Evil

"An attempt to bring a discussion of [evil's] machinations to the public forum . . . a philosophical, historical, and literary tour of Bad Things." —Booklist

"Today our nation saw evil." —President George W. Bush, September 11th 2001

Evil! Like a zombie back from the grave, it has arisen—a word many of us had long ago relegated to Sunday sermons, video games and horror flicks. But of course, evil is not old fashioned, nor has it ever gone away, and may be as robust as ever.

So what is evil? Does it exist? Veteran journalist Bill Hart tries to drag evil out of the darkness and hold it up to the light. In doing so, he has written a very readable account of 5,000 years of philosophy, theology and human history as it reflects and refines its notion of evil.

More than an explanation of why bad things happen, Evil: A Primer is a tour through the nether regions in search of what we really know.

"Public policy analyst Hart takes on the nastiest subject of all and finds it complex, slippery, and discomfiting—downright wicked, in a word . . .  Entertaining and naughty, learned and light." —Kirkus Reviews 

"An engaging survey of the very complex problems that litter the conceptual geography of evil . . . William Hart's book provides a foundation for all of us to put such evocations of evil in a proper context." —Professor Peter A. French, Lincoln Chair in Ethics, Arizona State University and author of War and Moral Dissonance