On the other hand, the counter-jinx sort of thing takes away from what I see as the point of the first perspective, that most acts aren't in and of themselves evil but depend very much on circumstance.

Exactly! I wouldn't have nearly as much of a problem with the Trio &Co. if that was acknowledged in the books, but the idea seems to be that opposing something bad automatically makes you good, and that is so simplistic it makes my head hurt.