\"How shall we define evil? The common definition is that which is profoundly immoral or wrong, such as the desire to deliberately cause harm, pain, or upset. But let me ask... if I told you right now, at this very moment, your involuntary breathing was killing sentient microscopic innocents, would you choose to continue breathing? And even if you found a way to end the massacre would it disturb you you if you were unable to convince the microscopic survivors that you never meant them harm, and that they and their descendents would consider you evil and wish you dead for the devestation you brought to their loved ones and civilization?\"
- Sar Agorn

How many vegetarians/vegans use bleach and other cleaning products ?

We all kill billions throughout our lives, its a matter of where you draw the line, but even this act of drawing lines is in itself discriminatory and potentially deemed evil, another case of what's right for one is wrong for another.

These sort of discussions can go on and on and with no real final answer to satisfy all, its actually similar in many regards to the one about at what stage does a foetus become a potential human and thus when is abortion murder etc etc

For me, Evil is not just knowingly doing something bad, sometimes we must do bad for the long term good, evil for me is doing bad, knowing its bad (ie its gonna hurt etc others) for no other reason than 'because I can'

I suppose evil as a definition is down to the individual one asks.

I strongly agree with the previous opinions stated on this page and what I am about to say might sound horrible it really isn't if you think about it.

Many look at hitler as an evil man but in his eyes was he not doing good? Yes he can be considered evil because he knew what he was doing was hurting millions of people, yet in his own twisted mind he was \"cleansing\" people he was \"purifying\" his country and others. In my opinion hitler was evil, and for the things he did he deserves such a tital, but in my belief he didn't think he was evil at all, or that what he was doing was wrong.

It's hard to define evil these days, we have the war in Iraq, president bush, enough money being tossed around in america, australia and europe to save africa more than a few times over, but we don't save them, our leaders and our countries don't.

Why is it that one in three people won't pick up a man when he's down, but kick him...before you kick a man when he's down you better wear his shoes for a while, caus if you trade places, he'll pick you up.

basically what im trying to do is just agree with the past posts in my own words, by saying we all have a little \"evil\" inside us, the only thing that seperates us is the extent we allow that evil to grow to...

I remember a scene in \"Nuremberg\" with Alec Baldwin, wherein he defined evil as an absence of humanity (or something to that effect).
No one ever thinks of himself as The Bad Guy. We all will try to find some justification for our actions. But I feel that a good indicator of whether something is the right thing or not is whether or not we feel we need to find such a justification.
And remember, Evil only wins when good people do nothing.
*bows*

Evil. Interesting thread. Evil is defined by one's perspective. As above, justification is a big part in defining evil, in defining anyhting really. But I think showing a lack of humanity in your actions is what feels the closest of a definition to me.

I cannot really see one thing as a definition, but having guidelines like to be evil, the act has to adversely effect another person (but this is subject to interpretations)

I think at this point, I cannot really define Evil, but I know it when I see it.

Whilst there are no excuses for the actions of anyone ( at the end of the day, we are all ultimately responsible for ourselves) I sort of understand and in ways agree with the comments made about a certain chancellor form years back (does this 'coincidence' of name/title remind anyone of a certain sci-fi film )

Now whilst Hitler did alot of bad things (bad decisions etc) he certainly was not alone, and he most certainly did not pluck these ideas from thin air... in my view he was somewhat weak minded, and others possibly more evil than he, manipulated him to suit their own ends.

This is a whole debate in itself, but we will never know for sure the reasons, since hr took what some view as the easy option and killed himself (again, yet another debate of its own, suicide).

As for the money banging about the western world... here are two facts that i find somewhat disgusting in their own right.

One person recently won £70 million+ in the euro lottery (the national debt of many small countries) good luck to the individual, Im sure in many ways it wont make you happy, I know this person is subjected to luck/fate more than somekind of personal greed, but surely the powers that be should decide no more accumulators, set a cap and the rest goes to good causes.

A golf course in England is spending £100 million to enable it to host a tournament, lets look at this one carefully... all that money so a few so called adults can whack a little white ball around the countryside in the name of sport (I know motor racing is far worse)

Is this evil in some ways... knowing that the money could and would save many lives for generations if used in the right way?

Let alone many nations governments suddenly finding several billions (dollars, pounds, twinkies whatever) to bail out what are actually failed businesses

Evil is hiding in every corner, sometimes it isnt even hiding but goes unnoticed... but like many things and one of the old favourite Jediist sayings

IN A CERTAIN POINT OF VIEW

things to think about

MTFBWY - A

There is evil everywhere in Nature by these definitions. In fact by these definitions if you don't give everything you can to help others, you are evil. That is rediculous. I'm a firm believer in only the fittest survive. Granted others \"survive\" by living, but I'm talking about making it where they think they want to go. Darwinism is alive in Nature and it should be the same in human society. If you can't hack it, too bad, figure it out or perish. It is not anyone else's responsibility to baby sit or take care of you simply because they are better off than you. You are talking about Communism basically. The greater good concept is a way for people to guilt you in to giving what you do have to help others who most times are not willing to help themselves.

Lead Farmer

Ahh, Jack, where have you been, haven't seen you around in a while. You're views apprentice, reflect mine on this matter. I'm glad I have taught you so much so quickly. It is much easier when you are around. Speaking of which, we have more lessons to discuss, so when you get time away from school, contact me.

I must agree with Lead Farmer and others, percieved evil is everywhere, and is something that is up to interpretation. Evil to you may be common place to me, and vice versa. We as in \"Jediism\" can not lock in anyone definition for evil if we are to be open to all beliefs. That goes right along with the Rite discussion. Evil to a Christian Jedi could be far different from a Pagan or Wiccan Jedi. No one definition can be had in an environment like this.

DK

\"There is nothing very odd about lambs disliking birds of prey, but this is no reason for holding it against large birds of prey that they carry off lambs. And when the lambs whisper among themselves, \"These birds of prey are evil, and does this not give us a right to say that whatever is the opposite of a bird of prey must be good?\" there is nothing intrinsically wrong with such an argument - though the birds of prey will look somewhat quizzically and say, \"We have nothing against these good lambs; in fact, we love them; nothing tastes better than a tender lamb.\"

- Friedrich Nietzsche, 1844-1900

The example given above (lambs & Birds) is part of the problem of such discussions yet in others highlights the relative simplicity of it, as long as one thinks carefully about the discussion.

The birds are doing what is necessary to survive (probably feeding young too) so is the act of killing evil in this instance? Distasteful too some perhaps, but truly evil, probably (well, not even probably in my view) not, no, they are not killing because they can. I am not going to say 'no animals kill for the hell of it' as this isnt true, Foxes (Red Foxes of the UK at least) do kill 'for fun' as do domestic cats, does this make them evil?

Again, I dont think so, the distinction here is (based on a level of assumption) that these animals do not 'know' (in our terms anyway) that killing simply because one can is morally wrong (too many humans) but is it wrong in the fox or cat community? Im sure if they had a say on the matter, the average rabbit and mouse would immediately say yes its wrong.

But does killing necessarily have to be evil or wrong, or is it ever right? Like wise, does something have to involve killing to be evil?

To use various terms, some already used here in this thread, Survival Of The Fittest, The Law Of The Jungle/Wild, Kill or Be Killed, Do Or Die.

Again, does preservation of life make any act 100% evil?

MTFBWY - A