- AETERNAM MALUM -

Description by Mister 13

Aerosol spray on canvas. The concept of evil has been assigned many layers of meaning over the course of centuries. A Classical Greek philosopher, Plato states that what is not good for the cultivation of the soul is resultantly evil. Therefore, Plato spends much of his reflection on exploring the good in society in order to confirm what is evil. In The Republic, Plato presents a tripartite account of the soul. He considers the souls appetites (passions, emotions) to have the least ethical value. Our selfish and lustful urges are one form of evil because they compromise our rational and good nature. As a result, the rational portion of the soul – or the ‘good’ – should take precedence over the irrational and evil. In order to be of good character, the rational part of our soul needs to embody four key virtues: wisdom, courage, moderation, and justice. Any deviation from these virtues, in the form of behaviors such as recklessness, cowardice, excess, and prejudice, is viewed to be ‘evil.’ Unlike other Western philosophers, Plato did not assume that humans were inherently good or evil. \"He is a great observer, and he looks Quite through the deeds of men.\" Shakespeare Julius Cæsar. ACT I Scene 2.