Massimo, would it be wrong for someone to kill another person in order to save his own life? It seems that it would not be an evil, but the concept of life as an indifference is making me question myself regarding that. I saw this in a anime, where the character needed to kill, otherwise he would die.
Massimo, what a wonderful piece! I found myself reflecting on how challenging it was to have logical discussions during the recent COVID pandemic. Irrespective of one's views on anything from non-pharma interventions (lockdowns, social distancing, and masks) or vaccines, what amazed me is how society seemingly fell into line without being able to question (literally) anything for fear of being labelled as a heretic, or worse. I am not saying this was evil per-se, although some might; I am saying that I learned a lot about myself and others, particularly family and friends. What should have been a logical and clear conversation on science and risk-mitigation measures sadly often descended into a tribal argument, akin to what one experiences in a football (soccer) match, with no room for logical evidence-based discussion. For the record: I am not a COVID denier or anti-vaccinator (I had COVID and took all the shots), but merely someone who, despite limited education, always seeks to ask the basic question to better understand "why" My sincere best wishes to you and everyone who reads this wonderful blog Jim
Reminds me of the rivalry you see at some soccer matches....my father took me to a game.... I found it very scary as a kid so I never went to another match...
"We are all human beings, of equal dignity by virtue of being human. Which means no discrimination by gender, nationality, ethnicity or anything else. So why don’t we practice a little cosmopolitanism every day, following Epictetus’s advice"
Great...
It seems we are, in a very destructive way, going in the wrong direction.
1) What is it that causes some people to identify so strongly with a particular tribe/group to the point that they will be willing to commit harm if they feel their interests being threatened?
2) Unfortunately there are those in the political arena (current example Trump) who are willing to exploit such differences in order to advance their own interests. Such people have done a lot of damage which could take years to undo. How can we better prevent these kinds of people from having power in the first place?
Epictetus talks about education as being an understanding of the difference between good and bad. So what could be done to encourage people to reflect more carefully about their actions and speech in a way that creates
a more constructive dialogue and understanding between us human beings. Hope that makes sense.
Thank you, as always. I'm not just interested in a post mortem of past evil, but finding an understanding of current evil before it becomes too malignant. I think certain ways of thinking and feeling bring about evil. It doesn't have to be a genocidal evil; evil is rooted in a cult of personality. What made George Washington an example of Good is not his competency as a general or as a president. But the fact he resisted the creation of a cult of personality, refused to seek a third term, and stepped down to return to his farm, like Cincinnatus.
The creation of a cult of personality is a path to evil. Having read years ago about the rise of Fascism in Italy and the rise of Nazism in Germany, I see how Religion and other Ideology can be evil. Without blind faith in a religious or secular teleological myth, evil people will do evil things, and good people will do good things. But with such blind faith, otherwise Good people will cheerfully do evil things: Community building, selfless charity, cheerfully committed to an evil end.
Thus, besides these historical and sociological text I read forty years ago, I was reminded of a recent news article when I read your piece. In it, The New York Young Republican Club issued a statement saying “President Trump embodies the American people — our psyche from id to super-ego — as does no other figure; his soul is totally bonded with our core values and emotions, and he is our total and indisputable champion.”
Massimo, would it be wrong for someone to kill another person in order to save his own life? It seems that it would not be an evil, but the concept of life as an indifference is making me question myself regarding that. I saw this in a anime, where the character needed to kill, otherwise he would die.
Massimo, what a wonderful piece! I found myself reflecting on how challenging it was to have logical discussions during the recent COVID pandemic. Irrespective of one's views on anything from non-pharma interventions (lockdowns, social distancing, and masks) or vaccines, what amazed me is how society seemingly fell into line without being able to question (literally) anything for fear of being labelled as a heretic, or worse. I am not saying this was evil per-se, although some might; I am saying that I learned a lot about myself and others, particularly family and friends. What should have been a logical and clear conversation on science and risk-mitigation measures sadly often descended into a tribal argument, akin to what one experiences in a football (soccer) match, with no room for logical evidence-based discussion. For the record: I am not a COVID denier or anti-vaccinator (I had COVID and took all the shots), but merely someone who, despite limited education, always seeks to ask the basic question to better understand "why" My sincere best wishes to you and everyone who reads this wonderful blog Jim
Thanks Massimo...
Reminds me of the rivalry you see at some soccer matches....my father took me to a game.... I found it very scary as a kid so I never went to another match...
I'll check out the documentary....
"We are all human beings, of equal dignity by virtue of being human. Which means no discrimination by gender, nationality, ethnicity or anything else. So why don’t we practice a little cosmopolitanism every day, following Epictetus’s advice"
Great...
It seems we are, in a very destructive way, going in the wrong direction.
1) What is it that causes some people to identify so strongly with a particular tribe/group to the point that they will be willing to commit harm if they feel their interests being threatened?
2) Unfortunately there are those in the political arena (current example Trump) who are willing to exploit such differences in order to advance their own interests. Such people have done a lot of damage which could take years to undo. How can we better prevent these kinds of people from having power in the first place?
Epictetus talks about education as being an understanding of the difference between good and bad. So what could be done to encourage people to reflect more carefully about their actions and speech in a way that creates
a more constructive dialogue and understanding between us human beings. Hope that makes sense.
Great read....thanks...
Thank you, as always. I'm not just interested in a post mortem of past evil, but finding an understanding of current evil before it becomes too malignant. I think certain ways of thinking and feeling bring about evil. It doesn't have to be a genocidal evil; evil is rooted in a cult of personality. What made George Washington an example of Good is not his competency as a general or as a president. But the fact he resisted the creation of a cult of personality, refused to seek a third term, and stepped down to return to his farm, like Cincinnatus.
The creation of a cult of personality is a path to evil. Having read years ago about the rise of Fascism in Italy and the rise of Nazism in Germany, I see how Religion and other Ideology can be evil. Without blind faith in a religious or secular teleological myth, evil people will do evil things, and good people will do good things. But with such blind faith, otherwise Good people will cheerfully do evil things: Community building, selfless charity, cheerfully committed to an evil end.
Thus, besides these historical and sociological text I read forty years ago, I was reminded of a recent news article when I read your piece. In it, The New York Young Republican Club issued a statement saying “President Trump embodies the American people — our psyche from id to super-ego — as does no other figure; his soul is totally bonded with our core values and emotions, and he is our total and indisputable champion.”
Lotsa interesting info! Thx. Looking forward to an oxytocin booster shot for men!