Evil in Modern Thought - Susan Neiman

Evil in Modern Thought

In 1755, the Lisbon earthquake destroyed a city and shook a belief: that we lived in a world governed by reason, divine justice, and progress. How can a world where the innocent suffer make sense? What, after all, is evil?

In this essential and profoundly relevant work, Susan Neiman starts with the Lisbon earthquake to show how the attempt to understand evil shaped modern philosophy and continues to influence how we think about the world. Classical philosophers, from Leibniz to Hegel, sought to defend the Creator of a world where evil exists. Inevitably, this effort, combined with the work of writers like Pope, Voltaire, and the Marquis de Sade, eroded faith in God's benevolence, power, and relevance, until Nietzsche declared his death. The author thus traces three centuries of reflection on the most disturbing questions of the human condition: how to find meaning in a world marked by suffering, injustice, and violence.

From 1755 to the Holocaust, passing through the great tragedies that shook Western consciousness, Susan Neiman explores the confrontation between two opposing views: that of those who believe that evil can and should be understood, and that of those who consider that there are horrors that defy any explanation.

Precise and engaging, this is much more than a history of philosophy. It is a fascinating reflection on good and evil, faith and reason, hope and despair, and on the moral dilemmas that continue to define our time.

Work details

• Author: Susan Neiman
• Publisher: Editorial Presença
• Category: Non-Fiction
• Number of pages: 360
• Cover: Paperback