Good and Evil

My dad and I were watching some of the old Smallville episodes the other day- we're big Superman fans here- and he pointed out something interesting.

We were watching the first episode of season two (to those of you who know your Smallville, that's when Clark is AWOL from life and running renegade in Metropolis...), in which Clark Kent is wearing a 'red kryptonite' ring. While in contact with Red Kryptonite, a Kryptonian (in this case, Clark) loses all inhibitions. Clark starts robbing backs while using his powers, and just acting like a complete jerk. He's in total rebellion.

So my dad asked, "So are good and evil chemical related to Kryptonians? Like, since he can become this way just by coming in contact with a mineral?"

Now, of course, I resisted the urge to blurt out that Red K is not, in fact, a mineral but a radioactive piece of Krypton changed while traveling through space, by my desire to enter this conversation and to hide my complete dorkiness prevented me from doing so.

Anyway, we talked about it for a while, and I left the conversation thinking:

Is good and evil a chemical thing? Is it just something in our brains?

Or is good and evil in the soul?

Is the reason humans are unique and loved by God because our good and evil is scientific? Or are humans special because the free will in our souls controls and enables good and evil for us?

What is evil? What is good?

You can instantly- and probably will- say good and evil are like right and wrong. You just know, somehow. It's good to help people and be nice. It's evil to kill and be a jerk.

Right?

What is true evil? Can humans be good? At what point does the man become the monster? When does evil enter a child? Are humans, after this fall, capable of anything but evil disguised as good?

Is good and evil in the mind, in science? Are there only evil acts, and no evil people?

Or is good and evil in the soul? Are there evil people and good people?

Will be exploring this in later entries....

"You say human like it's a bad thing."
"...Just going on what I've seen." -Clark and Milton Fein, Smallville season 5