Sy Borg wrote: ↑June 30th, 2022, 9:23 pmEvil is vastly stronger. Almost all of the universe that is not the Earth would kill us. In fact, most of the Earth would kill us.
value wrote: ↑July 9th, 2022, 4:50 am
As a servant of good, one can find the best in having had the ability to become the best.
[...]
Reason is to be found in reasoning and within reason there is no place for evil, so that would make it simple in my opinion. There is just good and one is to use one's capacities to serve that good in the best way possible. [...] Evil is to be prevented not for the sake of evil but for the sake of good.
I don't think evil is "vastly stronger", nor do I identify with being a "servant" of good. Evil is only what we consider undesirable, just as good is what we consider desirable. So it is reasonable that most/all creatures would seek out what is desirable, and seek to avoid that which is not. But there is not a thing, whether we call it "good"/"evil" or apply some other label, that can have
strength, or that we can
serve.
I also cannot see a clear connection between reason and 'evil'. Reason surely confirms that there are aspects of the universe that we find undesirable ("evil"), but equally, reason does not lead us to conclude that there is "no place for evil". Nor, as far as I can see, is there any compunction for us to behave in the 'service' of 'good'.
Both of you seem to write as though there are things — maybe
sentient things? — called "good" and "evil" that have actual existence in the universe, but I can't see it. Just as the universe does not contain numbers — or indeed any similar, human-created, quality — it does not contain good or evil.
I think we are confused by the existence of things of which we do, or do not, approve. We don't seem to realise that our value judgements —
this is good;
that is evil — have no authority, and maybe no significance or relevance either. It is a colossal conceit that we are even tempted to think in such ways, I believe.
It is as if we believe the old Christian myth-understanding, that God created the entire universe for us, and for our benefit!
If that was so, it would justify our wish to judge God's creation as desirable or not, although even then, I feel we would be insulting God by having the temerity to do so. My personal feeling is that God is ... disappointed in our attitudes, and our inability to accept
what is without inventing angels and devils (good and evil) to justify our wishful thinking.