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The Problem of Good and Evil
Just watch out for the good
The duality of good and evil is not some archetype that has always existed in the depths of our psyches, spawned from the days of our ancient ancestors. In the distant realm of Greek myths, the conflicts between good and evil rarely existed. The epic poems and tragedies do not concern themselves with this struggle, and are more engaged with the, perhaps more nuanced, individual qualities of character: nobility, wisdom, intelligence, artfulness — and other aspects of what maketh a person, great or small. So says Nick Mamatas in ‘How to Rid the World of Good’ (Everything You Know is Wrong, Ed. Kick, R. 2002, pp 163–166).
The false duality of good versus evil is based on a relatively obscure Persian prophet from the 5th century BCE. Zarathustra founded the religion, Zoroastrianism, and the concept of a monotheistic creed before it became a thing, as popularised by Christianity and Islam. Angra Mainya is their hostile, evil spirit, out to destroy and bring death to our material world. It is us humans who will eventually destroy him through our good deeds. I guess, we may be in for a long wait. Zoroastrianism also throws in a saviour figure, Saoshyant — born of a virgin who will raise the dead and herald the final judgement. No doubt you’ve heard this one before.
