Hopes for a world sans evil

Almost all the systems whether they are political, social or economic, rational people wish to live in a world without evil. The word “evil” embraces many areas such as theft, murder, drugs, lying, fraud, adultery, perjury, bribery, unethical enrichment and slavery. Apart from political parties, many other civil organisations clamour for establishing an evil-free society. Even the recent Presidential election was a clear indication that right-thinking people wanted a change of regime. In the ensuing battle good triumphed over evil.

How did evil originate? Is it an integral part of humanity? such questions baffle everybody. Even philosophers have paid much attention to the existence of evil in society. St Augustine of Hippo (354-430 CE) was especially interested in the problem of evil. If God is entirely good and all powerful, why is there so much evil in the world? Even for St Augustine, it remained a central question, mostly because it makes an obvious fact against the existence of God.

St Augustine, however, answered one aspect of the problem quite easily. He said that although God created everything that exists, he did not create evil. His detractors questioned, “Then, who created evil?” St Augustine had a plausible explanation. He said that evil is not a thing, but a lack or deficiency of something. However, he did not explain what that something was.

Blindness

Instead, he gave an example of a blind man. Blindness is an evil suffered by him. However, the evil in a thief is that he lacks honesty. Similarly, the blind man too lacks sight. St Augustine was probably influenced by Greek philosophers such as Plato to come to such a conclusion.

St Augustine could not silence his critics with such an explanation. They asked why God allowed moral evils such as theft and deficiencies (blindness) to exist in the world created by him. To this St Augustine answered that humans are rational beings. God created them to give them the freedom of will which allows them to choose between good and evil. God left open the possibility that the first man Adam would choose evil rather then good.

Those who are familiar with the Bible know what exactly happened to Adam and Eve. Adam went against God’s command not to eat the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. To confirm his belief that God did not create evil, St Augustine suggested a third solution.

Beauty

He said that the world is a thing of beauty. Although there is evil in the world, it contributes to an overall good that is greater than it could be without evil. Giving an example he said that dark patches add to the beauty of a picture.

St Augustine’s explanation is quite rational. If we stretch his argument, a birthmark on a beautiful woman’s face would enhance her beauty. Yet, those who do not believe in the theory that God created the universe are still questioning why God allowed evil to exist side by side with good. Christian philosophers, however, tackle the problem of evil using St Augustine’s line of argument.

Explanation

David Hume, a philosopher of repute, did not believe in St Augustine’s argument. He said that St Augustine was playing with words. He wanted an explanation for earthquakes and plagues. Did God create them or are they the result or absence of something?

Arguments for and against the existence of evil in the world will continue as long as humans inhabit the earth. Those who have no faith in God will always question why there is so much evil in the world. They will not believe that an all-powerful God created the universe. However, for those who already believe in God, St Augustine’s arguments will be quite convincing.