ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the perception of evil from several perspectives and fields of inquiry. These include an examination of neurological processes that may be associated with evil as experienced by both the perpetrator and/or the victim. The nature–nurture argument that emerges, such as in the case of understanding behavior disorders that are the result of maltreatment, raises questions regarding the interconnectedness of outer stressors and neurological changes. The nature of psyche and how it adds to our understanding of human development will be introduced as well. The nature–nurture arguments are also addressed by looking at the phenomenon of serial killing. These myriad elements are interwoven and although disentangling one from the other would be neat, tidy, and some would argue, the answer to fixing humankind’s problems, we will see it is not that simple.
