Evil: A Primer

by William Hart

From Plato to Augustine to Carl Jung, great thinkers have tried to explain it. Religions have offered to protect us from it. Dostoevsky plumbed its depths, Mae West joked about it, and John Wayne forged a career fighting it on the silver screen.

But what is evil? Where does it come from? How can it exist?

In this wide-ranging and insightful exploration of ideas, a veteran journalist surveys the varied ways in which five thousand years of human thought have wrestled with the problem of evil. Why is explaining it such a daunting test of reason? Can good ever come of evil, and if not, why does it exist? Is a harmful act evil if it's unintentional? What about cursing and lying - are there degrees of evil? And how can the ordinary, even the banal, transform into the horrific?

Much more than an answer to why bad things happen, Evil: A Primer is a frank and forthright tour of wickedness through the ages, from Satan to the Marquis de Sade to Charles Manson. You'll discover what we really know about evil - its sources, its effects, and the ways in which we measure it, avoid it, try to come to terms with it, succumb to it, or use it for artistic inspiration.

Does evil have a purpose after all? or is it simply the price of being a free-willed individual? Come along on this captivating journey to find out.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Philosophy, Theology, Psychology, Religion

204 pages, Hardback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

William Hart is an editor, translator, writer and teacher. He studied English literature at McGill University, Montreal, and translation (French to English) at the University of Ottawa. Since 1990 he has worked in Ottawa as an independent editor-translator for various departments of the Canadian government.
One of the first assistant teachers appointed by S.N. Goenka, Mr. Hart continues to conduct Vipassana courses, mainly in Israel. His book, The Art of Living: Vipassana Meditation as Taught by S.N. Goenka, has become a definitive work in its field, translated into more than 15 languages. Fluent in English, French and Hebrew, Mr. Hart has lived for extended periods in Israel, Japan and India.

Reviews

[Matthew W · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast read of a book that takes an eclectic look at evil. Why are women thought of as the evil sex? Are psychopaths truly evil? Is so called "evil" behavior merely the result of evolutionary psychology? Are people that commit evil acts merely degenerates that have taken an alternate route to the "survival of the fittest?"

It becomes apparent while reading "Evil: A Primer" that "evil" has always been the description given to those dark individuals and dark actions throughout history that man has been unable to make sense of. "The Devil made me do it" has been a popular excuse for bad behavior throughout history.

"Evil: A Primer" brings up how any loser nowadays can proclaim to be evil and wear a pentagram around their neck without facing the penalty of being burnt alive (or any other type of real dangerous consequence) for being a heretic like may have happened during the inquisition. A quote in the book from Church of Satan founder/high priest Anton LaVey sums it up: "It became rather embarrassing after awhile. I'd step off the plane and there they'd be, all huddled together to meet me in their black velvet robes with huge baphomets around their necks....I was trying to present a cultured, mannered image and their idea of protest of shock was to wear their "lodge regalia" into the nearest Denny's." I don't think many people would disagree anti-Christian sentiments are mainstream nowadays, especially among "cultured" types. On the other hand, I find it rare for the typical carbon-copy atheist to criticize Judaism (or various other "diverse" religions). After all, that would be anti-Semitic.

"Holocaust architect" Adolf Eichmann is also discussed in the book as the "banality of evil." Apparently, Eichmann was your average bureaucrat only interested in getting the job done, even if that meant efficiently figuring out how to kill tons of people. Apparently, the very idea of "the banality of evil" has pissed off tons of people as they cannot comprehend how just a normal boring person could be responsible for such atrocities. I guess people don't like the black magic taken away from them.

"Evil: A Primer" is a worthy read for a philosophical look at evil in the past and present in many different contexts. It is surely not a boring subject.

[Megan Grant · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book up very randomly at the library, and it was just that--random. But not in a bad way. If you read this, be aware that it comes to no conclusion. It's a look at several perspectives of evil. It talks about religion, war, death, disease, lying, swearing, etc. It's a bit frustrating because Hart sometimes jumps from topic to topic very quickly and with little transition; or he'll go back and forth supporting a theory and then debunking it. But I think that comes with the territory, and I admire his objectiveness. It was a super interesting read. I especially enjoyed the religious aspect and how much Hart shows the contradictions of organized religion.

[Devyn Leal · Rating 2 out of 5]

A great read. It was extremely fascinating reading about all forms of the word evil, it’s origins, how it’s perceived and philosophical views on each subject. This book had its slow parts but overall I very much enjoyed this book and even highlighted several pieces of text (please don’t kill me) so that I wouldn’t forget them. I would recommend to everyone just to broaden their views on evil in general.

[Cashin]

Ok.

That's pretty much it. I liked how it took the long view of human history and philosophy and covered a lot of ground. I liked that there was an entire section on females and evil, but felt like it needed to also mention how racism and homo/transphobia also fit into this. The same systems that established the feminine as "evil" set up those as well and have been just as sanctioned by church and state.

What I didn't like that it wasn't very persuasive or have an overarching point. But its a "primer" I guess just like it says.

[Eli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This work functions as an excellent starting point in studying the philosophical, theological, biological, social, and historical basis for the notion and problem of evil. As it was written by a journalist, it is readable and highly accessible. Its bibliography recommends many great works on the notion of evil.

[Maddison Rice · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very profound book, i read it with ease and finished it in a day! I wish it was longer but at some points it got repetitive but I couldn’t put the book down. There is no real conclusion it comes to but that is the purpose of the book. Not going to lie, it might be my favorite book

[Madison Deppe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and thought-provoking read!

[Carly · Rating 5 out of 5]

When reading this book, I was quite surprised of the informal atmosphere, which I think is what I liked the most about it. It feels like the author is talking to you, which makes you more comfortable with such a controversial topic.
Evil: A primer makes you think about what evil actually is. It isn't explaining how you should start worshiping Satan, or that you should kill your parents. It takes a step out of your comfort zone and takes you in the world of other religions. It shows how different parts of the world, past and present, views evil.
The best part about this book, in my opinion, is that it isn't trying to persuade you about anything. It is slightly opinionated, about what the author thinks evil is, but he shows factual information, but lets the reader decide on they're own whether or not they believe in evil, or what it is.

"Is it evil for a lawyer to help a guilty criminal evade punishment? For a coyote to have your cat for lunch? For CEO's to plunder cooperations while balancing knife-edge boundries of the law? For weathly people to wax richer while their neighbors struggle in poverty? For humans to kill animals for sport or preform painful experiments on our first cousin, the chimp?"

This is one of my favorite paragraphs, because it really makes you think. The whole book is like that! I love that!

[Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Evil, A Primer, is exactly what it is held to be, a neat little book that discusses Evil in all its forms. It is definitely an introduction only. though as the title says, it is just a primer.

William Hart treated this subject with the style of a poet and the mind of a scientist and the result is a highly readable introduction to one of humanities deepest philosophical debates.

"[Mankind] is fueled by a kind of existential rage that itself explodes forth from the cold knowledge that, though we humans have been bred to play among he planets and gaze upon eternity, we still are fated to die like any insect."

So succinct a commentary of the human condition has scarcely been seen before. For my part I offer a 4 out of 5 rating and would recommend this book for anyone who wishes to delve into the philosophies of humanity.

[Violet_violence · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a bit more than half-finished with this book. (Right now I'm juggling this book and the Jenna Jameson book as well as getting ready to start on a third......) I found this book on the bargain rack for like eight bucks. It's amazing the cool stuff you can find for relatively cheap. This book is a philosophical, pop-cultural, theological, psychological and sociological foray into the question of what evil is and the disturbing answer that follows: 'it just is.' From Satan to Ed Gein and every philosopher and evolutionary theory in between, this book is very philosophical but reads more like an action novel than a tome by Nietzsche.

[CD · Rating 3 out of 5]

A journalist raps on the big bad guys and really bad ideas of history. Few are spared and none 'forgiven'. An entertaining and quick visit to the complex grounds of morality, social behaviors, religion, and the inexplicably unpleasantness that beset humankind.

This book edges up to being too clever in places with analysis and the writer throws around a lot of concepts that deserve more expansion for this topic to be well covered.

'EVIL' is a fair introduction to the topic, certainly with the twist that this author adds.

[Thomas Fackler · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a mixture of conjecture, lore, and courtroom fact. From this Hart manages to filter out the ideas of Evil and evil: the first a set of rules that is as near uniform as possible across cultural boundaries and the second a set of rules that seem to fluctuate both within and outside of any given culture. Evil: A Primer is a fairly quick read and manages to hit the highlights, however poorly, of the problem of evil - both the word and the perceived action.

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

i really liked this one. it had a lot of good information that i was sort of hoping for when i got this book. although the author couldnt answer some of my big questions, he answered the rest. i would recomend only to those who have an open view on the topic, and not to those who are already decided on the subject.

[Katt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wasn't exactly what I thought the book was going to be about but had some very interesting stuff in it though about EVIL. I do have to say I wasn't very interested in this book but wanted to finish it anyways. If you are wanting to learn someone else's way of looking at EVIL I would recommend you reading this book.
Over all it was an okay book to read.

[Dave Sippel · Rating 4 out of 5]

"What is evil?" seems like a straightforward and simple question to answer. This books questions a lot of notions and conceptions that the public has and turns them on their heads. It does not deny the existence of evil but shows that what we believe is not always so clear cut.

[Nierikk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting ideas and exerps from history/other sources. Worth reading through once, but little staying value.

[Bebel]

not a good read...still have yet to finish it. simply not what I thought it would be. :(

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now that's what I'm talking about. He's got a great voice and a clear perspective. Interesting stuff.

[Ken · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good little book! Nothing fancy, but worth having around. Good bibliography, too.

[Caleb Lagan · Rating 2 out of 5]

meh, some interesting stories but the author is pretty biased

[Hecka · Rating 2 out of 5]

Twas Fmeh..