Define "Evil." Give Parameters.

[Peregrinator]

I want to know what you think it means.

 

[CandiCame]

Not living by the principle of least suffering.

 

[jaF0]

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/11/06/article-urn:publicid:ap.org:3a30ccddb3c2413a9505692a804f7d74-59OfMufwHA96c16abf74422dec1f-866_634x699.jpg

 

[jaF0]

http://hardnoxandfriends.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/mitch-mcconnell.jpg

 

[nowisthetime]

Anyone "suffering" from Anti-Social Personality Disorder.

Simply existing to cause harm to other people, whether physically, emotionally, or financially for his or her own pleasure.

Master manipulators, as well.

 

[turbulance]

I want to know what you think it means.

I once spoke with a bludgeoning murderer a few minutes after he had killed.
His eyes were fairly evil.

 

[Peregrinator]

Not living by the principle of least suffering.

For whom?

 

[Peregrinator]

Anyone "suffering" from Anti-Social Personality Disorder.

Simply existing to cause harm to other people, whether physically, emotionally, or financially for his or her own pleasure.

Master manipulators, as well.

A mental illness is evil?

 

[Peregrinator]

I once spoke with a bludgeoning murderer a few minutes after he had killed.
His eyes were fairly evil.

Evil, or simply primal? How could you tell?

 

[LupusDei]

Evil is extreme lack of compassion, not because of inability, but by choice.

 

[jaF0]

The two monsters pictured above who deliberately and intentionally harm others for personal gain.

 

[turbulance]

Evil, or simply primal? How could you tell?

I perceived it as evil. Primal was laura in the back seat after the prom. I still remember all the layers in that damn gown.

 

[Peregrinator]

Evil is extreme lack of compassion, not because of inability, but by choice.

Where's the line that crosses from selfish to evil?

 

[BotanyBoy]

Evil is just the name someone gives another actions when they are offended by them.

Good is shit people like.

What actions are what is all subjective bullshit.

Shit just happens..... good or evil is just how one perceives it.

 

[Peregrinator]

The two monsters pictured above who deliberately and intentionally harm others for personal gain.

Just them, or anyone who does that?

 

[BotanyBoy]

Where's the line that crosses from selfish to evil?

When it starts to fuck with LupusDei's life.

 

[Peregrinator]

I perceived it as evil. Primal was laura in the back seat after the prom. I still remember all the layers in that damn gown.

So...what was it you saw? What IS evil?

 

[nowisthetime]

A mental illness is evil?

Yes, I consider their (sociopaths) actions evil. It's rather a personality disorder. Evil is an adjective to describe their actions on humanity.

 

[CandiCame]

For whom?

The principle of least suffering states that you go through your life trying to prevent suffering, as a whole. So if an action would prevent suffering, you take it. If it would cause suffering, you don't.

Defining evil like that makes it difficult to call someone who made a difficult ethical choice in a grey area "evil". I feel like evil is a really strong word, and I tend to reserve it for people who actively cause harm or who, through inaction, passively cause harm.

 

[BotanyBoy]

Yes, I consider their (sociopaths) actions evil. It's rather a personality disorder. Evil is an adjective to describe their actions on humanity.

What about people who aren't sociopaths but do horrible things??

 

[nowisthetime]

The principle of least suffering states that you go through your life trying to prevent suffering, as a whole. So if an action would prevent suffering, you take it. If it would cause suffering, you don't.

Defining evil like that makes it difficult to call someone who made a difficult ethical choice in a grey area "evil". I feel like evil is a really strong word, and I tend to reserve it for people who actively cause harm or who, through inaction, passively cause harm.

Does the person derive great joy in causing harm, particularly if the target has done nothing to warrant such abuse? Does the person have no remorse? Those are the questions to ask.

 

[Peregrinator]

Evil is just the name someone gives another actions when they are offended by them.

Good is shit people like.

What actions are what are all subjective bullshit.

Shit just happens..... good or evil just how one perceives it.

Classic nihilism. Honestly, I'm inclined to agree. It's a social construct, a label we give stuff we think is icky or wrong or "bad." There's stuff that nearly the entire human race has categorized that way throughout history, but no way to define it other than consensus, so far as I can tell. I'd like to be proved wrong, but it seems unlikely. I always get these kinds of answers, all boiling down to "I know it when I see it." No one ever seems to have a solid definition. Been asking a long time...

Nice to see you, man. Saw a few posts, looks like life is good?

 

[Peregrinator]

Yes, I consider their (sociopaths) actions evil. It's rather a personality disorder. Evil is an adjective to describe their actions on humanity.

So evil is something like "a harmful thing done by a sociopath?"

Let me put it this way: is it the behaior or the sociopathy? Can a person be evil and not do evil things?

 

[Peregrinator]

The principle of least suffering states that you go through your life trying to prevent suffering, as a whole. So if an action would prevent suffering, you take it. If it would cause suffering, you don't.

Defining evil like that makes it difficult to call someone who made a difficult ethical choice in a grey area "evil". I feel like evil is a really strong word, and I tend to reserve it for people who actively cause harm or who, through inaction, passively cause harm.

I mean, I know what the words mean. Your definition is really, really broad, though, and an impossible standard.

What device are you using? Did your purchase of it cause any suffering?

 

[turbulance]

So...what was it you saw? What IS evil?

For me it’s like falling in love; you know it when you see it.

Specifically, i think due to its inherent intangibility, evil , like love, defies the limited quantifiability/scrutability offered by words.

From this vantage point, the latter part of your question looks like a squirrel hole to this cowboy.