Good characters and creatures protect innocent life. Evil characters and
creatures debase or destroy innocent life, whether for fun or profit.
"Good" implies altruism, respect for life, and a concern for the dignity of
sentient beings. Good characters make personal sacrifices to help others.
"Evil" implies hurting, oppressing, and killing others. Some evil creatures
simply have no compassion for others and kill without qualms if doing so is
convenient. Others actively pursue evil, killing for sport or out of duty to
some evil deity or master.
People who are neutral with respect to good and evil have compunctions against
killing the innocent but lack the commitment to make sacrifices to protect or
help others. Neutral people are committed to others by personal relationships.
Being good or evil can be a conscious choice. For most people, though, being
good or evil is an attitude that one recognizes but does not choose. Being
neutral on the good-evil axis usually represents a lack of commitment one way
or the other, but for some it represents a positive commitment to a balanced
view. While acknowledging that good and evil are objective states, not just
opinions, these folk maintain that a balance between the two is the proper
place for people, or at least for them.
Animals and other creatures incapable of moral action are neutral rather than
good or evil. Even deadly vipers and tigers that eat people are neutral because
they lack the capacity for morally right or wrong behavior.