In Western philosophy, evil is usually limited to doing harm or damage to an object or creature. Plato argued that which we call evil is merely ignorance and that good is that which everyone desires. Benedict de Spinoza said that the difference between good and evil is merely one of personal inclinations: "So everyone, by the highest right of Nature, judges what is good and what is evil, considers his own advantage according to his own temperament... ."[2]

The duality of 'good versus evil' is expressed, in some form or another, by many cultures.[citation needed] Those who believe in the duality theory of evil believe that evil cannot exist without good, nor good without evil, as they are both objective states and opposite ends of the same scale.

The legal term, malice (from the Latin malus meaning "bad") describes the deliberate human intent to harm, while sadism refers to a psychological state in which a person derives pleasure from the pain of another person.

In the philosophical concept of evil, the intent to cause harm is crucial, so that acts that would otherwise be considered evil are not called evil when performed by very young children, by animals, or by the insane (see Amorality).

There is also a class of deliberate acts, known to be harmful to another, which are not considered evil because:

1. they are acts of self-defense or defense of another
2. they are considered justified (for instance, Just War)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Evil

Answered by Arle Rambabu , an ibibo Master, at 8:41 AM on November 02, 2008

In ethics, evil refers to behavior which does harm, is dishonest, or fails to honor agreements. In some religions, notably the Christian and Zoroastrian religions, evil is an active force. In the Christian religion, good is, by definition, what God commands, and Satan works to spread evil (disobedience) in the world. Evil thoughts are as serious as evil actions. In Zoroastrianism there are two Gods, the good Ahura Mazda and the evil Ahriman. In most cultures, evil is used to describe acts or thoughts which are contrary to an established religion, or which could bring about suffering and death — the opposite of good.
In Western philosophy, evil is usually limited to the idea of doing harm or damage to an object or creature. Plato argued that that which we call evil is merely ignorance and that good is that which everyone desires.
Philosophers usually avoid arbitrary definitions of good and evil, in contrast to religious definitions, where a god or holy book has handed down a list of evil acts.

The duality of 'good versus evil' is expressed, in some form or another, by many cultures. Those who believe in the duality theory of evil believe that evil cannot exist without good, nor good without evil, as they are both objective states and opposite ends of the same scale.
In the philosophical concept of evil, the intent to cause harm is crucial, so that acts that would otherwise be considered evil are not called evil when performed by very young children, by animals, or by the insane.
source: http://www.answers.com/topic/evil

Answered by Tingtong , an ibibo Master, at 7:19 AM on November 02, 2008