Evil Philosophy

Everything has its opposite; dark verses light, young verses old, dead verses alive and good verses evil. If one is unknown, then the opposite would not exist, meaning neither can survive without the other. Therefore, we conclude, that the opposite of good is evil. Crimes, murders, raping, theft, and many others, are examples of evil doings by people. How can two extremes be present in the world at the same time? In an instant, a person can be saving a stranger’s life, and in the other someone can be taking a life. How do we explain this? Are we born evil, inheriting sin? Or are we born vulnerable to the world knowing nothing except good and learn evil doing?

This debate has been present for a very long time. Traveling back in time to the Enlightenment in the 17th Century, philosopher John Locke made a huge impact during his time and left many intellectuals still skeptical regarding the issue. Defying what RenÐ"© Descartes stated before him, “I think, therefore I am”, Locke affirms that we are born with tabula rasa, which is Latin for “blank mind” or “blank slate”. This famous statement suggests that we are born with a mind that is untouched by any character, until we live in an environment that will influence this blank slate with worldly evil desires. How can this statement be argued? Are we not subjected to thousands of publicities, commercials, and advertisements everyday? As individuals, we have become desensitized towards these things. Has the population become a simple molding of what the media exhibits? In my opinion, we have become people controlled and transformed by the mere few who have the desire and drive to be on top. Have we become totally submerged by our feelings, by our loves and hates, by our ideas of good, bad, beautiful, and awful to make our own informed decisions? Are we incapable of thinking beyond the preconceived way of life laid out for us?