Darkness Has No Substance

Humanity has spent millennia fighting enemies it does not fully understand.

Among them, none has inspired greater fear than evil.

Empires have risen in its name and fallen in opposition to it. Religions have sought its origins. Philosophers have debated its nature. Laws have been written to restrain it. Entire civilizations have defined themselves according to what they oppose.

Yet before asking how evil should be confronted, a more fundamental question demands attention:

What is evil?

The answer appears obvious. Cruelty. Murder. Betrayal. Oppression. War. Suffering inflicted without necessity.

We recognize evil by its consequences. We experience its reality. We mourn its victims. And because its effects are undeniable, we assume that evil itself must possess an independent existence.

But appearances often conceal deeper truths.

Consider darkness.

For most of human history, darkness seemed like a force unto itself. It descended upon the earth. It concealed dangers. It inspired fear. It appeared to invade the world as the sun departed.