Convention and Nature
Convention and nature are different from one another. When someone is speaking in the conventional sense, then this can also be interpreted in the natural meaning. The same goes with someone speaking in the natural sense. This can be understood in the conventional meaning. An example of this is when Polus was conventionally speaking about baser and Socrates took this meaning as the natural meaning. In the natural sense, the meaning is that greater evil means baser, which is suffering wrongdoing. Doing wrong is baser in conventional meaning. The majority of mankind is made up of weaklings. These weaklings establish conventions to help themselves and to scare those who are stronger than them. Since these people are inferior, they are content to be equal to the stronger by use of these established conventions. It is said to be wrong when any one to try to get an advantage over the majority. In nature and natural law, it is survival of the strongest and fittest. This is not so in conventional law, which is the law of the majority. Being wiser and more intelligent than others means being better and stronger. Better and stronger are the people with courage and intelligence that know how to take care of political matters. Men should use their courage and intelligence to satisfy all of their wishes. Happiness and virtue consist of having excess, luxury and licence and everything else is worthless. People are already dead, their body is the tomb and their soul carries in contrary directions. A temperate life is better than an intemperate life and a person’s life is temperate and is satisfied with what he has. Pleasure and pain can be experienced at the same time. Wise men, heroes, and fools feel pain and joy in the same degree. Where cowards feel pain and joy more than brave men. The good man is as good and bad as the bad man and the bad man is possibly better. These are the interpretations of Callicles by Socrates.
Should the stronger take from the weaker and the better, more gifted rule and take from the less? Do stronger, better and more powerful mean the same thing? Is the Mass of men stronger than the individual? Do the majority believe that equality and not inequality is right? That it is baser to do wrong than to suffer wrong?
In the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck Natural order is shown. The novel organizes living things in specific relationship with each other, and in doing so it has included the rule of survival of the fittest, which usually is accepted about how life operates in the wild. But the novel applies this rule to the characters in terms of each character 's social and economic lives. Each character and their relationships with other characters determines who is fit and who isn 't in that specific relationship. Although the concept itself is unfair to the social and economic lives, it is inevitable that a perfect human has more survival chances than the one considered to have some fault. The novel portrays that natural order is unfair, but it
1. First of all, John Locke reminds the reader from where the right of political power comes from. He expands the idea by saying, “we must consider what estate all men are naturally in, and that is, a state of perfect freedom to order their actions, and dispose of their possessions and persons as they think fit.” Locke believes in equality among all people. Since every creature on earth was created by God, no one has advantages over another. He makes a strong suggestion by saying, “that creatures of the same species and rank, should also be equal one amongst another, without subordination or subjection, unless the lord and master of them all should, by any manifest declaration of his will, set one above another, and confer on him, by an evident and clear appointment, an undoubted right to dominion and sovereignty.” For people to confirm the state of Nature, a law is set that obliges people to follow and consult it. The Law of Nature brings many things that need to be followed by each person. Locke describes the law’s consequences if not obeyed by saying, “the execution of the law of Nature is in that state put into every man’s hands, whereby every one has a right to punish the transgressors of that law to such a degree as may hinder its violation.” Every law is fair and equal to every person. As you have equal rights, you may also be punished equally if you don’t obey it.
Thomas Paine could easily be considered the most influential figure from the American Revolution. Although “Common Sense” was then published anonymously, it still directed the Founding Fathers toward seeking independence from England. Thomas Paine addresses these issues when he uses tone to convey his position on freedom of trade to American colonists approximately six months before the American Revolution began (Background).
Proper Order in Confucianism and as taught primarily by Mencius, the Chinese philosopher, is the conceptual theory that instructs how people can reach their highest potential of moral and material well being embodied in Mencius' conception of human nature. The theory of proper order is the primary and philosophical means to that end. Although proper order may seem in many ways philosophically abstract, Mencius' teachings of proper order in history have had lasting and tangible effects on modern East Asian politics and its relationship between the state and society, and even on a narrower level of the individual and community. In fact, the theory of proper order starts first at the individual level and from there flourishes to create a positive rippling effect throughout all of society. This profound theory and its ideals is credited with developing a social society in East Asia which acknowledges the great potential of each of its citizens, but still aspires to consider the effects of individual actions on the common good and not to just ignore the interests of society as a whole. This has helped guide East Asia through its long and colorful history and has helped to shape it into the political and economic powerhouse that it is today. But where exactly did such a significant theory which has helped to define an entire society come from? What exactly is proper order, how can we create it, and why is it needed to achieve Mencius' human nature? Most of these questions can be answered in explaining the fundamental virtue that all humans have according to Mencius, our humaneness defined in human nature.
However, there are differences based on the society that becomes ones norm. What is considered lawful and civilized in one country, may seem morally wrong in another. Wealth, education, and advancement of a country due to natural resources etc. have influenced the development of its people and society. Third world countries, for example, lack education and money for some of the most basic needs. This sparks corruption, and the need for survival outweighs any law that an average american would consider morally right. Is this where the savage man’s instinct for self preservation take over? According to Rousseau, when there is no compassion, there is no balance in society.
Even though there are several schools of Naturalistic ethic, they all have one major quality in common – recognition of Nature as the main guiding force of our lives. Naturalists try to understand Nature and how Nature and humanity are linked together. Adherents of Naturalism try to convince people to shift their attitude toward the need to follow the laws of nature as a principle of moral conduct. There are three major schools of Naturalism. The first school strives for “returning back to nature” in order to enjoy a simple life and find out the truth by communion with nature, which is considered to be the teacher for all people. The second school recognizes that the Nature has inner soul. For example, stoics believed that Nature possesses rational (comprehensible by human mind) and positive divine power and all events in people’s lives are predetermined by it. Thus, people should give in to their fates and react in a positive and rational way toward unforeseen circumstances because everything happens for a reason and for the best. The third school advocates evolutionary theory as the basis for ethical conduct. Followers of this theory argue that people should learn their behavior from the evolutionary model of natural world. Darwin’s law of survival of the fittest was applied to social context. The ethical conduct is considered to be right when people or government do not interfere to help weak “species” survive. As a result, the most developed, smart and enterprising people will prevail and as social evolution progresses, they will form a superior society.
World comes from the Old English, weorold, which roughly refers to, Age of Man. It could also refer to the human experience or condition. In Catalina De Euraso’s – Lieutenant Nun, her autobiography takes place in none other than a masculine focused world. In the 17th century, women were not allowed to write or to have a public opinion and for her to even tell her story she had to self-fashion into a man. Moving into the 20th century we find James Joyce and his collection of short stories called Dubliners. In particular, the novella, The Dead, speaks to the human experience as a whole. Joyce’s story, and main character Gabriel, are set in a time when their World, Ireland, is in turmoil. The Irish Revolution is in full force, and the many characters in his novel present represent both sides of the situation, to stay true to their Irish roots, or give in to the English rules and customs. These environments fashioned how each author regarded the world, and how they put forth these outlooks in writing. In this paper, I will examine how each author interprets his or her world. By looking at the context and wording in passages from each text, I aim to show how their worlds, at times, revealed similarities while other times showed us how different these two worlds were.
...s are a paradigm case of those in control. The essence of ruling is, therefore, to be unjust and that is why a tyrant is a perfect ruler. He always knows what is to his advantage and how to acquire it. Thrasymachus’ view of justice is appealing but therein lies a moral danger and this is refuted by Socrates.
'And each makes laws to its own advantage. Democracy makes democratic laws, tyranny makes tyrannical laws, and so on with the others. And they declare what they have made - what is to their own advantage - to be just for their subjects, and they punish anyone who goes against this as lawless and unjust. This, then, is what I say justice is, the same in all cities, the advantage of the established rule. Since the established rule is surely stronger, anyone who reasons correctly will conclude that the just is the same everywhere, namely, the advantage of the stronger.'" Plato, Republic, Book 1, 338
Within two classical works of philosophical literature, notions of justice are presented plainly. Plato’s The Republic and Sophocles’ Antigone both address elements of death, tyranny and immorality, morality, and societal roles. These topics are important elements when addressing justice, whether in the societal representation or personal representation.
Have you ever had equal rights just as much as someone who had more money than you or was in higher power than you? Most people may not believe in equal human rights, but it should happen even in the most pore places.
Every day of my life the sociology of “norms” is at work in my daily life. It works on a subconscious level, keeping me from acting “strange”. These norms are my guiding light to acting “normal” and fitting in with the societies that I am a part of, they tell me how to conduct myself and what my expectations of other’s behaviors should be.
Human nature is not simply a measure of our human tendencies. It is both individual and collective. It does not explain why events happen. Instead, it explains the subconscious of each individual in the instant that events happen. The social order that best fits human nature is one where the informed opinions of everyone creates decisions and causes action. Madison’s argument for and against factions, Aristotle’s idea of ultimate happiness, and Locke’s concept of popular government and human rights all offer a significant component to the larger concept that is human nature. While some may argue that we will only fully understand human nature when we are met with death, still we can begin to capture a slight understanding to what governs human nature and the political order that helps it grow.
Law of nature is a general rule that is discovered through reason. According to Hobbes, humans’ basic instict is survive and protect his life so they should seek peace. Due to that, first law of nature is the most important one is, to seek peace and follow it. The second, giving up some rights, reciprocity to defend. By all means we can defend ourselves. This mutual transferring of rights is called social contract and its basis of the notion of moral obligation. F...
Equality is a concept mankind never is able to grasp correctly. Of course humans will always search for different solutions to create fairness, but factors such as human greed, ignorance of mass populations, and even biological aspects stagnates the process of equality. The oldest and most relevant discussion on equality lies with the difference of sex; man versus woman. Initially, men, because of their physical superiority, were given the prospects many women never even dreamt to have. Conversely, as time has progressed, women have fought this unfair treatment with demands of suffrage and similar rights to those of their male equivalents. Greatly enough, this generation has done an exceptional job in the challenge of overcoming sexism and inequality. However, will this search for equality ever end? When can we say we have created an equal race of men and women? The fact of the matter is that it is truly impossible to have equality between the sexes because of predisposed circumstances that are not easily controllable in the slightest bit.