In this episode, I pose a question about evil. I argue that while the relativization of the concept of evil may once have been necessary, it has now swung to the opposite extreme—one in which we often fail to ask moral questions at all.

I suggest that we must return to the question of evil—again and again—if we are to remain moral beings capable of ethical action.

This question is not isolated. It is deeply connected to broader philosophical themes: the nature of being and nothingness, creation and destruction, and what I call thanatocracy—the rule by death.

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This is Thinking in Dark Times, and my name is Volodymyr Yermolenko. I’m a Ukrainian philosopher, president of PEN Ukraine, and editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld.org. If you’d like to support my work, you can do so on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/thinkinggg

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This episode is done in partnership with Politeia, a Ukrainian NGO focusing on preparing a new generation of change-makers in Ukraine.