What Is Evil?

Explaining away even the most horrific acts of violence by saying some people are just wicked is understandable—but it won’t help us build a safer society.

Collage with pictures of Bryan Kohberger and court documents
Illustration by Paul Spella / The Atlantic. Sources: Zach Wilkinson / Getty; Kyle Green / Getty; Bettmann / Getty; Jack Plunkett / Fort Worth Star-Telegram / Getty.

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