The banality of evil is a big idea from a thinker named Hannah Arendt. It means that sometimes, people do very bad things not because they’re mean or full of hate, but just because they don’t stop to think about what they’re doing. These people might be following orders, doing their job, or going along with what everyone else is doing—without asking themselves, “Is this right?” Arendt said this kind of evil is banal, which means ordinary or boring, because it doesn’t come from deep hatred—it comes from people being thoughtless.
In big systems like governments or companies, everyone might do one small part of a bad thing, like pushing paper or checking boxes, and feel like they’re not responsible. This is called moral disengagement, when people stop feeling responsible for their actions. Arendt warned that this kind of everyday, unthinking evil is dangerous because it hides behind normal behavior.
Her big point is: it’s really important to think for ourselves and take responsibility for what we do, even if we’re just “doing our job.” Thinking and judging for ourselves helps us stay human—and helps stop bad things from happening.