evil
Let an agent explain evil as a moral, philosophical and religious concept, relay major positions from philosophy and religious studies sources with attribution, describe radical and structural evil, and distinguish evil from wrongdoing in general, harm, sin and the problem of evil as a specific debate.
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
written by Claude from model knowledge without web access - no source was read, every claim is a lead to verify
Researched by: Claude
Purpose and description
Let an agent explain evil as a moral, philosophical and religious concept, relay major positions from philosophy and religious studies sources with attribution, describe radical and structural evil, and distinguish evil from wrongdoing in general, harm, sin and the problem of evil as a specific debate.
The profoundly immoral, harmful or malevolent, discussed in religion, philosophy and ethics as moral evil caused by agents and natural evil such as suffering from disasters, with concepts such as radical evil in Kant s moral philosophy and later in Arendt s thought, structural evil embedded in social systems, and the problem of evil questioning how evil coexists with a good and powerful God; understandings differ across traditions and are presented with attribution and respect.
What it is for: Not applicable; a moral concept.
It can be explain concepts; relay positions with attribution; describe named concepts; distinguish related concepts.
Distinguishing features
Moral and natural
Religious and secular
Contested definitions
Linked to theodicy
What it looks like
Not a visible object; a concept.
Physical character
Kant s radical evil: Religion within the Bounds of Bare Reason, 1793 note
Arendt s banality of evil: 1963 year - Eichmann in Jerusalem
Leibniz s Theodicy: 1710 year
How it is recognised
Profound immorality or malevolence
Radical evil, structural evil, moral and natural evil
Wrongdoing can be minor; harm is outcome; sin is a religious category; the problem of evil is a theological debate
Related models
is a kind of - in registry terms
raises -
is discussed by - as banality of evil
is contrasted with -
In practice
Families and kinds
moral evil
natural evil
radical evil
structural or systemic evil
religious concepts of evil and sin
the problem of evil
Standards and regulation
No regulation
Failure modes and hazards
Presenting one tradition s view as universal
Labelling groups of people as evil
Trivialising atrocities
Also called
Where this came from
wikidata · CC0 1.0
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions.
Understand What evil is.
Attribution.
Definition
Definition.
Definition
Definition.
- What is evil, and how does it differ from wrongdoing, harm, sin and the problem of evil? definition
- Is the question philosophical, religious, historical or about labelling real people, which the model avoids? boundary
Concepts
Named concepts.
Concepts
Concepts.
- What are moral, natural, radical and structural evil? definition
- Which entry fits the specific concept? action
Philosophy Philosophy.
Attribution.
Classic
Classic positions.
Classic
Classic.
- What did Augustine, Kant and Nietzsche argue about evil, with positions attributed? provenance
- Which references are standard? provenance
Modern
Modern positions.
Modern
Modern.
- What did Arendt and later philosophers argue about evil after the Holocaust, with positions attributed? provenance
- Which sources are cited? provenance
Religion Religion.
Attribution.
Traditions
Traditions.
Traditions
Traditions.
- How do religious traditions understand evil, presented respectfully? provenance
- Is the presentation balanced? boundary
Theodicy
Problem of evil.
Theodicy
Theodicy.
- What are the main responses to the problem of evil, with positions attributed? provenance
- Which entry fits problem of evil? action
Context Society and culture.
Context.
Structural
Structural evil.
Structural
Structural.
- What is structural evil, and how is it used in ethics and theology, with positions attributed? provenance
- Which entry fits structural violence? action
Culture
Culture.
Culture
Culture.
- How is evil portrayed in literature and film? provenance
- Which entry fits villain? action
What the second pass must settle
- Should radical evil and structural evil be separate primary entries?
- How should philosophy and religious sources be linked?
- How should the problem of evil be linked?