PoetPhilosopher
Veteran Member
What are the differences between "darkness" and "evil"?
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lack of understanding
What are the differences between "darkness" and "evil"?
Me? I go by the dictionary definition of words so this one has me stumped
Darkness :
1/ the partial or total absence of light. (What i recognise is darkness)
2/ wickedness or evil. (I have a problem with this as in the 2 definitions do not remotely relate to each other)
I have the same problem with "truth"
Truth :
1/ that which is true or in accordance with fact or reality.
2/ a belief that is accepted as true.
To me these definitions are contradictory. There are a few other words that, over the years, been taken and bastardised to mean something different and have now become accepted. It dilutes language.
When the box is closed, we are in the dark. Because we are in the dark, this allows speculation and debate to rule the day. The debate allows either state to be assumed possible, therefore, even contradictory theory is allowed. This black box approach is fundamental to statistics, which assumes all results have finite odds and therefore all states have odds that exist, simultaneously.
Once you open the box, we move from the darkness of infinite speculation and tiny odds, to the light of tangible observation.
To we humans, who survive and thrive by knowing how to control and manipulate our environment to our own advantage, the 'unknown' poses a dire threat, and causes deep fear. And so is often viewed as being 'evil'. (Evil, in most cases, being whatever we consider to be 'bad' to, and for, us.)Me? I go by the dictionary definition of words so this one has me stumped
Darkness :
1/ the partial or total absence of light. (What i recognise is darkness)
2/ wickedness or evil. (I have a problem with this as in the 2 definitions do not remotely relate to each other)
I have the same problem with "truth"
Truth :
1/ that which is true or in accordance with fact or reality.
2/ a belief that is accepted as true.
To me these definitions are contradictory. There are a few other words that, over the years, been taken and bastardised to mean something different and have now become accepted. It dilutes language.
What are the differences between "darkness" and "evil"?
To me these definitions are contradictory. There are a few other words that, over the years, been taken and bastardised to mean something different and have now become accepted. It dilutes language.
Dictionaries report common usage. The words just happen to be commonly used in ways that contradict when they are taken out of context. As long as the word communicates meaning in context it's not a problem.Me? I go by the dictionary definition of words so this one has me stumped
Darkness :
1/ the partial or total absence of light. (What i recognise is darkness)
2/ wickedness or evil. (I have a problem with this as in the 2 definitions do not remotely relate to each other)
I have the same problem with "truth"
Truth :
1/ that which is true or in accordance with fact or reality.
2/ a belief that is accepted as true.
To me these definitions are contradictory. There are a few other words that, over the years, been taken and bastardised to mean something different and have now become accepted. It dilutes language.
I feel like the term "darkness" was hijacked poetically, for the purposes of representing "evil." I don't feel the word itself should have any such connotation in common language use. It should represent the state of something lacking light. I believe you can only use "darkness" to represent "evil" if you are speaking metaphorically. To drive home that point, I would state that it is not as if something becomes "evil" when it is cast in shadow, or when there is no light present. Claiming that would just be complete and utter silliness.What are the differences between "darkness" and "evil"?
What are the differences between "darkness" and "evil"?
Depends on the context. They can be synonymous.
In certain contexts, darkness is a metaphor for evil, ignorance, depression, etc. so has a wider range of application to negative states.
Don't you think that metaphor and other forms of figurative speech significantly enhance language?
Time for me to can of worms this thread up...
Christianity has a focus of light. On the internet, there are articles showing the Bible to be a great deception. In such articles, they show links between ancient evil practices and the book. If said deception were true, it may be possible those "protesters" of it have to act dark, and defy everything built up to be true, yet are moral in doing so. What if such protesters do act dark so as not to be a part of the Light system? What if light is a form of fakeness? What if the only way we find ourselves is in the process of flirting with our own dark side until we are cool with it, without actually being evil, disgusting, overly miscreant human beings? What if the path to human morality is acting our lower, morbid, raunchy self?
What evil practices are you referring to?
God dwelt in the darkness
before He created light
and there was nothing to know.....
so He was ignorant
As one of multiple examples, suppose the Bible is like the Codex Gigas.
The Devil's Bible?
Yes. And that is just one theory of how the Bible was a "great deception", made by me, and it's not even the best one out there. I have witnessed about 10 different theories, and some go on for 40-50 pages.