Evil as absence: recognizing harm and cultivating good

nonexistence of evil; relativity of good and evil

32 selections · 25 reading entries · Current subject view ↗

Editorial introduction

Among the worst of calamities, Bahá’u’lláh writes, is the oppressor who claims the name of justice and the liar who claims the name of truth. Moral language can be stolen, and that is one reason to ask carefully what evil is. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s answer is that nothing created is evil in itself: darkness is the absence of light, ignorance the absence of knowledge, poverty the lack of wealth, error the want of guidance. A scorpion’s venom is good for the scorpion and harmful only in relation to us. Even the greed and anger visible in a nursing infant are praiseworthy when rightly directed, toward knowledge, or against bloodthirsty tyrants, and blameworthy only out of place. Augustine reached a similar conclusion, that corruption is the diminishing of a good and that wrongdoing springs from a distorted will rather than from an evil substance ^[1]. None of this makes suffering unreal. Nature left untrained inclines toward evil, one ill-mannered child can spoil a thousand, and to call evil a negative existence is to be charged with replacing it by its positive opposite: knowledge, generosity, justice, education. The question opens onto light and darkness, the figure of Satan and the Evil One, and the mystery of suffering.

Selected passages

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And among the greatest of calamities is when the oppressor layeth claim to justice, and the liar to truthfulness, and the ignorant one to knowledge.

(Bahá’u’lláh -- BH10412)

By saying there is no evil in existence is meant that what has come from the Origin of existence and being is good and useful. It is good in its time and place and not evil.
For example, I can say that there is no darkness in the sun because darkness is the absence of light and has no existence in itself. Oppression is the absence of justice and ignorance is the lack of knowledge.

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words to a Christian Scientist, spoken at Kinney home on 1912-Nov-14 -- ABU2463)

As to thy question, "That Abdul-Baha hath said to some of the believers that evil never exists, nay rather, it is a non-existent thing:" This is but truth, inasmuch as the greatest evil is (man's) going astray and being veiled from Truth. Error is lack of guidance; darkness is absence of light; ignorance is lack of knowledge; falsehood is lack of truthfulness; blindness is lack of sight; and deafness is lack of hearing. Therefore, error, blindness, deafness and ignorance are non-existent things.

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1901-Aug-01, to Paul Kingston Dealy -- AB07049)

In existence there is no evil; rather, evil is the absence of good, just as darkness is the absence of light.

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words spoken at Plaza Hotel in Chicago, 1912-May-04 -- ABU1436)

Everything in existence is good, and only the lack of goodness in it is evil. The being is created good, but when the lack of good is to be seen in it, then it becomes bad. Evil is not created by God.

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1900 ca. -- AB01454)

There is no origin of evil. The origin of evil is non-existent.
For example darkness is evil. It is the absence of light. Whenever there is no light there is darkness. Consequently it has no existence. Poverty is the absence of wealth. Ignorance is the absence of knowledge. Evil is the absence of good. All evils are non-existences and have no outward forms and shapes.
Creation is good.

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words to a stranger, spoken on 1914-May-09 -- ABU2786)

Now, a doubt comes to mind: Scorpions and snakes are poisonous; is this good or evil, for they have a positive existence? Yes, it is true that scorpions and snakes are evil, but only in relation to us and not to themselves, for their venom is their weapon and their sting their means of defense. But as the constituent elements of their venom are incompatible with those of our bodies, that is, as these constituent elements are mutually opposed, the venom is evil--or, rather, those elements are evil in relation to each other, while in their own reality they are both good.

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Chapter 74, The Relativity of Good and Evil, 1904 ca. -- AB01360)

In the innate nature of things there is no evil---all is good. … For example, you can see in a nursing child, from the beginning of its life, the signs of greed, of anger, and of ill temper; and so it might be argued that good and evil are innate in the reality of man, and that this is contrary to the pure goodness of the innate nature and of creation. The answer is that greed, which is to demand ever more, is a praiseworthy quality provided that it is displayed under the right circumstances. Thus, should a person show greed in acquiring science and knowledge, or in the exercise of compassion, high-mindedness, and justice, this would be most praiseworthy. And should he direct his anger and wrath against the bloodthirsty tyrants who are like ferocious beasts, this too would be most praiseworthy. But should he display these qualities under other conditions, this would be deserving of blame.

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Chapter 57, The Causes of the Differences in Human Character, 1904 ca. -- AB00117)

Creationally there are no bad people. They are all good. It is only when we subvert the original plan concerning our progress that the outcome is a distorted, abnormal state of being.

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Interview with five American teachers, Haifa, 1914-Jul-21 -- ABU1512)

If evil deeds were unknown, how could you commend good actions? If sickness did not exist, how would you understand health? Evil is nonexistent; it is the absence of good. Sickness is the loss of health; poverty, the lack of riches. When wealth disappears, you are poor; you look within the treasure box but find nothing there. Without knowledge there is ignorance; therefore, ignorance is simply the lack of knowledge. Death is the absence of life. Therefore, on the one hand, we have existence; on the other, nonexistence, negation or absence of existence.

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Public address given at Morey home on 1912-Aug-29 -- ABU0019)

The Master said: "Evil is non-existant because it is the absence of good. For example: darkness is the absence of light; ignorance is the absence of knowledge. When the light dispels darkness, and knowledge has replaced ignorance, they have lost their existence through the power of these living realities."

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words to Mary Lucas and other pilgrims, spoken on 1905-Feb-04 -- ABU1470)

Evil does not exist. Death is only the lack of life; therefore death does not exist. Darkness is only the lack of light. Evil is only the lack of good. Ignorance is only the lack of knowledge. Poverty is the lack of riches. Misleading is the lack of guidance. Miserliness is the lack of generosity.

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words to Breakwell, Hopper, Brittingham, spoken around 1901-Sep-04 -- ABU2521)

Misfortune has no true existence. It is simply deprivation of divine bounty. Darkness is the absence of light, otherwise darkness has no outer reality.

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words spoken ca. 1904, from notes of Youness Khan Afroukhteh -- ABU1361)

The source of all evil is for man to turn away from his Lord and set his heart on things ungodly.

(Bahá’u’lláh, Asl-i-Kullu'l-Khayr (Words of Wisdom) -- BH02183)

By the tree of good and evil is meant the material world, for the heavenly realm of the spirit is pure goodness and absolute radiance, but in the material world light and darkness, good and evil, and all manner of opposing realities are to be found.
… Now consider how closely this interpretation conforms to reality: For when the spirit and the self of Adam became attached to the material world, they passed from the realm of freedom into the realm of bondage, this condition was perpetuated with each succeeding generation, and this attachment of spirit and self to the material world, which is sin, was inherited by His descendants. This attachment is the serpent which will forever be in the midst of, and at enmity with, the spirits of the descendants of Adam, for attachment to the world has become the cause of the bondage of the spirits.

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Chapter 30, Adam and Eve, 1904 ca. -- AB00100)

Nature inclines toward evil, unless divine teachings prevent and intervene. Otherwise the essence of nature tends toward evil.
If you leave children to themselves and provide no training, they will become evil.

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words spoken on 1915-Aug-15 in Haifa -- ABU2247)

It is universally recognized that evil is stronger than good. Evil has rapid influence, where good is slow in its impact. If a trustworthy person and a thief were together, the thief would never become righteous, but the converse may occur. Because of their association, a truthful person may become a liar, but it is rare for the perjurer to become truthful, or for the penurious to become generous by reason of his association with the charitable, or for the wicked to become virtuous, and so forth. This is because evil is stronger and its influence is more penetrating.

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words to Shaykh Salman, spoken on 1915-Jan-10 -- ABU0793)

Abdu'l-Baha. -- 'Evil is imperfection. Sin is the state of man in the world of the baser nature, for in nature exist defects such as injustice, tyranny, hatred, hostility, strife: these are characteristics of the lower plane of nature. These are the sins of the world, the fruits of the tree from which Adam did eat. Through education we must free ourselves from these imperfections.

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Evil: Words spoken ca. 1912-Dec-26 in London -- ABU2403)

There is no evil in existence. Evil is non-existence. All that is created is good. Ignorance is evil and it is the non-existence of knowledge; it has no existence of its own. Hence, evil is the non-existence of good. Want of wealth is poverty; absence of justice is oppression; want of perfection is deficiency. All of these opposites imply non-existence and not existence.

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Answer to questions, Dublin, 1912-Aug-09 -- ABU3139)

Darkness is the absence of light - it has no existence. "He guides whom He pleases and leads astray whom He pleases" - He did not ordain misguidance, rather it is error. Poverty is the absence of wealth. Ignorance is the absence of knowledge - when there is no knowledge, there is ignorance. When there is no light, there is darkness. When there is no eye, there is blindness. Just as when there is no wealth, there is poverty - not that poverty has any existence.

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words spoken ca. Jan. 1909 -- ABU2849)

Further quotations · supplied wording and references

Is it then so that the good for the last and lowest among beings is what lies before it, and there is a continuous ascent which gives that above a thing to be good for what is below it...?

Plotinus, Enn.VI.7.25