Humans Nature - Good or Bad Essay - 1132 Words

Human Nature Good or Bad? Whether human beings are instinctually good or evil in an elementary natural state is a question that has been boggling the minds of even the greatest philosophers. There is a spectrum of theories that support both good and evil within the human race, each with valid points that explains the range of our interests, being either for ourselves or for others. However, my personal stance is the sensible theory of Altruism. Past experiences and observations allow me to take the stance, and support the argument that humans are caring and genuinely good individuals and have the will and desire to help those around them. Philosophers such as Mengzi (4th Century BCE) also known as Mencius in the West, explains†¦show more content†¦These ongoing debates continue into literature and are for example the two philosophical authors Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) and Joseph Butler (1692-1752). One philosopher fighting for the truth of the evil nature within humans, and the other rebutting for t he good. Hobbes’ book the â€Å"Leviathan† expresses harsh outlines for the nature of human and describes the human life as, â€Å"solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short.† 1 He concluded that humans are antisocial, and that cooperation between individuals or groups is nothing but self-interest. Joseph Butler however, wanted to reestablish his belief and published the book â€Å"Fifteen Sermons Preached at Roll Chapel.† His goal was to prove that human nature included positive elements. Within his book, Butler states that humans have varying characteristics pertaining to their nature and this encompasses a measure of self-interest. This self-interest is a natural attribute that roots back to the human animalistic nature of â€Å"survival of the fittest.† This self-interest is also a human quality that does not conflict with benevolence. Butler arranged these human attributes into a hierarchy with the top being conscience. In regards to conscience, Hobbes maintained the opinion that acts of kindnessShow MoreRelatedHuman Nature Is Good Or Bad?1484 Words   |  6 PagesJesus Robledo Prof. Hudley English 121-001 April 17 2016 Human Nature Human Nature, human nature to me is how a person gives their life meaning by applying different believes to it, and then continue living their life based on them. No human is perfect nor good or bad. Throughout the history of humanity, our way of thinking, and believes have evolved in some way. Human nature took its turns when everyone started creating new beliefs back then. An example of differentRead MoreHuman Nature Is Good Or Bad?909 Words   |  4 PagesHuman nature is referred to distinguishing characteristics; including ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving. Which humans tend to have naturally. As human beings we are taught moralities at a young age. We are taught whether an action is good or bad. So as humans, are we inherently good or bad? If we are taught what to be. Not only we are taught, but we are shaped by the world around us. I believe that we are all inherently good to begin with. Those who are â€Å"evil† only do so because they have beenRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s King Of The Good And Bad Of Human Nature1338 Words   |  6 PagesIn William Shakespeare’s play King Lear, similar to most of his pieces, he manages to build an intricate storyline, weaving in and out of the good and bad of human nature. Shakespeare also highlights the development of identity in results to hardship and utilizes characters, such as Lear the protagonist to create emphasis. Lear, who is ridden with a naà ¯ve and un-insightful personality plunges himself head first into an avoidable misfortune leads him to the loss of his kingship, his relationship withRead MoreHuman Nature : What Makes A Human Person?1511 Words   |  7 PagesHuman nature, the essence of what makes a human person what they are, is something that everybody has. Every person is innately a person, but how they put their personhood into action is the biggest indicator of their character, or the projection of a person’s human nature. At their core there is human nature, but their actions are what direct this source of humanity. The quality of someone’s actions is shaped by their environment and sometimes their biological makeup as well. Human nature doesRead MoreInflunce of Human Nature and Politics in a City1615 Words   |  7 Pageslives in. In this paper the character of human nature and politics will be discussed in how a city is ought to be by the influence of human nature and politics. Firstly, the influence of human nature on politics will be looked at, for example according to Plato on behalf of Socrates; he claims that a just soul creates a just society, where it is human nature to be just, that influences in creating a just political system. Secondly, politics influences human nature, where in the republic when the discussionRead More The Philosophies Are Confucianism, Mohism And Legalism1497 Words   |  6 Pagesopinion of human nature. Chinese philosophy began in the fifth century BC with Confucius and changed and evolved as other philosophers built off Confucian ideas and challenged Confucian ideas. Confucius, Mencius, and Xunzi are three different philosophers from Chinese history who have three opposing views in their philosophical ideas of society and human nature. These three philosophies are Confucianism, Mohism and Legalism. Ancient Chinese philosophers built their views of human nature off of theRead MoreThe Nature of Death Essay1508 Words   |  7 PagesHuman beings often have preconceived notions or fears regarding the abstract idea of death. Two Hellenistic philosophers Epicurus and Epictetus take very different approaches to prove that death is insignificant and nothing to worry about. Epicurus argues that death is the unequivocal end of our existence, and Epictetus claims it is something that we have no control over. Both examine the nature of death in an attempt to achieve ataraxia or a tranquil state of mind. However, Epicurus and EpictetusRead MoreThe Mencius-Xunzi Debate in Early Confucian Ethnics Essay1082 Words   |  5 Pagesachieve this goal. Yet, instead of supporting each other, Mengzi and Xunzi have made contradictory arguments on human nature and cultivation of moral elites . Previous researchers have found that Mengzi, as the second most influential Confucian philosopher , maintains that human nature is good , whereas Xunzi, who shaped the Confucianism that followed him , claims that human nature is bad . This sharp contrast may result from the fact that both Mengzi and Xunzi live in the Warring States period, inRead MoreContradictions and Paradoxes in the Human Soul in â€Å"the Human Abstract†, by William Blake1110 Words   |  5 Pagesand paradoxes in the human soul in â€Å"The Human Abstract†, by William Blake Before being good or bad, human beings are just humans who have to live with their own nature, which they sometimes cannot control. Man can do good or evil but he always makes it with a unique purpose, his personal satisfaction, because it is simply in his nature. Thus, human beings aware of good and evil are confronted with conflicting choices but they never act against their will. The poem, â€Å"The Human Abstract†, writtenRead MoreThe Effects Of Bailos On Human Nature1481 Words   |  6 PagesEarth due to its human nature because the humans choose how they want to be, either good or evil nature based on education, family, and their interactions. Through our journey back down to Balios, we have found that human nature is neither good nor evil like Kao Tzu explained. Human beings have higher education standards which starts at a young age and can possibly go forever. They have so called leaders that they named teachers. These teachers help motivate humans to achieve good things as much

Essay on The Significance of Art in Chopins The Awakening

Edna seeks occupational freedom in art, but lacks sufficient courage to become a true artist. As Edna awakens to her selfhood and sensuality, she also awakens to art. Originally, Edna â€Å"dabbled† with sketching â€Å"in an unprofessional way† (Chopin 543). She could only imitate, although poorly (Dyer 89). She attempts to sketch Adà ¨le Ratignolle, but the picture â€Å"bore no resemblance† to its subject. After her awakening experience in Grand Isle, Edna begins to view her art as an occupation (Dyer 85). She tells Mademoiselle Reisz that she is â€Å"becoming an artist† (Chopin 584). Women traditionally viewed art as a hobby, but to Edna, it was much more important than that. Painting symbolizes Edna’s independence; through art, she breaks free from her†¦show more content†¦Music was a â€Å"means of brightening the home and making it attractive† (Chopin 553). Madame Ratignolle uses her talent to serve others. At an evening at Grand Isle, she played the piano in order that everyone would be able to dance. Edna’s artistic pursuits are very different than Madame Ratignolle’s. Edna’s art represents her quest for individuality (Boren 181). Her form of art does not provide pleasure or enrichment to her household. Instead, it takes her away from her family and her domestic duties (Dyer 87). Edna paints in her â€Å"atelier† (Chopin 579). Mr. Pontellier chides Edna for spending too much time in her atelier; he says that she would â€Å"be better employed contriving for the comfort of her family† (Chopin (579). Edna makes good progress in her painting; she dreams of â€Å"becoming an artist† (Chopin 584). However, her devotion to art is contrasted to that of novel’s true artist. Mademoiselle Reisz understood what it means to be an artist. She was an â€Å"artist at the piano† (Chopin 554). Mademoiselle Reisz was isolated from society. She lived alone with practically no friends, except Robert and Edna. Her proprietor described her as â€Å"the most disagreeable and unpopular woman† (Chopin 580). Mademoiselle Reisz defied society’s convention. She devoted herself entirely to art; as a result, she became ostracized from society (Koloski 119). She plays music, not for others, but for herself. She told Edna that she was â€Å"the onlyShow MoreRelated Essay on The Awakening733 Words   |  3 PagesCriticism of The Awakening      Ã‚   Reading through all of the different criticism of Kate Chopin’s The Awakening has brought about ideas and revelations that I had never considered during my initial reading of the novel.   When I first read the text, I viewed it as a great work of art to be revered.   However, as I read through all of the passages, I began to examine Chopin’s work more critically and to see the weaknesses and strengths of her novel.   Reading through others interpretations of herRead MoreThe Unique Style Of Kate Chopin s Writing1603 Words   |  7 PagesThe unique style of Kate Chopin’s writing has influenced and paved the way for many female authors. Although not verbally, Kate Chopin aired political and social issues affecting women and challenging the validity of such restrictions through fiction. Kate Chopin, a feminist in her time, prevailed against the notion that a woman’s purpose was to only be a housewife and nothing more. Kate Chopin fortified the importance of women empowerment, self-expression, self-assertion, and female sexuality throughRead MorePersonal Demoralization In The Awakening1561 Words   |  7 PagesPersonal Demoralization in The Awakening To demoralize someone is to dishearten or discourage them and cause them to lose hope. Kate Chopin uses words like â€Å"depressed† (56), â€Å"hopeless† (56) and â€Å"despondency† (p115) to describe Edna Pontellier, the heroine, in The Awakening. Coupling this description with Edna taking her life at the end of the novel and Chopin’s own inferred demoralization, due to the universal aversion to The Awakening, the natural conclusion is that it is a work of â€Å"great personalRead MoreDemoralization In The Awakening1584 Words   |  7 Pagesthem and cause them to lose hope. Kate Chopin uses words like â€Å"depressed† (56), â€Å"hopeless† (56) and â€Å"despondency† (p115) to describe Edna, the heroine, in The Awakening. Coupling this description with Edna taking her life at the end of the novel and Chopin’s own inferred demoralization, due to the almost universal aversion to The Awakening, the natural conclusion is that i t is a work of â€Å"great personal demoralization†, (Companion 5) as Michael Levenson states. Levenson suggests most modernist authorsRead More Symbolism in Kate Chopins The Awakening Essay1467 Words   |  6 PagesSymbolism in Kate Chopins The Awakening Chopins The Awakening is full of symbolism.   Rather than hit the reader on the head with blunt literalism, Chopin uses symbols to relay subtle ideas.   Within each narrative segment, Chopin provides a symbol that the reader must fully understand in order to appreciate the novel as a whole.   I will attempt to dissect some of the major symbols and give possible explanations as to their importance within the text.   Art itself is a symbol of both freedomRead More Essay on The Awakening712 Words   |  3 PagesCritical Views of The Awakening      Ã‚  Ã‚   The Awakening, written by Kate Chopin, is full of ideas and understanding about human nature. In Chopins time, writing a story with such great attention to sensual details in both men and women caused skepticism among readers and critics. However, many critics have different views with deeper thought given to The Awakening. Symbolism, the interpretation of Ednas suicide, and awakenings play important roles in the analysis of all critics.    SymbolismRead MoreEssay on symbolaw Use of Symbols and Symbolism in The Awakening1292 Words   |  6 PagesUse of Symbolism in Chopins The Awakening The Awakening is a novel full of symbolism; within each narrative segment there is often a central and powerful symbol that serves to add meaning to the text and to underline some subtle point Chopin is making. Understanding the meaning of these symbols is vital to a full appreciation of the story. This essay lists some of the major symbols with explanations of their importance. Art becomes a symbol of both freedom and failure. It is through theRead More Societys Restrictive Roles for Women Exposed in The Awakening1204 Words   |  5 Pageswould not come out and say it. However, in 1899, Kate Chopin wrote The Awakening, which showed women that they were not alone. This novel showed the discriminatory views and treatment towards women. It also distinctly indicates the dissatisfaction that women felt in their lives. Because of the roles that society has given them, women are not able to seek and fulfill their own psychological and sexual drives. In The Awakening, Chopin uses Edna Pontellier to show that women do not want to be restrictedRead MoreThe Awakening By Kate Chopin1479 Words   |  6 PagesKate Chopin’s controversial novel, The Awakening, ignited turmoil because of her blatant disregard of the established 19th century perspective of women upholding strictly maternal and matrimonial responsibilities. Edna’s candid exploration of th e restrictions on women through her liberal behavior in a conservative Victorian society makes her a literary symbol for feminist ideals. Despite denunciation from other people, Edna chooses individuality over conformity through her veering from traditionalRead MoreThe Awakening: My Critical Essay2618 Words   |  11 Pagesthe novel is The Awakening by Kate Chopin. Setting and its Significance The Awakening is set in New Orleans at the end of the Victorian era. The significance of the novel being set in the Victorian era is the way women are treated and looked at. For a typical Victorian woman, she was expected to be faithful and do what the husband desires, take care of the children, and basically be entertainment for man. If affects the novel because the main character will go through awakenings that will challenge

My Heart for Children Essay Example For Students

My Heart for Children Essay My dream is to become a woman of value. A very memorable quote said by Albert Einstein, â€Å"Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value. † This quote stuck to me, I want to become a person who not only is successful but develop value out of that success. Not everyone can say that they encountered a valuable success from their career. I want to be the women who did. Little Hilary wanted to explore the world, which later developed into a tendency of helping others. Then she realized she wanted to help children or youth who aren’t as blessed as we are. Volunteering in a program called Operation Christmas Child, made me desire to help youth even more. In this program they send out shoe boxes of belongings we put together for Christmas. Every December, they have a group that distributes those boxes. Bringing more to the program, in the future I may have the opportunity to putting together a team of constructors, and building a community for these kids. I’ve seen videos where these kids and youths have no shoes and in that very box that they received for Christmas were a pair of shoes and they were in tears because they never owned a pair of shoes before. There were even children being adopted by the people who were sending out these shoe boxes, showing love to these kids. Like the families that adopt these kids, I want to be able to make these kids feel special and loved. So many of these kids have no family, and I want to be what they call family; I want to see how much they’ve grown mentally and physically. I want to give them the chance to see what family and love is, as well as a community such as churches, homes, schools and libraries. These kids deserve a future and deserve to go to college if they choose. They are worthy of getting a book read to them and eventually read their own books. As majoring in education (K-12), I would have the opportunity to teach these children. Not only involving myself into developing a community but to show them academically. Since they don’t have a family, they aren’t taught manners or what is wrong and right. With help, we’d prepare them for the real world, on how to be independent and the importance of getting a career that you would desire to pursue. We would set up games and ice breakers to get them more active and less timid. I want to help these kids to develop skills in the social life and not being afraid of what’s out there. These children deserve much more than they get. I want the chance to teach these kids English, math, as well as science while other teachers accompanying me in helping them with their needs. This shows the kind of person I am, one with a very huge and giving heart, not many peope have those.

The Truth Behind William Shakespears Hamlet Essay Example For Students

The Truth Behind William Shakespears Hamlet Essay The Truth Behind William Shakespeare’s Hamlet â€Å"A Tragedy must not be the spectacle of a perfectly good man brought from prosperity to adversity. For this merely shocks us†-Aristotle-300bc (pg. 229,Shakespearean criticism, vol. 3)Thesis: William Shakespeare, one of the greatest dramatists in the world, has been famous and well known since the early 1600’s. Some of his greatest works have been reproduced hundreds of times. He wrote poems, sonnets, plays, tragedies, histories, and comedies. Hamlet is one of Shakespeare’s most famed and remembered tragedies. All of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies have tragic heroes and several dark, disturbing endings. This pattern also includes Hamlet. The play of Hamlet is completely based on deception, lies, selfishness, and fear. During this essay, I will specify key incidents throughout the play to prove that tragic heroes have tragic endings, that had the truth been told time and again than many deaths could have been prevented. Also how Shakespeare places Ophelia in the wrong era, and about miscommunications can affect peoples out look on life. We will write a custom essay on The Truth Behind William Shakespears Hamlet specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now All of Shakespeare’s tragic heroes also have tragic endings. Hamlet, for example, cannot let go of his father’s death; therefore trapping him in a time warp or parallel universe he created himself in his own mind â€Å"He kept pretending he was insane even after he was sure that Claudius killed his father (Pg. 1, The Tragedy of Hamlet, unknown).† Had Hamlet not gone insane in the first place, maybe he would not have died or had his stepfather attempt to kill him.If only Hamlet had told others aside from Horatio the truth about him knowing of his fathers murder than perhaps Hamlet may have had some hopes of survival. Yet right off the bat the play is opened with two immediate lies: one, Hamlet’s father was murdered by his brother, not of natural causes; two, Hamlet learns the truth and also tells no one of it or that he is just pretending to be crazy. Hamlet lies, his uncle lies, Ophelia lies, Ophelia’s father Polonius lies to her, Laertes, Hamlet’s friend’s lie to him, the priest lies at Ophelia’s burial, and even his mother Gertrude lies of her love to the uncle/husband Claudius. Every one lies about something significant in the duration of the play. All of the characters lost their true love, sanity, families, and worst of all, they lost themselves. In the end, no one won accept Fortinbras. George Stubbes states that in all of his (Shakespeare’s) noble passions, the female characters are out of their timelines. They do not fit into their surroundings with the women of the period that they are supposed to be written in. In Shakespeare’s plays, â€Å"almost all his young women (who are designed as good characters) are made to behave with modesty and decency peculiar to those times, and which are of such pleasing simplicity as seem too ignorant and unmeaning in our well taught knowing age †. (George Stubbes, Shakespearean Criticism, Vol. 1, Pg. 76). Yes, Ophelia does carry those characteristics. She behaves like a well-educated, respected women, and as a crazy whore in others. Shakespeare places her in one extreme to the next; than he has her commit suicide due to her fathers death and or perhaps due to what she thinks is the loss of her true love Hamlet. No one really knows for sure. Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch quotes Aristotle numerous times to make it clear how he feels about Shakespeare’s tragedies. â€Å"A hero of Tragic Drama must, whatever else he miss, engage our sympathy; that, however gross his error or grievous his frailty, it must not exclude our feeling that he is a man like ourselves† -Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch. Some also say Shakespeare used a lot of miscommunication in his tragedies to insure the downfall of the hero. I believe if Hamlet would have just told his mother straight forward how he felt and what he knew for a fact about the death of his father then maybe he too would be alive. Instead he yells at her â€Å"frailty thy name is woman!† (14 Act 1 Scene 2 Line 146), and never really fills her in on the truth. Ophelia may not have killed her self if she only knew how Hamlet really felt about her. Hamlet never just told Ophelia his love was real and she never asked about what her father told her when stating he didn’t love her and accused Hamlet of using her. â€Å"I loved Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers could not with all their quantity of love make up my sum†(131 Act 5 Scene 1 Line 272)- to bad she never really knew and that neither did their families till the end. .u15239924c50bb60b388282671318943b , .u15239924c50bb60b388282671318943b .postImageUrl , .u15239924c50bb60b388282671318943b .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u15239924c50bb60b388282671318943b , .u15239924c50bb60b388282671318943b:hover , .u15239924c50bb60b388282671318943b:visited , .u15239924c50bb60b388282671318943b:active { border:0!important; } .u15239924c50bb60b388282671318943b .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u15239924c50bb60b388282671318943b { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u15239924c50bb60b388282671318943b:active , .u15239924c50bb60b388282671318943b:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u15239924c50bb60b388282671318943b .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u15239924c50bb60b388282671318943b .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u15239924c50bb60b388282671318943b .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u15239924c50bb60b388282671318943b .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u15239924c50bb60b388282671318943b:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u15239924c50bb60b388282671318943b .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u15239924c50bb60b388282671318943b .u15239924c50bb60b388282671318943b-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u15239924c50bb60b388282671318943b:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Tobacco Companies and thier ethics EssayHamlet is a prime example of a piece of Shakespeare’s finest and most memorable works. During Hamlet the entire family dies and the kingdom is taken over by the enemy. No one lives on to live happily ever after and no one continues the legacy. Hamlet never becomes king, his mother does not see the light until it is to late, Ophelia does not get prince charming and no one wins in the end. The tragedy of Hamlet in the end lead to a tragic, gory ending for all who were involved and Shakespeare never gave any real hope from the get go. All of Shakespeare’s tragedies have the main characters die and every one who is left is unhappy and never the same after the traumatic experience which also is held true in Hamlet. Which all-just goes back to all tragedies have tragic heroes that in turn have tragic endings. Shakespeare had system that worked and he stuck to it, if you observe and really read between the lines in MacBeth and Romeo Juliet, than you will see that all of the basics of the plots are similar and relate. In fact, he was a genius in my opinion to have the ability to camouflage the same basic skeleton of a story and reproduce it repeatedly as something different and new. Shakespeare had a gift to have the ability to just produce the tragedies and teach people a lesson in life of what is wrong. He had the ability to wake people up to the reality of life and what is going on around them. Stephen King stated once in an interview that there are no new stories just, just William Shakespeare’s original masterpieces retold and rewrote. In conclusion, I feel that William Shakespeare is an extr emely talented individual and his writings all have a valuable lesson to be taught. His priceless works will be reproduced and treasured for centuries to come. Bibliography:Citing-Aristotle-Shakespearean Criticism, Vol.3 PG, 229-300bc, Temple High Library-Tragedy of Hamlet-Unknown, HTTP://www.planetpapers.com/count.cgi (If this doesn’t directly work try planet www.papers.com and search for Hamlet)-George Stubbes- Shakespearean Criticism, Vol. 1 PG, 7 (essay date 1813)-Stephen King-interview I saw one day on a program on AE about the top 100 people of the century.