Write a 5 page essay explaining the specific differences between the conceptions of evil articulated in the `Gorgias` and the one in Augustine`s `Free Choice of the Will.`

The Concepts of Evil

The concept of evil is used to refer to anything that against morality or the concept of . It figure dominant in religious theories as an anti-thesis of teachings . The definition of what is evil depends on culture and experience . An act or though is considered evil if it causes harm or becomes the cause of harm . Evil causes death , suffering and the ills of the world . For example , taking a life is an act considered evil amongst most moral codes and culture . However , the degree of its evilness

or when it is possibly justified differs

However to be able to understand what is evil , it is important to understand first what constitutes it . Literature and philosophy provide a rich source opinions regarding to its definition . The various views of what evil has a common core : that what is evil destroys what is good Among the most definitive works on the subject were done by Plato and St . Augustine of Hippo . Their definition of evil discusses not only the concept itself but also its implications to man 's existence . In their definitions , evil is a reality that exists in life just as much as good is . Thus , understanding evil is not to be considered as an intellectual discourse alone but is an endeavor to understand better the world

Plato 's Gorgias

In Gorgias , Plato sets up the dialogue using rhetoric persuasion as opposition to the philosopher specializing in dissuasion . The work includes an impassioned argument between Socrates and Callicles regarding philosophy and justice . Gorgias is a challenge to study not just because of the rhetoric complexities of the dialogue but also because the argument is underlined by the personalities of the participants . At the same time the dialogue of Socrates with Gorgias and Pollus are one of the most extensive in terms of the Plato and Socrates critique of rhetoricians

In the discussion of what was evil , Socrates opinion was that affects a man 's estate - through becoming impoverished , his body - by having diseases , and that of the soul , the worst of the three , which characterized by injustice (Jowett lines 207-208 . Considering this , can affect material , personal and spiritual states . An act of evil can then be done by actions against another property causing him loss , against the person by physical harm or by treating him unjustly such as the denial of rights or freedoms . Evil is characterized as actively committed and can be directly or indirectly intended . In judging degrees of evil , Socrates prescribes that the fouler of two things must exceed either in pain or in hurt ' which even Polus also accedes to (lines 198-199 . Later on in the text , it will be stated that next to the act of doing something wrong , suffering a wrong act is the next great evil (lines 434-440 . In effect , there is a prescription that allowing the prevalence of evil is equitable to doing the wrong act yourself

The work also discusses the outlook of those who commit evil...