The Spiraling Mind: Good vs. Evil – That Tired Ol’ Trope?
Now I am not sure I agree with this. Yes I tend to think many people think they do good things or even bad things for good reasons but there are evil people and evil situations in the world and they do not pretend to be otherwise.
However, that said, good and evil are relative. One person's terrorist is another's freedom fighter.
Now some people espouse capital punishment- either for societies revenge on the victim or to deter. Of course some people do not.
How does this relate to writing? Often there is a clear case of Good Versus Evil in fantasy. Sauron vs the fellowship, Voldemort vs Harry Potter etc. In many cases it is not as clear cut- I will probably get shot down for saying this but to an extent Star Wars- the films tell us the Empire is evil and the rebels are the good guys but they still use terror tactics, they kill, they steal, they destroy and the bring civil war. At the end the Emperor falls (at least for a while) and everyone is happy but the films end with that - so what next, someone has to be in charge and you can bet there are people squabbling over it, usually people who want power shouldn't have it. From relative if rather restrictive peace to civil war and upheaval.
Often there are shades of grey, including people doing what they believe is right, or what is needed, which are not always the same thing.
I do think in writing there is still a place for good and evil, most people like to root for the good guys and for them to be defined as such and cheer when the baddie gets his comeupance. The shades of grey can be ambiguous and misleading. Yet it is true often people look for others to blame, because they are powerless, ignorant or in some cases just bigoted and I think to an extent the good and evil argument reflects this- we blame the alien nazi zombies or the Dark Lord of Zog because we do.
So within my own writing the good guys are not actually that good, they kill, they steal they deceive but it is for a good reason, or at least they think so but at the end of it all will be war and upheaval. The "bad guys" also believe what they are doing is right, or a right. They are protecting the populace, they are maintaining the status quo etc etc, but in the end there will be war...
Anyway I am not sure that makes any sense at all. I did think it was an interesting article.
Now I am not sure I agree with this. Yes I tend to think many people think they do good things or even bad things for good reasons but there are evil people and evil situations in the world and they do not pretend to be otherwise.
However, that said, good and evil are relative. One person's terrorist is another's freedom fighter.
Now some people espouse capital punishment- either for societies revenge on the victim or to deter. Of course some people do not.
How does this relate to writing? Often there is a clear case of Good Versus Evil in fantasy. Sauron vs the fellowship, Voldemort vs Harry Potter etc. In many cases it is not as clear cut- I will probably get shot down for saying this but to an extent Star Wars- the films tell us the Empire is evil and the rebels are the good guys but they still use terror tactics, they kill, they steal, they destroy and the bring civil war. At the end the Emperor falls (at least for a while) and everyone is happy but the films end with that - so what next, someone has to be in charge and you can bet there are people squabbling over it, usually people who want power shouldn't have it. From relative if rather restrictive peace to civil war and upheaval.
Often there are shades of grey, including people doing what they believe is right, or what is needed, which are not always the same thing.
I do think in writing there is still a place for good and evil, most people like to root for the good guys and for them to be defined as such and cheer when the baddie gets his comeupance. The shades of grey can be ambiguous and misleading. Yet it is true often people look for others to blame, because they are powerless, ignorant or in some cases just bigoted and I think to an extent the good and evil argument reflects this- we blame the alien nazi zombies or the Dark Lord of Zog because we do.
So within my own writing the good guys are not actually that good, they kill, they steal they deceive but it is for a good reason, or at least they think so but at the end of it all will be war and upheaval. The "bad guys" also believe what they are doing is right, or a right. They are protecting the populace, they are maintaining the status quo etc etc, but in the end there will be war...
Anyway I am not sure that makes any sense at all. I did think it was an interesting article.