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Evil: A Rhetorical Artefact and Conceptual Inertia
This academic essay by language philosopher Bry Willis proposes a deflationary account of evil, arguing that the term is merely a rhetorical artefact that survived the Enlightenment by retaining the conceptual structure of theological demonology without its explicit metaphysical substance. The author contends that the word functions primarily as a cognitive shortcut, replacing the difficult work of structural or psychological analysis with an instant, pseudo-explanation for overwhelming atrocities. According to the essay, this persistence reflects motivated conceptual inertia, as the term…
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