... Nobody thinks they’re doing evil — maybe because it’s just impossible to be intentionally evil, maybe because it’s easier and more effective to convince yourself you’re good — but every major villain had some justification to explain why what they were doing was good. Everybody thinks they’re good.
Could it be that the root of evil lies in failure to recognize this universal truth? In other words, the prerequisite for evil deeds is to convince oneself that monstrous evil exists in the world that the ends justify the means when dealing with it?
Distilled down to a pithy saying, I think a good moral foundation is something like:
One may never morally commit an evil act for any reason, even if that act will prevent an even greater evil from being perpetrated.
That "will" is tricky, because often you don't actually know what the outcome will be, but I think it applies even if you do know with certainty.
Forgive my following ramble:
This is hardly a new thought - it's one shared by a number of religious belief systems (Catholicism comes to mind, CCC 1753 explicitly says this in about as many words), but there's a lot of wisdom to be had with this even if you completely write off the religious angle.
It completely removes this possibility. The avenue is forever closed; if you reject evil acts, no ifs-ands-or-buts, no ends justifying the means, this is simply never a thing you'll accept or allow yourself to be involved with.
It's simpler as far as moral thinking goes, it removes a lot of judgment, which is usually a red flag for lazy reductionism, but given the sheer quantity of evil in the would of the banal sort, exactly as you described, I'd wager that the world would be a better place overall if this principle were followed by good-faith actors.
There are some instances where this is justified (e.g. Nazi Germany). If you look back in history, there are many instances of evil committed by most nations.
However, one has to be careful with conflating hyperbole with facts. A lot of very heinous crimes aren't committed outright; there is always some veneer of righteousness by demonizing the other. If you believe that "pure evil" exists, then you're more likely to believe such a narrative and maybe take part in the action it calls for.
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Could it be that the root of evil lies in failure to recognize this universal truth? In other words, the prerequisite for evil deeds is to convince oneself that monstrous evil exists in the world that the ends justify the means when dealing with it?
Distilled down to a pithy saying, I think a good moral foundation is something like:
One may never morally commit an evil act for any reason, even if that act will prevent an even greater evil from being perpetrated.
That "will" is tricky, because often you don't actually know what the outcome will be, but I think it applies even if you do know with certainty.
Forgive my following ramble:
This is hardly a new thought - it's one shared by a number of religious belief systems (Catholicism comes to mind, CCC 1753 explicitly says this in about as many words), but there's a lot of wisdom to be had with this even if you completely write off the religious angle.
It completely removes this possibility. The avenue is forever closed; if you reject evil acts, no ifs-ands-or-buts, no ends justifying the means, this is simply never a thing you'll accept or allow yourself to be involved with.
It's simpler as far as moral thinking goes, it removes a lot of judgment, which is usually a red flag for lazy reductionism, but given the sheer quantity of evil in the would of the banal sort, exactly as you described, I'd wager that the world would be a better place overall if this principle were followed by good-faith actors.
This is deontological ethics, or Kant's categorical imperative. Just in case anyone wants to follow up on this.
There are some instances where this is justified (e.g. Nazi Germany). If you look back in history, there are many instances of evil committed by most nations.
However, one has to be careful with conflating hyperbole with facts. A lot of very heinous crimes aren't committed outright; there is always some veneer of righteousness by demonizing the other. If you believe that "pure evil" exists, then you're more likely to believe such a narrative and maybe take part in the action it calls for.