Evil Aids Survival: The Problem Of Evil

On August 3rd, 2019, the quiet morning hours of El Paso, Texas, were interrupted by the shrieks of 38 gunshots. In less than five minutes, over 22 individuals laid dead on the floor of a local Walmart, several of which were children, and one was a toddler. By the time the police arrived to investigate, the shooter had fled, and nothing remained but corpses and questions.

All across the nation, the same questions were being asked. Who allowed this? Why couldn’t we prevent this? Why did such a horrible tragedy fall upon such innocent people? Why did God allow this? Why didn’t He stop this devastation? This is a case that plays into a much larger, looming problem—one that has plagued humanity since the dawn of philosophy—the problem of evil.

The problem of evil is the question of how to explain the existence of evil with the existence of a perfect God. Philosophers like Leibniz state that God is an omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent being. If God is omnipotent, he would be able to prevent all of the evil and suffering in the world. If God is omniscient, he would be aware of all the evil and suffering in the world and know how to eliminate or prevent it. If God is perfectly good, he would want to prevent all of the evil and suffering in the world. Yet, our world is filled with numerous examples of suffering and evil, which seem to conflict with the idea that a perfectly good God exists. The challenge posed by this conflict has come to be known as the problem of evil.

Evil is an incredibly broad term, so it should not come as a surprise that it has multiple roots. The theory of psychological egoism asserts that humans only act when they have the opportunity to gain something or to avoid something. This means that humans act based on self-interest, and are motivated by opportunity and by fear.

According to Dante Alighieri’s Inferno, one major sin humanity can commit is fraud. Fraud is the usage of deception for personal gain. Fraud is a prime example of taking advantage of opportunity when it comes. When Candide meets Vanderdendur, he is so desperate to return to Bordeaux that he is willing to pay any price for it. Upon realizing the extent of Candide’s wealth, Vanderdendur seizes the opportunity to steal more and more from him. First, he demands ten thousand piastres. When Candide agrees, Vanderdendur doubles the price and then triples it. Afterward, Vanderdendur sees just how much he has to gain, and says “thirty thousand piastres are a trifle to this man; surely these sheep must be laden with an immense treasure; let us say no more about it” (Chapter 19, page 94). He steals Candide’s two sheep, both of which are laden with riches. Vanderdendur steals from Candide because he understands an incredible opportunity to become rich has been presented to him, and he fears that there may never be an opportunity as great as this one again, so he takes advantage of it. According to the Aristotelian mean, there exist two extremes of fraud, and one of them is avarice, the excessive hoarding of material wealth. Avarice can be derived from fear, because people who hoard usually fear that they may not have something in the future, so they choose to cling to excessive amounts of material wealth.

According to Dante’s Inferno, treachery is the worst sin humanity could possibly commit and would land the sinner into the Ninth Circle of Hell, where they are frozen in a lake of ice for eternity. Treachery is the act of breaking the bond of trust that has added love in it, or betraying someone special to you. In Voltaire’s Candide, Cunegonde is engaged to Candide, but betrays him for Don Fernando, the governor of Bueno Aires. Cunegonde had the” power to be wife to the greatest lord in South America” (Chapter 13, page 56) and prompted by the old woman, “should have no scruple in marrying the Governor and in making the fortune of Captain Candide” (Chapter 13, page 56). Cunegonde knew she was poor, and her only job choice was as a prostitute. Fearing that she would not be able to support herself, she took the opportunity to betray Candide and marry the governor. Cunegonde’s “evil” actions are a mere result of opportunity seized because of fear.

Traits that are labelled as “evil” are often programmed within humans for survival. As individuals, greed is an attribute that helps us survive; as a society, greed is what kills relationships and trust. For our ancestors, greed motivated them to find more food, find fitter mates, and constantly search for safer homes to live in. Greed gave the earliest humans the aggressiveness needed to survive. If there was no greed amongst the early human race, it would have been wiped out thousands of years ago.

In addition, prejudice is another trait that is often misinterpreted. Today, many people see prejudice as immature and repulsive, but it is another trait that has been hard-wired into the human brain. Prejudice allowed the earliest humans to recognize their own kind, and be wary of others who did not resemble them. Traits that are perceived as evil, such as greed and prejudice, were once traits that allowed the human species to survive to continue living.

However, while Voltaire also provides a solution to the problem of evil. The problem of evil is one that has tormented humanity since the beginning of religion and philosophy. In the Garden of Eden, there existed no evil. However, when Adam and Eve sinned by eating the fruit of knowledge, they were kicked out by God. Similarly, the Baron kicks out Candide after he caught with Cunegonde. Candide stumbles from a cushioned world living in the Baron’s home into the merciless streets of Lisbon. In Candide’s “garden,” which symbolizes our world, there are numerous cases of evil, including robbery, rape, and murder. Even after his optimistic nature dwindles, Candide chooses to “cultivate our garden” (Chapter 30, page 169). Through Candide’s words, Voltaire suggests that instead of taking a passive stance and pointlessly philosophizing, it is important to work to advance and make progress in our world. If everyone works together, we can make our world more pleasant and enjoyable.