What is Evil?
First we are not dealing with theological or ontological evil.
What we are dealing with is secular evil in the moral perspective.
The opposite of good [morally] is evil.
[B]
Definition of Evil:[/B]
[B]Evil[/B] = any human acts and thoughts that are net-negative to the well being of the individual, other[s] and humanity. [excluding psychiatric cases].
The usual classification of negative acts are ugly, bad, very bad, vile, abominable, etc. Note I have a list of 500 terms that are synonymous with 'evil' in various degrees.
To put all into a common denominator, I classify them all as 'evil' is on the basis of a continuum from the least evil [1/100] to the most evil [100/100].
The least evil would cover those like lying, theft, petty crimes and immorality
The most evil would be genocide, mass rapes, mass beheadings, mass tortures, serial killers, child sex crimes, infanticide, very cruel acts and the likes.
The average evil are those rated in between least and most evil.
Animals commit most of the acts that humans would regard as 'most' evil e.g. genocide, mass killings, infanticide, rapes, serial killings, etc. but we do not classify such extreme acts as 'evil' because we understand the animals are doing it based on natural instincts without a high degree of the capacity for impulse control.
When humans commit the same type of extreme cruel acts and other net-negative acts we put some degrees of blame on the culprit because humans has the inherent capacity for impulse control, sense of morality and conscience. For these acts [except psychiatric cases] by humans we can classify them as evil.
Note my point is All humans has the [B]potential[/B] to be beastly and evil as embedded in the human DNA.
[url]https://www.city-data.com/forum/philosophy/2508277-all-human-beings-potentially-beastly-evil-9.html[/url]
Note, there is a big difference between 'evil' and 'stupidity'.
Many psychopaths who are killer serial has been tested to have high IQ.
Note [B]Ted Bundy[/B] is one famous serial killer and an evil person who is very intelligent but cannot control his beastly impulses.
Another is the [B][COLOR=#6a6a6a]Ted[/COLOR] Kaczynski[/B], aka the Unabomber;
[INDENT]Kaczynski was born and raised in [URL="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evergreen_Park,_Illinois"][COLOR=#0066cc]Evergreen Park[/COLOR][/URL], Illinois. While growing up in Evergreen Park he was a [URL="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_prodigy"][COLOR=#0066cc]child prodigy[/COLOR][/URL], excelling academically from an early age. Kaczynski was accepted into [URL="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvard_University"][COLOR=#0066cc]Harvard University[/COLOR][/URL] at the age of 16, where he earned an undergraduate degree. He subsequently earned a PhD in mathematics from the [URL="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Michigan"][COLOR=#0066cc]University of Michigan[/COLOR][/URL]. He became an [URL="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assistant_professor#Assistant_professor"][COLOR=#0066cc]assistant professor[/COLOR][/URL] at the [URL="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_California,_Berkeley"][COLOR=#0066cc]University of California, Berkeley[/COLOR][/URL] in 1967 at age 25. He resigned two years later.
[/INDENT]There are many cases of evil people who are tested and observed as very intelligent [not stupid].
[B]
20% of all humans are evil prone;
[/B]
I don't have exact numbers but based on your own estimation what percentage of humans are likely to commit low degree evils like lying, cheating, bribing, greed, selfishness?
My guess is at least 80% of humans are likely to commit the above low degree evils.
Thus 80% of human are prone to evil, albeit low degree evil.
Therefore "20% of human are prone to evil," i.e. has tendencies to commit evil of some degrees is very conservative to cover the more serious degrees of evil, like killing, injuring, oppression, beheading and a smaller degree to mass rapes and genocide.
One can reinforced the above estimation based on the principles of the Bell Curve. I don't mean getting the exact figure of 20% but reassure one that a 20% estimation has high margin of error.
What we are dealing with is secular evil in the moral perspective.
The opposite of good [morally] is evil.
[B]
Definition of Evil:[/B]
[B]Evil[/B] = any human acts and thoughts that are net-negative to the well being of the individual, other[s] and humanity. [excluding psychiatric cases].
The usual classification of negative acts are ugly, bad, very bad, vile, abominable, etc. Note I have a list of 500 terms that are synonymous with 'evil' in various degrees.
To put all into a common denominator, I classify them all as 'evil' is on the basis of a continuum from the least evil [1/100] to the most evil [100/100].
The least evil would cover those like lying, theft, petty crimes and immorality
The most evil would be genocide, mass rapes, mass beheadings, mass tortures, serial killers, child sex crimes, infanticide, very cruel acts and the likes.
The average evil are those rated in between least and most evil.
Animals commit most of the acts that humans would regard as 'most' evil e.g. genocide, mass killings, infanticide, rapes, serial killings, etc. but we do not classify such extreme acts as 'evil' because we understand the animals are doing it based on natural instincts without a high degree of the capacity for impulse control.
When humans commit the same type of extreme cruel acts and other net-negative acts we put some degrees of blame on the culprit because humans has the inherent capacity for impulse control, sense of morality and conscience. For these acts [except psychiatric cases] by humans we can classify them as evil.
Note my point is All humans has the [B]potential[/B] to be beastly and evil as embedded in the human DNA.
[url]https://www.city-data.com/forum/philosophy/2508277-all-human-beings-potentially-beastly-evil-9.html[/url]
Note, there is a big difference between 'evil' and 'stupidity'.
Many psychopaths who are killer serial has been tested to have high IQ.
Note [B]Ted Bundy[/B] is one famous serial killer and an evil person who is very intelligent but cannot control his beastly impulses.
Another is the [B][COLOR=#6a6a6a]Ted[/COLOR] Kaczynski[/B], aka the Unabomber;
[INDENT]Kaczynski was born and raised in [URL="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evergreen_Park,_Illinois"][COLOR=#0066cc]Evergreen Park[/COLOR][/URL], Illinois. While growing up in Evergreen Park he was a [URL="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_prodigy"][COLOR=#0066cc]child prodigy[/COLOR][/URL], excelling academically from an early age. Kaczynski was accepted into [URL="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvard_University"][COLOR=#0066cc]Harvard University[/COLOR][/URL] at the age of 16, where he earned an undergraduate degree. He subsequently earned a PhD in mathematics from the [URL="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Michigan"][COLOR=#0066cc]University of Michigan[/COLOR][/URL]. He became an [URL="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assistant_professor#Assistant_professor"][COLOR=#0066cc]assistant professor[/COLOR][/URL] at the [URL="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_California,_Berkeley"][COLOR=#0066cc]University of California, Berkeley[/COLOR][/URL] in 1967 at age 25. He resigned two years later.
[/INDENT]There are many cases of evil people who are tested and observed as very intelligent [not stupid].
[B]
20% of all humans are evil prone;
[/B]
I don't have exact numbers but based on your own estimation what percentage of humans are likely to commit low degree evils like lying, cheating, bribing, greed, selfishness?
My guess is at least 80% of humans are likely to commit the above low degree evils.
Thus 80% of human are prone to evil, albeit low degree evil.
Therefore "20% of human are prone to evil," i.e. has tendencies to commit evil of some degrees is very conservative to cover the more serious degrees of evil, like killing, injuring, oppression, beheading and a smaller degree to mass rapes and genocide.
One can reinforced the above estimation based on the principles of the Bell Curve. I don't mean getting the exact figure of 20% but reassure one that a 20% estimation has high margin of error.
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