Cyrus’s Argument

Cyrus does not explain in logical form why he believes spirit is bad. He prefers to use his personal judgment words of “vague” and “incomplete.” There are several clues he gives us throughout the games as to why spirit bothers him so much.

#1. Spirit leads to ‘strife’ across the world

The word used for ‘strife’ in Japanese is 争いごと, meaning “dispute; argument; contention.” I’m not gonna pretend I have any deep understanding of the connotations here, but it seems to refer to conflict. Cyrus does not like that conflict results from strife. This could be something as strong as war or violence, but the Japanese leads me to believe that he also means misunderstandings - we are not able to understand each other because of our spirits.

#1a. The ‘emotion’ part of spirit leads to irrational behavior.

“Those Pokémon have nothing to do with you, do they not? But still you came to rescue them out of pity? Such pitifully useless emotions... It's illogical and irrational. Pity and compassion are products of the weak and lacking human heart. You were compelled to come here by vacuous sentimentality! I will make you regret paying heed to your heart!”

Cyrus believes that people do irrational things because of emotion. This is… not wrong, as emotional reasoning is famously compromised. There’s substantial literature in cognitive psychology and behavioral economics on how people’s emotions cause them to make suboptimal choices.

#1b. Emotions are bad because they are not permanent.

This is something that Cyrus talks about at an angle.

“You are indeed strong. And the basis of your power is your compassion toward Pokémon. ...How wasteful... Such emotions are but mere illusions. And, like all illusions, they fade over time until death banishes them forever.”

Hidden assumption - things that are uncertain are bad or less true.

Hidden assumption - we cannot improve spirit through discipline or culture

This is never stated outright, but is necessary for Cyrus’s plan to make sense. If we could remedy the ills of spirit by working harder, then we would not need to do something as extreme and risky as trying to recreate the world. Cyrus clearly thinks anything less than a clean slate is incrementalism, and only a radical solution can solve the suffering caused by the human spirit.

Hidden assumption - the human spirit can be safely eradicated

Hidden assumption - the world without spirit can meaningfully continue

Cyrus is making a big bet that it is possible to remove the human spirit without serious consequences. As shown in the game, it is ultimately not possible for Cyrus to reset the world because Giratina interferes. Unless there is a way for him to bind the creation trio (and it is not clear there is), his plan cannot work because Giratina will interfere. He did not know this beforehand and staked his entire life’s work on an uncertain outcome.

There are also serious practical concerns with his project. Emotions don’t just cloud reasoning - they also motivate humans and allow them to pursue their goals. Without emotions, you generally have little motivation to do much because you experience little reward. A world with 0 emotion is a world where there is no reward function for humans. Cyrus does not make clear if he plans to create a new reward function to motivate humans, or why human society should continue to exist if we will not derive any pleasure from it (as the justification for participating in society is to reap the rewards and avoid suffering).

#2. Removing spirit would be a favor for everyone

Cyrus frames spirit as something that causes everyone problems. He is upset that strife exists in the world. In the Distortion World, he argues to Cynthia:

“By freeing ourselves of [spirit], our world can be made complete. That is my justice!”

“Spirit” is a burden on “our world”, and deleting spirit would be an act of “justice”. He tells Cynthia that this is why he won’t “run and hide.” That frames the problem as something personal to him, while he clearly views spirit as a drag on the human condition. Someone has to have the nerve to get rid of it, and he’s going to do it - for everyone, of course.

#2b. People are lying to themselves when they say they are satisfied with the human spirit.

“That's how you justify spirit as something worthwhile?! That is merely humans hoping, deluding themselves that they are happy and safe!”
This relates to #1b - if states like happiness are temporary, how can they be good? Happiness is only temporary and it can be lost. If this is true, the only explanation for people saying they are happy (under Cyrus’s model) is that they are lying to themselves to cope.

Hidden assumption - only Cyrus has the wisdom, insight, and courage to bring about the new world

“You heard my speech, I take it. Snicker... A big lie, of course. It's true, insofar as my intention is to create a new world. But that world isn't for the likes of Team Galactic. I seek an entirely new world solely for myself. If not, it could never be the complete and perfect world. You've seen my minions of Team Galactic. You yourself must know that they are uniformly useless and incomplete.”

Cyrus does not seek public support for his plan. He does not invite debate on whether it is a good idea to remake the world. He does not even fully inform his commanders on the extent of his plan. He believes he himself is qualified to create the new world, that he does not require anyone’s consent or input in how this new world will be created or run, and that he has the right to unilaterally impose his new world on everyone.

Hidden assumption - the suffering wrought by the human spirit is so great that he is justified in taking any action to stop it

Setting off a bomb at Lake Valor, kidnapping Pokemon, stealing energy from the Windworks, deceiving grunts, none of it causes him any trouble. After all, he is literally going to reset the world, so it won’t matter in the long run.