Good and Evil: A Universal Definition
In 2018 I was recommended the novel Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts. The book is a high flying thriller accented by a wonderful writing style and highly philosophical viewpoints on culture, love, and life. As I read through the book one question that was posed by one of the book’s main protagonists stuck with me; for weeks after reading the novel I carried the question everywhere like a bag strapped on my back or a suitcase tucked beneath my arm.
What is a universally acceptable definition of Good and Evil?
Upon initial thought this seemed like an obvious answer. We are taught what is “right” and what is “wrong” by society, by our parents, by our friends, since the day we are born. But as you delve into different actions it becomes clear that the waters surrounding good and evil can be quite murky. Consider the following situations:
A man’s family is in danger from another person. The man kills the assailant to protect his family.
A boy steals from a merchant to feed his family.
A woman lies to her boss so she can leave early to attend her son’s baseball game.
A farmer slaughters his cow to sell the meat and pay his bills.
At first glance some of the scenarios above may appear black and white. But as you look at each example, all of them contain elements of good, and elements of evil. Some of them may be the right actions for the wrong reasons, or vice versa. Some of them may be acceptable to a Christian omnivore, but may be frowned upon or even downright heretical to a vegan or a Hindu.
As I pondered the key piece of this question, universally acceptable, I began to visualize actions as weights on a scale. Each action we carry out carries weight to one end of the spectrum or the other. The effects of your actions will either produce a “good” effect, or a “bad” effect. In fact, most actions will produce both effects. This will lead to either a) The good outweighing the bad; b) the bad outweighing the good; or c) a net zero effect.
However, even with our scales balanced, this theory is still missing one key bit of information - the definition of good and the definition of evil. Without knowing this, our scale system is meaningless.
Where the evil-doers are sent.
To me - based on my short experiences on this Earth - the definition of good is anything that helps someone or something. The definition of evil is anything that harms someone or something.
Each action we carry out can help someone, hurt someone, or both. We can all make a difference if we take a second to think about our actions (or inactions), examine how they will affect the world and people around us, and always make the choice that helps others.
Do good.