Components of Evil: An Analysis of Secular Moral Evil and its Normative and Social Implications
Final Report Abstract
This project has provided original insights into the nature, normativity, and aftermath of evil. We began with concerns voiced by Philip Cole (2006) and Inga Clendinnen (2002) that the term evil is too easily misused for nefarious purposes, that its proper sphere of reference is the supernatural, or that it results in “othering” perpetrators of evil rather than allowing us to recognize the tragic fact that ordinary humans are the sole harbingers of atrocity. The analysis and discussion carried out through the project’s articles and book chapters has successfully explicated and ameliorated the concept of evil showing evil action to be an enduring characteristic of human interaction, and, consequently, demonstrating that the concept is an indispensable part of our moral vocabulary. The articles, conference presentations and subsequent book realized in this project have presented a modernized approach to Kant’s theory of evil, an innovative categorization of extant theories of evil, an original theory of evil, a serious challenge to Strawsonian theories of moral responsibility, a new way to understand the frequency of collective acts of evil, an unconventional analysis of the possibility and propriety of forgiveness and vengeance, and reflections on how individuals ought to face the fact of evil pervasiveness in human interaction. Finally, I reflected on how we all ought to face the fact that evil is a pervasive feature of human interaction. I showed that rationalizing or justifying evil leads to actions that repeat the original evil or further entrench injustices. I hope I have shown that evil has an important role to play in contemporary secular philosophy, and that I have made significant progress in providing clarity concerning its nature, normativity, and aftermath.
Publications
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“Can Kant’s Theory of Radical Evil Be Saved?” in Kantian Review Vol. 22, Issue 3: 395-419, 2017
Zachary J. Goldberg
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“Was ist eine böse Handlung?” in Deutsche Zeitschrift für Philosophie 66(6): 764-787, 2018
Zachary J. Goldberg
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The Routledge International Handbook of Perpetrator Studies. London: Routledge, 2019. ISBN: 9781138103245
Zachary J. Goldberg (ed.)
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“A Relational Approach to Evil Action: Vulnerability and its Exploitation” in Journal of Value Inquiry 53(1): 33-53, 2019
Zachary J. Goldberg
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“Das Böse konzipieren” in Über das Böse: Interdisziplinäre Perspektiven. Ed. Jörg Noller. Karl Alber Verlag, 2019. ISBN: 978-3- 495-49024-2
Zachary J. Goldberg
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“Evil’s Diachronic Characteristics” in Routledge Handbook of the Philosophy of Evil. Eds. S. de Wijze and T. Nys, 328-341. London: Routledge, 2019. ISBN: 978-1138931794
Zachary J. Goldberg
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“What’s Moral Character Got to Do with It? Perpetrators and the Nature of Moral Evil” in Routledge Handbook of Perpetrator Studies, eds. Z. Goldberg and S. Knittel. London: Routledge 2019. ISBN: 9781138103245
Zachary J. Goldberg
