The evil that is in the world almost always comes from ignorance, and good intentions may do as much harm as malevolence if they lack understanding.

Camus argues that much human harm is not driven by overt cruelty but by ignorance—an inability or refusal to understand the realities and consequences of one’s actions. The line warns against moral complacency: “good intentions” are not a safeguard if they are paired with blindness, dogma, or simplistic certainty. In Camus’s ethical outlook, responsibility requires lucidity—clear-eyed attention to facts, limits, and the lived experience of others. The quote also critiques ideological zeal: people who believe themselves righteous may inflict suffering when they act without understanding, making ignorance a moral danger comparable to malice.