Evil Quote by Kim Stanley Robinson
““Sometimes I think it's only post-scarcity that evil exists. Before that, it could always be put down to want or fear. It was possible to believe, as apparently you did, that when fear and want went away, bad deeds would too. Humanity would be revealed as some kind of bonobo, an altruistic cooperator, a lover of all.””
About This Quote
The quote suggests that moral evil is rooted in scarcity-driven competition, and that a truly abundant society would eliminate the motivations for harmful behavior, revealing humanity as inherently cooperative.
In simple terms: Evil stems from scarcity, not nature.
Key Takeaway
Abundance could erase moral evil.
Themes
human nature
scarcity
morality
cooperation
philosophy
Mood
thoughtful
speculative
optimistic
Type
philosophical
reflective
When to use this quote
- post‑scarcity societies
- resource‑rich communities
- theoretical utopias
Key Concepts
scarcity
altruism
social behavior
Practical Applications
- designing equitable economies
- ethical policy planning
Questions to Reflect On
- If scarcity vanished, would conflict disappear?
- Can altruism exist without material need?
![“Evil cannot be "treated" -- nor should it be. Evil has to [be] confronted and destroyed and it matters not why the evil is in play. Society has no obligation to try to rehabilitate evil.” quote by Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b89/bill-o-reilly-1019_destroyed_evil-cannot-be-treated-nor-should-it-be_3597.jpg)
