Blog
Dark Nature
- Evil is a product of historical development – genetically, ecologically and sociologically.
- Fundamentally, human beings are not so much different from animal. We learn a lot about human nature by studying our fellow occupants of the earth.
- The universe exists because the multiplicity of elements which compose it combine in exactly the right proportions and ways (like Goldilocks’ porridge they are “just right”). Evil is defined as an excess or a lack which upsets the equilibrium. Evil is consequently an integral part of the Natural world.
- Human is a part of the natural order and subject to the same conditioning factors as all other creatures.
- The genetic imperatives for survival : Be nice to insiders; be nasty to outsiders; cheat wherever possible, differs to certain level between human and animal but are the fundamentals of behaviours. (Maslow’s hierarchy of needs come to mind)
- Aggression can certainly exist without its counterpart, love, but conversely there is no love without aggression. The kiss is just an inhibited bite.
- Men and women are biologically differently wired. Irregardless of upbringing. Male are more venturesome and confrontational while female are more intimately sociable and less adventurous.
Afterthoughts: Am I any more cynical than I was before I read the book? Probably not, the book sheds some light on the origin of evil and tries to rationalize it through various arguments and is quite an interesting read. But essentially, there is no single unified formula to that word evil (ironically, an anagram of live), we can try to explain it all we can, but by doing so, we are essentially still incapable of curbing nor eradicating it. If understanding does not lead to a concrete betterment, perhaps ignorance is really a bliss?
I am against the idea of our nature and all our deeds and doings are all pre-defined or pre-destined genetically, I am even willing to go as far as to go against the idea of blaming evilness on upbringing, or nurture. Because this is (almost)equivalent to saying that we shouldn’t be punished for our own wrong-doings, because it is not our fault that we are evil. I believe that no matter how harsh or cruel our environment is, we are entitled to a choice. To be good or to be bad, we always have a choice when faced with a crossroad. Perhaps it is only a wistful thinking on my part, that I believe there is still hope for us to choose between that blue or red pill, but isn’t that also part and parcel of this matrix we call life – the mystery of never knowing if you are right or wrong?