NOTE: This is not a religious post, it is purely philosophical (Though many religious ideas can be derived directly from it). I do not explain the nature of Toaism, though i do draw on a Taoist principle to illistrate a moral-philosophical conjecture.
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Goodness or justice is likened to heat
Evil or injustice is likened to cold
Cold is the absense of Heat
Evil is the absense of Good
Injustice is the absense of Justice
Each is relative to the other
The purpose of heat is not to melt
the ice or to burn the flesh, it simply is
The purpose of cold is not to cool a pane
of glass or to numb the flesh, it simply does
Thus Justice and Injustice, Good and Evil
are benign forces with no intrinisic purpose
This is called
Benign nature of Good and Evil
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Now, from what we see here, it is very easy to understand the phrase: "Evil happens when good men do nothing." It is my belief that the dehuminization and decharacterization of good and evil provides more of a basis, not less, to live a moral life. We see that acts of goodness are rare in this universe, since they are finite in quantity and suffering is infinite. (This is in accordance with the buddhist concept of samsarah- the cycle of suffering.)
It follows that we should live our lives mindful of the coldness (not to do so would be foolish) but focus on things that are good. It is also worthy to act in such a way as to bring out goodness, in oneself and in others. This is the only way we can keep ourselves warm, not to do so would mean that we as a people would perish.
In applying oneself to the side of good or evil, it is not always appearent which is which. This is why we invent religions and listen to those we consider to be wise. Through the wisdom of others, we can learn to apply ourselves to the side of good. In a simple world, good and evil are very clear, but we do not live in a simple world. Many things today are a shade of grey. Almost all people are grey, there are no good people and bad people. Only people who do things. The things they do have impacts with either positive or negative consequences. One party will almost always benefit at the expense of another.
It is my opinion that it takes a great deal of wisodom to navigate through these grey areas. It is best to avoid them, and apply ourselves to what we know to be right. In the grand scheme of things, we will never tip the scales in favor of good, because it requires evil just as evil requires good. They are simply part of the world we live in, each completes the other and each exists within the other. (Consider the Yin Yang) Therefore, seek not eradicate evil, but to sow the seeds of goodness and rightousness.
Tom
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