Summary

The article “Bad or Mad?” by Sean Spence begins with an introductory question about the article’s topics. It continues with another question, as the writer asks what evil is. He points out that, historically, the question has been debated from a religious point of view, and he gives Saint Augustine’s definition as an example. Saint Augustine distinguished between moral evil (the evil done by human beings intentionally and consciously) and natural evil (the evils of natural disasters and disease).

The author believes that in our secular society Saint Augustine’s distinction is appealing because it is easier to apply punishment when we believe that criminals have chosen to commit a crime. He goes on to say that we find the carefully-planned crimes most disturbing, because those who commit them are fully rational. Spence illustrates t...