Good, evil, these are human concepts, ways people have for understanding what it means to be alive,” Nick said. “Before people came along, this planet was teeming with life, fighting to survive, to live long enough to reproduce, completing the circle of life.”
“I’m with you so far,” Elphaba said. “The circle of life is an essential Wiccan principle, in spite of The Lion King.”
Nick ignored Elphaba’s bit of humor as his mood became more serious. “Precisely so. And in this circle of life, you have predators and prey. The predators must kill to eat. If they don’t, they starve. Are the predators evil?”
“No, of course not. They’re simply acting on their nature.”
“What is human nature, then? Are we a species that builds societies of trust and cooperation, or are we a species that seeks power over our fellow man, even if that means fighting wars or otherwise killing him?”
Elphaba frowned, carefully considering her answer. “I’d like to think we are a species of trust and cooperation.”
“Our entire history is a story of war, of murder and mayhem, of blood running in the streets,” Nick said quietly.
“Yes, yes it is.” Elphaba leaned back, grimacing.
“We are both,” Nick said. “A species of cooperation, and a species of strife. We fight wars, and we also establish the rule of law to mete out justice to the criminals in our midst. Humans are both good and evil.
