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The non-duality philosophy idea seems to be that polarity is an illusion, because in reality everything is connected and whole. Even when things seem separated they are still connected and depend on each other to define and create themselves through their connection. So if evil depends on good to exist than does it really exist if in the absence of good is evil?

Crumhikuu
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    Welcome :) You will want to browse through the FAQ and also search through the other questions on this site. Questions here tend to score more on the specificity scale than yours does at the moment and are also fleshed out beyond terse one-liners. – coleopterist Jan 24 '13 at 20:18
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    What "non-duality" philosophy are you speaking of? Can you refer to specific philosophers who hold that philosophy, so we can examine their particular claims? – Michael Dorfman Jan 25 '13 at 08:22
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    By "non-duality", do you mean some sort of "monism"? – Niel de Beaudrap Jan 25 '13 at 15:59
  • No, evil does not exist. A judgemental god does not exist. Racism, nationalism, religion, these are all ideas that we created. – Tyler Langan Jan 26 '13 at 00:55
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    @Tyler - Are there any ideas we did not create? – Michael Dorfman Jan 26 '13 at 13:40
  • Michael, much of the pain, suffering, evil, or bad in our history is because we pretend racism, nationalism, and religion are valid ideas. – Tyler Langan Jan 26 '13 at 20:52
  • As you learn more, you understand none of these concepts are valid. You can't walk the planet and tell me there are races. The people all blend together. Where can you draw a line and say: this person is black. This person is definitely white. Everyone is somewhere in between. I might have more genetic similarity to Michael Jordan than I do to my neighbor. The genes dictating our outward appearance are a super tiny part of us. I think there's something like 15 to 30 genes that control skin color. That's such a small part of who you are. You have genes for your kidney, for your heart. – Tyler Langan Jan 26 '13 at 20:56
  • Nationalism is based on government which is based on social contract which is based on land ownership which no longer applies to us. – Tyler Langan Jan 26 '13 at 20:57
  • Religion is based on superstition and prejudice. – Tyler Langan Jan 26 '13 at 20:58
  • @TylerLangan - I suppose that since I can vary wavelength (and activation of different subsets of photoreceptor cells) continuously there is also no such thing as orange. – Rex Kerr Jan 26 '13 at 20:59
  • What? Explain more please. – Tyler Langan Jan 26 '13 at 21:00
  • Where and what is orange, Rex? Hint: it's not out in the world. – Tyler Langan Jan 26 '13 at 21:14
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    @TylerLangan Can you take it to chat, please? – iphigenie Jan 26 '13 at 22:19
  • See this link and by using (ctrl+f) search for ' greater boon that memory is forgetfulness' and read until 'which you see accruing from them' – Honey Sep 23 '15 at 14:08

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From Satischandra Chatterjee, Dhirendramohan Datta. Introduction to Indian Philosophy. University of Calcutta, 1948 :

The critics of Advaita Vedanta have often urged that if Brahman be the only reality and all distinctions false, the distinction between right and wrong also would be false. This objection is due to the confusion of the lower and higher standpoint. For one who has not yet attained liberation, any action which directly or indirectly leads him towards the realization of his unity with Brahman, is good and that which bampers such realization, directly or indirectly, is bad. One who has attained perfect knowledge and liberation would look back upon these moral distinctions as being relative to the lower standpoint and, therefore, not absolutely valid.

this book also refer to Radhakrishnan, Ind. Phil., Vol II, pp. 612-34, and speeches of Vivekananda quoted by James in Pragmatism, pp.152

sviter
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Of course there is such a thing as evil. It is the moral evaluation most people attach to things like eating babies, murdering kittens, torturing for amusement and other horrid acts. The thing is, while the OP, myself and possibly many others regard, say, Adolph Hitler to be an evil man, there is unfortunately no such thing.

Psychologically realistic bad guys see themselves as heros. I do not see the bad guys as heroes, I see them as bad guys (and I am sure most agree). The terrorists behind the Madrid train bombings no doubt thought of themselves as martyrs of Islam, dying to protect all that is right and good.

But we don't see them that way. I must again emphasize that thinking you are a hero does not make you one.

Evil is a thing inside our brains, and every human has the notion of it, and the hitch is that you never (granted you are mentally healthy) think it applies to you.

Kile Kasmir Asmussen
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    This are way too many assumptions and claims without any evidence. The fact that each and every one of us (which is not even the case) experiences something we are used to call evil isn't the same as the existence of evil. The rest of what you're saying is examples, again without sources or evidence. "Evil is a thing inside our brains" doesn't mean anything, imho. – iphigenie Jan 27 '13 at 21:13