Can I be mentally healthy and evil?

Simon Keller (Victoria University of Wellington)

Can I be mentally healthy and evil?

Simon Keller, Victoria University Wellington

Abstract: Can I be mentally healthy and evil? A truly evil person, it seems, is rational and self-controlled and commits evil acts with no distress or regret; she counts as evil partly because she is in full mental health. Yet, looking at diagnostic criteria for mental disorder and theories of positive mental health, it appears that a fully mentally healthy person will be good; she counts as mentally healthy partly because she respects others' rights, enjoys rewarding personal relationships, engages positively with her community, and does not take pleasure in others' suffering. I explore various strategies for explaining the relationship between evil and mental health. I settle on the suggestion that mental health is a resource that gives a person access to a good (and ethical) life - but does not guarantee it. The upshot is that it is possible to be both mentally healthy and evil, but it is difficult and not recommended.

Bio: Simon Keller is a professor of philosophy at Victoria University Wellington, in New Zealand. He works on topics in ethics, political philosophy, and the philosophy of mental health and disorder. He won the APA Book Prize for The Limits of Loyalty and the Journal of Applied Ethics Best Article prize for 'Fiduciary Duties and Moral Blackmail'. He is also the author of Partiality and a co-author of The Ethics of Patriotism: A Debate.

Hybrid link: https://monash.zoom.us/j/82721169183?pwd=aXDXxhOB0GD0yKaHwbVx1zqQb54X9O.1&jst=2