Moral evil

Moral evil

Moral evil is the result of any morally negative event caused by the intentional action or inaction of an agent, such as a person. An example of a moral evil might be murder, or any other evil event for which someone can be held responsible or culpable.

This concept can be contrasted with natural evil in which a bad event occurs without the intervention of an agent. The dividing line between natural and moral evil is not absolutely clear however, as some behaviour can be unintentional yet morally significant and some natural events (for example, global warming) can be caused by intentional actions.

The distinction of evil from 'bad' is complex. Evil is more than simply 'negative' or 'bad' (i.e. undesired or inhibiting good) as evil is on its own, and without reference to any other event, morally incorrect. The validity of 'moral evil' as a term, therefore, rests on the validity of morals in ethics.

Some other examples of moral evil: violence, adultery, dishonesty, foul language, slavery etc.

See also


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • moral evil —  Моральное зло …   Вестминстерский словарь теологических терминов

  • Evil — • In a large sense, described as the sum of the opposition, which experience shows to exist in the universe, to the desires and needs of individuals; whence arises, among humans beings at least, the sufferings in which life abounds Catholic… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • evil — adj *bad, ill, wicked, naughty Analogous words: *base, low, vile: iniquitous, nefarious, flagitious, *vicious, villainous, infamous: *pernicious, baneful: *execrable, damnable Antonyms: exemplary: salutary …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • Evil — For other uses, see Evil (disambiguation). Badness redirects here. For the 1981 jazz fusion album, see Badness (album). For the singer nicknamed His Royal Badness, see Prince (musician). See also: Good and evil …   Wikipedia

  • evil, problem of — ▪ theology Introduction       problem in theology and the philosophy of religion (religion, philosophy of) that arises for any view that affirms the following three propositions: God is almighty, God is perfectly good, and evil exists. The… …   Universalium

  • evil —    This word (derived from Old English for bad or vicious ) refers to the absence or opposite of good in two different ways: (1) physical evil is any type of imperfection or privation, such as a disease or deformity, that is part of human life;… …   Glossary of theological terms

  • Moral equivalence — is a term used in political debate, usually to criticize any denial that a moral hierarchy can be assessed of two sides in a conflict, or in the actions or tactics of two sides. The term originates from a 1906 address by William James entitled… …   Wikipedia

  • Moral clarity — is a catchphrase associated with American political conservatives. Popularized by William J. Bennett s Why We Fight: Moral Clarity and the War on Terrorism, the phrase was first used in its current context during the 1980s, in reference to the… …   Wikipedia

  • Moral turpitude — is a legal concept in the United States that refers to conduct that is considered contrary to community standards of justice, honesty or good morals. [1] It appears in U.S. immigration law from the nineteenth century.[2] In other common law… …   Wikipedia

  • Evil — E vil ([=e] v l) n. 1. Anything which impairs the happiness of a being or deprives a being of any good; anything which causes suffering of any kind to sentient beings; injury; mischief; harm; opposed to {good}. [1913 Webster] Evils which our own… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”