There is an age-old question that burdens every generation in their time, “Why does evil exist in the world?” Many appeal to faith and spiritual traditions to establish an origin story for the source of evil and its continuation through human history. Others seek answers deep within the human psyche, the sciences, or evolutionary biology that make connections to early survival instincts or responses to trauma. An honest assessment from the perspectives of the philosophical, anthropological, biological, and theological camps shed helpful insights into the development and evolution of moral ideals that seek to distinguish good from evil across time. The most simplistic conclusions, however, rarely provide a complete picture and often leave us with unsatisfying answers. 

Rather than solving the question of the existence of evil, there is a more fundamental question that is universally understood: “What is the purpose of suffering?” Suffering results from hardship, pain, or loss, often due (but not exclusive) to acts we deem as evil. The issue with identifying an evil act as the sole source of our pain and injustice is that it’s a moral judgment. Morality is constructed by society and the structures that uphold it. Just as cultures and their systems change, so do their moral standards.

Suffering, on the other hand, is a commonly shared human experience. No one is exempt from hardship in life, especially as intelligent and emotional beings. From broken relationships to job loss, disease, and death, suffering is inevitable. The question among longing souls to understand the purpose of suffering is where our deeper divides and worldviews often reside.

Morality is the code of ethics that determines who or what belongs in a group from those that must be excluded. Values, on the other hand, affect the predictable behaviors of a group. Morality is reactive and punitive, while values are empowering and predictable. In our suffering, moral standards may dictate socially-acceptable behaviors, but values provide a reason to thrive amid our pain.

Friedrich Nietzsche was no stranger to suffering. He dealt with relapsing physical and mental illness through much of his life. For him, suffering was the purpose of life—to discover one’s “Will to Power.” He wrote, “Severity, violence, slavery, danger in the street and in the heart, secrecy, stoicism, temper’s art and devilry of every kind,—that everything wicked, terrible, tyrannical, predatory, and serpentine in man, serves as well for the elevation of the human species.”[1] For him, the concept of a social common good was incompatible with human nature and instinct. Therefore, rational thinkers do not accept a moral system that defines “good” or “evil” acts, only the weak and the powerful—or in other words, there are losers and there are winners.

A student of theology himself, Nietzsche was no fan of the Christian tradition or any religious system. In a sarcastic sentiment, he advised “One should not go into churches if one wishes to breathe pure air.” Certainly a man of his time when cathedrals were known as damp, stuffy, and poorly lit spaces complete with pious worshippers—he might have been on to something. Practically speaking, humans often wish to experience life and feel strong, not continuously rehearse their weakness or abandon personal agency—a common feature of religious fundamentalism.

Although Nietzsche took critical aim at the moral systems of his time dominated by a European Christian ethic, the everyday desire for humans to discover their purpose and live accordingly has been the quest of modern people since the advent of writing and critical thinking. Information unlocks new knowledge, experiences awaken ideas, bonding strengthens connections, and beliefs inform our values. Human progress draws us simultaneously closer to ourselves and the cosmos—or so we hope.

Both Nietzsche and Christian fundamentalists agree: suffering and the existence of evil are primordial features of the human experience, but profoundly disagree as to why. Nietzsche’s answer is nihilism, where all of life and it’s experiences are ultimately meaningless. In contrast, Christian fundamentalism’s answer is human depravity where people, in their created state at birth, are incapable of goodness apart from God and his revealed laws.

Given the irreconcilable positions of this longstanding debate, it’s better to move beyond the question of “why suffering and evil exist” to, “what does a person do?” Today, we live in conflicting times where these competing moral systems seek to impose punitive action against the other. Longstanding institutions and their adherants are redefining their moral standards for the purpose of exerting totalatrian influence and power over others. The why justifies the what: populist institutions know better and demands conformity among all people. On the other hand, others are giving up on morality altogether by turning to nihilism, where everything in life is meaningless and must be dismantled or destroyed. Both seek a form of Nietzschism by rationalizing solutions to the dilemmas of modern society, rooted in despair and the “Will to Power”. This leaves the rest of us troubled and caught between two extremes.

There is hope when we deconstruct these belief systems and seek an alterntative way forward. Justice and love are the universal values that create the conditions for safety, purpose, and goodness—a morality capable of enduring suffering with others, transcending our experiences for deeper meaning, and preventing selective annihilation by collective action. Jesus of Nazareth once said, “You must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my [message], you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?”[2]

Interestingly, it would seem Nietzsche was influenced by Jesus, both recognizing suffering as a means to an end. One saw that end as a quest for power where the weak are left behind. The other envisioned suffering as a willful act of sacrificial love and purpose, resulting in human goodness, justice, and peace. The lesson is this: hope is never lost and faith is not dead through our collective suffering. Our existing moral systems may not be helping us as they once used to, but rediscovering true justice and love holds the possibility to save all of us.

[1] Friedrich Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil.

[2] Luke 9:23-25