| "There's often no point in attempting to find reasons for why someone is evil. " You mean it is easier to just jail or execute them? Short term, sure, but if we want to solve murder in the long term, or just enjoy a stable society, held together by free choice and not fear or domination - then there is really no other choice in trying to understand what makes people go boom, so we can prevent that. The alternative would be living in fortresses and going out only heavily armed. Also, do you have a clear definition of "evil" at all? I don't and I think it is kind of complicated. Starting with the old paradoxon: murder many people while you are in a army and you are a hero. Murder them on the street and you are a villain. So some say, all soldiers are evil murderers (and leave open the question on how to deal with the situation when they come for them or their children). Some say states are the evil. Others say stateless is the root of evil, etc. And the Unabomber believed he did god, as he tried to end suffering. From a pure philosophical point of view, I can accept that there is a hypothetical chance, that he might be right.
But in all practical matters he was a crazy, dangerous fanatic (something I translate to "evil"). But the thing is, many people think actually like him, even though most don't act on it. But they might soon. So now is a time, when one can still reach them. But that only works, when you try to understand their motivations. And understand why they got there. |
> You mean it is easier to just jail or execute them?
No, I did not. That's you reading something that was never said.
My point is that you cannot say, as you are saying right now, that there is always an environmental reason for why someone is the way they are.
That certainly isn't true. What I've found is that people who go looking for an environmental reason always find one!
What these people don't explain is why all those other people with a virtually identical environment didn't become mass murderers!