Does evil exist in your moral universe?

Christopher Hitchens defined evil as "that extra little bit you didn't have to do; that in fact is self destructive. We need a word to call that, and 'evil' serves well enough".

While others (who shall remain nameless ) seem to think evil is "a word the weak use to defame the strong".

What are your thoughts on "the 'e' word"?

I don't believe anyone is "evil". I think everyone thinks they are doing the right thing, or .. when all else seems lost, they throw their hands in the air and say fuck it, then do what they need to do to ... accomplish whatever task they were trying to do. If that's evil, everyone on the planet is evil.

People who harm children and animals are evil.

The only time I've ever spanked either of my children was when I threw my hands in the air and said fuck it, this kid is going to do what I say or so help me God ....

Funny, because most self-absorbed types consider "good" doing a little bit extra that you didn't have to, and it harms them because they had to consider others rather than just their own interests.

No evil, only Zuul.

I understand where you were going with this, my comment was just to ... re-affirm what I'd said before. Everyone thinks they are doing good. No one say "ooh, this is evil, I'm going to do this". Even pedophiles believe they are good.

The evil is the action. I don't believe people are evil. Some people just ... are a few fries short of a happy meal.

How about people who Stan for people who harm children and animals?

When you take pleasure in the suffering of others; that's evil.

I'm evil. Ask me how.

I don't see why not, as long as there are no theological connotations.

The American Republican Party is evil.

I do believe there is evil. It's not some supernatural Satanic force, it's usually the worst aspects of humanity put into action. For example, in some respects I consider apathy to be an evil, where someone can stand by and watch terrible injustice take place against oppressed people and just go on about their day like it doesn't matter. Evil is something also inside every person, that part of them that desires to exploit others, and when it becomes more than that, when it becomes systemic, I consider that evil. It's why I consider the basic tenets of capitalism to be evil. You don't have to be a scene chewing villain to be evil, you can always simply follow the law and be just as evil.

As well as the Republican associated American Conservative Party.

Indeed, the US Republican party, as a party, is evil.
That said, I believe the US Democratic party, as a party, is evil.

There are individuals in those parties who aren't, but those parties, as part of our political system, I see as evil.

I used to think of evil soley as a motivation, and in that context I didn't believe it existed.

Now I think of evil as a type of act, and in that context it absolutely exists. It's like the Hitchens description, but I'd throw the presence of cruelty in there as well.

You evil bitch.

I am. And don’t think I didn’t punish myself for years afterward.

I'm reminded of the Asimov laws of robotics:

A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.

Also holy shit you're vegan now?

For the most part, yeah.

That said there are a small number of exceptions, people who enjoy being evil or just don't even consider their personal morality in terms of good/evil.

agreed: the opposite of love is not hate, but rather, apathy.

Evil is something any of us can fall into. We can all do good things, we can all do evil things, and as Jenee already pointed out evil is insidious, and can hide itself inside those who think they are doing good.

All any of us can do is constantly question the why of what we are doing? What are our true intentions? What is driving us, be it out own unconscious biases, or the agendas of those we are manipulated by?

Questions of if am good or evil? In the absence of an absolute moral authority I honestly can't say. However I'd like to think I'm overall good. It's a bit like how I feel about other good things though. For example I'd like to think of myself as feminist, but I'm objectively not in a situation to judge if I fit in that label.

I’ve wondered about that before - the small number of exceptions - like pedophiles, serial killers, and … other people who are just buggy and want to hurt someone.

Yes, there are a lot of them out there, but ratio-ly speaking, they are a small number considering the planet is bursting with nearly 8 billion people in 2023.

Those exceptions, though I’d argue, weren’t born evil. They were made. By bad parents or a pedophile uncle. It’s my understanding, most of those exemptions can point back to something in their childhood that made them behave in evil ways. Which is why I separated my original thought out that way - people aren’t evil in that they weren’t born that way. They became that way by their response to external stimuli. Their actions are evil.

I don't believe in sin, as there is nothing to sin against.

But evil absolutely exists. There are some moral wrongs so grave that there is no condition you can trust that person to their own devices.

Unfortunately, as a society we don't prosecute evil in many cases. We protect it, and we use the power of law in many cases to enshrine it.

what about people who watch evil happen and do nothing about it because it doesn't effect them? Like a person who sees a woman being raped from their apartment and doesn't call the cops because it isn't their business.

Thank you. This is exactly what I think. Intentions. And introspective. Constantly asking yourself why.

Yes, there is evil. Anytime one person holds themself up as superior to everyone else, that is evil emerging. Anytime someone inflicts deliberate suffering on another for no reason, that is evil.

But, were they born that way? Or were they made by childhood trauma?

If it threaded out, I was going to work in a cute joke about people with Ted Nugent t-shirts eventually.

Since I know you're mean that with dishonest intentions, my answer is "You, them, and all of your other imaginary characters may go fuck yourselves."

BULL FUCKING SHIT IT IS.

That's the line spoiled children trot out when they feel entitled to attention.