The devil
Hi All.
INTRODUCTION
Firstly I need to clarify where we go with the devil. Not to hell I hope.
My googling on the devil took me to articles and podcasts on the devil which always equated to "evil" in the fields of philosophy and science. In terms of the history of the devil (and its equivalent) there is much to share that is interesting and has some influence on how we consider the devil and "evil" today. But only as an historical context.
So in this respect the topic will be on "evil". I shall always put the word "evil" in inverted comers. As we will see "evil" is hard to define, hard to use and understand. Some say it should not be used in philosophical or scientific debate. Eg. To say something someone did was "horrific" is easily understood but say something someone did was "evil" is not easily understood, means different things and is hard to measure. So to decide if we rule out the use of "evil" in philosophical debate we are going to have a philosophical debate on wether we should rule out "evil" in philosophical debate. Still with me?
Pre Discussion Questions
First of all, before we get into a discussion from me below and on Friday, I have some questions for you to consider before you read on. Think about each. Take some notes if you like and we can share at the start of the evening to get the debate on a roll.
1. Do you believed in the devil?
2. Define "evil" in its more serious consideration of the word. Don't look it up (I just did) but how do you express it, if at all?
3. How would you, if at all, use the word "evil" in its more serious sense? (ie not "the bin has an evil smell" sense).
4. What, if at all, would you have described as an evil (I'm sick of inverted commas you get the gist) act, person or event from the past?
5. What use does the word/label/notion of evil have?
6. When you hear of something that someone has done (in the news say) that is so horrible, hard to understand and unbearable to even think of would you say it was "the devil within that made him do it" or that "the devil made him do it" ?
And since you answered "no" to question 1, who or what in this scenario is the devil?
Who or what is the devil within that influences his/our actions? Or who or what is the devil that is external that makes him/us partake in extreme behaviour?
7. Does the devil believe in a devil? Who made the devil do it? (Maybe the Zoroastrians have the answer).
8. Think of an image of the devil, right now. ...... what's the first one to come into your mind? Now do an image search on the Internet. Found it.. now print it off and bring it on Friday evening and share.
It maybe from art, film, a book, a comic, biblical, etc. The first thing I come up with surprised me.
DISCUSSION = me ranting
Of course the label devil is often used in our language to express behaviour. It is usually humorous and non threatening. Mostly expressing mischievous or deceptive behaviour.
"The devil made me do it"
"You little devil"
"Cheeky devil"
"What the devil was that!"
The use of evil goes beyond just the light hearted. Its used widely in these ways
"the face of evil"
" the axis of evil"
"Pure evil"
"evil regime"
"the product of evil"
"It was an evil act"
"She is evil"
But I think the most telling phrase to help us understand why we may use the concept of evil is the phrase
- "there is no other way to explain it but as pure evil".
Is evil just an act or behaviour that is beyond explanation, something that is difficult to conceive as being humanly possible and therefore just labelled evil. So does evil have a place today. Is it defined as the undefinable (is this your answer to question 2 ?) Is it not meant to be understood.
Through history the devil has been used to explain what is bad in a world that was created by an all caring God. The devil (or demons or spirits) and his evil ways and influence was used to understand how "bad things" could happen in the world. How people could act in the worst of ways (the possessed). Even used to get rid of those that weren't liked (the witches Salem, the leaders (or even refugees) of Axis of Evil countries). It was light versus dark, order versus chaos, good versus evil, the explainable versus the unexplainable.
So is it the devil within or did the devil make me do it? Is what is described as evil behaviours something that is unexplainable ? Or can science give us the answer?
From a philosophical view point you could say that evil does not exist per se. Or is
a term / label that cannot be used. As what we are and what we do is just that, it's this life. The term "evil" is just an adverb used to rate a type of behaviour. ("What he did was evil" or "What he did was generous")
So why is the term used so much these days. It's in art, the media, news, everyday language, politics and science. - "the axis of evil". "Terrorist evil acts", "the evil underbelly of the church" "there is no other way to describe it except as pure evil".
I myself rarely use the term in any serious or deliberate sense.
For instance I may say, after discovering I have been ripped off by someone - "that little f'n devil" or "that evil so and so". I'm just expressing my disgust at the despicable behaviour. I don't believe the devil had anything to do with it or that some force beyond the person influenced them. Or that the perpetrator had something in them that each and everyone of us may be capable of. In this case I see the perpetrator as uncaring, self centred and greedy.
Science argues that the term/or idea of evil is not useful. It can't be measured. Better to describe undesirable behaviour in levels of empathy and a lack of empathy. This can and has been measured in behavioural studies, genes have been found that effect empathy and part of the brain regulates our levels of empathy. Also research has found that a persons past, particularly their childhood, can influence their empathy levels (those physically and/or sexually abused and other events and exposures) It's complex but measurable.
But if I witness on TV news, say, a jihadist holding a severed head of an Australian news reporter, In the first instance the term evil will pop into my head but I would quickly be rationalising how can this be. I would think this person has extreme mental illness ("their sick") or has been brain washed by those seeking some financial or political advantage for some ideology that I don't even have full understanding of.
Maybe they are so desperate , for people's (even family) who are in such desperate and horrific circumstances it required horrific action to get attention to their plight. To say it was an act of evil is just to push it aside, to not rationalise and to not attempt to understand.
And where would that get us?
Listen
Philosophy of our times - Dancing with the devil
These two guys podcast "Stuff You Should Know" I listen to regularly. And they have just posted a podcast on Satanism. It's very easy going, entertaining, informative and funny at times. This cast has the added advantage of no ads. I guess because no one wanted their products associated with the devil.
There is only a small, yet informative, component on philosophy and theology. But more so clears up a lot (for me anyway) on what a Satanist is. Which strangely has little to do with the devil. Enjoy.
Check out this cool episode: https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/stuff-you-should-know/id278981407?mt=2#episodeGuid=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.podtrac.com%2Fpts%2Fredirect.mp3%2Fpodcasts.howstuffworks.com%2Fhsw%2Fpodcasts%2Fsysk%2F2017-08-31-sysk-satanism-final.mp3