Ethics

What is evil, and what is good? Do you believe is changes depending on where you go? Tim Age 11

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Hello Tim. This is Charles. Age 60! You have asked a deep question. I will reply with what I have found to be sound in all the years I have considered a question like that, but then step back and note how other philosophers would answer you. In general, I think that "evil" refers to things, events, persons that should not be the case. Something evil (such as a grown up hurting an innocent child) should not occur or, putting it differently, it should be condemned or disaproved of and prevented. Something good (such as rescuing someone drowning) is something that should occur; its occurrence is preferable and should be loved rather than its non-occurrence (allowing the person to drown). I further suggest that understanding what is good and evil will very much depend on what kind of things or persons are involved, because what fulfills and makes one thing good, may not make another thing good. So, it is good for a fish to live under water, but not for a human; it is good for someone like yourself to go to school and eventually become a professor of philosophy. People never told me how much fun philosophy can be! But it is not a good use of my dog's (Tiepolo's) time. Because I think there really is good and evil, I do not think good and evil change depending on where you go, but I do think that the awareness of good and evil differs. For many hundreds of years, it was thought that women were not equal to men, and were denied the right to vote and sometimes denied the right to own property. Fortunately that has changed throughout most of the world. But there are different customs in different parts of the world. In some countries it is quite common and a sign of respect for two men who are friends to kiss each other on both cheeks when they meet, but in other countries this is uncommon. In some Muslim countries and households it is not considered appropriate for a woman to be touched by a male (even shaking hands) unless the person is her husband or relative. But this is not a matter of great good and evil, but the different changing ways in which persons show respect for one another.

Having said all that, philosophers throughout the last almost 2,450 years have had different views on good and evil, and some have been and are skeptical about good and evil. This is not a matter that is easily settled. As you get older and engage the great works of Plato and Aristotle, Hume and Kant, and more, you will need to find your own path about which views you find most clear and compelling. One thing, though, that I think all the panelists on this site do think: It is good to ask questions. And it is often evil when powerful people do not allow 11 year olds to ask questions such as yours. I send all good wishes and hope there are more 11 year olds like yourself.

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