Much so is the effect of the two terms that being labeled evil invokes our primitive instinct to treat that person differently, as society has associated and branded people who are called to be evil as those who deserve persecution. Society labels anyone who does harm towards his fellow man as evil and being evil warrants punishment. Our judicial system is based on this premise that an evil doer must be punished as his form of payment for his evil acts.
Other societies as the ones in the Middle East offer a more brutal form of judgment which they claim follows the laws laid down by their holy scriptures, “An eye for an eye, A tooth for a tooth” has resulted in many well publicized horrific executions of criminals who were rendered judgment by their courts. If you kill somebody, then you are to be killed and so on and so forth.
Many question this approach to justice and the definition between good and evil for they say it is inhumane and undignified. But some argue that who are you to counter laws and traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation by a people who have developed in parts of the world deemed to be the seats of civilization.
The debate goes on and on so the definition as well as the scope of such debates continues to expand and delve into the deepest recesses of human thoughts and ideology. Ask anyone and they will have their own unique definition of good and evil which would give you an idea of how hard it is to come up with a universally accepted definition of the concept. People are still labeled evil to this day and they are still being punished for their being such. Good on the other hand demands praise and remuneration as everybody knows which is in accordance of the basic concept that the sole purpose of man on this earth is the pursuit of personal gain and excellence regardless of what society says or does.
Originally posted on May 19, 2008 @ 12:47 pm