[lit-ideas] Re: On the prospect of World Peace
- From: "Phil Enns" <phil.enns@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 7 Sep 2006 21:25:42 -0400
Walter Okshevsky wrote:
"I confess I may not understand the concept of "evil" that Phil's
vocabulary of thinking/reasoning is riding on and, hence, I end up
misunderstanding his claims. (That word seems to inhabit the same
language as the word "sin.") I can only understand "evil" as meaning
moral impermissibility or moral wrongness."
One way of differentiating sin and evil, following Augustine and
Aquinas, is that sin pertains to the will and evil to the substance of
the action. It is possible to be morally culpable for merely intending
to do something wrong. Here the emphasis falls on the intent. We also
have some actions which are considered wrong in themselves. Here the
emphasis falls on the action.
In the case of war, it is evil. Under very particular conditions
regarding intention, one might be justified in going to war, but war
remains evil.
Sincerely,
Phil Enns
Toronto, ON
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