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 Posted: Tue Feb 20, 2007 8:45 pm
ok, in my AP English class for this quarter we're on the unit of "The Nature of Evil" (yes, i'm in AP English IV and a Senior in Highschool) . My teacher assigned us an essay to "explain the definition of evil and what it is." One book we read was Dante's "Inferno" (which is a REALLY good epic poem) Here are some questions that tied in with it:
~What is evil?
~Who can be evil?
~What are the levels of evil?
~Are we born evil or innocent?
We were not allowed to get a dictionary definition of "evil", nor include ANY biblical references. I just want to see what all of you creative minds think what evil is?
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Posted: Tue Feb 20, 2007 10:33 pm
You know, I dunno. I never read the epic poem. I just took college level english in college which doesn't even come close to the amount of work they make you do in AP English XD
I believe evil is when someone purposely does something dishonest, or hurtful to themselves or others, even if they're not caught. I think anyone can be evil if they choose to be. I don't necessarily think everyone IS evil, but I'd like to meet one person who's never in their life told a fib or done something they knew they shouldn't. I think we believe in levels of evil, and by we I mean society as a whole. Stealing is not on the same level of rape or murder, for instance. There are different punishments for different crimes, depending on the degree of how "bad" the crime was. Not every act of evil is considered a crime though. As for are we born evil or innocent, I'm not sure. Children, especially young ones, have this uncanny ability to be totally honest even when we don't want them to be. We refer to them as innocent and it's not until later in life that they learn how to lie and so on and so forth.
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Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2007 7:53 am
I've never read Dante's Inferno... maybe bits and pieces of it, but I can't really remember because Senior english was so long ago... I only remember the Hobbit sweatdrop
I dunno, I can't really think of a good, clear definition of evil... it's just one of those things that when you see it, you know it.
It's thinking solely of yourself and doing everything in an attempt to benefit yourself without concern or regard for others and their needs, but it's especially doing something with a blatant attempt to harm somebody else.
It's hard to pin down exactly.
And my manager at work will tell you Starbucks and Walmart are evil... yet even he comes into work with Starbucks because he's gotta have his coffee and they're the only place around us.
And I think evil is learned. I mean, humans created evil, we define it... and we teach it. An animal killing another animal for food isn't evil. It's when the animal kills the other animal for fun that it is. My cats do that, still, because it's their nature... but I don't think they're being evil... it's just something natural for them and they don't quite understand it. Now if a human kills an animal just because (not even torturing it or anything in the process) then it's still evil because humans have defined and should therefore know right from wrong.
So I guess what's your evil isn't my evil... in some cultures cannibalism is still practiced, but to some people canniballism is inherintly evil...
So basically, evil is something we humans have created in an attempt to make our world easier to understand and more black and white than it needs to be.
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Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2007 1:20 pm
ok. Now with the responses i got, here's Dante's concept on evil:
There are three classes of evil: Incontinence, Malice, and Fraud in that order from less evil to the most evil. He also placed 9 levels of hell:
pre-level - The indifferent
1. Limbo - The unbaptized
2. the lustful
3. the gluttinous
4. the avarice and prodigal
5. the wrathful
6. the heretics
7. a. The violent against Neighbors
b. The violent against self
c. The violent against nature
8. a. The Panderers and Seducers
b. The Flatterers
c. The Simonites
d. The Fortune Tellers
e. The Grafters
f. The Hypocrites
g. The Thieves
h. The Decievers
i. The Sowers of Discord
j. The Falsifiers
9. a. Treachery to Kin
b. Treachery to their country
c. Treachery to their guests
d. Treachery to their Masters
does this seem like an accurate thought at the level of evil?
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Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2007 4:44 pm
i believe that evil is knowingly and willfully committing harm to a nother person or thing wether it be physical or emotional...
i also believe that every one is born with the potential to be good or evil.. free will allows us to choose.. also, i believe that people that are evil can change for the good though they rarely do..
i don't classify evil in levels.. harm to another person or thing is evil if you knowingly and willfully perpetrate it..*imo*
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Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2007 10:48 pm
takeshi-Kurisu ok. Now with the responses i got, here's Dante's concept on evil: There are three classes of evil: Incontinence, Malice, and Fraud in that order from less evil to the most evil. He also placed 9 levels of hell: pre-level - The indifferent 1. Limbo - The unbaptized 2. the lustful 3. the gluttinous 4. the avarice and prodigal 5. the wrathful 6. the heretics 7. a. The violent against Neighbors b. The violent against self c. The violent against nature 8. a. The Panderers and Seducers b. The Flatterers c. The Simonites d. The Fortune Tellers e. The Grafters f. The Hypocrites g. The Thieves h. The Decievers i. The Sowers of Discord j. The Falsifiers 9. a. Treachery to Kin b. Treachery to their country c. Treachery to their guests d. Treachery to their Masters does this seem like an accurate thought at the level of evil? Not entirely sure what you're asking. Does it seem like it's a reasonable thought? Sure, like I said before I don't think we classify different "types" of evil as being the same so there would be different levels. Thought I'm not sure I'd agree with the levels he has, the order I mean.
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Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2007 11:44 pm
Yeah, I don't really think there are certain levels of sin (or evil) that are worse than others-- according to my understanding and belief there are things I'd never do, but spiritually I think all sin/evil is equal... weather or not I try to justify it as being less or more.
Another thought on evil is that certain things that are considered "evil" can be good and healthy in certain doses.
If you don't have a desire to eat or obtain things, then you probably wouldn't survive long--it's when you're overzealous that you become a glutton.
If you have no pride, you have no desire to do good work... so you don't benefit yourself or others. When you're overly prideful, that's when it starts to hurt you because you can't see your weakness.
Things like that, going along with the seven deadly sins.
I think somebody torturing and killing peoples and animals is evil--but I imagine in God's eyes it's just as bad as me cussing and using his name in vain. Doesn't make me happy, but I'm still a work in progress.
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Posted: Thu Feb 22, 2007 4:08 am
True, total, ultimate evil is causing harm with malice as your means and your end. The greatest evil is evil for evil's sake, perversity of goal.
Further on, evil is something that you know you're doing. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, but most of then are on the first few feet of it. That doesn't mean that you believe you are doing evil, what you believe or will allow your self to accepted can be limited by your own willful ignorance, wrath, and hubris. But deep down, you know when you commit an evil deed, whether or not you acknowledge it.
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