bVeryShortIntroductions:Brilliant,Sharp,Inspiring/bWeregularlyencounterappallingwrongdoing,withthemediaofferingadepressingparadeofviolentassault,rape,andmurder.Yetsometimeseventhecynicalandworld-wearyamongstusaretakenaback.Sometimesweconfrontacrimesoterrible,sohorrendous,sodeeplywrong,thatwereachfortheword’evil’.The9/11terroristattackswerenotmerelywrong,butevil.Aserialkillerwhotortureshisvictimsisnotmerelyabadperson.Heisevil.AndastheHolocaustshowedus,wemustremainvigilantagainstthethreatofevil.Butwhatexactlyisevil?Ifweusetheword’evil’,arewebuyingintoanaiveManicheanworldview,inwhichtwocosmicforcesofgoodandevilarepittedagainstoneanother?Areweguiltyofdemonizingourenemies?Howdoes’evil’gobeyondwhatismerelybadorwrong?ThisVeryShortIntroductionexplorestheanswersthatphilosophershaveofferedtothesequestions.LukeRusselldiscusseswhysomephilosophersthinkthatevilisamythorafantasy,whileothersthinkthatevilisreal,andisaconceptwhichplaysanimportantroleincontemporarysecularmorality.Alongthewayheaskswhetherevilisalwayshorrificandincomprehensible,orifitcanbebanal.Consideringifthereisaspecialpsychologicalhallmarkthatsetstheevildoersapartfromtherestofus,Russellalsoengageswithongoingdiscussionsoverpsychopathyandempathy,analysingthepsychologybehindevildoing.ABOUTTHESERIES:TheVeryShortIntroductionsseriesfromOxfordUniversityPresscontainshundredsoftitlesinalmosteverysubjectarea.Thesepocket-sizedbooksaretheperfectwaytogetaheadinanewsubjectquickly.Ourexpertauthorscombinefacts,analysis,perspective,newideas,andenthusiasmtomakeinterestingandchallengingtopicshighlyreadable.
Sharp BRILLIANT INSPIRING SHORT
