What does the term lesser evil mean?

What does the term lesser evil mean?

or the lesser evil. phrase. If you have two choices, but think that they are both bad, you can describe the less bad one as the lesser of two evils, or the lesser evil. People voted for him as the lesser of two evils.

What does the best of two evils mean?

The somewhat less unpleasant of two poor choices. For example, I’d rather stay home and miss the picnic altogether than run into those nasty people—it’s the lesser of two evils. This expression was already a proverb in ancient Greek and appeared in English by the late 1300s.

What does the lesser of mean?

1. lesser – of less size or importance; “the lesser anteater”; “the lesser of two evils” greater – greater in size or importance or degree; “for the greater good of the community”; “the greater Antilles” 2. lesser – smaller in size or amount or value; “the lesser powers of Europe”; “the lesser anteater”

When one is in torn between choosing the 2 goods or choosing between the lesser of 2 evils is called?

Ethical dilemmas: the lesser of two evils, the greater of two goods.

What do you mean by evil?

morally wrong or bad; immoral; wicked: evil deeds;an evil life. characterized or accompanied by misfortune or suffering; unfortunate; disastrous: to be fallen on evil days.

What does fighting shy mean?

Avoid meeting or confronting someone, as in “I have had to fight shy of invitations that would exhaust time and spirits” (Washington Irving, Life and Letters, 1821). This usage may allude to a military reluctance to meet or engage with the enemy. [

Can you say lesser?

“Lesser than” would be incorrect since “lesser” and “than” both imply a comparison, which makes them redundant when used together. It would have to either be “less than” or “lesser” only.

What is the example of lesser?

Lesser Sentence Examples He will become the lesser of two evils. She still gave him the look that said she thought he was a lesser being because of his status, but she’d refused to sleep until they found her friend.

What approach would you select in solving ethical dilemmas when choosing greater good over the lesser evil *?

Value theory approach: Choose the alternative that offers the greater good or the lesser evil. Find alternative solutions: In some cases, the problem can be reconsidered, and new alternative solutions may arise.

What is an example of the lesser of two evils?

For example, I’d rather stay home and miss the picnic altogether than run into those nasty people—it’s the lesser of two evils. This expression was already a proverb in ancient Greek and appeared in English by the late 1300s. Chaucer used it in Troilus and Cressida.

Is selling the house the lesser of two evils?

Both options are unpalatable, but the lesser of two evils, in this case, is selling the house. Polls show that the candidate is not well-liked, but is viewed as the lesser of two evils. See also: evil, lesser, of, two Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

Is letting criminals go free the lesser of two evils?

But allowing a criminal to go free is perhaps the lesser of two evils if the alternative is imprisoning an innocent person. Want to learn more? Improve your vocabulary with English Vocabulary in Use from Cambridge.

Is the lesser evil better than the greater evil?

The maxim existed already in Platonean philosophy. In Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle writes: “For the lesser evil can be seen in comparison with the greater evil as a good, since this lesser evil is preferable to the greater one, and whatever preferable is good”.