Is evil necessary for the development of moral character? (blog 5)

Evil is certainly necessary for the development of our character. The only way for us to build character is through overcoming adversities. Rachels describes how if we lived in a perfect world, with no evil whatsoever, then we would not have many of the good characteristics that we have today. In a world with no hunger, no crime, and no ill effects, we would never have a reason to help anyone or do anything “good” because there would be nothing to overcome. A person could never be brave if there was nothing to fear, could never be heroic if there was no one that needed saving, and could never help someone who is sick if there were no diseases. If there were no adversities to overcome, there would be no way to build a good moral character. (36-37) When you really think about it, would you even want to live in a world without evil? I d not think that I would.

Works Cited
Rachels, James, and Stuart Rachels. Problems from Philosophy. 2nd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2008.