Evil Is Not, And Strives To Unmake The Universe In Its Own Image

Last updated on: December 4, 2011 at 11:20 am by Henry Karlson

Evil Is Not, And Strives To Unmake The Universe In Its Own Image 2011-12-04T11:20:20-05:00 Henry Karlson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The ontology of evil is that evil is anti-being, it is a self-destructive parasite whose end, if it were allowed to come to pass, lies in the extermination of being itself. Evil cannot exist on its own, but only thrive on the good, eating away at it until that which was good is no longer and that which is fed on the good will then die out as well. Nonetheless, evil appears in the world, it is a phenomena which we encounter, even if, essentially it is illusory. Thus, St. Athanasius wrote: “But good is, while evil is not; by what is, then, I mean what is good, inasmuch as it has its pattern in God Who is. But by what is not I mean what is evil, in so far as it consists in a false imagination in the thoughts of men”[1] We create what is evil through our minds, we establish it in the world, giving it the illusion of being: it appears, but we are not able to see it for the void it actually is. It takes the shape of what it deconstructs, it simulates it and fakes it as it eats it away, until the whole structure collapses and the inner, nihilistic core is revealed.

Moral evil follows through with ontological evil- it is the act in which such anti-being, such nihilism, is thrust into the world. As evil is self-destructive, so too, do we find moral evil to be self-destructive and harmful, creating much pain and suffering in the world and in the who acts on it. It leads us to go after that which is less than ideal, so that it we can then help in the deconstruction of the good itself:

But the audacity of men, having regard not to what is expedient and becoming, but to what is possible for it, began to do the contrary; whence, moving their hands to the contrary, it made them commit murder, and led away their hearing to disobedience, and their other members to adultery instead of to lawful procreation; and the tongue, instead of right speaking, to slander and insult and perjury; the hands again, to stealing and striking fellow-men; and the sense of smell to many sorts of lascivious odours; the feet, to be swift to shed blood, and the belly to drunkenness and insatiable gluttony. All of which things are a vice and sin of the soul: neither is there any cause of them at all, but only the rejection of better things.[2]

Evil is chaotic, denouncing all that is rational; in its essence, there is no reason, there is only the destruction of reason as it destroys being. To look for the reason for sin is to give too much credit to sin itself. Of course, sin, evil, thrives on the good, imitates it, and suggests itself under the illusion of good, so that we can see how and why someone would act a certain way when we see how they misconstrue the good. This is not to give reason for evil, but rather, to show the reason behind the good which is contained by and used by evil.

Moral evil resides in us, comes from us, as a kind of self-destructive tendency within; it is the embracing of nihilo over creation, turning the two inside-out. This, of course, is how it first hides itself – but later, the more it develops in us, the more it can reveal itself for its nihilistic glory, and the one who embraces the process of their self-destruction will, in the end, revel in it, knowing full well they seek the end of being.

It is, however, possible for one to come face to face with sin, to see the way sin has led one to self-destruct, and counter it with a no. They can look for and strive for a way out of the habits they have let develop – they can see what they have allowed and finally admit their need for help. This is, in part, what happened with Philip K Dick, and why he often sees his theories connect in many places to orthodox teaching, even if he realizes other aspects of his speculation take him away from it. The basis of his thought, the basis of his spiritual transformation, lies in his encounter with his own evil, and the horror he realized he had brought upon himself:

I have isolated and defined at last the death-dealing streak in me: it is rebellion. I am wild and would be tame. (Meek.) I recapitulate our original sin: rebellion, which is nothing more lofty than resentment. I pray God to break me, sincerely. I have cut through all the layers and am down to the primordial core: strife, not love; thanatos, not eros. One can go no further. It is killing me, this primordial evil in me. God help me. Erbarme mich, mein Gott!! Oder ich bin verloren.[3]

PKD has hit upon an aspect of the primordial sin. It is rebellion, but not just any kind of rebellion, but the rebellion against being itself. It hides this under the guise of self-promotion, in the idolatrous attempt to become a god-unto-oneself. By rejecting the order of being, by rejecting God, one must engage strife and death, in the destruction of being which can only prove itself through the power of suicide (as Dostoevsky showed in The Possessed). The only way we can try to replace God is through the destruction of everything God has created, ending with ourselves. While we might have an instinct for self-survival, we also do have, thanks to sin, the angst which leads us to destroy ourselves. The two create a battle within the soul, a battle which can only be won when God has broken us down, removed the evil, and then restored us to a rightful relationship with him, and through him, all of creation. We must focus on the good within, and work with it, to put in check the sin, to put in check our rebellion against being, but we cannot hold out without God. Without God, without the restorative power of grace, that sin will slowly work at us from within, and in the end, we will be lost.

An encounter with the evil within, an encounter with one’s own negative, rebellious tendencies reveals the truth behind the teaching of original sin. The evil within does not want to be exposed, and will lead us around in circles trying to deny this truth. But once we see it, once we see what it is doing to us, once the decay is so great that the illusion it created vanished, then we can come to the sin and say no, and admit our rebellion and our need for God. This is what PKD himself did:

This is orthodoxy. Sorry – I was led to it. By relentless reasoning, research and colloquy with Zebra himself (i.e., revelation) my errors were corrected. I haven’t arrived at the conclusion I want. But again, sorry: the road of true inquiry does not always lead to what you want or expect, but to what is true.[4]

Reason combined with revelation – reason, which follows the order of being and promotes it, and revelation, the disclosure of what we cannot ascertain by ourselves, combine to reveal the truth and the true order of being. Reason is the antidote to the irrational nature of evil, revelation to the ignorance we have caused for ourselves as we destroy ourselves through moral evil. “The only way we could see that our universe – and us – are irrational is when God the rational bursts in and we have something rational to compare the irrational with.”[5] The two are valuable, but they are not enough. One can see the truth and still be trapped. That is why grace is necessary, it is what frees the will so that it will not be trapped by the prison of the decaying, dying self. Grace restores what was lost, though of course, it does so in such a way that our cooperation is expected. If it didn’t, it would contradict its very purpose.

[1] St. Athanasius, “Against the Heathen” in NPNF2(4):6.

[2] Ibid., 6.

[3] Philip K. Dick, Exegesis. ed. Pamela Jackson and Jonathan Lethem (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2011), 431-2.

[4] Ibid., 432.

[5] Ibid., 454.

Previous Post

December 2, 2011

Stephen Colbert on the new liturgy

Next Post

December 6, 2011 O Felix Culpa

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category 2019 A Consistent Ethic of Life Aaron Weldon Abortion absurdity Abuse Scandal Academics Adoption Advent Africa agreement/disagreement with Church teaching Alexander Schmemann Alexham Alterity America Amnesty International Anarchism angels Anglicanism Animals Annual Statistics Anthony Anxietas Apocalyptic Apophatic Appalachia Aquinas Art Atheism Atonement Augustine Authority Baptism Beauty Bible biblical criticism biblical scholarship Bioethics Bishops Black Catholics Black Theology Blackadder Blogs Books Breastfeeding Brett Salkeld Buddhism Bush administration Byzantine Catholic Calvinism Canada Canon Law Capital Punishment Capitalism Caryll Houselander Catholic Blog Awards Catholic Blogging Catholic League Catholic Social Teaching Catholic Worker Movement Catholicity CFL Charity Children Chris West Christ and Culture Christian Democracy Christian Unity Christmas Christology Church Church Doctrine Church History Climate Change Cohabitation Colbert Collegiality Communion Communism Comparative Theology Competition Conferences conscience conscience rights Consequentialism Consistent Life Ethics Consumerism Contraception Contrition Conversion Converts Coptic COVID-19 Creation Critical Thinking Cross Cuba Culture Culture of Death Culture of Life Darfur David Cruz-Uribe David Wheeler-Reed Death Death Penalty Democracy Demons Desert Fathers Devil Dialogue dignity Disability Disarmament discernment Discipleship discrimination Dissent Distributism Division Doctrine Domestic Church Dorothy Day Double Effect Doubt Down syndrome Driving Early Church Easter Eastern Churches Ecclesiology Economics Economy Ecumenism Education El Salvador Election Election 2020 Ellul Embryonic Stem Cell Research Empire Energy Enlighenment Environmentalism Ephraim Radner Episcopal Church epistemology Equality Eschatology Ethics Eucharist Europe Euthanasia Evangelization Evil Evolution Excommunication F.X. Durrwell Facism Facts Fair Trade Faith Family Fashion Feddie Feminism Feminist theology Fertility Fetal Rights Fiction Film Finances First Things flags Folk Religion Food Foreign Affairs Forgiveness Frank Sheed Free Speech Freedom gay & lesbian persons Genocide George W. Bush George Weigel Gerald L. Campbell Girard/Mimetic Theory Global Warming Globalization Gnosticism Good Friday Grace Gratitude Greed Grey Cup 2009 Guadalupe Guest Post Guest Posts Gun Control Gustave Martelet Habitat for Humanity Hans Urs von Balthasar Harry Potter Hate Speech Health Health Care Healthcare Heather King Hebrew Bible Henri de Lubac Henry Karlson Herbert McCabe Heresy HHS Mandate Controversy History Holidays Holiness Holy Spirit Homiletics Homily Homosexuality Hope Hospitality How Far Can We Go? How Far Can We Go? Human Person Human Rights Humanae Vitae Humility Humor Hunger Hunting Identity Idolatry Ignacio Ellacuría Imagination Immigration In Memoriam Income Inequality Inculturation Indigenous People Individualism Inklings Intellect Interdependence Internet Interpretation Interviews Introduction Iraq War Islam Israel Jain James Alison James Martin Jazz Jesus Christ Jews Joe Biden Joe Hargrave Johann Baptist Metz John Allen John Henry Newman John Paul II John the Baptist John XXIII Jonathan Josef Pieper Joseph (the husband of Mary) Joseph Bernardin Joseph Ratzinger Josh Brumfield Journals Joy Judgment Just War Justice Kari Lundgren Karl Rahner Katerina Ivanovna Kenya Keynes Kingdom of God Kyle R. Cupp Labor Language Latin America Law Leanne Ogasawara Legion of Christ Leisure Lent Liberalism Liberation Theology Libertarianism Libya Lies Life life & dignity & responsibility of the human person Literature Little Way Liturgical music Liturgical Year Liturgy Living Simply Living Wage Local Church Lombard Lord of the Rings Louis Dupre Love M.Z. Magic Magisterium Mark DeFrancisis Mark Gordon Marriage Martin Luther Martin Luther King Jr. Martyrdom Marxism Mary Masculinity Matt Talbot Matthew Fish Matthew Levering McCain Media Memorial Day Mennonites Mental Illness mercy Michael Iafrate Middle East militarism Miroslav Volf Mitt Romney Modesty Moral Theology Morality Mormonism Morning's Minion Mother Teresa Music Muslims Natalie Nate Wildermuth Nationalism Native Americans Nature Nazis Neuhaus New Evangelization New York City News NFP nihilism Nonviolence Not Abortion Nova's Ordo Nuclear weapons Nuns Obama Occult Old Age Opus Dei Ordination ordination of women original sin Orthodoxy Oscar Romero Other Voices Pacifism Palestine Palin Papacy Papal Peace Messages Papal Social Encyclicals Particular Affections Partisanship Patriotism Paul Paul Ryan Paul VI Peace Pentimento persecution Personalism Phantastes Philosophy PKD Planned Parenthood Pluralism Poetry Policraticus Politcal Apathy Politics Poll Pope Benedict XVI Pope Francis Pope John Paul II Pope Leo XIV Population Postcolonialsim Poverty Power Prayer Preaching Predictions Predictions for 2012 President Barack Obama priestly formation & discernment Pro-Life Progress Prophetic Witness Proportionalism Public Diplomacy Public Policy Question Quotes Rachel Maddow Racism Radical Catholic Mom Radical Catholicism Raymund Schwager Real Catholic TV Real Presence Reconciliation Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange Religion religious freedom Responsibility Ressourcement Resurrection Rick Garnett Ridiculous Crap You Never Thought You'd See Robert Barron Roe v. Wade Roman Curia Rome Russia Sacraments Saints Salvation History Sam Harris Sam Rocha Same-sex Marriage Saskatchewan Roughriders Satire School of the Americas Science Scripture Seamless Garment Second Vatican Council Seeing Sex sexual violence Sexuality Sia Sin social justice Social Security Socialism Society of Jesus Sofia Loves Wisdom Solidarity Sophia soteriology Soutenus Spirituality Sports St. Dismas St. Joseph Stanley Hauerwas Statistics Stimulus Suffering Sunday Reflections Supernatural Supreme Court Symbolism Syria Taxing Technology Terrorism The State The Tea Party The Trump Administration Theological Anthropology Theology Theotokos Thomas Merton Throwaway Culture Tim Muldoon Tim Riley Tim Tebow Time Titian Tolkien Torture Toys Trade Traditionalism Transgender Transportation Transubstantiation Trinity Truth TV U.S. Affairs Uncategorized Unions unity among people who disagree US Catholicism USCCB Usury Utilitarianism Utopia Valentine's Day Vatican Vatican II Veterans Vicarious Suffering Video Violence Virgin Mary Vocations Voluntary Associations Voluntary Poverty Voting Vox Nova vox nova blog war War and Peace War Strategy Wealth Weirdness Welfare state Women Women Priests Work Woundedness Youth

Select a Month June 2026 May 2025 February 2025 January 2025 July 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 July 2023 March 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 November 2021 September 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which book follows Psalms in the Bible?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Job Ecclesiastes Song of Solomon Proverbs