I don't hold to a complicated concept of evil. Evil is whatever works against, or seeks to undo, that which is good. Furthermore, that which is good is that which works in favor of flourishing life. And finally, life is not mere existence. Life, if it happens, is meaningful. In this sense, evil is not a mystery. We all know what it is. We look around us and see that we are surrounded by people doing things or saying things that work against meaningful life. Sometimes, we even participate. That's at best. At worst, we continually see those who destroy meaningful life, intentionally and without good reason (see definition of "good" above). In short, evil happens and we all know it. Evil is not a mystery. What is a mystery, however, is that evil continues. Why is that? How is it that evil persists?
How is it that evil persists? I assume that humans have done evil things from the very start. The idea of a "noble savage" is naïve. Was there no tribal hatred for the "other" when tribes truly prevailed? I doubt it. But, even if there were a time when humans did not intentionally cause the harm and suffering of others, something has certainly changed. And, we can't seem to go back.
How is it that evil persists among us? It would be one thing if we could talk about the evil that once was and the evil that might be. If that were the case, then one could argue that evil does not persist. But, we don't have that luxury. We can talk about the evil that happens every day as well as the evil that happens all day long, including now. Why is that?
Notice, we have not yet said anything about humans being inherently evil. So far, we have only observed the persistence of evil. Evil happens. Now, if we go ahead and assume that humans are inherently evil, then we will have some explanation for the persistence of evil. In fact, it would be odd to assert that humans are inherently evil, and yet, evil need not persist. But, that's an assumption. And, as far as assumptions go that's not the only one.
What if we assume that humans are inherently good? Now, the persistence of evil becomes a problem. How is it that evil should persist and yet humans be inherently good? How does one make sense of that? It might be tempting to try and tweak our understanding of inherently in hopes of making some sense. But, there isn't much room for tweaking. There is something essential about our sense of inherent. If we say humans are inherently good, but that human goodness is not essential (i.e. humans need not be good), then what do he have? Well, we have something other than inherent. So, that's no good.
Maybe, we could just drop the inherently and exchange it with possibly. Humans are possibly good. That fits well with the persistence of evil. Humans are possibly good, but often not very. That at least fits. But, it doesn't explain the persistence of evil. Once we leave the language of inherence behind, which always assumes more than we can actually observe anyway, then we have to start searching for causes.
If humans are possibly good, but possibly not, then we really have a mystery on our hands. Maybe we can say, humans are learning. Maybe, humans are learning to realize the live possibility that all humans can refrain from doing what is evil. But, that can't be right, can it? At the risk of coming across as cynical, how long does it take? What is the missing factor to bring about this realization? What education is missing? As of today, we have more understanding, more information, more ability, and more of nearly everything else we ever had. And yet, we can't seem to refrain from evil.
Well, maybe, the problem is just not human. Maybe, the problem is solely circumstantial and systematic. Humans are not the cause. It's the system. Again, at the risk of sounding cynical, I would point out that the privileged, the well fed, and the educated are sometimes the worst offenders. Just as there are no "noble savages," there is also no inherent virtue in being "blessed."
Of course, circumstances and systems can greaten or lessen the degree of the evil that persists. People have different temperaments and breaking points. For some, circumstances will very much dictate what they do. If they have what they need and want, then they're fine enough. But if they experience considerable lack, due to circumstances, then their potential for good or evil begins to show. And, for others, circumstances won't much effect their goodness or lack thereof. It takes all kinds to ensure that evil persists, and we seem to have no shortage of the relevant kinds. Should we try to improve circumstances? Of course, we should. Will that bring us to a place where we can say at some point in the future, "I can remember when evil persisted"? I doubt it.
There is something about the persistence of evil that belies explanation. It's just there. It's just always, there. We, as humans, have done and continue to do much to rid ourselves of it. And, we must continue to try and destroy this persistent destruction. But, it still persists. We live in this strange world where we know we are responsible for the things we do. And, if we are responsible, then the implication is that we can do something about it. So, we try and we try. And yet, beyond all comprehension, here we are in a world where evil persists. So many centuries of trying, and yet evil persists. It's enough to make one cry out for help.
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