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%ROOTS OF EVIL 781211
The roots of evil are to be found in our conceptions
of what the roots of evil are, and what the nature of evil
is. Often "evil" is regarded as a "fallen" state. This
image is mechanical, technical, image in which(by analogy
to the behavior of physical objects in a gravitational
field) the natural thing is to "fall", and the unnatural
thing is to rise up. The image leads us to think of
"evil" as natural, and "good" as unnatural---requiring
effort, work, energy. To be "good" is to climb up out of
the "valley" of evil, to the top of the mountain. To be
"good" is to climb up out of the "valley" of evil, to the
top of the mountain. To be "good" we must be "lifted up".
This requires spiritual energy on the part of somebody---
and theories differ as to the source of that energy.
Evil also gains nourishment through roots embedded in
the notion that conformal behavior is "good" and
nonconformal behavior is "evil"---with the "proper" choice
of standards of conformity. With this conception of
"evil" we must then identify "good" behavior patterns,
life styles, desires, thoughts, words, ideas, etc. We
must also identify "evil" behavior patterns, life styles,
desires, thoughts, words, ideas, etc. The key to the
"good" life is then the use of the proper system of
classification. This is a technical procedure.
Once the technical job of setting up classification
is accomplished, further technical procedures may be used
to promote "good" behavior and discourage "evil" behavior.
Such technical procedures are also roots of "evil" because
they all promote what is really evil: alienation,
estrangement, blocked communication, excommunication,
banishment, ridicule, put down's, rejection, isolation,
personal indifference, wearing dishonest masks, playing
dishonest games. The roots of evil are to be found in our
notion that we must punish evil people for desiring and
doing evil acts, and that we may become tainted with evil
by listening to, being in dialogue with, being
affectionate toward, or just being associated with people
who have been classified as "evil".
Evil flows from all our notions, presuppositions,
assumptions, goals, values, ethical principles, moral
standards, religious doctrines, traditional standards, and
their like which blocking listening, dialogue, affection,
love, and other ways in which we know each other.
(c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in
www.essayz.com Search for Integrity and Honesty
(On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy)
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