ABSTRACT: When is Evil?: Secular Theories of Evil

When is Evil?: Secular Theories of Evil

by

Jeffrey D. Sharpless, Jr.

Master of Arts in Philosophy

San Diego State University, 2010 (c)

                 

The term evil in a moral sense in Western culture is an intellectual non sequitur, an archaic term, a term best left to antiquity and religion. The traditional problem of evil is concerned with the Judeo-Christian attempts to reconcile the Omni-God and evil (human suffering). Yet, the traditional problem sheds little light on how we can understand evil. Since Plato, Western moral thought views evil as another term for immorality, but this is insufficient for a concept of evil. What is needed is a secular postmetaphysical approach. The discussion of evil often begins with the question What is evil? This framing of the question is metaphysical and suggests that we can determine whether evil exists or does not; however, this approach is itself part of the problem. According to analytic philosopher Nelson Goodman, asking for What is, is the wrong question. A possible way to look at evil is not What is evil? but When is evil? as a way to explore the ideas, experiences, and events that breach our comprehension. The goal is to have a greater understanding of what the term evil does for the discourse by examining possible secular concepts of evil. To look at When is evil? is an open-ended inquiry into philosophically significant concepts that constitute evil. By examining secular postmetaphysical thinkers, I argue that Morton’s distinctions between the weak and strong readings of evil must be collapsed into only a strong reading – evil is when there is atrocity. I believe we come up with a better understanding of evil by approaching the concept using when is evil that is not linked to the traditional ideas of religion and theodicies. I conclude that evil is when there is atrocity or the worst possible opprobrium one can commit. It is neither by accident, nor simple moral failure that constitutes evil, but something that is beyond bad or immoral, it is the breaking point of comprehension where we simultaneously learn the limitlessness of action and become blindly ignorant to the responsibility we have to others.