Origins of evil can be found in our capacity for creativity and the vastness of our imaginations.
This is why Thomas Aquinas can predict, 700 years before Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot or Vladimir Putin, that “one human being can do more evil than all the other species put together.”
Our capacity for evil sets us off from the other species. Not just the evil of the current Ukrainian war with all its horrors including the spokesperson for Putin refusing to rule out the use of nuclear weapons and with fires raging near Chernobyl that could add more nuclear fallout to the mess already at hand. But the evil of killing Mother Earth as we know her, the evil of climate change and people and corporations and the politicians they buy hiding their heads in the sand about that.
Creativity is about choices. All morality is about choices. Ethics is about agreed upon choices. Every society needs some basic agreement around decision-making.
That is what laws and a decent justice system are supposed to provide. And a decent political system too. The common good. Not the good of the few; or the good of the one (Putin, for example).
Cain killed his brother Abel with a stone. Putin is killing many, many brother and sister Ukrainians with an onslaught of weaponry directed at non-combatants in particular—children, the sick, the old, mothers.
Our imaginations have been busy for far too long creating ways to kill one another efficiently. And to kill Mother Earth in the name of profits and comfort.
Someone asked the other day why I bring Patriarchy into these discussions of the war in Ukraine. War and Patriarchy go together like love and marriage. I think Thomas Freedman has answered that question very well in his recent article on “Xi, Putin, Trump: The Strongman Follies” which I highly recommend. I will be sharing and commenting on this article in the video section of today’s DM.
Have we outgrown our addiction to empire-building and the reptilian brain yet? Can we move on to a balance of the divine feminine and sacred (as opposed to dictatorial) masculine—or not? Can we grow out of our species’ adolescence before it is too late?
See Matthew Fox, Creativity: Where the Divine and the Human Meet, pp. 35-37.
Also see Matthew Fox, Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh: Transforming Evil in Soul and Society.
Also see Matthew Fox, The Tao of Thomas Aquinas: Fierce Wisdom for Hard Times.
To read the transcript of Matthew Fox’s video teaching, click HERE.
Banner image: “Nuclear Nightmare – Open Your Eyes And Awake!” Composite image by Daniel Arrhakis (2017) on Flickr. .
Queries for Contemplation
How do you see war and patriarchy interacting? Do you think humanity is ready to grow beyond both? How do we do that?
Recommended Reading
Creativity: Where the Divine and Human Meet
Because creativity is the key to both our genius and beauty as a species but also to our capacity for evil, we need to teach creativity and to teach ways of steering this God-like power in directions that promote love of life (biophilia) and not love of death (necrophilia). Pushing well beyond the bounds of conventional Christian doctrine, Fox’s focus on creativity attempts nothing less than to shape a new ethic.
“Matt Fox is a pilgrim who seeks a path into the church of tomorrow. Countless numbers will be happy to follow his lead.” –Bishop John Shelby Spong, author, Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism, Living in Sin
The Tao of Thomas Aquinas: Fierce Wisdom for Hard Times
A stunning spiritual handbook drawn from the substantive teachings of Aquinas’ mystical/prophetic genius, offering a sublime roadmap for spirituality and action.
Foreword by Ilia Delio.
“What a wonderful book! Only Matt Fox could bring to life the wisdom and brilliance of Aquinas with so much creativity. The Tao of Thomas Aquinas is a masterpiece.”
–Caroline Myss, author of Anatomy of the Spirit
26 thoughts on “Origins of Evil”
Yemen, Syria, Libya and other countries struggling from Western wars should also be added to those impacted upon from wars of the west. Yemen in particular is impacted upon by the US’s support of Saudi Arabia. It is interesting that the the Ukraine, being mainly a white European nation, has so much support around the world, although well-deserved, it shows a favour for those that we relate to, who are “like us.”
I agree Tim. The wars in Yemen, Syria, Libya do signal that the US along with other white western democracies are weapons merchants selling weapons around the world. Daily News journalism rarely mentions this fact. CNN anchor Fareed Zakaria did say several months ago that auditing the Pentagon was such a complex task that the attempt to do so was aborted. According to a 202 World Economic Forum chart I found online, the US sells/distributes more weapons globally than all other countries combined, including Russia.
Tim, Thank you for your comment, and I too agree that there are other nations which “should also be added to those impacted upon from wars of the west.” I also have noticed the difference of the countries of the West’s response to Ukraine vs their response to “non-white” countries…
I have noticed the same thing. Where is the concern about Nigeria, Bangladesh, Eritrea, etc., ? Maybe this can be a good beginning of real concern for all who are oppressed and suffering.
!Exactly!
So many ‘wars and rumors of wars’ globally!!!
Matthew, Thank you for sharing the quotation from Aquinas that, “one human being can do more evil than all the other species put together.” And you also add that, “Our capacity for evil sets us off from the other species.” And why is that? We are set apart by the fact that when other species kill, it is not with evil intent, it is simply due to instinct–it is not a choice. When humans do evil it is because they intend to do it and choose to do it. More than this, as you point out, it is creativity that complicates things for humans, because we can imagine things and then using our creativity, create things and do things that are even more evil than simply killing. You say, “All morality is about choices. Ethics is about agreed upon choices. Every society needs some basic agreement around decision-making. That is what laws and a decent justice system are supposed to provide. And a decent political system too.” Things are also suppose to be done for the common good which includes minorities groups. You ask today:
1. “How do you see war and patriarchy interacting?” They are acting “hand in glove,” and war is how patriarchal leaders get what they want!
2. “Do you think humanity is ready to grow beyond both?” I wish !!! First, we tried with the League of Nations, and then the United Nations, to get some global peace and cooperation, but totalitarian powers have never been willing to cooperate in the effort. And without their cooperation there will never be peace. I once was a member of The World Federalist Federation which envisioned a world that would be governed by one government, such has the United Nations and with its own world police force to keep the peace. I think I became a member in the 80s but so far it doesn’t look like we are any closer to it becoming a reality because even this, that seems to me could be a solution, fundamentalist believe that this would be the one world system that will bring about the end time!
3. “How do we do that?” I know we can hope and pray, and we must act–taking part in protests, supporting relief programs both financially and hands on, and writing and letting your will be known.
And this country has refused also to sign on with many of the United Nations commitments, including those pertaining to human rights, I believe.
The common thread that I see throughout human history, and the way that humanity has participated collectively in creating this reality… of one human being able and capable of creating evil… is FEAR. I perceive FEAR to be the opposite of LOVE, rather than hate. Fear can, has and is a powerful tool invoked and used to create evil… and those like Putin and many others throughout the history of humanity have learnt to use this tool, intimidatingly, ruthlessly, mercilessly, and fearlessly.
For example… Putin knows that NATO and most other countries whom are not currently apart of this organization… fear a third world war and the use of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. Putin is not in fear at all about using these… therefore he holds all the power and he knows it… so he uses this fear in an attempt to debunk and destroy the function and very existence of NATO and it’s rules and laws… to simply words written on parchment… reducing its ideals and vision to nothing more than smoke and ashes. And this is not the only ideal and vision of words written on parchment that he is attempting to do the same to.
The question arises, what then can conquer Fear? Is LOVE more powerful a creative tool? Is LOVE greater than all our fears? Is LOVE the one thing that remains when all else fails? Can we love ruthlessly and fearlessly as a powerful act of creating new life… a new way of living in right relationship with ourselves, each other and the all and the everything of creation… without all this destruction, death and war?
Or do we have to learn to live in the constant tension between these to seemingly paradoxal realities… somehow finding our way, to remaining in balance, in the in-between spaces of FEAR AND LOVE… and the evil and the good that they create? Is this not the image of carrying and living out the burden of the Cross, that we are to bear together, yoked to the Cosmic Christ that makes the weighted gravity, and the reality of this tension lighter?
Jeanette, You write: “I perceive FEAR to be the opposite of LOVE, rather than hate.” This is a thought that is core to the teaching of A Course in Miracles, and I think that it would be interesting to know what it’s response to the current situation would be. Then you ask the question: “do we have to learn to live in the constant tension between these to seemingly paradoxical realities… somehow finding our way, to remaining in balance, in the in-between spaces of FEAR AND LOVE… and the evil and the good that they create?” I think we must live in this tension, which is represented in the tension between the earthly suffering Christ, and the Cosmic Christ.
Richard Rhore’s DM for today, THE STRENGTHENING OF THE MISUNDERSTOOD MYSTIC… coincides with my previous comment and relates to Mathew’s DM’s over the past few days. I highly recommend reading them all together… to gain a broader perspective of the things we have been meditating upon as of late.
The origins of evil are in nature itself. Evil is not the fault of human beings. That would be to blame the victim. The origins of evil are adaptations to the reality we are in in this world. Aggression has survival and reproductive value. I may not have to kill the animals and plants that I eat myself, but I depend on others to do so. Of course, compassion and cooperation have survival and reproductive value as well, but Genghis Khan’s genes are more widespread than any peacemaker’s. The best we can do is do the least amount of damage we can. That takes counterbalancing compassion with survival needs. That is a worthy goal. Putin, however, is acting like Joshua, believing in the rightness of totally destroying Ukraine. So also the Russian Patriarch Kirill, who claims the right to destroy Ukraine because he believes it is a threat to human salvation. Both think they are fighting for survival of something they need. Imagination is merely a tool.
Arden, You write: “The origins of evil are adaptations to the reality we are in in this world. Aggression has survival and reproductive value.” In saying this you are speaking the truth in terms of evolution. But our evolution is not only physical, human evolution takes place also culturally and politically. We are the only species that seems to be evolving in these non physical/biological ways. And that is why I can’t agree with an approach to this situation that says, “The best we can do is do the least amount of damage we can.” I however, know we must act–-taking part in protests, supporting relief programs both financially and hands on, and writing and letting our wills be known.
Richard, you write: “I, however, know we must act….” Thank you for that addition.
Evolving Spiritually is also a critical component for humans.
The history of humanity includes repeated lies and the duping of the masses by tyrants.
Indeed. The current situation with Putin and Ukraine with so many volunteering to fight with the Ukrainians reminds me of the Spanish Civil War, when many American young people joined the hopeless battle against Franco.
Sue, And the Jewish Political Philosopher, Simone Weil, even though she was a pacifist, went to fight on the front lines in the Spanish Civil war, and she encouraged female nurses to volunteer for the front lines in order to do first-aid work with the soldiers fighting there. A young woman with so much courage…
Here is a beautiful 3 minute video called “A Small Vase of Flowers”. It is a lament that combines music and images, and is germane to the discussion of what happens when the crushing forces of toxic masculinity come face to face with the powerful, tender, and redemptive strength inherent in the incarnated Divine.
https://youtu.be/boET3hXKNzA
Thank you Scott, for referring us to this poignant video, “A Small Vase of Flowers.
such clear seeing, many thanks
Without the hubris of patriarchy, with its obsession and worship of wealth and profit (evident ever since the first biblical patriarchs were “blessed” by their god with an abundance of the currency of the time: OWNERSHIP—of land/property/nations, cattle, and WOMEN) there would be no war.
War is *about* wealth and profit, ownership, and superiority—hallmarks of patriarchy.
The human species shows little to zero appetite for peace. The species at large has made conflict an article of faith in its insistence on its own dominance of Creation. Everything is a contest—who is the “best” — sports teams in brutal sports wars. (Whoever)’s Got Talent—who can “win” the prize for being the most talented? Pulitzer “prizes”–who’s the best writer; Nobel “prizes”—what a joke, the Nobel “peace” award.
No. The human species is light years away from being a peaceful, non-evil species.
That some of us despair in shame at the evil of our fellows is a strong argument for my idea that homo sapiens has subspecies that will never be recognized because of nonsensical “wokeness.”
Olive, I agree wholeheartedly with your comment, but I just want to stress a point you made that Matthew underlined in his message today, and that was: “Without the hubris of patriarchy, with its obsession and worship of wealth and profit (evident ever since the first biblical patriarchs were “blessed” by their god with an abundance of the currency of the time: OWNERSHIP—of land/property/nations, cattle, and WOMEN) there would be no war.
War is *about* wealth and profit, ownership, and superiority—hallmarks of patriarchy.” The Jewish political theorist, Hannah Arendt summed it up this way in her last interview: “the quintessential sign of totalitarianism is, there is a total domination of men by men.” This is an idea she shared in view of her book, THE ORIGIN OF TOTALITARIANISM.
I hope and pray that humanity can move beyond patriarchy and the drums of war, but I don’t have a lot of hope. It certainly won’t happen in my lifetime–born during WW2 and living through the Korean “Conflict”, Viet Nam, the Gulf Wars, Iraq and Afghanistan, and all the other wars we supported, and always on the side of dictators–we seem to be pretty much stuck in competitiveness and the violence it causes. Maybe we can learn something from the communal response to the situation in Ukraine and maybe we can sustain it and build on it. At any rate, I also believe that fear is at the root of aggression and all that stem from that–so that my contribution is not to be afraid and to try to become a love-soaked or God-soaked person who can show others the power of love–while doing everything in my power to protest peacefully the onslaught of evil in the U.SA. The state of Florida where I live has become a dystopia with suppression of all human rights, including the right to vote, to free speech, etc., etc. And that is terrifying to me, until I remember that it’s not up to me to fix it, only to do what the Spirit calls me to do. To use my voice, without any expectation that it will change anything, but maybe to plant seeds for the future—if we have one.
Sue, You write today: “I hope and pray that humanity can move beyond patriarchy and the drums of war, but I don’t have a lot of hope. It certainly won’t happen in my lifetime…” I too feel the move beyond patriarchy will be hard to dismantle–and how can it be done, and who can do it? Yes, wars are going on even now all over the globe, our eyes at this time are just fixed upon Ukraine and what the Russian Oligarch is doing to this country and its people. You do share some hope in these words: “my contribution is not to be afraid and to try to become a love-soaked or God-soaked person who can show others the power of love…” May God give us discernment to know what we should personally do.
Our future is what we together make it.
Barbara, AMEN !!!