"It is easy to be good in a good world. What is difficult is to be good in an evil world, where the egoism of others and the egoism built into the institutions of society attack us and threaten to annihilate us. Under such conditions, the only possible reaction would seem to be to oppose evil with evil, egoism with egoism, hate with hate; in short, to annihilate the aggressor with his own weapons."
"Acts are evil, but people are not. Evil exists in corporate, political, and religious entities that perpetuate injustice, abuse, greed, and war. Responses to evil include passivity, violent resistance, or nonviolent resistance. We intend and do grave harm. Our action involves a serious matter. We act with malice. We are fully aware that what we are doing is wrong. We are acting with the full consent of our will-that is, voluntarily."
Acts can be evil while persons themselves need not be evil. Evil appears within corporate, political, and religious institutions that perpetuate injustice, abuse, greed, and war. Responses to evil include passivity, violent resistance, or nonviolent resistance. Moral response should oppose evil with good, replacing hate with love and egoism with generosity rather than meeting evil with similar means. Elements of an evil act include intending and doing grave harm, involving a serious matter, acting with malice, full awareness of wrongdoing, and voluntary consent. First-degree murder exemplifies an evil act when these elements are present; psychopathy can negate moral choice by undermining empathy and conscience.
Read at Psychology Today
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