seen in the case of SIDS. Nowadays we know that SIDS exists, even if we don’t understand everything about it. Because we know that SIDS exists there seems little to support the old belief that an invisible vampire is the cause of these tragedies. Similarly, an understanding of catalepsy, catatonia, porphyry, rabies, and other medical disorders can account for many of the incidents of the dead rising, erratic behavior, skin pallor, and other symptoms that are commonly attached to monsters like vampires and werewolves.
THE PHILOSOPHY OF EVIL
Western philosophers have tended toward a different view of evil, seeing it as an expression of base human emotions such as greed, anger, frustration, resentment, envy, or lust. In Plato’s Dialogues, Socrates (c. 469–399 B.C.) observed, “From the deepest desires often come the deadliest hate.”
The great philosopher also said, “The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance.” This view that evil was an expression of human ignorance is easy to understand when we view human behavior. Humans tend to fear what they don’t understand, and fear of a thing very often leads to violence toward that thing.
Socrates also viewed retribution as a source of evil, as he eloquently stated: “One who is injured ought not to return the injury, for on no account can it be right to do an injustice; and it is not right to return an injury, or to do evil to any man, however much we have suffered from him.”
This philosophic view of evil is more centered on human weakness and failure than on any supernatural force or deliberate maliciousness.
Sociologically speaking, evil is a useful way for science to quantify aberrant behavior. The more comfortable word among sociologists and psychologists, however, is “sociopath.” This is a person who demonstrates extreme self-serving behavior, an apparent lack of a conscience, and a marked inability to empathize with others. Sociopaths generally feel no remorse for harming other people and seldom demonstrate any restraint in doing so. Though many do possess enough control to be careful when avoiding implication, as seen in the actions of so many serial killers.
However, sociopathic personality disorder—previously called psychopathic mental disorder—as a label or explanation is frequently called into criticism by the general public, law enforcement, and the clergy because it “appears” to be offered as an excuse (though not a justification) for very bad behavior. Some researchers even hold that this label holds no more real weight than the label of “evil” and again here we cross over into the question of whether the sociopath is a product of nature or nurture, or whether his actions are motivated purely by choice. This debate has been raging since the early days of Freud and Jung and there’s no light at the end of that philosophical tunnel.
And this ties to a viewpoint presented by the Dutch philosopher Benedict de Spinoza2 (1632–1677), who said, “So everyone, by the highest right of Nature, judges what is good and what is evil, considers his own advantage according to his own temperament…” A view that suggests that the difference between good and evil is merely one of personal inclinations.
Choice.
Why Write About It?
“It’s at the core of our lives. Statistics tell us that we all cross swords with some form of evil at some point in our lives—maybe in nothing more sinister than getting shortchanged by a cashier, or having a wallet lifted by a pickpocket. But if we’re unlucky, we come face to face with the kind of uncompromising evil that makes supernatural evil seem mild. Evil exists, and we all know it does. Storytelling helps show us that we can face it and survive.”—Rachel Caine is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Morganville Vampires, Weather Warden, and Outcast Season series.
DEVILISH DUALITY
Most cultures in which a belief or understanding of evil can be found view it as one-half of a philosophic whole; the other being good. This duality—the eternal struggle of good versus evil—takes many forms.
It’s fair to say that evil cannot exist without good. If nothing else, it’s a form of measurement. You can’t have up without down, hot without cold. One state is defined by the distance from its opposite. A Catholic view holds that God cannot exist without the devil, that they are inseparable. And although this doesn’t actually square with scripture, it’s both a compelling argument to reinforce faith and a simple explanation for the way in which the universe works.
A more new age viewpoint is that the universe is composed of positive and negative energy, always in motion and always seeking balance. This view of an energetic relationship between the extremes is an attempt to excise human emotions and personification from the natural order. This philosophy isn’t new, of course, but it serves as the secular name for the concept of yin and yang.3
Evil Impulses
“We all have the capacity to be good, evil or a combination of both. Do we act on our evil impulses is the ultimate question. There is a fascination and repulsion with people who are so monstrous. On the flip side, we fantasize about being a true hero—someone who has superpowers or is able to cure a deadly disease and save the world. That is why endless TV shows, films and novels are about superheroes and villains. We all like to see the good guy win even though we may secretly identify with the bad guy.”—Ellen Dubin portrayed Giggerota the Wicked on Lexx and appeared in The Collector, Highlander: The Raven, and Forever Knight.
This belief is known as “moral dualism,” and the key concept is that there is a constant and eternal struggle between opposite forces. Call them good and evil, light and dark, benevolent and malignant, or order and chaos.
WWJD?
Clerics, philosophers, cops, and judges have wondered whether good and evil are defined by cultural customs and laws or by our shared humanity. An argument can be made that virtually all cultures view murder, rape, child molestation, and torture as evil.
Except when they’re not. Or, at least, except when they are permitted or sanctioned.
Murder is considered evil because it isn’t permitted by law. The law defines it, not the act. A person killing another person is not always evil. We know that from every war ever fought. We know it from self-defense. We know it from state-sanctioned executions. We even know it from euthanasia. So…it’s not the killing that defines it as evil, but the transgression of a law written by humans.
Chad Savage, Nightmare Visions
“Any good story is based on some sort of conflict, and the simplest conflict possible is good vs. evil—even toddlers can understand that one, hence fairy tales. The storytelling gets more complex as we get older, but when you boil ’em down, they still usually have pretty well-defined Good Guys and Bad Guys. I think that’s why stories that fall into gray areas are so disturbing to us—stories that end on a morally neutral (or amoral) note are often very jolting. As a culture, we like to see evil punished, maybe because we know in real life that often doesn’t happen.”—Chad Savage is the artist behind Sinister Visions, Inc., a full-service visual design studio catering to the horror, Halloween, and haunted house industries.
Many people kill. Some enjoy the hell out of it and are rewarded for it. A suicide bomber, though viewed as evil by the families of the survivors, is regarded as a great hero by the followers of his own ideology. A preacher presiding over the funerals of the victims of terrorism will shake his fist and speak of the evils of such actions; while on the other side of the world another cleric will praise God and speak of the heavenly reward for the killer. Same person. Is he evil or good?
A soldier who kills the enemy is a hero. A soldier who continues to kill the enemy after a cease-fire is announced is a murderer.
If someone kidnaps a random person, straps him to a chair, and inflicts torture on him, we view this as evil. Yet during times of conflict governments have given official approval for torture. It’s interesting to note that torture isn’t generally called that by the sanctioning government. Since we—and the general public—associate torture with evil, we don’t want to regard ourselves as evil, and therefore we give it a