BEYOND GOOD AND EVIL: TOWARD A PARADISIACAL FREEDOM?

When I reflect on the act of consuming from the tree of knowledge, I see it not as a simplistic fall into sinfulness or as the birth of human sexuality in a narrow sense. Instead, I interpret it as the origin of humanity’s obsession with moral dichotomies—a relentless cycle of judgment, casting every thought, action, and person as either “good” or “evil.” Rather than viewing it solely as an act of transgression, I see it as the point where human consciousness split, creating an adversarial framework that has deeply shaped how we perceive ourselves and others.

Through this lens, I think of how this binary moral framework has structured not only religious belief but also our collective psyche. Freud and other thinkers noted that cultural codes embedded in myth penetrate individual consciousness, shaping identity, desire, and the way we relate to others. In Christian cosmology, humanity’s “fall” through the knowledge of good and evil wasn’t simply about sin. It instituted a system of judgment that divided reality itself into opposing forces, forming an enduring prison of moral absolutes.

What if we suspended or transcended this system of constant judgment? I believe that would bring us closer to the initial paradisiacal state... This wouldn’t mean a descent into amorality, but rather a way of seeing the world marked by acceptance, complexity, and a radical openness. Nietzsche’s critique of moral dichotomies—the idea that such judgments restrict our experience of life—resonates with me deeply. His call for a “revaluation of values” aligns with my conviction that letting go of moral absolutism could lead us to a collective liberation. Rather than viewing life through a lens that simplifies and distorts, we could embrace a holistic way of being that honors paradox, multiplicity, and the richness of coexistence.

I also consider what psychology and neuroscience suggest: rigid evaluative frameworks like moral dichotomies limit our cognitive flexibility and heighten anxiety. The more we divide reality into opposing camps, the more we exhaust our minds and lose any sense of inner peace. Meditation practices, rooted in acceptance without judgment, offer a potential model for what I’m envisioning here. They bypass these entrenched evaluative processes and help us approach experience as it is.

To move beyond the paradigm of good versus evil would not only dissolve many of our inner conflicts; it could also transform our societies. Without the need to label, condemn, or simplify others, I believe we could cultivate empathy, pluralism, and a more profound tolerance—ideals that resemble the peace of paradise. In abandoning this ancient habit of judgment, we might find ourselves, perhaps for the first time, truly free.

L. Poenaru

Oct. 31, 2024

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