Other optimistic theories, too, deny the existence of evil and pain, and try to explain our ideas of sin to be mere "points of view." If we could see the whole, they tell us, we should see how the parts harmonise, but now we only see some of the parts and fail to appreciate the harmony.

In this way they try to explain away as unreal the phenomena of evil and pain.
But Eucken has no patience with such theories.

For him the oppositions and contradictions of life are too real and persistent.

The antagonisms "stir us with disgust and indignation." Evil cannot be considered trivial, and must not be glossed over; it is in the world, and the more deeply we appreciate the fact the better it will be for the human soul.
Man in his lower stages of development is just a child of nature, and his standards of life are those of the lower world.

He seeks those things that satisfy the senses, he attempts the satiation of the lower cravings.