Do you believe a person can only be “actually evil” if they consider themselves evil?
I think when one person describes another person as evil they usually mean “this person has values to which they are attached - and those are evil values.”
I don't subscribe to the idea that my values are absolute. Thus, I don't accept the notion of an objective evil, and the notion of "evil values" is one I have trouble with.
One could extend the the grandparent comment with yours:
"When Alice says Bob is evil, she's saying Bob is attached to some values, and those values are evil by Alice's own value system". This definition avoids calling any view objectively evil, but admits some values are evil in a given value system. That should be uncontentious.
Yes. And I think it can still be wise to avoid jumping to “this person is evil” too quickly.
Most of us know we often behave in ways inconsistent with our own values (because of lack of information or just personal imperfection). But when we see other people behaving in ways we think of as wrong, we’re quick to assume their behavior reflects their deepest values, instead of weakness or ignorance or normal hypocrisy.
I think when one person describes another person as evil they usually mean “this person has values to which they are attached - and those are evil values.”