Weregularlyencounterappallingwrongdoing,withthemediaofferingadepressingparadeofviolentassault,rape,andmurder.Yetsometimeseventhecynicalandworld-wearyamongstusaretakenaback.Sometimesweconfrontacrimesoterrible,sohorrendous,sodeeplywrong,thatwereachfortheword’evil’.The9/11terroristattackswerenotmerelywrong,butevil.Aserialkillerwhotorturestheirvictimsisnotmerelyabadperson.Theyareevil.AndastheHolocaustshowedus,wemustremainvigilantagainstthethreatofevil.Butwhatexactlyisit?Ifweusetheword’evil’,arewebuyingintoanaiveManicheanworldview,inwhichtwocosmicforcesofgoodandevilarepittedagainstoneanother?Areweguiltyofdemonizingourenemies?Howdoes’evil’gobeyondwhatismerelybadorwrong?Thisbookexplorestheanswersthatphilosophershaveofferedtothesequestions.LukeRusselldiscusseswhysomephilosophersthinkthatevilisamythorafantasy,whileothersthinkthatevilisreal,andisaconceptthatplaysanimportantroleincontemporarysecularmorality.Alongthewayheaskswhetherevilisalwayshorrificandincomprehensible,orifitcanbebanal.Consideringifthereisaspecialpsychologicalhallmarkthatsetstheevildoersapartfromtherestofus,Russellalsoengageswithongoingdiscussionsoverpsychopathyandempathy,analysingthepsychologybehindevildoing.
