What is it about?
The article asks a simple question: when people call something “evil,” where do they think it comes from? By comparing Eastern and Western traditions, the paper shows that people use the word in different ways. Some see evil as part of human nature, while others trace it to desire, ignorance, habit, or unjust social systems. These differences matter because they lead to different ideas about responsibility and different solutions, such as law, education, self-cultivation, or social reform. The paper offers a framework for understanding these disagreements more clearly.
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Why is it important?
We have long been exploring and pursuing the essence of human nature; yet, do we truly understand the nature of evil? The history of both Eastern and Western philosophy has long offered us intriguing answers. We ought to reform our approach to human self-reflection and development, and contemplate, with greater prudence, the concepts of responsibility and any societal transformations.
Perspectives
What is human nature, and what lies at its essence? We pursue desire endlessly, yet often fail to cultivate restraint. The tragedies of history do not merely belong to the past; they remain warnings that call us to confront our own humanity and to reflect more seriously on what progress truly means. We are often captivated by invention, trusting that external creations can refine or improve human nature itself. But can they really?
Yangying Liu
University of Oklahoma
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Human nature attribution model: The attribution and responsibility of evil in Eastern and Western theories of human nature., Journal of Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology, March 2026, American Psychological Association (APA),
DOI: 10.1037/teo0000363.
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