Philosophy: Understanding Evil and Wickedness

People have always struggled to understand (and prevent) evil actions – actions which seem beyond ‘normal’ human behaviour and morality. Moral and political philosophers have also not found it easy but have developed some definitions and theories, particularly in response to the decline of religious explanations of evil in academic Philosophy since the early 20th century. Psychology too can provide useful insights into how personal history and motivation can lead to evil actions. This course brings these together in the hope that they will increase learners’ understanding of the nature of evil and provide ideas for how to prevent or reduce it. The content will include religious accounts of evil; the question of whether ‘evil’ is a philosophically useful category in a secular framework; insights from Psychology on how people in their day to day lives inadvertently cause significant harm by insulating themselves against the consequences of their actions; Hanna Arendt’s analysis of evil as ‘thoughtlessness’; Mary Midgley’s analysis of the human potential for wickedness; the 2024 Reith lectures on violence; and current philosophical theories of evil. Knowledge of Philosophy is not expected. Learners will have the opportunity to present a topic to the group but this is not expected.