In today's world, morality turns out to be far more complex than merely a set of external norms, as a true understanding of good and evil is born from personal experience and deep reflection.

Ethics as a Personal Journey: Redefining Good and Evil

In today's world, morality turns out to be far more complex than merely a set of external norms, as a true understanding of good and evil is born from personal experience and deep reflection. The introduction to this discussion demonstrates that ethical criteria cannot be the result of dry empirical observations or standard evolutionary processes. On the contrary, we are invited to realize that each of us is responsible for forming our own system of values, where personal experience and inner dialogue play a decisive role.

The main part of the argument unfolds the idea that morality is a living and dynamic process that requires constant rethinking. Recognizing that the epistemology of good and evil is not governed by universal laws, but is rather a product of our life journey, encourages each individual to strive for a deeper, more morally enriched personal development. This perspective allows us to view ethics as a path to self-knowledge, where every moral choice is based on personal experience, opening space for sincere inner dialogue and self-improvement.

In conclusion, it is important to note that this approach transforms morality into a continuous movement—a search for those criteria that determine our behavior. It is precisely this dynamism and personal involvement that make ethics a powerful tool, capable of transforming not only the individual but also society as a whole. Such a view on morality urges us to be active creators of our values rather than passive bearers of external norms.

How can we define the concepts of good and evil, and by what criteria do we evaluate them?

According to the provided quote, understanding good and evil is connected with the search for a profound criterion by which moral phenomena can be distinguished. The author emphasizes that ethics is, first and foremost, personal—it arises from life experience rather than being merely an abstract system created on paper. In this context, the concepts of good and evil are defined not through simple empirical observations or evolutionary processes, but through personal reflection and inner moral introspection, which makes their evaluation much deeper and more complex.

The author states:
"Ethics cannot fail to be prophetic. And, most importantly, ethics cannot fail to be personal. This book will consciously be a personal ethics, for its source is life itself, not just texts. The fundamental question of ethics is the question of the criterion of good and evil, of the genealogy of morality in the emergence of distinctions and evaluations. And the question here is posed in a completely different way than it is by evolutionists who explore the origins of moral concepts. This is a question incomparably deeper. From where does the very distinction come, and can there be a criterion…"
(source: msg_0aRpcZqDvVvkxqJYL85pAPWb)

Thus, when assessing the concepts of good and evil, we are guided not only by external norms but also by internal personal criteria, which are formed on the basis of life experience and a profound understanding of moral questions. This allows us to see morality not merely as a collection of established rules, but as a living process of constant searching and rethinking the foundations of morality.

Supporting citation(s):
"Ethics cannot fail to be prophetic. And, most importantly, ethics cannot fail to be personal. This book will consciously be a personal ethics, for its source is life itself, not just texts. The fundamental question of ethics is the question of the criterion of good and evil, of the genealogy of morality in the emergence of distinctions and evaluations. And the question here is posed in a completely different way than it is by evolutionists who explore the origins of moral concepts. This is a question incomparably deeper. From where does the very distinction come, and can there be a criterion…" (source: msg_0aRpcZqDvVvkxqJYL85pAPWb)