EVIL, Origin of, the subject of extensive theological and philosophical speculation. The difficulty of the question lies mainly in the fact that the existence of evil in the world seems in consistent with the view that it was created and is maintained by an omnipotent and beneficent creator. The various theories on the subject have all sought to elude this difficulty either by the supposition of some principle of evil equally eternal with that of good, or by regarding evil as having only a relative existence, being a kind of good in an imperfect and immature stage. But the problem remains inscrutable and in soluble.
• Perhaps the oldest theory on this subject is that of Parseeism, or the religion of Zoroaster, according to which there were two original an tagonistic principles, one good (Ormazd) and the other evil (Ahriman). This IS the doctrine that is now very often spoken of as Manichz isrn. In contradistinction to this dualistic theory with reference to the origin of evil stand the Monistic theories of Brahmanism and Plato nism. According to the Brahmanic doctrine of the emanation of all things from one original being (Brahma), this original being was re garded as the sole true existence, and the phe nomenal world, with all the evils appearing in it, was held to be mere illusion. Similarly Plato held that the good was the essence of all things, and that the evil and imperfect contained in them had no real existence. The theory enun
ciated by Leibnitz in his ‘Theodicee' ((Vindica tion of God)) resembles that of Plato. In that work he assigns to the evil existing in the world created by God, which he holds to be the best of all possible worlds, a merely relative existence; all that we call evil is, he holds, only evil to us because we do not see it in relation to the rest of the universe, for in relation to the universe it is not evil but good, and accordingly cannot be evil in its own nature. The tradi tional Christian account of the origin of evil is that given in Genesis. In the theology based thereon, Satan, the personal principle of evil, differs from the Zoroastrian Ahriman only in not being co-ordinate with the personal prin ciple of good. Consult Orchard, 'Modern Theories of Sin) (1911) ; Rashdall, 'Theories of Good and Evil) (1907) ; Royce, 'Studies of Good and Evil) (1898).
evil-me-roldalc, king of Babylonia and son of Nebuchadnezzar II. He reigned for less than a year in 561-560 s.c., and was put to death by his brother Neriglissar. His name has been found on some contract tablets. According to 2 Kings xxv, 27 he liberated Jehoiachin, king of Judah.