Read the handout given in class "What Do We Mean By Evil?" and provide a thoughtful response. Remember you will be graded on the 2 main points:
1. Evidence of strong
reflective thought pertaining to personal perspectives and the growth development
of the student. Reflective statements go beyond what takes place in a classroom
and includes evidence of outside thought.
2. Displays an excellent
understanding of the course materials and the underlying concept being
discussed. Uses class discussions/materials and other information to support
important points.
In the article “What do we mean by Evil” it discusses the idea of what evil has come to mean today. One of the key conclusions that the article points to is that peoples meaning of Evil has greatly changed in the last couple hundred years also known as the modern age. I think that this is wrong I don’t believe that the modern view of Evil has changed that much from the older view of it I believe that people still consider the same things as evil they just call them different names. A great example of this is at the beginning of the article when it mentions the mass shooting in Aurora, Colorado and how President Obama called it evil exactly how most people from any time period would have called it. I believe that the so called differences in the belief of what is evil is just a change in culture and that while people no longer call the devil evil they still say the things he stands for chaos and disorder are evil and to be strived against, In fact many times these are called the evils of society. I disagree with the article where it suggests that” “evil” suggests possession by a satanic or any other kind of supernatural force” because I do not think that that has ever been the only definition of evil I believe this only take the churches views at a very basic level and doesn’t fully comprehend what the church said was evil. So while I do agree with some of the points the article makes such as the increasing archaic use of the word evil I don’t believe that people views have actually changed just the perception of their views.
ReplyDeleteIn the article, "What Do We Mean By 'Evil'?", the author dives deep into the true meaning of what evil is in their eyes. One of the things that the class discussed a little and we read in the article that stood out to me is evil "is a way of marking the fact that it shatters our trust in our world". In my life, I hold people to a lot of trust. I trust that people make the right decisions majority of the time. But through an act of evil, like beating your child for no reason other to watch them suffer, I automatically would lose all trust and respect for that person. In my personal life, trust is something that starts a little shaky then as I get to know a person, more and more trust is put into them. In some cases, trust can be re-earned, but this process takes anywhere from minutes to years. There are people in my life that I don't think I could ever give full trust back to after what they did. One particular case comes to mind for me. Back in my freshman year, I was split from all of my closest friends because our middle school was separated between 3 local high schools. I had to put a lot of trust into those people and some things led to another and 3 years later, I wouldn’t trust some of them with what they did to me. I became an outcast, they left me in the dust.
ReplyDeleteAnother point I would like to make is the fact that the word "evil" can be interpreted in different ways. We have big “E” Evil, but the sub categories of evil are different from person to person. One might think disobeying your parents by going somewhere where they don’t want you. Another might argue that evil to them is going out of the way to make someone upset and/or hurt. This idea of someone purposely harming another is just sickening to me. As we talked about in class, things such as rape and beating innocent people, would be considered big E evil.
I believe that this article is correct when it states that socisty's view of evil has changed but that doesn't mean that I agree that it should have. The author points out the idea that people could not call natural disasters or metaphysical evils because they felt they could not have a good god and evil in the world. As a Christian, I disagree with that assessment. I believe that God allows us to go through trials or be tempted in order to make us stronger.the other problem that I see with her arguments is that I don't think that our view of evil should have changed I think that evil is still evil and our society has grown too apathetic towards it.our society has become much too focused on acceptance many people disagree with the Christian religion because they think we are intolerant but I believe that there is a large difference between acceptance and tolerance. I get my standards of evil from my biblical beliefs that is where most of my morals have been setevil to me is doing something that separates us or hurts God or others.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I really liked seeing in this article is that evil,"doesn't get therapy- it gets locked away as far and for as long as possible." I think that's the sentence I found the most truth in. Evil is likely a force that moves in people, even if it's not a strong one. Evil never wins. In the end, it just gets locked away, even if it's only temporarily. I know it seems shallow to say, but perhaps witnessing evil acts makes people wiser in some ways. They know what to avoid because of it. Therefore, I don't think natural events are evil, since they can't be avoided, hence the term "natural". People do learn from pain, although that doesn't make it any easier to endure it or feel better about it. Pain is difficult. It's real. It's motivational or disheartening. The big E evil won't wait around for you to learn, it'll get you when you least expect it to. I don't think it's anyone's job to know all the answers, though, and people try too hard to, if you ask me. There are all sorts of horrible things that happen every single day that no one can justify. They happen. It doesn't make it excusable or relieve the pain that comes with it at all, but if we realize that, I personally think we can make a greater effort to stop evil. Evil is intentional, in my opinion. It festers within people. I don't think something or someone takes over peoples' wills to make them commit these evil acts, I think they struggle with the temptation of it alone and when they don't make it known to their loved ones that they're struggling, they end up reacting in ways that we consider "evil". It's a slippery slope. I also like the way evil was defined in one way today as the "calloused soul", because Jesus often said that peoples' hearts were hardened and full of evil. I think this is very true. Either way, having an understanding of pain and evil, which I find to be very similar, can help the world understand what to avoid and fight against.
ReplyDelete"What Do We Mean By Evil?" is an article, that talks about what evil used to mean and what it means today. It discusses the change in societies view of evil and what considers itself an evil. How natural disaster used to be considered an Evil, but now they are just something bad that happens. I agree with the article, in that what we define evil as has changed, and will continue to change as time progresses, and weather that is a good or bad thing, I am not one hundred percent sure of. “'is a way of marking the fact that it shatters our trust in the world.'” is a quote used by Neiman, that I fully agree with, and I also agree with later on in the article, where the author talks about how, we are beginning to use evil, to describe a person that we do not want to or do not know how to repair. Which is very prevalent in our society, where if you commit any crime, especially a heinous one, no one is really wanting to suggest, rehabilitative options, because we see no point in fixing something so broke, and corrupt. We just want to be able to say lock him/her up, they cannot be fixed, they are too 'evil'. And though we still use evil to describe most of the acts they do, we are really using the word to describe the person themselves. I do not think the definition of 'Evil' in our world will stop changing, it will keep evolving to match the circumstances it is presented in.
ReplyDeleteEvil is one of those words that have been used so many times in so many different contexts that they’ve lost their meaning, and I think this article does a fantastic job of revealing how history and social progression have contributed to today’s muddled definition of “evil”. Because of its varied use across cultures and time periods, evil as a concrete word has become archaic. I think evil has been diluted into a relative term that people nevertheless use in an attempt to describe an absolute phenomenon: the capacity of man and nature to, as Romig phrased it, “shatter our trust in the world”.
ReplyDeleteOver time, evil has accumulated new scraps of meaning through so many terrible actions and events, and we’ve made a jumbled mess in trying to categorize each new facet of evil that emerges every day. Romig mentions theodicy and how the Lisbon earthquake shattered it in 1755, and how before this tragedy there existed three divisions of evil: natural, moral, and metaphysical. But after the earthquake, and some two hundred years later, after Auschwitz, the definition of evil has become hazy. Ultimately, I don’t think that we’ll ever be able to definitely determine if and where the line exists, or what categories of evil are valid; our perspectives are too narrow. I don’t think evil is something that we’ve invented, and I don’t think evil is something that should be stigmatized at every turn. But, like Romig, I think the waters are too muddied for me to find any concrete divide between good and evil.
I believe that in today's world, like Rollo Romig says, evil is no longer satanic or a supernatural force. I believe that we can become evil. I believe that we are all born good but we make bad decisions. Personally, I think that evil has somewhat of a spectrum. You can be genuinely bad to down right evil. It is genuinely bad to make fun of someones nose so much that it brings them to tears. That is just mea. Evil is mean on a greater scale. It is evil to make fun of someones nose and go on to say that they should kill themselves because they are so ugly. That is evil. Intentionally being mean to hurt someone. I think this is evil because all of the "making fun of" happened to me personally. I do not believe that the girls throwing all of the evil comments were possessed, I think that they made the decison to attack me because they are just down right evil. To conclude from the rant, evil is a decison to intentally hurt someone. Let it by with words, or let it be with actions.
ReplyDeleteThere were many things I enjoyed about the article and many things that were less agreeable to me. One of my favorite sections was when the author stopped trying to define evil itself and instead talked about what effect evil has on people. I thought that the description was also extremely clever and very true-- that evil is permanently disorienting. This has such a creepy feeling to it because it really is true. Honest evil can stay with someone until their death, and it distorts their way of life and the way they see the world. Even though one can not completely define evil, they sure can describe what it feels like, and I think that the article did a really good job of addressing this.
ReplyDeleteI thought that the article also got interesting when the author wrote that "to play the 'evil' card is to cute off all debate... any effort toward rehibilitation or reintigration wouldn't be worth the risk or heartache". I hadn't really thought of this perspective, but it really does seem true. There is something completely different when you're talking about a man who does a crime that is considered "not evil" as compared to a man who does a crime that one considers "evil", and the moment you associate the second man with the word "evil", there is no chance that you will even consider thinking kindly or acting kindly toward him. You believe he should suffer for all the evil he has done and there is no way you will change your mind about the matter. I think that this in itself is intriguing, that we make up our minds so quickly about people in all situations, but especially when they've done something terribly wrong. You could hear about their family and their kids and their upbringing and all you'll think about is how evil the person is, and how inhuman they have become to you.
I do not, however, believe that all humans are born "good". I believe we're born both good and evil; we have the capacity to act upon either side, and we consciously make those decisions. I believe that even the best person can have full potential for evil, and vice versa. But I guess I also believe that evil can come from other places, whether it is from a mental illness or an upbringing, that maybe you can't control yourself. Not that you're possessed or something, but that influences (whether physical or mental) can alter your state of mind and make you "evil", but at the same time I don't think that makes you an evil person, it makes the thoughts, actions, or words evil. You yourself are more good than evil, you're just too influenced by whatever is creating these evil deeds. So maybe I believe there is a conscious evil and a... manipulative evil? Jeesh, I'm not even sure what to call it. And I'm not sure where I believe this manipulative evil exactly comes from. I don't really know.
The further we as a watered down world come, the more watered down and translucent evil becomes. Sins or wrongdoings are becoming more and more accepted in our society, thus watering down and diluting the morality of each growing generation. Therefore evil, with big meaning is seen as something like a federal crime or a heinous act. The deception of newer generations brings more acceptance and comprise of (lower case e) evil. Though it once was looked at as an upper case E.
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ReplyDeleteThe article "What Do We Mean By 'Evil"' opens up many interesting thoughts about the origin of evil and it's modern stance. In the article, Romig makes the claim that modern evil is very different from evil in the old days. While old evil is focused on more satanic and demonic things, Romig believes that regular humans can become evil as well. I believe that all people are born with some type of evil in them. While I think humans are born naturally good, God gives us the ability to make our own decisions, and sometimes we cross over the line of evil. I also believe that sin is in direct correlation with evil. Therefore, since all humans sin, we are all evil to a certain extent. The article states "Evil has become a word we apply to perpetrators who we're both unable and unwilling to do anything to repair.." I think that this description of evil is false. I think people reserve the word "Evil" for harsher crimes, like murders, and they tend to overlook other sins. I believe that every sin is an act of evil. Granted, some evil is at a higher level than others, but that does not discount the fact that everyone is capable of evil. The average person likes to declare acts like the Aurora Shooting as evil because of the extreme terror it caused, and because they themselves would never perform such acts. However, many people don't associate their small sins, such as lying or having an affair, as an act of evil. I believe that all people need to look at how they classify evil more closely. Instead of pointing fingers at people who do the inexcusable crimes and calling them things like "evil" and "abominations", they should point the finger at themselves and figure out how to minimize the evil they've chosen in their own life.
ReplyDeleteEvil is every where in many different forms. In the "What do we mean by evil" article does a great job in conveying what society sees as evil. I Believe that any one person can become evil and be born evil. How can you quantify evil? How do you differentiate a sadistic serial killer and a torturer? I feel that it is not our place do judge how evil a person is, but it is okay to judge someones deeds based on wrong doings. The evil that goes with the wrong doing should only be judged by a higher power. That can either be God or any other religious higher power. The two things we can do with evil is observe it and be consumed by it. To observe evil is to understand what it seems to be but never gasping the complex nature of actually being evil unless it consumes you. And if it does consume you it stains your being not just on a physical level but down to your soul. Another statement made in class was that only evil destroys evil and this seems true. For example its like a several stories high building.When that building becomes evil its innards start to degrade and break down. Till the building collapses on itself. The same can be said of any truly evil person. The world is only imperfect because the free will that we have gives us the choice to become evil and that is why the good choice is so much better is because it is brightened by bad.
ReplyDeleteI believe that everyone is evil, and avoiding being evil is inevitable. Everyone makes evil decisions and has evil thoughts. Ever since Adam and eve sinned, I believe we carry our sins from past generations. Sin comes natural to humans, and although we can't stop ourselves from sinning because we are not perfect, we can contain it. Just like Philip Zimbardo said... once you allow a little evil in, it will grow and it becomes harder to contain. This also is a reflection of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Once Dr. Jekyll became Hyde, it was harder for him to stop becoming Mr. Hyde. It is impotent to recognize the evil in yourself. Once you recognize it, it becomes easier to eliminate evil. Evil is defined as intentionally wanting to harm something or someone else for ones own pleasure or benefit. There are recognizable evils like robbing a bank... but other evils like lying, lust, and hypocrisy we barely notice. Its the moral evils that no one regulates. No it is not ok to harm someone, but it is ok (according to law) to cheat on your spouse. Just because cheating doesn't bring a physical harm, doesn't mean a person doesn't hurt.
ReplyDeletein the article "what do we mean by evil" hits some great points on the modern day meaning of "evil". Like in the blog Adam wrote, he brought up a great quote used in this article that says "Evil has become a word we apply to perpetrators who we're both unable and unwilling to do anything to repair.." This is a great quote although like Adam i also disagree with it in some ways. i think people look at the smaller crimes as being bad or just not the right thing to do but refer to this bigger wrongs as "evil". as is if somebody was to murder someone else would be horrible and evil, while someone who just walks in a store and maybe eats a candy and throws it away in the stores trash and doesn't pay for it would be called bad and maybe frowned upon but i don't think it will be looked at as "evil". i also believe that everyone that is born, is born into a sinful world and is automatically evil as a natural instinct. I believe that all people are born with evil instincts and need to be taught how to be good and do whats right. i feel as if evil is so seductive because it may make your human body "scratch your itch" or make you feel as if you are complete or also even make you feel better about yourself but i believe that everyone has a soul and by doing evil it kills a little bit of that soul each time. and as it may make your body feel complete or better about yourself at first there is always going to be that itch that you are going to need to scratch with more evil, and as you do more and more evil your soul becomes more rotten and you will have a bigger and bigger itch to scratch, which with that comes greater evil which leads to murder and some of the bigger evils. although if you do good and what is right your soul becomes stronger which makes you happy and you wont have any itches to scratch, you will just remain happy.
ReplyDeleteThe article "what do we mean by evil?" has many good points and reasonings. In my opinion I think the meaning of "evil" is always going to be evolving into something different than what we know today. We live in a society where everything is changing. What we think is socially acceptable now most likely was not socially acceptable in the past. For example, in the 1700's if a child disrespected their parents they would be taken to court and then hanged. Now in 2014, it's common for a kid to disrespect their parents at times. Where as, if a child were to be hanged because of disrespecting their parents, many people would be sent to prison for life or even given the death sentence. We would consider hanging a child as evil; in the 1700's it was the norm.. it was socially acceptable. In the 1700's lying to your parents would be considered evil; in which we consider the "norm". Years from now people are going to be questioning the things we do today that are socially acceptable and saying "that's evil" or vice versa.
ReplyDeleteMr. Phillips check the email I sent you. Feel free to read to the class if you so desire.
ReplyDeleteGreat and thoughtful response! Thanks!
DeleteThe author of "What do we mean by evil?" Suggests that our perception of evil has changed over time. I agree that it has changed, however I do not think evil itself has changed at all. For example: hundreds of years ago, hangings, beheadings, and other forms of execution were preformed frequently, and openly accepted as a form of punishment. But now convicted murderers are given the opportunity to live for many years institutionalized. Do we now think that executions are evil? It is the same action as hundreds of years ago: killing someone. However, if that person has done enough wrong, it isn't so evil anymore. What action of theirs is so evil that it allows our "good" to destroy their "evil". As we talked about today in class, good never destroys evil, evil destroys itself instead. So then, would not all executions be evil?
ReplyDeleteOur perceptions of evil will constantly evolve as we compare the situation of the evil with a contradicting situation. However evil in and of itself is ever-present and can only be separated by someone who thinks that they are "good".
Evil, to me, can't be quantified. I don't think there is an evil that is worse than any other evil, no matter how egregious it is. The article "What do We Mean by Evil?" provides examples of terrible evils like the Aurora, CO shooter or Jerry Sandusky, but in my mind these evils aren't any worse than stealing a pencil. My definition of evil is knowing that you are going to hurt someone or something, mentally, physically, or emotionally, but still going through with it. The Aurora, CO shooter and Jerry Sandusky both knew they were hurting people through their actions, but so does someone who steals a pencil. They know that someone is going to wonder where that pencil is and it will make them alter their schedule to find a pencil. In my book, evil is evil, sin is sin, and there is no way of getting around that, so I don't care if someone stole a pencil or killed 20 people, both individuals followed through on that action knowing they would hurt somebody or something and that is evil.
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