A moralist pronouncing the word ‘man’ will invariably introduce into it the idea of GOOD AND EVIL, and so on, and so on. Fragments: Four

“The idea of morality is connected with the idea of GOOD AND EVIL conduct. But the idea of GOOD AND EVIL is always different for different people, always subjective in man number one, number two, and number three, and is connected only with a given moment or a given situation. A subjective man can have no general concept of GOOD AND EVIL. For a subjective man evil is everything that is opposed to his desires or interests or to his conception of good. Fragments: Eight

“But do not GOOD AND EVIL exist in themselves apart from man?” asked someone present. Fragments: Eight

“They do,” said G., “only this is very far away from us and it is not worth your while even to try to understand this at present. Simply remember one thing. The only possible permanent idea of GOOD AND EVIL for man is connected with the idea of evolution; not with mechanical evolution, of course, but with the idea of man’s development through conscious efforts, the change of his being, the creation of unity in him, and the formation of a permanent I. Fragments: Eight

“A permanent idea of GOOD AND EVIL can be formed in man only in connection with a permanent aim and a permanent understanding. If a man understands that he is asleep and if he wishes to awake, then everything that helps him to awake will be good and everything that hinders him, everything that prolongs his sleep, will be evil. Exactly in the same way will he understand what is GOOD AND EVIL for other people. What helps them to awake is good, what hinders them is evil. But this is so only for those who want to awake, that is, for those who understand that they are asleep. Those who do not understand that they are asleep and those who can have no wish to awake, cannot have understanding of GOOD AND EVIL. And as the overwhelming majority of people do not realize and will never realize that they are asleep, neither good nor evil can actually exist for them. Fragments: Eight

“This contradicts generally accepted ideas. People are accustomed to think that GOOD AND EVIL must be the same for everyone, and above all that GOOD AND EVIL exist for everyone. In reality, however, GOOD AND EVIL exist only for a few, for those who have an aim and who pursue that aim. Then what hinders the pursuit of that aim is evil and what helps is good. Fragments: Eight

“As has been explained before, there are many qualities which men attribute to themselves, which in reality can belong only to people of a higher degree of development and of a higher degree of evolution than man number one, number two, and number three. Individuality, a single and permanent I, consciousness, will, the ability to do, a state of inner freedom, all these are qualities which ordinary man does not possess. To the same category belongs the idea of GOOD AND EVIL, the very existence of which is connected with a permanent aim, with a permanent direction and a permanent center of gravity. Fragments: Eight

“The idea of GOOD AND EVIL is sometimes connected with the idea of truth and falsehood. But just as GOOD AND EVIL do not exist for ordinary man, neither do truth and falsehood exist. Fragments: Eight