The problem of evil
Apr. 6th, 2009 08:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
korsriddareSo, the nuclear astrophysics test was easier than expected.
Anyhow, a discussion on games with a friend turned some what philosophical. Then again, we are both taking philo of religion.
It started out with Diablo 3, then 2, and how he find it slightly disturbing how Blizzard potrayed evil. Mainly, evil is so blatantly external and that manifested in some eternal being that we can fight.
Which is an interesting observation, I suppose. That is, in reality, that most evil are... internal, perhaps? The evil that resides within man and woman. Even amongst ourselves. Hence why some people are said to have strong moral compasses, while others are said to be amoral.
Still, I find eternal evil an interesting concept. In that, while normal people may have evil, but they do at least have the option to make moral decisions themselves. I do not think anyone can be wholly good. Or wholly evil. But they can get damn close, methinks.
On the other hand, a pure eternal evil being can be quite terrifying, if it ever existed and has sufficient abilities. This is something that manifests itself independantly. You cannot reason with it, for it does not care about law. You cannot negotiate with it, for in its mind there is no concept of what good is. At the end of the day, what this being may force is a conflict, perhaps an armed conflict. As someone said before, "War is wasteful, but the alternative is unacceptable."
Of course, evil may not be something objective at all, but for the sake of the line of thought above, I will just consider evil the typical definition - the social norm, at least.
Anyhow, a discussion on games with a friend turned some what philosophical. Then again, we are both taking philo of religion.
It started out with Diablo 3, then 2, and how he find it slightly disturbing how Blizzard potrayed evil. Mainly, evil is so blatantly external and that manifested in some eternal being that we can fight.
Which is an interesting observation, I suppose. That is, in reality, that most evil are... internal, perhaps? The evil that resides within man and woman. Even amongst ourselves. Hence why some people are said to have strong moral compasses, while others are said to be amoral.
Still, I find eternal evil an interesting concept. In that, while normal people may have evil, but they do at least have the option to make moral decisions themselves. I do not think anyone can be wholly good. Or wholly evil. But they can get damn close, methinks.
On the other hand, a pure eternal evil being can be quite terrifying, if it ever existed and has sufficient abilities. This is something that manifests itself independantly. You cannot reason with it, for it does not care about law. You cannot negotiate with it, for in its mind there is no concept of what good is. At the end of the day, what this being may force is a conflict, perhaps an armed conflict. As someone said before, "War is wasteful, but the alternative is unacceptable."
Of course, evil may not be something objective at all, but for the sake of the line of thought above, I will just consider evil the typical definition - the social norm, at least.
