My God, I read the following in a column by Welmoed Vlieger*. She draws Arendt's vision from the last book by Hannah Arendt "The Life of the Mind". "The roots of evil are not a bad will or a moral depravity but thoughtlessness." She saw this not only in totalitarian regimes but also in Western culture where individualism ignores the other.
Would You like to comment on this?
My son, there is much to be said about the causes of evil, and certainly that there is not one cause or right of evil to exist but there are many. Still, Hannah Arendt has a point. For bad will or moral depravity are clear and understandable causes of evil. But thoughtlessness is a hidden and veiled cause for a lot of unconscious and malicious behaviour and therefore for a lot of evil and a lot of suffering.
What is thoughtlessness else than that a person does not think about something or does something casual or without paying attention. And certainly then man does not pay attention to the consequences of his actions, for himself and for others. And isn't indifference a twin brother of thoughtlessness?
Thoughtlessness means that a man is without thoughts, is not reasonable, does not listen to his conscience, does not look after his fellow man, does not listen to his inner voice, is not interested in the suffering that results from this.
But above all, thoughtlessness is a root of evil because God is excluded
and the devil can go about his business. For your thinking thank you to God,
your suffering to the exclusion of God.
So beware of thoughtlessness.
Hannah Arendt and Welmoed Vlieger are blessed.
My blessings to you all
No 507
*Trouw 1st of June 2021
