J. B. Erhard - Apologia do Diabo

Apologia do Diabo (1795), a very short essay discovered and translated in Italy by Benedetto Croce in 1943, is not only a forgotten little gem of philosophical literature but, above all, a reflection on the nature and problem of evil.

In it, the Devil — personification of wickedness and "destroyer of others’ freedom" — has his conduct revealed through maxims that make up a genuine system of malice, including such lines as "use the morality of others as a weakness for your own ends" and "bring misfortune to anyone who refuses to depend on you." In passages that touch on political immorality, inspired by the categories of Kantian philosophy, J. B. Erhard helps us understand the flesh-and-blood devils and the tyrants that proliferate in the world, as well as the impact of their perverse actions on the will of others.