Bestaat het absolute kwaad?

Does absolute evil exist, evil that cannot be explained, evil for evil’s sake? The murder of Israeli citizens by Hamas on October 7th 2023 has been considered by some as an example of that kind of evil. Immanuel Kant denies that absolute evil exists, a view that some commenters regard as extremely naïve, considering the excessive and counterproductive character of some evil acts. At different places in his work, however, Kant describes a number of mechanisms that can explain these aspects of evil. All have to do with the comparative nature of self-love. Kant’s observations may, to some extent, help us to understand what happens in Gaza.