What is Good and Evil?
The prompt “Do you think it is wise to think about the ethical/theological terms ‘good’ and ‘evil’ as being definable or indefinable?” I must admit that before this course, I had never considered the concept of defining ‘GOOD’ and accepted the idea that I know good when I see it. Being rooted in a liberal arts education, it was instilled in me that one does not truly understand a topic unless one can articulate its meaning. Therefore, my presuppositional mindset believes we can and should define such a term. The difficulty with defining the term ‘good’ is that it is used in both moral and nonmoral senses. In nonmoral senses, we describe a piece of land or precious jewels as containing the attributes of good. In Genesis 1, the term good is used seven times to describe the creation events. But on the moral sense, we describe God as being wholly good. The concept of God’s goodness is the cornerstone of the Christian faith and is based on the truth found in the Scriptures.[1] Jesus declares about the term good, “Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” (Matthew 19:17, Legacy Standard Bible) According Thoralf Gilbrant, “The idea of ‘goodness’ in Hebrew is ‘what fulfills one’s expectations.’ It refers to something that is appropriate, pleasing, and beneficial. A good thing meets the need or the desire of the person. Usually, it exceeds the minimum expectations.”[2] This definition seems clear, but it still lacks completeness in relation to the theist's concept that the good is linked to God, being supremely good.[3] St. Augustine defined good as being from God; therefore, all of creation was good, and all material was good since God created all material or substance.[4] Therefore, evil is a privation of the mutable created beings that are susceptible to corruption.[5] The analogy compares a sock, a good substance, to a corruption represented by a hole, resulting in evil. So, I must admit that I have found it difficult to define goodness without creating a circular argument, because God is supremely good, and all things that are good come from His will. Imagine a great circle representing the essence of good, within which lies the fullness of God's will, encompassing all that is virtuous. Beyond this boundary, however, exists the realm of evil, where truth and goodness cannot reach. This framework enables us to understand morality: obedience to the divine will guides our path, while any deviation or corruption leads us into darkness. Just as the sun is the source of light, so is God’s will the foundation of all goodness. We must be careful how we define goodness, as anything that God decrees. This could result in an arbitrary situation where cruel acts are considered good if the acts were ordered by God. If God only commands something because it's good, this results in goodness being independent and potentially a moral agent above God. Therefore, one must presuppose that God’s nature is goodness and that all things good come from God.
Bibliography
Augustine, Saint, Bishop of Hippo. The Confessions of St. Augustine. Translated by E. B. Pusey. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1996.
Elwell, Walter A. Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology. Electronic ed. Baker Reference Library. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1996.
Evans, C. Stephen. Pocket Dictionary of Apologetics & Philosophy of Religion. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2002.
Gilbrant, Thoralf. The Old Testament Hebrew-English Dictionary. The Complete Biblical Library. WORDsearch, 1998.
[1] Carl B. Bridges, Jr. “Good, Goodness.” In Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, Electronic ed., (Baker Reference Library. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1996).
[2] Gilbrant, Thoralf. “(2) טוֹב.” In The Old Testament Hebrew-English Dictionary. The Complete Biblical Library. WORDsearch, 1998.
[3] C. Stephen Evans, Pocket Dictionary of Apologetics & Philosophy of Religion, (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2002), 50.
[4] Saint Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, The Confessions of St. Augustine, Translated by E. B. Pusey, (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1996), 7.12.
[5] Ibid.