Newbie to philosophy and I could use some of your smarts/opinions. I am creating a presentation on good vs evil and the contrasting line between them throughout history and in contemporary settings. I could use some of your opinions on whether the line has become more ambiguous and any contemporary forms of media which convey this. I’m also hoping to find any historical philosphers or writers that have explored this issue deeply. I’ve hit a bit of a roadblock in preperation and could do with a few different viewpoints.
Could you be a tad more specific? You’re asking for some broad swaths to be cut through here.
I hate to say this, but I think you actually absolutely have to read Nietzsche.
Other the that, I’ll have to tell you in general the discipline of ethics doesn’t tend to use good and evil. There is the binary right and wrong, which tends to apply to actions. Then there is the scaler Good. I guess you could say something with lower Good is Evil, just like you say something with low tempurature is cold, but the label doesn’t tend to be all that usefull.
This site has some good information and references.
I suppose that’s not an entirely bad suggestion. Genealogy of Morals isn’t a bad work, and goes along the lines of what he’s asking. Of course, the vast majority of moral philosophers tend to ignore Nietzsche, and not without just cause. I’d suggest looking at Aristotle and Socrates (virtue theory and contractarianism, basically) and then perhaps Hume, Mill, and Kant. They all have different ways of looking at morality. For more modern writers, look to Regan and (a personal favorite) Singer.
Nietzsche is good for raising questions, but the others will lead you to things more fruitful.
Its true, but Neitchze is the only time I’ve actually heard ‘Evil’ used in philosophy. Other than Descartes evil deamon.
Welcome to the Forum, Aspired Genius,
There’s a good collection of essays edited by Marilyn McCord Adams, titled, The Problem of Evil.
Don’t forget about Leibniz.
I’d also mention Hannah Arendt; specifically her book, Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil. Arendt spent some thirty years thinking about evil. Three of her papers can also be found here.
There’s also Mary Midgely’s Wickedness.
Good luck,
Michael