Cultural and historical factors contributing to the apparent triumph of evil over good often stem from deep ideological and social contradictions, traditions, and prejudices accumulated over the centuries.

The Triumph of Evil: Cultural and Historical Underpinnings

Cultural and historical factors contributing to the apparent triumph of evil over good often stem from deep ideological and social contradictions, traditions, and prejudices accumulated over the centuries. For example, historically based mistrust among people of different cultural and religious traditions could lead to even well-meaning initiatives being perceived as hostile. One source underlines that even if a good deed were done for non-Jews, the initiator might be seen as an enemy, since "The Messiah was not only supposed to do good exclusively for the Jews, but was equally meant to inflict harm on all other nations" – resulting in any actions aimed at assisting beyond ethnic or cultural groups evoking suspicion and hostility (source: link txt).

Moreover, social and historical conditions where evil often goes unpunished reinforce the impression that negative forces prevail. It is noted in one description: "Our world lies in evil. And too often in our world the wicked triumph over the righteous, lawlessness over law, evil over good. Too many crimes remain unpunished..." (source: link txt). Such a picture of the world can be rooted in the experiences of entire eras when systematic breaches of justice and the absence of true retribution lead to a feeling of the inevitability of evil's triumph.

Additionally, historical conflicts and the clash of opposing values – such as envy versus kindness, selfishness against philanthropy – create grounds for deep social tensions and a deteriorating moral climate, further reinforcing the appearance of evil's victory. This contradiction is clearly expressed in the statement: "Such was the nature of the confrontation, Your Majesty the King. Envy met kindness, malice clashed with love, selfishness confronted philanthropy, chauvinistic narrow-mindedness stood against the triumphant universality of God's love..." (source: link txt).

Thus, behind the apparent triumph of evil may lie a combination of religious-ideological biases, historically developed perceptions of who deserves good and who is destined for evil, and social and political circumstances in which the principles of justice and retribution are undermined. These factors, interwoven into the fabric of human history and culture, often create the impression that evil prevails despite tireless efforts to uphold good.

Supporting citation(s):
"Anyone who did any good for non-Jews was perceived by the Jews as their enemy, no matter how much good he had done for them. In their view, the Messiah was not only supposed to do good exclusively for the Jews, but was equally meant to inflict harm on all other nations. Such was the nature of the confrontation, Your Majesty the King. Envy met kindness, malice clashed with love, selfishness confronted philanthropy..." (source: link txt)

"Our world lies in evil. And too often in our world the wicked triumph over the righteous, lawlessness over law, evil over good. Too many crimes remain unpunished, too many tears and too much blood unredeemed, too many sufferings unanswered. Virtue typically triumphs over vice only in sentimental novels..." (source: link txt)