The Nature of Evil

When human beings do horrifying things, are they evil? By exploring such popular literature as The Talented Mr. Ripley, Dante's Inferno, The Turn of the Screw, and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Koehn illustrates that the roots of human violence are not true evil but a symptom of our failure to really know who we are. It is this lack of understanding of ourselves that can lead humans to perform horrifying deeds, rather than 'evil' itself. This is a deep look into human nature, its beauty and its failings. The Nature of Evil offers an insightful and engaging exploration at a time when we are all struggling to understand the roots of violence and suffering.

DARYL KOEHN is professor of Business Ethics, University of St. Thomas, Texas, USA. She is Executive Director at the Center for Business Ethics and was the 2002-2003 President of the Society for Business Ethics. She is the Author/Editor of several books including Rethinking Feminist Ethics.