The Flanderization of Light & Dark?

[Yanueh]

Here's the premise: someone ponders on why the world sucks so much, then another person 'helpfully' responds, "there has to be a balance of good and evil in the world! Without darkness, there can be no light!"

Many people seem to take it for granted that a "balance between dark and light" is synonymous with a "balance between good and evil," and that it's some kind of cosmic force to be maintained.

What I want to know is, did this philosophy actually exist before Star Wars or the New Age movement and their concept a balance between good and evil?

I know of two 'balance between light and dark' philosophies. One is Yin/Yang, which has nothing to do with good and evil. The other is the Jewish concept of Yetzer Hatov/Yetzer Hara, which essentially refers to spiritual desire and carnal desire. As one Rabbi put it, "without Yetzer Hara, no-one would get married or build a house." With too much Yetzer Hatov, one might become so focused on the spiritual that they would no longer be able to function and contribute as a member of society, and may even commit suicide.

"Evil" therefore, is not an asset to be balanced, but rather the result of imbalance.

Now, are there actually any old (pre Star Wars/New-Age) philosophies that speak of a real, bona fide balance between good and evil, or is this just a flanderized, fluffy version of philosophies speaking of balance between 'light' and 'dark' qualities?  

[TeaDidikai]

Yanueh

What I want to know is, did this philosophy actually exist before Star Wars or the New Age movement and their concept a balance between good and evil?

ninja

See also Isa 45:7.

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I know of two 'balance between light and dark' philosophies. One is Yin/Yang, which has nothing to do with good and evil.

To say that is a bit off. In so much that one can conceptualize things in terms of Yin and Yang, one can also apply these understandings to other traditions.

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"Evil" therefore, is not an asset to be balanced, but rather the result of imbalance.

This isn't universally true, even within Judaism. See the above passage from the Tanakh.

And the answer to your question is yes. Though each cultural tradition likely has an opinion as to the nature of evil that doesn't always translate well.  

[Yanueh]

TeaDidikai

See also Isa 45:7.

While it says that God is responsible for good and evil (phew, quite a contrast to later Judeo-Christian theology!), I see nothing about a cosmic balance that needs to be maintained.

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I know of two 'balance between light and dark' philosophies. One is Yin/Yang, which has nothing to do with good and evil.

To say that is a bit off. In so much that one can conceptualize things in terms of Yin and Yang, one can also apply these understandings to other traditions.

Heh, yeah... I was in something of a rush. What I should've said was that Yin/Yang, as I understand it, is traditionally a system of various dualities assigned to 'light' and 'dark,' but that the traits it assigns to 'dark' are not evil in and of themselves.  

[too2sweet]

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Without darkness, there can be no light!

I tend to look at it more as... "if there was no darkness, how would you know what the light was?"

I agree that assigning "good" and "evil" to "light" and "darkness" isn't appropriate, since what is good or evil is very subjective. However I do think that when it come to "light"/"darkness" (or whatever one wants to call the 2 ends of the spectrum - I don't tend to label it that way myself), that there are functions within each that are necessary and that a balance of sorts should be maintained.

But in general it's probably going to depend on how specific religions, paths, cultures, etc... view it as to whether or not it is truly necessary.  

[Bastemhet]

Yanueh

Many people seem to take it for granted that a "balance between dark and light" is synonymous with a "balance between good and evil," and that it's some kind of cosmic force to be maintained.

This is exactly what my tradition (Kemetic) considered Ma'at, or cosmic order. It must be maintained while evil held at bay.

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What I want to know is, did this philosophy actually exist before Star Wars or the New Age movement and their concept a balance between good and evil?

Pretty much yes. xd  

[Yanueh]

But does it hold that evil is a fundamental necessity to "balance out" the goodness in the world?  

[Bastemhet]

Yanueh

But does it hold that evil is a fundamental necessity to "balance out" the goodness in the world?

Technically. It's implied. Evil is fought against in order to uphold Ma'at. But Nun, which is the primeval waters, is where things are stagnant and the created is undifferentiated from the created. The Egyptians saw this as bad...but at the same time, the gods were said to go back and rest in Nun during the darkness of night. The Egyptians understood that one thing could be both good and evil depending on the context.

Edit: I also want to say that the negative isn't always inherently evil. Set, god of storms and associated with destruction, was at the same time at the forefront of fighting the incarnation of evil (Apep). They understood that such power can be used for good and evil.  

[Yanueh]

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They understood that such power can be used for good and evil.

Exactly.

What I'm referring to is an apparent oversimplification of these types of philosophies wherein creation/destruction, light/dark, etc. seem to be conflated with good/evil, whereas originally such things seem to have been treated as neutral in and of themselves, rather than inherent forces of good and evil.  

[Bastemhet]

Yanueh

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They understood that such power can be used for good and evil.

Exactly.

What I'm referring to is an apparent oversimplification of these types of philosophies wherein creation/destruction, light/dark, etc. seem to be conflated with good/evil, whereas originally such things seem to have been treated as neutral in and of themselves, rather than inherent forces of good and evil.

Well...it depends on what you're talking about. In the case of Set, he can be both. Magical power too can be used for both and is neutral. Apep, though, is inherently evil as a personification of darkness and chaos. And as an evil being he must be fought against daily, lest he destroy everything.  

[ShadowCatSoul]

Personally, I don't believe in a "good" or "evil". There's no such thing in my opinion. Though, some of the things Bastemhet are reasons why I don't believe, if that makes sense. It made sense in my head.  

[rmcdra]

I like how my tradition uses light and darkness to mean knowledge and ignorance.  

[ShadowCatSoul]

rmcdra

I like how my tradition uses light and darkness to mean knowledge and ignorance.

What tradition would that be?  

[rmcdra]

ShadowCatSoul

rmcdra

I like how my tradition uses light and darkness to mean knowledge and ignorance.

What tradition would that be?

I'm a Christian Gnostic.  

[Fiddlers Green]

Depending on what type of Zoroastrianism you are looking at, it might purport that Ahura Mazda and Angra-mainu are equals and must remain so.
In the strictly dualistic groups Good and Evil must be in balance just as much as day and night, one can get ahead for a little while, but in the end, they must reach a balance. This is because the originating source for good and source for evil must also always be in balance. These sources originate also heat and cold, happiness and pain, life and death. If either one gets too far ahead, it is bad for this cosmos existing.
This is a fairly strictly dualistic version mind you, and will not be supported by most post Zurvanite purge Diaspora Zoroastrians or dhimmi Zoroastrians.  

[Sam Oaken Willow 17]

I like what Konstantinos has: an equal-armed cross with the vertical line representing Good and Evil, and the horizontal line representing Light and Dark. Just as long as we stayed on the Good half of the cross, we should be karmically (sp?) okay.

I guess that would be one thing I can "permanently" add to my path because after I heard and thought about it it made sense to me and has stuck for a while. smile

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