Even Mr Bush's State of the Union speech last month, which concentrated heavily on the evil nature of Iraq, and was widely publicised, only added a few percentage points to public support for military action against Iraq.

BBC: Americans weigh Iraq evidence

And that is our long, modern conversation over the nature of evil.

CNN: The necessary evil?

"The Hobbit" is a brilliantly constructed story, unfolding themes that remain all too relevant to the modern world: the nature of evil, the significance of human choice, the corrupting power of greed and the ease with which good people can be drawn into destructive conflict.

WSJ: The Grown-Up Pleasures of 'The Hobbit'

Perhaps, but watching closely my more spontaneous reactions and half-conscious thoughts, I can't help thinking that I too have a share in the part of human nature that is inclining towards evil.

BBC: Read with us on World Book Day

There is an element of both nature and nurture in explaining the evil actions of individuals.

ECONOMIST: Morality and the brain: Medical diagnosis of malfeasance | The

Is it surprising that in those depths we again found only human qualities which in their very nature were a mixture of good and evil?

FORBES: Google's Eric Schmidt Goes Existential

Not long after embarking upon the subject of God and melancholy, for example, Mr. Burton veers into "A Digression of the Nature of Spirits, Bad Angels, or Devils, " which leads into an elaborate taxonomy of evil creatures, including the question of whether some devils "have excrements" or "feel pain if they are hurt, " and whether there can be both good and bad devils.

WSJ: Robert Burton | The Anatomy of Melancholy | Digressions on a Diagnosis | Masterpiece by Danny Heitman