evil

Assignment 404: List things that are Evil

Vanity Envy Gluttony Lust Anger Greed Sloth

What makes something evil? That it is not good. What makes something good? Is that the essence of the question of evil?

If we are to suppose that survival, and the continuity of life are good, we quickly learn that there are different levels of survival. One can exist in a primitive state in the jungle, picking fruit from trees and eating small creatures and carrion, and that is good; one can also create great societies and make oneself and onesculture more complex and stronger. This is not to say that evolution is some progression toward utopia, but it is like all other things, a means to an end.

Assuming then, - and this is a big assumption - that good represents the highest goals attainable, and to do what is good is to act on these goals, it is impossible to define good in fixed, universal or absolute terms. In fact, often doing evil is what must be done to be good.

So, back to the topic at hand. Good is what's not evil, and evil's what's not good. You should never do evil, unless the result is good. Clear as mud?