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@cee-dee wrote:

Hmmmmm, evil eh?

 

I've looked up a few "definitions" of an evil person and I think the following isn't far off the mark?:-

 

Is consistently self-deceiving, with the intent of avoiding guilt and maintaining a self image of perfection.

This would suggest a mental problem

 

Deceives others as a consequence of their own self-deception.

The same definition basically as the first

 

Psychologically projects his or her evils and sins onto very specific targets, scapegoating those targets while treating everyone else normally.

Spiritual definition which to an atheist implies a mental problem

 

Commonly hates with the pretense of love, for the purposes of self-deception as much as the deception of others.

Same as first definition

 

Abuses political or emotional power ("the imposition of one's will upon others by overt or covert coercion").

An example of the influence of external influences - "power corrupts, absolute power . . . ." - or as David Brin said, ". . . it's more true that power attracts the corruptible.  The sane are usually attracted by other things than power."

 

Maintains a high level of respectability and lies incessantly in order to do so

Not sure how that is a definition of evil but the need to 'maintain a high level of respectability' suggests an individual influenced by external forces

 

Is consistent in his or her sins. Evil people are defined not so much by the magnitude of their sins, but by their consistency (of destructiveness.

Spiritual definition - what is a sin?

 

Is unable to think from the viewpoint of their victim.

Lack of empathy is a recognised mental problem.

 

Has a covert intolerance to criticism and other forms of narcissitic injury.

Again suggests a mental problem

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I don't disagree with any of the above but they are all addressing 'evil' as an adjective not a noun.

As I said earlier I find the concept of 'evil' difficult to accept as an entity.  

Of course you can use the word as a description of a persons character or actions but doing so is simply saying they lack morality, empathy and/or are mentally ill.