evil and other things
Aug. 2nd, 2013 09:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
marycatelliI have twice run across an -- interesting analysis of characters.
One asserted that a certain character was not evil. He was just monumentally greedy and selfish. (King Haggard from The Last Unicorn, btw.)
And the other asserted that certain characters were not evil for something they did. They were just vain.
Now, I can see an argument that vanity is not a major vice. It is not, however, a virtue; insofar as characters are vain, they are just a little evil. As witness that attention to appearance is only called vanity when it's deemed excessive.
The idea however that greed and selfishness are differentiated from evil makes you wonder what it would take to qualify.
One asserted that a certain character was not evil. He was just monumentally greedy and selfish. (King Haggard from The Last Unicorn, btw.)
And the other asserted that certain characters were not evil for something they did. They were just vain.
Now, I can see an argument that vanity is not a major vice. It is not, however, a virtue; insofar as characters are vain, they are just a little evil. As witness that attention to appearance is only called vanity when it's deemed excessive.
The idea however that greed and selfishness are differentiated from evil makes you wonder what it would take to qualify.
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no subject
Date: 2013-08-03 09:06 pm (UTC)This might have something to do with the fact that some of the people who (currently) complain about the evil of greed and selfishness seem to lead pretty self-involved and greedy lives in their own right (not pointing at you; just wanted to be clear on that).
How often do you see, for example, Hollywood doing a film where they affect pious horror at 'greedy' businesses, and then use it to rake in hundreds of millions?
It's not hard to see that attitude as being more like 'Greed and selfishness is evil when you're doing it.'
That and many people associate evil with violence. Who was it who said that 'only actions that needlessly hurt others are evil'?
And if I'm the one who caused the headaches about Haggard, then I'm sorry.
no subject
Date: 2013-08-03 09:42 pm (UTC)Occupy Wall Street, for instance, was certain that it was all about greed but not its own greed. (I think they mean by "greed" "owning things that I covet.")
It wasn't you with Haggard. Wasn't this discussion, either. And, indeed, I pointed out at the time, and the other person did see the small logic flaw.