Quotes about Evil

„The only good is knowledge, and the only evil is ignorance.“

—  Herodotus ancient Greek historian, often considered as the first historian -484 - -425 BC

The words of Socrates, as quoted by Diogenes Laertius.
Misattributed

„There is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance.“

—  Socrates classical Greek Athenian philosopher -470 - -399 BC

Socrates II: xxxi http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=D.+L.+2.5.31&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0257#note-link14. Original Greek: ἓν μόνον ἀγαθὸν εἶναι, τὴν ἐπιστήμην, καὶ ἓν μόνον κακόν, τὴν ἀμαθίαν
Diogenes Laertius
Variant: The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance.

„Definition of Good and Evil: Good is what you like. Evil is what you don't like.“

—  Anton LaVey, book The Devil's Notebook

The Devil's Notebook (1992)

„Why do you sow where the field is eager to destroy the fruit? Where there are medicines of sterility? Where there is murder before birth? You do not even let a harlot remain a harlot, but you make her a murderess as well. Do you see that from drunkenness comes fornication, from fornication adultery, from adultery murder? Indeed, it is something worse than murder and I do not know what to call it; for she does not kill what is formed but prevents its formation. What then? Do you contemn the gift of God, and fight with His laws? What is a curse, do you seek as though it were a blessing? Do you make the anteroom of birth the anteroom of slaughter? Do you teach the woman who is given to you for the procreation of offspring to perpetrate killing? That she may always be beautiful and lovable to her lovers, and that she may rake in more money, she does not refuse to do this, heaping fire on your head; and even if the crime is hers, you are the cause. Hence also arise idolatries. To look pretty many of these women use incantations, libations, philtres, potions, and innumerable other things. Yet after such turpitude, after murder, after idolatry, the matter still seems indifferent to many men–even to many men having wives. In this indifference of the married men there is greater evil filth; for then poisons are prepared, not against the womb of a prostitute, but against your injured wife. Against her are these innumerable tricks, invocations of demons, incantations of the dead, daily wars, ceaseless battles, and unremitting contentions.“

—  John Chrysostom important Early Church Father 349 - 407

St. John Chrysostom, Homily 24 on the Epistle to the Romans [PG 60:626-27] https://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2017/10/contraception-early-church-teaching-william-klimon.html

„Ashoka’s emblem of the Amlaki will be seen on the cornices of the Institute, and towering above all is the symbol of thunderbolt. It was the RishiDadhichi, the pure and blameless, who offered his life that the divine weapon, the thunderbolt, might be fashioned out of his bones to smite evil and exalt righteousness. It is but half of the Amlaki that we can offer now. But the past shall be reborn in a yet nobler future. We stand here today and resume work tomorrow, so that by the efforts of our lives and our unshaken faith in the future we may all help to build the greater India yet to be.“

—  Jagadish Chandra Bose Bengali polymath, physicist, biologist, botanist and archaeologist 1858 - 1937

Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose in Vijayaprasara

„Inside of me there are two dogs. One is mean and evil and the other is good and they fight each other all the time. When asked which one wins I answer, the one I feed the most.“

—  Sitting Bull Hunkpapa Lakota medicine man and holy man 1831 - 1890

GoodReads https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/5712889.Sitting_Bull
Attributed quotes

„I'm still convinced good will defeat evil, and the world will be restored, humanity will be judged, and justice will be made, call me crazy, but it's because I'm crazy enough to believe.“

—  Angelo Vulpini Venezuelan recording artist 2003

Source: Posted on instagram @angelovulpini, September 2nd, 2021. https://www.instagram.com/p/CTVVtsfrRvh/

Source: https://quotepark.com/suggestions/create-quote/author/?originator_name=Angelo%20Vulpini

„If, I say now, when, as I conceive and imagine, God orders me to fulfill the philosopher's mission of searching into myself and other men, I were to desert my post through fear of death, or any other fear; that would indeed be strange, and I might justly be arraigned in court for denying the existence of the gods… then I would be fancying that I was wise when I was not wise. For this fear of death is indeed the pretense of wisdom, and not real wisdom, being the appearance of knowing the unknown; since no one knows whether death, which they in their fear apprehend to be the greatest evil, may not be the greatest good. …this is the point in which, as I think, I am superior to men in general, and in which I might perhaps fancy myself wiser than other men — that whereas I know but little of the world below, I do not suppose that I know: but I do know that injustice and disobedience to a better, whether God or man, is evil and dishonorable, and I will never fear or avoid a possible good rather than a certain evil.“

—  Socrates classical Greek Athenian philosopher -470 - -399 BC

29a–b
Alternate translation: "To fear death, is nothing else but to believe ourselves to be wise, when we are not; and to fancy that we know what we do not know. In effect, no body knows death; no body can tell, but it may be the greatest benefit of mankind; and yet men are afraid of it, as if they knew certainly that it were the greatest of evils."
Plato, Apology

„It is not enough, citizens, to have destroyed the factions, it is necessary now to repair the evil that they have done to the country.“

—  Louis Antoine de Saint-Just military and political leader 1767 - 1794

Speech to the National Convention (April 15, 1794). [Source: Oeuvres Complètes de Saint-Just, Vol. 2 (2 vols., Paris, 1908), p. 367]

„Insurrection is the exclusive right of the people and of the citizen. Every foreigner, every man clothed with public authority, is outlawed if he proposes it and must be put to death as a usurper of sovereignty and as interested in fomenting troubles for the purpose of doing evil or of adorning himself. Insurrections taking place under a despotism are always salutary. Those which break out in a free state are sometimes dangerous for liberty itself, because the revolt usurps its sublime pretexts and its sacred name. Revolts in free states leave long and painful wounds which bleed a whole century.“

—  Louis Antoine de Saint-Just military and political leader 1767 - 1794

(1794) [Source: Saint-Just, Fragments sur les institutions républicaines]

„The greatest crimes in the world are not committed by people breaking the rules. It's people who follow orders that drop bombs and massacre villages. As a precaution to ever committing major acts of evil it is our solemn duty never to do what we're told, this is the only way we can be sure.“

—  Banksy pseudonymous England-based graffiti artist, political activist, and painter

Source: Wall and Piece (2005)

„Lesser, greater, middling, it's all the same. Proportions are negotiated, boundaries blurred. I'm not a pious hermit, I haven't done only good in my life. But if I'm to choose between one evil and another, then I prefer not to choose at all.“

—  Andrzej Sapkowski, book The Last Wish

Source: The Last Wish

„Words are life. Words are light. Words are power. Words are energy. Words are truth. Words can enliven and words can also kill. Words can give hope, or plunge us into despair. People use words to build peace, and use words to make war. Words can create walls between cultures, religions, and nations. And words can also build bridges. The existence of an individual, a family, a community, a country, and our planet is being led to good or to evil through the power of the words we speak. The words we speak are responsible for everything that happens in this world. We, therefore, must be responsible for the words we speak. On behalf of future generations, I hope that each of us will do all we can to speak only bright, light-filled words, so that one day, our descendants will be born into a world filled with light. There is no time to lose. Starting at this very moment, I hope all of us will take a close look at the words we have been using and make constant efforts to fill them with brightness.“

—  Alexis Karpouzos 1967

Source: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14108295.alexis_karpouzos

„Evil would always come to me disguised in systems and dignified by law.“

—  Pat Conroy, The Lords of Discipline

Source: The Lords of Discipline

„So you think that money is the root of all evil. Have you ever asked what is the root of all money?“

—  Ayn Rand Russian-American novelist and philosopher 1905 - 1982

„Fear is death, fear is sin, fear is hell, fear is unrighteousness, fear is wrong life. All the negative thoughts and ideas that are in the world have proceeded from this evil spirit of fear.“

—  Swami Vivekananda Indian Hindu monk and phylosopher 1863 - 1902

Pearls of Wisdom

„Boredom is the root of all evil - the despairing refusal to be oneself.“

—  Sören Kierkegaard Danish philosopher and theologian, founder of Existentialism 1813 - 1855

„Life is beautiful. Let the future generations cleanse it of all evil, oppression and violence, and enjoy it to the full.“

—  Leon Trotsky Marxist revolutionary from Russia 1879 - 1940

Trotsky's Testament (1940)
Context: Natasha has just come up to the window from the courtyard and opened it wider so that the air may enter more freely into my room. I can see the bright green strip of grass beneath the wall, and the clear blue sky above the wall, and sunlight everywhere. Life is beautiful. Let the future generations cleanse it of all evil, oppression and violence, and enjoy it to the full.

„According to Islamic tradition (sunnah), marriage has been deemed to be an essential requirement. Celibacy has been regarded as a malevolent condition fraught with evils.“

—  Morteza Motahhari Iranian politician 1919 - 1979

Sexual Ethics in Islam and in the Western World, al-islam.org http://www.al-islam.org/sexualethics/,
PDF format http://www.iranchamber.com/personalities/mmotahari/works/sexual_ethics_islam_and_western_world.pdf
Source: Sexual Ethics in Islam and in the Western World, Chapter 1, Sexual Ethics in Islam and in the Western World, Baztab News, 2007/08/10, 2007-08-19 http://en.baztab.com/content/?cid=4132,