Ann Heberlein’s book on evil sheds light on an eternal problem that is smouldering in our time as well: how people start to nest in their mental dugouts with like-minded people and see those outside their own group as suspicious at best. Gradually, we begin to blame "the others" for our own difficulties.
Understanding the mechanism of polarization helps us to realize that the line that separates good and evil does not pass between different groups of people, as it in fact passes right through every human heart - an idea put in words by a well-known author. Each of us have the responsibility to choose individually how to act in a certain situation; we should never follow the group and its seemingly legitimate practices blindly.
Photo by Anette Batista Day
Heberlein’s treatment of the subject is broad and reflective. She examines, among other things, philosophers’ views on the subject and the conditions of evil, as well as the evil caused by human weakness versus intentionally caused evil, the evil of children, women, and men, as well as, ultimately, goodness in relation to evil.
Most importantly, Heberlein gives a description of how amazingly quickly a community can begin to despise and soon also destroy those labelled as “others”. However, everyone can take action to ensure that the divisions do not deepen. At worst, a careless word may endanger someone’s life, but at best words can build bridges between groups of people.
Heberlein's book should be a textbook in schools in all countries.
Ann Heberlein. En liten bok om ondska. 2010. (In Swedish)
Cover photo by Elti Meshau
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