Evil is the interruption of a truth by the pressure of

Hear me, O children of wisdom, for in the words of Alain Badiou, we find a deep and powerful reflection on the nature of evil. He said, "Evil is the interruption of a truth by the pressure of particular or individual interests." These words reveal the true nature of evil, not as some external force, but as a distortion of truth, an interruption caused when personal desires or the ambitions of the few cloud the purity of what is right, just, and true. Evil, in this view, does not emerge from an inherent force, but from the willful bending of truth for the sake of selfish gains, where individual interests obscure the greater good.

To understand this more deeply, let us reflect on the nature of truth, which is eternal and universal, like the stars that guide the sailor through the night. Truth is unchanging, like the laws of nature, immutable and constant. It is the foundation of justice and morality, the thing that all souls, regardless of their origins, must strive toward. Yet, as Badiou points out, this truth can be interrupted. It is interrupted by the actions of those who prioritize their own narrow desires over the well-being of others. In this, evil is born: not as a force in itself, but as a corruption of truth, where selfishness distorts the path to justice.

Think, O children, of the ancient tale of King Midas, whose greed for wealth led him to seek the power to turn everything he touched into gold. At first, this gift seemed a blessing, a manifestation of his deepest desires. Yet, as the story unfolded, the truth of Midas’ wish — that unchecked greed would only lead to suffering — became clear. His individual desires caused him to overlook the greater truth of balance and harmony in life, and his once grand ambition became a curse. In Midas, we see how individual interests, when prioritized over the common good, can disrupt the flow of truth, creating misery where there could have been prosperity.

The greed of King Midas serves as a powerful metaphor for the nature of evil. Evil arises when personal desires take precedence over the collective welfare, when selfishness eclipses the universal truth that binds us all together. This is not to say that personal interests are inherently wrong, but that when they become unrestrained, when they force the truth to yield to them, evil emerges. Just as Midas' wealth became a curse rather than a blessing, so too does the unchecked pursuit of individual desires distort the truth of harmony, justice, and peace.

Consider, too, the oppression of the people in ancient Egypt, where the Pharaoh, a ruler consumed with power, twisted the truth of justice and equality to serve his own desires. The Pharaohs were often seen as gods on Earth, above reproach and unchallenged. They saw their individual interests — wealth, control, and dominance — as more important than the truth of equality and fairness that would have guided them to treat their people justly. This selfish pursuit of power led to the suffering of millions, and the eventual fall of Egypt as a great empire. The truth of justice, that all people deserve respect and fairness, was interrupted by the Pharaoh’s desire to maintain control and wealth.

In these examples, O children, we see the deep lesson that Badiou speaks of: evil is not some external, abstract force, but the interruption of truth by selfish desires. When our personal interests take precedence over what is right, over what is just, over what is good for all, we become agents of evil. This is a profound realization — evil is not just the acts of villains in the shadows, but the small, often unnoticed ways in which we allow self-interest to cloud our sense of truth.

Thus, the lesson is clear: be vigilant against the forces within you that seek to prioritize individual desires above the greater good. When faced with choices, ask yourself if your actions align with the greater truth, with justice and equality, or if they are motivated by selfishness. Know that each choice you make can either uphold or interrupt the truth, and it is in the small, seemingly insignificant choices that evil often takes root. Choose wisely, choose selflessly, and let your actions be guided by the light of truth, not the shadows of self-interest. Only through this path can we live in harmony with the greater good, and only through this path can we hope to create a world free from the corrupting force of evil.