Not to be confused with wicked (disambiguation).
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Wickedness, is generally considered a synonym for evil or sinfulness. Among theologians and philosophers, it has the more specific meaning of evil committed consciously and of free will.[1] It can also be considered the quality or state of being wicked.[2]
The term wickedness dates back to the 1300s and is derived from the words wicked and -ness. Wicked is an extended form of the term wick meaning bad and is also associated with the Old English term wicca meaning wizard. There isn’t a corresponding verb to the term, but the term wretched is also associated with the term. The term -ness is a word forming element denoting action, quality or state and is typically added to an adjective or past participle to make it an abstract noun. It is an Old English term and also comes from the Proto-Germanic term in-assu and many other cognates.[3]
As characterized by Martin Buber in his 1952 work Bilder von Gut und Böse (translated as Good and Evil: Two Interpretations), "The first stage of evil is 'sin,' occasional directionlessness. Endless possibility can be overwhelming, leading man to grasp at anything, distracting and busying himself, in order to not have to make a real, committed choice. The second stage of evil is 'wickedness,' when caprice is embraced as a deformed substitute for genuine will and becomes characteristic."[4] Wickedness connotes blameworthiness.[5]
Contents
- 1 Wickedness and Power
- 2 What Causes Someone to be Wicked
- 3 Heavy Metal and Wickedness
- 4 Wickedness and Witches
- 5 Wickedness and Religion
- 6 References
Wickedness and Power
Throughout history power is typically seen to be a very dangerous and destructive element in people’s lives. It’s a canker to society or is wicked if you will. Some theorists believe that power itself is actually in fact morally neutral. It is the results of power that determine whether or not power is seen as good. The people in power are then also seen as not wicked in their nature, but rather the urgency for power and within the nature of it is what makes power seen as a wicked idea. Theorists believe that if men were the wicked ones in the equation then the solution to the issues at stake would be ethical improvement. In the end, it isn’t power or man that are wicked, but the results of power that cause it to be wicked.[6]
What Causes Someone to be Wicked
There are two different types of wickedness that some people will argue. There is natural wickedness. This is the type of wickedness that is unpreventable such as earthquakes, tornadoes and other types of natural disasters. The second type of wickedness is moral wickedness. This type of wickedness is types of evil that are acted out by humans and can arguably be preventable. What causes the separation between the two is the response to both types of wickedness. During a natural disaster people tend to be sympathetic to the victims of the destruction. It’s this sympathy to the victims that classifies a natural disaster as a form of wickedness. In contrast, to moral wickedness where people will be sympathetic to the victim of the person who committed the wicked behavior. This distinguishes the person who committed the act as a wicked being. It is based on the modern consciousness of society that determines whether the act is considered wicked.[7]
Heavy Metal and Wickedness
Heavy Metal is a genre of music with lyrics that are dark and people consider to be satanic. It was introduced on Friday the 13th in February 1970 when Black Sabbath released Black Sabbath. Around this time period the Vietnam War was going on, the deaths of Martin Luther King Jr. and John F. Kennedy occurred, the death of Flower Power and the second Cold War was coming into play. These events influenced the lyrics of the songs that are considered heavy metal. While it may seem evil or a form of protest it is really up to interpretation over whether or not Heavy Metal is considered wicked and connected to the devil.[8]
Wickedness and Witches
It is believed that there are four different types of witches that occur within society. First there is the white witch, who is good with herbs and spices. The white witch is considered to be a type of good witch. Then there is the weak influencer. This type of witch uses their power to try to influence others, which can be considered both good and evil.Then there is the type of witch that projects evil onto others. This type of witch is the one that is considered to be wicked. Finally, there is the witch that springs from imagination. Depending on how the person who is imagining the witch sees the witch determines whether this witch is considered good or wicked. Some people speculate that we all our witches in the sense that we all influence people in some way, shape or form.[9]
Wickedness and Religion
Buddhism
In the Buddhist religion, those who are wicked are sent to hell. This is typically seen as a Western idea, but it is visible in the Buddhist’s belief. There are 18 different hells and depending on the wicked behavior that is acted out determines which hell you will go to.
In the first hell whatever wicked behavior you have committed will be punished by forced nakedness, which is a horrendous punishment.
In the Burning Cauldron hell, those who have cooked meat are placed there.
In the Hell of Feces and Filth those who have eaten meat are detained here.
In the Hell of Cutting and Grinding if the person committed an act of taking a life they are placed here.
In the Freezing Hell those who did not keep feast days, didn’t do good deeds or didn’t follow the Buddhist way are placed here.[8]
References
- ^ Rosenbaum, Ron (September 30, 2011). "The End of Evil?". Slate. Retrieved 2011-10-10.
- ^ "Definition of WICKEDNESS". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2016-12-05.
- ^ "Online Etymology Dictionary". www.etymonline.com. Retrieved 2016-12-05.
- ^ Scott, Sarah (July 9, 2010). "Martin Buber (1878—1965)". Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. University of Tennessee at Martin. ISSN 2161-0002. Retrieved 2011-10-10.
- ^ Williams, Garrath (March 9, 2009). "Responsibility". Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. University of Tennessee at Martin. ISSN 2161-0002. Retrieved 2011-10-10.
- ^ French, A. (1980). Thucydides and the Power Syndrome. Greece & Rome, 27(1), 22-30. Retrieved from http://mccclib.mccc.edu:2112/stable/642773
- ^ Billias, Nancy (2010) Promoting and Producing Evil. http://mccclib.mccc.edu:2094/lib/mccc/detail.action?docID=10447250&p00=%22promoting+and+producing+evil%22
- ^ a b Balmain, Collette. Drawmer, Lois (2009) Something Wicked This Way Comes. http://mccclib.mccc.edu:2094/lib/mccc/detail.action?docID=10380355&p00=%22something+wicked+this+way+comes%22
- ^ Scott, E. (1976). Witches: Wise, Weak, or Wicked Women? Journal of Religion and Health, 15(2), 136-139. Retrieved from http://mccclib.mccc.edu:2112/stable/27505341
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