Making Sense of Evil (Virginia Tech Massacre)

See I think there's a difference between "selfish" and "evil." The pollution magnate who puts an entire community at risk to save some money is selfish.The crusader with perfect devotion to his cause, for whom no sacrifice is too great to be asked of others in service to that cause, is evil. Of course he thinks he's doing good. They always do.The selfish guy you can stop, because his self-interest is the lever you can use to move him. You just change the payout schedule - you make undesired outcomes more costly and less profitable than desired ones. The crusader? No argument can sway a fanatic. Any opposition at all is proof that his cause is just. And the worst part is - you can just talk people into becoming crusaders, like that.Cho? I think he was mostly crazy. If you've seen his tape, or the transcript of it, it's pretty clear that he was pretty disjointed. But there's no denying that there's an element of religious crusade, too. He did say that he wanted to "die like Christ."

I think that if you're following a crusade, or following orders, and never taking a moment to reflect on whether your orders are right or your crusade is just; if there's never that moment of "tentativity" and introspection, then yes, I think you're engaged in evil.If evil exists it's the tendency of humans to check their moral sense at the door just because they perceive authority, like in the Milgram experiments. I don't think those are the same thing. Pat Robertson, it's clear, believes his own bullshit. He has no problem with running a diamond mine off the proceeds of his charities because he genuinely believes that it is good for him to do so, and he never stops to wonder if perhaps it isn't.When people say things like "unswerving faith and devotion", I hear "evil." And that's why I believe that's what constitutes "evil." The selfish can be managed. The crazy can be treated. The evil can only be contained. (I guess I construe evil in this way because of how that relates to justifications for the use of force. The selfish give you options besides the use of force. The evil leave you no choice.)

Of course, for a different take on evil, there's They Might Be Giants:

quote:

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Evil
Evil is his one and only name
Evil
In his mind there is no other game

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When your name is Evil that is good
Or so you think
But you're so very wrong
It's evil

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But being wrong is right
So then you're good again
Which is the evilest thing of all

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Do you find his subtle ways invite you
Does he excite you?
If his contradictions should attract you
Should he distract you

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Heaven help you then
You're finished, it's the end
There'll be no retrieval
From the evil
The evil he will do

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He's evil
He's Dr. Evil
His name is Evil

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You don't think it's possible for someone to consciously decide that lying and misleading serves the greater good?