Romans, to the modern

The reason that we even have an experience of a perceived evil is because for the soul to experience itself as any particular thing, the exact opposite of that thing must come into the realm of existence. In other words, in this relative existence, hot cannot be hot without cold, darkness cannot be without light, and you cannot be you without that which is not you. So I believe that what we call evil is just the opposite end of the spectrum of good, not something separate.

evil creates or brings good. Yet, if there was only good we would not have to

Evil, as mentioned before, is commonly referred to the act or actions that go directly against what is to be considered good. Good, or a set or morals and believes, have differed between the many generation that have existed over time. One must properly understand that what they believe to be pure evil could be seen as doing the right thing in the eyes of others. Evil has a very bias perception to its definition, but is always measured by the same means no matter where what and when it is describes. Evil is the

What makes a person good or evil? Why are some people labeled as good and some evil? Why do some people have traits or characteristics of both good and evil? Are people truly evil or do they just make bad choices? Throughout our lives we are faced with making decisions about our lives and often the choices we make can determine the path we follow. Depending on our life choices we can be labeled as either good or evil. Good and evil are relative; one person can be good while another evil. Some people can possess a combination of both good and bad traits. But even those who are considered bad can be rehabilitated to display good qualities such as empathy or kindness.

So, what is evil?  Is it Hitler's near annihilation of the Jewish people during World War II or the senseless massacre at Ti'enneman Square on mainland China?  Again we turn to Webster's dictionary, which states evil as causing distress or harm, a source of sorrow, and the fact of suffering, misfortune, and wrongdoing. (Merriam-Webster)   Evil would be any intention to cause an undesirable effect upon one's self or on another person.  So by saying that the intentions of a person are not to cause good we automatically assume that they are out to cause evil.

What is the true meaning of good and evil. Good is that which is morally right and evil is profoundly immoral and malevolent. Good vs evil is a prominent theme used in literature. Two authors Oscar Wilde and Robert Louis Stevenson explore the theme of good vs evil in their novels The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In the novel both main characters Dorian gray and Dr. Jekyll are overthrown by the evil. Also in both novels you can see how influences, interactions, and beauty ultimately take them down the wrong path.