Are People Inherently Evil?

YES:

When observing negative actions — big and small — I sometimes wonder why people make the choices they do. People aren’t born with a sense of morality, but something they must learn. 

There are a number of external factors that affect someone’s moral framework, from their brain chemistry and environment to those around them.

The concept of evil is usually applied on a large scale with major historical figures — like Adolf Hitler or Mao Zedong — but negative actions can show up in everyday life, too. Whether it’s littering, cheating or murder, evil is all around us. 

There are two main types of evil — moral and natural, according to a study from Queensborough Community College. Moral evil constitutes human acts seen as wrong while natural evils are outside the realm of humans, likenatural disasters. 

The circumstances people are put in from a young age determine how evil they’ll become, according to BBC Earth. Everything is socially inherited, including the negative actions, thoughts and feelings from those older than us. 

This makes it hard to live a life that is completely pure — since evil is both inherent and ubiquitous. 

From a Christian perspective, the greatest sins in the Bible are those nearly everyone commits at least once in their lifetime — lust, greed, pride, envy, sloth, wrath and gluttony. 

The Gospel of Mark even goes as far as to say one can be evil based solely on “evil thoughts.”

Everyone’s had an evil thought at some point, and if all it takes to be evil is for one to think evil, it seems almost impossible for humanity to not be inherently evil — even if it’s very minimal. 

While so-called pure actions may negate evil ones, it’s harder for humans to achieve more good things in a day than evil ones because of how we’re programmed. 

Even if one does everything they can to combat unbidden evilness, it’ll always peek through in the end. 

There are distinct genetic influences that cause humans to have negative emotions and lead to pessimistic lifestyles, according to the National Institute of Health. Living a pessimistic lifestyle leads to evil actions due to the negative outlook it gives one on life. A negative mindset can lead directly to negative actions. 

It’s important to understand that just because we have evil within us, it’s not all bad. Since it’s an unavoidable part of life, embracing evil aspects in small doses can give one control over life. Having evil within us is a fact, it’s what you choose to do with it that determines your moral character.

NO:

The argument of whether people are inherently evil or not is an old one. It’s been discussed throughout history by philosophers, teachers and even the 2024 film “Wicked.” 

“Are people born wicked, or do they have wicked thrust upon them?” Glinda The Good Witch asks. 

There are countless examples of evil in today’s world. Watching the news, it’s easy to assume people are inherently evil because of the chaos raging around us. 

But, really, people are inherently good. 

Being evil may be the easier choice. Littering, cheating on assignments, snooping through a friend’s phone — these actions benefit us in the short term, and can be simpler than doing the right thing.

However true strength arises from choosing the right thing  — something humans are naturally inclined to do. 

The very existence of aspirations, hope and truth prove humans aren’t inherently evil. In 2019, there were 104 million healthcare workers worldwide, according to Medical Economics. Many of these workers chose healthcare because they feel a calling to help others. 

Healthcare workers aren’t up on their feet every day, working 16-hour night shifts just for the money — they’re doing it because they truly believe in doing the right thing. 

The same is true for people who become educators, according to The University of Kansas. While earning low salaries, they constantly manage students and attempt to teach them the right thing. It’s made worth it by the look on a child’s face when they read their first sentence or when a high school student gets into their dream college.

The simple acts of kindness is proof of the inherent good people have with them. Parents don’t have children to make them evil, but to instill them with goodness, care and love in the hopes they’ll set out and make the world a better place. 

In history classes we learn of World War II, Pol Pot and Joseph Stalin — but we also learn of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the formation of the United Nations and the Civil Rights Movement. Interwoven throughout human evil are instances of individuals fighting for what’s right. 

Choosing the right thing isn’t always easy, but it feels good because we know it’s right. It’s rewarding for a reason. We wake up every day, not to be evil but to be good.