A philosophy of evil /
Svendsen, Lars Fr. H.,1970-
Pierce, Kerri A.
Champaign, Ill. ; London : Dalkey Archive Press,
2010.
""It's normal to be evil," writes Lars Svendsen, in this latest contribution to contemporary philosophy; the problem is, we've lost the vocabulary to talk about it. Despite the overuse of the word in movies, political speeches, and news reports, "evil" is generally seen as either flagrant rhetoric or else an outdated concept: a medieval holdover with no bearing on our complex everyday reality." "In A Philosophy of Evil, however, Svendsen argues that evil remains a concrete moral problem: that we're all its victims, and all guilty of committing evil acts. Taking up this problem - how do we speak about evil? - A Philosophy of Evil treats evil as an ordinary aspect of contemporary life, with implications that are moral, practical, and above all, political. Because, as Svendsen says, "Evil should neither be justified nor explained away - evil must be fought.""--BOOK JACKET.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 235-306).
What is evil and how can we understand it? -- The theology of evil. Theodicies : The privation theodicy ; The free will theodicy ; The Irenaean theodicy ; The totality theodicy ; History as secular theodicy ; Job's insight-- beyond theodicy -- Anthropology of evil. Are people good or evil? ; The typologies of evil ; Demonic evil : Evil for evil's sake ; Evil's aesthetic seduction ; Sadism ; Schadenfreude ; Subjective and objective evil ; Kant and instrumental evil : The impossibility of a "devilish" will ; The paradox of evil ; Moral rebirth ; The evil is the other, idealistic evil : "Us" vs. "them" ; Violent individuals ; Arendt and stupid evil : The evil and the stupid ; Radical and banal evil ; Eichmann, Höss, and Stangl ; Normal people and extreme evil ; Thinking as opposition ; Evil people -- The problem of evil. Theory and praxis ; Ethics of conviction and ethics of responsibility ; Politics and violence ; Evil as a concrete problem.
""It's normal to be evil," writes Lars Svendsen, in this latest contribution to contemporary philosophy; the problem is, we've lost the vocabulary to talk about it. Despite the overuse of the word in movies, political speeches, and news reports, "evil" is generally seen as either flagrant rhetoric or else an outdated concept: a medieval holdover with no bearing on our complex everyday reality." "In A Philosophy of Evil, however, Svendsen argues that evil remains a concrete moral problem: that we're all its victims, and all guilty of committing evil acts. Taking up this problem - how do we speak about evil? - A Philosophy of Evil treats evil as an ordinary aspect of contemporary life, with implications that are moral, practical, and above all, political. Because, as Svendsen says, "Evil should neither be justified nor explained away - evil must be fought.""--BOOK JACKET.
Good and evil.