Did any of you catch that excellent program on NPR this afternoon, an interview with a Time essayist (Lance Morrow) who has just written a book on Evil. I was on my way back home from Morehead City, NC and busting my hump trying to get home in time to call with my comments and observations on the subject, as my cell phone provider does not allow that kind of 800 call. I didn't make it. But it was a terriffic conversation.
One of the main questions they were struggling with was where does evil come from? Does it have a separate existence? Does it evolve? Is it an imaginary phenomena? Will we see it evaporate as the human race grows and evolves itself? And on an on in that vein?
Well, I think we could have our own conversation about this right here. Certainly as good as anything NPR could put on. I'll contribute a few thoughts and we can see where it goes.
First, I don't think that evil is a divine creation. That would mean that god created evil. I don't think that is possible.
Second, I do think that evil is brought into existance by the free-will action of a free-will human being or group of such human beings - the Nazis of the Third Reich for instance.
Lao Lzu said it fairly well I think in that goodness is recognized as goodness only because of the presence of evil.
What do you think? What is evil? How is it manifested? Will we ever see an end to it? Why does it appear, as in a normally-minded Tutsi father whipping out his machetti and without a care cutting off the hands of Hutu children absent remorse, indeed absent reason?
Francois