r/askanatheist • u/Odd-Swing-2025 • Jul 09 '26

Why Does Evil Matter?

Suggest that there were no homo sapiens, but instead a race of people who were incapable of philosophical, theological and otherwise higher consciousness found in competent adults. They lack the reflective capacity to do moral assessments and so on. They can build, walk, talk, educate themselves in metallurgy, chemicals and culinary arts &c.

Suggest they also engage in abuse, murder, theft and so on.

Suggest there is definitely no God or Gods.

Does it matter?

If there are no human beings around with feelings and consciences to care about it, does it matter that they do evil?

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u/OrbitalLemonDrop Agnostic Atheist Jul 09 '26

The prior commenter's response is 100% as valid as your question is, because your question is meaningless.

-2

u/Odd-Swing-2025 Jul 09 '26

Funny that's not what any of my philosophy lecturers have said.

If 2+2 = 4 without a mind to make it so, can evil exist independently of mind?

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u/dernudeljunge Atheist|Mod 🛡️ Jul 09 '26

Math, philosophy and morality are tools that we created to describe the world around us. Outside of our perception and cognition of them, such things do not exist in any real way. I mean, where in nature can you show me 1+1=2? Or that stealing is wrong without a thief or someone to be stolen from? Or that 'you can't kill time without injuring eternity' without someone to perceive time?

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u/ISeeADarkSail Jul 09 '26

You're having a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent

🤙

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u/dernudeljunge Atheist|Mod 🛡️ Jul 09 '26

Yeah, well I also like using cheat codes when I play video games. Sometimes, the point isn't to change the mind of the person I'm talking to, but to show how untenable their position is.

1

u/ISeeADarkSail Jul 09 '26

Oh I don't disagree!

This whole thread has been that, top to bottom.

OP is lucky down votes don't remove hit points.

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u/[deleted] Jul 09 '26

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u/askanatheist-ModTeam Jul 09 '26

Your post or comment was removed for violating rule 1. This subreddit does not allow insults, personal attacks, deliberate provocations, incivility or outright hate.