We all avidly watch films, read novels, and listen to stories that depict evil characters and their horrific deeds. We find ourselves both horrified and repulsed by such persons; yet the evil characters in novels and films often disconcertingly have the most appeal. It might be that examining the forbidden always provides a small shudder of excitement and fear, so evil in its many forms remains endlessly fascinating providing excellent material for writers, dramatists, journalists and others. 

Accounts of evil do unerringly grab our attention and most of us are fascinated, horrified and captivated by the Iagos and Darth Vaders even while identifying with the aspirations and goals of the Othellos and Luke Skywalkers. Given that we recognize that evil involves the very worst types of actions and very worst kinds of people, why is this so? 

In a recent IAI panel entitled the “The Lure of Lucifer: Why do we love Evil?’ the cultural critic Terry Eagleton suggested that as an historical matter our fascination with evil began when virtue became boring for the middle classes. With the rise of Puritanism in the 16^th and 17^th centuries, there was a greater promotion of virtues such as thrift, prudence, chastity and temperance; Eagleton contends that no one wants to be virtuous in this sense and thus began the era where evil becomes fascinating, even glamorous. Previous notions of evil as deprivation, an absence of being or nothingness, or the opposite of life and flourishing, fell into the abeyance.  With this turn, literature, film, and drama generated and reflected a new view of evil, one that is exciting and interesting. Now, the loathsome villain becomes intriguing while the innocent victim is perceived as boring; natural depravity absorbs our interest while goodness provokes a yawn. Evil characters like Voldemort are both terrifying and absorbing while good persons such as Harry Potter are predictable and a little dull.  We know why Harry acts as he does and we share his aspirations, his hopes and his concerns.  But Voldemort personifies a deep mystery, his motivations alien, his actions shocking, and his aspirations terrifying.

Eagleton is right to point out this historical change. It certainly is the case that the ways in which we think about evil have changed, and with it our focus on and renewed fascination with it. But when we dig deeper we notice that this fascination is not primarily because virtue has become boring.  This fascination and enduring deep interest arises from a deep existential concern about evil acts and evil persons who potentially pose a very profound threat to our wellbeing.  No one who has actually suffered from evil actions, or closely examined the terrible deeds done by evil persons, is in any doubt about this.  Consequently, our fascination arises from being cautious and concerned about our own self-preservation and the defence of those for whom we care greatly. We want to understand why some people behave in an evil way - what motivates them, are they different from ourselves, and can they even be redeemed? Are such persons born or created by unfortunate social circumstances? Finally, and most importantly, how do we identify evil persons in order to prevent them from harming us or other members of our society?