The Origin Of Evil

Μὴ τοινυν ἔξωθεν τὸ κακὸν περισκόπει, μηδὲ ἀρχέγονόν τινα φύσιν πονηριας φαντάζου· ἀλλὰ τῆς ἐν ἑαυτῷ κακιασ ἔκαστος ἑαυτὸν ἀρχηγὸν γνωριζὲτω. ᾽Αει γὰρ τῶν γινομένων τὰ μὲν ἐκ φύσεως ἥμιν ἐπιγινεται, οἷον γηρας και ἀσθένειαι, τὰ δὲ ἀπὸ ταυτομάτου, οἷον οἱ ἄλογοι περιπτώσεις ἀλλοτριαις ἀρχαις ἐπισυμβαινουσαι, σκυθρωπῶν τινων πολλάκις ἤ και τῶν φαιδροτέρων· ὡς τῷ φρέαρ ὀρυσσοντι ἡ τοῦ θησαυροῦ εὔρεσις, ἤ τῷ πρὸς τὴν ἀγοραν ὡρμημένῳ ἡ τοῦ λυσσῶντος κυνος ἔντευξις· τὰ δὲ ἐφ᾽ ἡμιν τυγχανει, ὡς τὸ κρατῆσαι τῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν, ἤ μὴ κολασαι τὰς ἡδονάς· ὡς τὸ κατασχειν ὀργῆς, ἣ χειπας ἐπαφειναι τῷ παροξυναντι· ἀληθεύειν ἣ ψεύδεσθαι· ἐπιεικῆ τὸ ἧθος εἷναι και μέτριον, ἤ ὑπέρογκον και ἀλαζονειαις ὑπέραιρόμενον. Ὡν τοινυν αὐτὸς εἶ κυριος, τούτων τὰς ἀρχὰς μὴ ζητήσῃς ἑτέρωθεν, ἀλλὰ γνωριζε τὸ κυριως κακὸν ἐκ τῶν προαιρετικῶν ἀποπτωμάτων τὴν ἀρχὴν εἰληφός. Ἅγιος Βασιλειος Καισαρείας, Εις Την ῾Εξαημερον Source Migne PG 29.37d-40b

Do not then look about outside for evil, and imagine that there is an original nature of wickedness. Let it be known that each of us is the first author of his own vice. Among the things that occur, some come about naturally, like old age and frailty, others by chance like unforeseen occurrences, the origin being beyond ourselves, often sad, sometimes fortunate, as the discovery of a treasure on digging a well, or encountering a mad dog when going to the market; others depend upon ourselves, such as ruling one's desires, or not putting a check on one's pleasures, or restraining anger, or raising the hand against one who provokes, or telling the truth or lying, or having a reasonable and balanced disposition, or to be bloated and raging with pride. Here you are the master; do not seek the principle outside, but know that the origin of evil, rightly called, is voluntary lapses. Saint Basil of Caesarea, Hexameron, Homily 2, Chapter 5