The Philosophy Meetup – What Defines Evil? Is it a useful or an outdated term?

UPDATE: we have a topic for the monthly Meetup, this Sunday, July 27 at 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM Pacific Time. We're meeting by Zoom this month; join in by phone or by computer with a microphone and (preferably) a webcam. Shortly before the meeting starts, I'll send a Zoom invitation with the link and some discussion notes.

If your plans to attend have changed, please update your RSVP.

The winner of the email vote and the topic for Sunday is:

WHAT IS EVIL? Is there such a thing as evil? Is evil a useful concept or is it an outdated moral term? Is evil just another word for very immoral, ethically wrong, or selfish? Or is there something more to it? Whichever way you define evil, what is its source? Is it due to someone being "sick in the head?" Is evil due to ignorance? Or are there other roots of evil? Note that these questions do not assume that evil is a metaphysical or supernatural force. A secular notion of evil might be viable.

Further questions: do "evil" people generally think of themselves as being evil or doing evil? Or, do people who do evil think of themselves similarly to how most people do, that is, as decent people who, on those occasions when they must do harmful or immoral actions, feel justified in doing so, or feel that they made an understandable mistake that nearly anyone could make?

Could almost any of us become evil if we were put in dire situations? What circumstances do you think would cause you to do evil, however you define evil?
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READINGS for the topic – I have a choice of two readings for you this time – pick one or the other.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evil
The Wikipedia entry on Evil is informative and not too lengthy. The article goes over a number of secular and religious ideas on the nature of evil.

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/concept-evil/
If you want to read a longer, scholarly article, the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy entry on The Concept of Evil distinguishes between various theories of what the essence of evil is. Written by philosopher Todd Calder, this ~25-page article is more accessible and quick reading than most of the articles in the Stanford Encyclopedia.
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Don't forget, if you have some philosophical question or issue that you want to talk about at a future meeting, email it to me!