Natural evil

answer, and this was human nature. Thomas Hobbes theorizes that humans are born evil, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau argued that humans are naturally good. However, John Locke declared that humans are not innately good or evil. William Golding came back to the of innate human behavior during the 20th century when wrote the novel Lord of the Flies, where he displayed his unique and nuanced view of innateness of good and evil. His complex view is implied through his complex characterization of Ralph…

tales passed down throughout the ages told to children young and old, good always wins. However, is this really a realistic notion? Is good always more powerful than evil? Power is the source that all humans feel will make them happy. As humans, we are born to strive for good, even if it is not for the greater good, but for ourselves. Evil, however, looks for good and happiness in the wrong places and ends up being the more disappointed and weaker of the two. Throughout history men and woman…

Lear’s greed leads to his metaphorical blindness which prevents him from discerning and distinguishing the forces of evil, that are also fuelled by greed, against him. Lear demonstrates this human folly clearly at the beginning of play. In conjunction to the relatively greedy act of relinquishing political power (his responsibilities) while keeping his title of King, Lear attempts to achieve self-assurance and satisfy his narcissistic desires by conducting a love test where his daughters must…

cause of evil, as “one who does not love does not know God, for God is love” (1 John 4:8). Humans are the cause of all evil. Bishop Barron states, since God is straight, pure love, “God cannot directly will something wicked. The second thing is that God is described as being itself therefore God cannot ground or cause the non-being which is evil” (Fr. Robert Barron on God, Tsunamis, and the Problem of Evil). Evil exists in our world today because of a misuse of the free will. What is evil?…

an attempt to clear his conscious. It shows how he is truly a good man with great intentions, who had also committed a grave mistake once in his life that he can never let go nor forget, but that does not disregard his character as someone with an evil persona. Dimmesdale lacks the balance of good and bad as he shifts from both ends with his conflicting principles, which helps contribute to his moral ambiguity. When speaking to his lover, Hester, in the forest, the two converse about the idea of…

For every effect, there is one distinct cause. What happened today happened because of yesterday. Nonetheless, these statements do not always hold true. Sometimes there is not one single cause for an event but rather multiple hard to decipher causes. Such thought is no exception to Susan Griffin. In “Our Secret”, Susan converses about the connection between the past and the present as well as the connection between a variety of different causes for one effect. She uses a variety of juxtaposition…

In the “The Minister’s Black Veil” the story is revolves around sin and all the effects it has on others. Men have a sinful nature. There is correlation between veil and evil that, although present, may not be totally intended by Hawthorne when he first it brings up an interesting connection (Freedman 136). The veil indulges the entire life of Hooper as sin can indulge the life of man either trying to hide it or get out…

God’s existence has been a key topic of debate over the past couple of centuries. People argue either way very strongly, and many are not open to hearing the other side. When this topic is argued, there are two main arguments, the cosmological and teleological argument. In this article, “On Being an Atheist”, H.J. McCloskey argues against each of these views. He believes that without sure “proof” of God, we need to totally pitch the idea that God exists. If this were the case, many…

eliminate anybody who stands in the way of the fulfillment of the prophecies. Throughout the play, Macbeth loses all the qualities that had gained him respect from his peers, and becomes a repulsive, bitter man. In many cases, when a person develops evil characteristics or possesses negative qualities, they are perceived by society as having a dark soul. Darkness is often used in the play to represent…

The profusion of power in understanding a person’s weaknesses allows for the potential of manipulation. When utilized in the right way, this power has the capability of persuading people to do things they never could have imagined. Through the actions of the characters in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, William Shakespeare demonstrates how manipulation of the naive can result in one’s success, but when used carelessly, it can lead to fatal consequences. If clever enough, exploiting the weak…