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I'm not sure how Absolute Evil is defined. According to the definitions you've presented, Absolute Evil would only be able to exist in the absence of some Absolute Good (Eru) or perhaps be equal in origin. Would something that is Absolute Evil would have to be eternally present, if for no other reason than that its end would be good?~Legolas
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I don't know what it is, or am not absolutely sure how to define it. Those are just some things I've come up with and of course await to hear your input.
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I often hear say that young children are innocent and unspoiled. Before children learn morals, they are neither capable of doing right nor wrong, since they have no concept of these things. As long as you are unaware of the law, you cannot break it.~Cailin
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I agree with Kuru in that you can break the law and yet not be aware that you are breaking it, but I do see what your saying. Instead of the "law" however, perhaps morals would be the better term. As a newborn can you have concept of what is morally right or morally wrong? I don't think so, it's your upbringing and experience that effects ones morals, as a newborn I don't think they have a concept of what is "right and wrong" until they get older.
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Assuming dualism has some grain of truth in it, if there is absolute good, there is absolute evil. By his mere existence, Eru would have ensured the presence of an opposing force. In that sense, he could have created it indeed.
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I don't know if Eru is in fact "wholly good," but thinking that he is, I don't think he actually could create something as evil as he was good. To do so wouldn't that mean he would have to create something as powerful as himself? If so, can Eru do that, create a force that is equal to him?
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Consequentially, most and possibly all children have a unique self-centeredness, allowing them to experiment freely with the boundaries of human morals without feeling restraint out of fear for causing others pain. In that sense, children are really the most evil beings of us all
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This sounds like you are arguing that humanity is born bad.
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Well we are all born with the ability to do "bad," so perhaps in some way we are.
I've also been thinking about Tolkien saying that "evil is only a perversion of good." So in order to have an "evil" there must be something good and it's twisted...therefor nothing can be "wholly evil" since it's only a perversion of good.