There are those who, upon seeing the title and the person who started the thread, dismiss this as another of my idiotic discussions. To these people I say only this- just ignore the discussion, and hope it fades swiftly into the archives. With that said, I shall continue.
“Absolute” evils are evil actions which satisfy, at a minimum, the following conditions:
1. The act must harm the target in a way that is impossible or almost impossible to recover from.
2. The act must not benefit its executor (the one who committed the act) in any way, shape, or form (i.e. the act must not be done for personal gain).
The worst of these absolute evils will also adhere somewhat to the following condition:
1. The act will harm- as described the first condition above- not only the target, but others near, related to, or dependent on the target, as well as the act’s executor.
That being stated, here are six evils that I classify as “absolute”.
1. The harm of elders without cause.
2. The harm of youth without cause.
3. The harm of the impotent without cause.
4. The denial or prevention of the exercise of one’s free will.
5. The use of falsehoods, deceptions, and other manipulations of information and people to destroy the livelihood and reputation of another.
6. The absolute destruction of self (the final sacrifice) for the sole purpose of harming another.
“The harm of elders without cause.”
-My explanation of this evil is simple. The harm of elders- those who have existed in this world long enough to have learned lessons invaluable to next generation- potentially deprives the next generation of information which may or may not be essential to the continued survival of our species.
“The harm of youth without cause.”
-The harm of youth- those who have the potential to elevate our species beyond our current status, who may one day transcend the boundaries of this universe, and who may simply make this world a better place- directly affect the future of both our world and of our species. Besides, unless we actually discover a way to live forever, the youth are our future.
“The harm of the impotent without cause.”
-All I’ll say is this- what kind of being harms someone who is now and possibly forever incapable of either being a threat or providing resistance to another’s actions?
“The denial or prevention of the exercise of one’s free will.”
-This refers to things such as rape and other violations of an individual’s unalienable rights.
“The use of falsehoods, deceptions, and other manipulations of information and people to destroy the livelihood and reputation of another.”
-To destroy the livelihood and reputation of another with the truth is one thing. To do the same using lies is despicable. To do so solely with one’s web of influence (the collection of people who aid and serve your interests or a common interest) is simply vile, especially if the issue is relatively trivial.
“The absolute destruction of self (the final sacrifice) for the sole purpose of harming another.”
-The taking of one’s own life is called the ultimate sacrifice for a reason- it literally is the last act one does before their existence ends FOREVER (that is, unless you believe in an afterlife or in reincarnation). To sacrifice oneself in such a fashion for a good cause is the greatest act that can be done by man. To make the sacrifice solely to harm another, however, is become (in my opinion) one of the most vile beings that have ever existed. The only thing at the moment that tops this evil is if one should force another to make the ultimate sacrifice for one’s malicious ends.
And thus my six examples conclude. What are your thoughts on these “absolute” evils? Are they truly absolute, or do they fail to make the grade? Is there any evil that you would like to add, or is there something that needs to be clarified?
I extend my hand in welcome to any who would like to discuss this topic.
Tserugenen Macoza