The Practice of Scapegoating

1363 Words3 Pages

When a crisis appears, it is common practice to not only blame, but also punish someone for a malefaction committed by another. No matter the circumstance, it will not be the last occurrence. The practice of scapegoating has followed humankind since its creation in biblical times. When a guiltless party is blamed for a misdeed, the religious practice of scapegoating has been adopted, whether it is for social, political, or medical reasons.
The term of “scapegoat” first appears in the Christian Bible in Levictus, Chapter 16. The original meaning was a goat that took upon the sins of the people and is then sent into the wilderness on Yom Kippur, also known as the Day of Atonement. William Tyndale invented the word in 1530 in his translation of the Bible. He translated the Hebrew word, “Azazel” to “ez azel”, meaning, “goat escapes” “A scapegoat has to be innocent of causing the events, behavior or situations for which he or she is being blamed” (Douglas 55).
As the term derived, a scapegoat, no longer had to be a goat; it could also be a person. In Ancient Greece, human scapegoats were used to alleviate a plague or some other sickness. During the Roman feast, Lupercalla, priests cut thongs from sacrificial animals, raced around the walls of the Palestine city, striking women, believing this would cure sterility. An early Roman law stated that an innocent person might take upon himself the penalty of another who had confessed to a crime. In Christianity, it is believed that Jesus Christ died for the sins of mankind (Das).
During the Black Death of 1348-1350, an illness that killed 75 to 200 million Europeans, people, called Flaggents, toured the country. The Flaggents believed that this plague occurred due to the sins of mankind an...

... middle of paper ...

... J & Frampton, D. “Finding Scapegoats. When Plague Strikes: the Black Death, Smallpox, AIDS.” New York, NY: Harper Collins, 1995. 30-40. Print.
La Ganga, Maria L. “Ron Paul says Latinos have become ‘scapegoats’.” The New York Times [New York City] 1 Feb. 2012: n.pag. Web. 8 Apr. 2014.
Mathers, Marshall. “The Way I Am.” The Marshall Mathers LP. Interscope Records, 2000. CD.
McNeil, Jr, Donald G. “Finding a Scapegoat when Epidemic Strike.” The New York Times [New York City] 31 Aug. 2009: n. pag. Web. 8 Apr. 2014.
“Birmingham Six” Freed After 16 Years in Prison.” N.p., 14 Mar. 2012. Web. 24 Mar. 2014.
Pratt, John P. “The Scapegoat Dilemma.” John P. Pratt. Meridian Magazine, 19 Jan. 2009. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.
Sanders, Jim. “Some California Leaders Want Low Cost Healthcare for Undocumented Immigrants.” The Sacramento Bee [Sacramento] 19 Apr. 2013: n.pag. Web. 8 Apr. 2014.

Show More
Related

  • Use of Scapegoats in The Lottery and in Our World

    1646 Words  | 4 Pages

    Scapegoats appear abundant in the world today. Political parties and businesses consistently seem to find a person or small group that takes the blame for serious issues. This can cause problems and arguments that sometimes lead to something serious like wars. Scapegoats are just a way of passing blame off of oneself and on to others, just so reputations can remain intact. This sort of attitude shows how lethargic the world has become, where people don’t even take responsibility for their actions. Many people from older generations complain about how all the new generations become too comatose and unwilling to take on their own actions and indiscretions. With attitudes like this, peace will never be found and will inevitably lead to conflict. Something must be done to stem the flow of scapegoats which have been utilized far too much over time.

    Read More

  • Religious Rationale for the Plague in Rosemary Horrox’s The Black Death

    931 Words  | 2 Pages

    After the September 11th, 2001 attacks, prominent religious figures claimed that depraved American lifestyles were to blame for the bombings; Protestant leader Jerry Falwell came forth and stated that the attacks were a manifestation of God’s irritation at impious people. This attitude stems from a reaction to contemporary events, but possesses roots that date back to 1348. Throughout the time of plague in medieval England, priests and other spiritual leaders insisted that mass devastation via disease was a God-sent punishment for decadent lifestyles and impious behavior. These officials claimed that the promiscuous, the scantily dressed, and the flamboyant were all to blame for outbreaks of pestilence. Religious responses to the plague of 1348, found in passages of Rosemary Horrox’s The Black Death, clearly display this sentiment, signifying the fact that standards of propriety and decorum were highly relevant to medieval religious authorities attempting to pin down the causes of plague.

    Read More

  • Demon In The Freezer

    969 Words  | 2 Pages

    The book jumps to a distressing story about Peter Los in 1970 in West Germany who became ill due to smallpox. After ten days he was hospitalized but medical staff did not realize he had smallpox, which is highly contagious. Preston gives vivid descriptions of the disease and how it ravages the body. Los survived his illness, but caused an epidemic that killed many others that had become exposed to him. “Today, the people who plan for a smallpox emergency can’t get the image of the Meschede hospital out of their minds.

    Read More

  • Who's to Blame in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet?

    1134 Words  | 3 Pages

    Why is it that we as human beings feel the need to blame someone for every negative situation, which occurs? If we really look at the situation with any great depth, we may discover that an almost endless amount of things may be 'blamed' for the tragedy blaming an individual is pointless - only fate can really be blamed.

    Read More

  • History of Andersonville Prison

    4610 Words  | 10 Pages

    Some of them could have even been used as scapegoats. Yet how does one become a scapegoat? Could someone out there have that much hatred and anger to blame one person for the faults of many? Is the need for blame significant? Does desire lead to hatred and evil?

    Read More

  • Ring around the Rosie: Turning Points in History

    1001 Words  | 3 Pages

    The years 1348 through 1350 had been an extremely gruesome and miserable time in our world’s history. During this time period, one of the most devastating pandemics in history had struck half the world with an intensifying and deadly blow. It had been responsible for over 75 million deaths and 20 million of these deaths were from Europe alone. Out of the countries that were hit hardest in Europe from mortality rates and economic downturns, England was one of them. This grave disease that marked the end of the middle ages and the start of the modern age is known as the Black Plague.

    Read More

  • Ones Who Walked Away From Omelas

    754 Words  | 2 Pages

    Although, There is child who is locked up in a closet like room, and everyone knows that the child is there suffering. The reasoning behind the knowledge and unwillingness to help the child, “...They all understand that their happiness, the beauty of their city... depend wholly on this child’s abominable misery.” Although this child is suffering the society as a whole depends on it’s misery. Just like with the three children the society maintains peace through a scapegoat. In Mcdonald’s article expresses that a scapegoat is chosen at random and everyone unites against it. McDonald summarizes the idea of mimetic violence and scapegoating,” While mimetic violence divides each against each, scapegoating violence unites all against one. Thus the destruction of the scapegoat produces a genuinely unifying experience… Ultimately this ritualized violence becomes the basis for religion, mythology, kingship, and the establishment of those differences in a role that are so essential to bring about internal peace.” Based on the text that this mimetic or ritualized violence turns into religion, mythology, etc, it suggests that it has happened throughout human history and will continue to do so. Again this mimetic violence eventually leads to

    Read More

  • Plagues And Peoples Chapter Summary

    1646 Words  | 4 Pages

    Plagues and Peoples. By William H. McNeill. (New York: Anchor Books: A division of Random House, Inc., 1976 and Preface 1998. Pp. 7 + 365. Acknowledgements, preface, map, appendix, notes, index.)

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Black Death

    1821 Words  | 4 Pages

    No other epidemic reaches the level of the Black Death which took place from 1348 to 1350. The epidemic, better regarded as a pandemic, shook Europe, Asia, and North Africa; therefore it deems as the one of the most devastating events in world history. In The Black Death: The Great Mortality of 1348-1350, John Aberth, compiles primary sources in order to examine the origins and outcomes of this deadly disease. The author, a history professor and associate academic dean at Vermont’s Castleton State College, specializes in medieval history and the Black Death. He wrote the book in order to provide multiple perspectives of the plague’s impact. Primarily, pathogens started the whole phenomenon; however, geological, economic, and social conditions

    Read More

  • The Historical and Cultural Aspects in The Plague

    1305 Words  | 3 Pages

    Lapaire, Pierre J. "The Plague: Overview." Reference Guide to World Literature. Ed. Lesley Henderson. 2nd ed. New York: St. James Press, 1995. Literature Resource Center. Web. 24 Mar. 2011.

    Read More

  • Importance Of Scapegoating

    881 Words  | 2 Pages

    Scapegoating is a better way to experience success. Margaret Atwood speaks the truth when she states “When societies come under stress these kinds of things happen. People start looking around for essentially human sacrifices. They start looking around for somebody to blame.” In “Half- Hanged Mary” by ……. they used Mary as a scapegoat by blaming everything on her which lead to her hanging. Therefore I defend Margaret Atwood that a world under stress will eventually lead to people being demolished so they can feel better about themselves.

    Read More

  • Harvey Dentor's Scapegoat In The Dark Knight

    254 Words  | 1 Pages

    Societies prevent themselves from suffering a meltdown into generalized chaos and or into a war of all against all by scapegoating. According to Renee Girard, scapegoating occurs in society when anger and violence must be released.To release this tension of violence, they must together as a society choose a surrogate victim, the scapegoat, to take on all of the blame for causing this anger, and the victim is then sacrificed - or turned against by society.

    Read More

  • Scapegoat A History Of Blaming Other People Essay

    455 Words  | 1 Pages

    Scapegoating is an aspect of human nature that has been around since the beginning of time and is prevalent in today’s society. From children blaming each other for eating the last cookie, to people blaming Muslims for terrorist attacks, it is evident that people want to protect themselves or make themselves feel superior despite the consequences the other party may face. In Charlie Campbell’s article: “ Scapegoat: A History of Blaming Other People”, the author explains that scapegoating is a person’s way of feeling superior to others. Humans tend to dehumanize and accuse the less privileged people out there, the people whom we believe are inferior to us (Campbell 184). It is easy for humans to blame their faults on someone weaker than them.

    Read More

  • The Impact Of Black Death On Society

    902 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Black Death plagues had disastrous consequences for Europe in the 14th century. After the initial outbreak in Europe, 1347, it continued for around five years and then mysteriously disappeared. However it broke out again in the 1360s and every few decades thereafter till around 1700. The European epidemic was an outbreak of the bubonic plague, which began in Asia and spread across trade routes. When it reached Europe, a path of destruction began to emerge. Medieval society was tossed into disarray, economies were fractured, the face of culture and religion changed forever. However the plagues devastation was not all chaotic, there were benefits too, such as modern labour movements, improvements in medicine and a new outlook on life. Therefore in order to analyse the impact the Black Death had on societies in the 14th century, this essay will consider the social, economic, cultural and religious factors in order to reach an overall conclusion.

    Read More

  • Race, Ethnicity, and Hate Crimes

    999 Words  | 2 Pages

    Scapegoating is when a person irrationally blames their failures on others, therefore not taking responsibility themselves. The “scapegoating theory says that prejudiced people believe they are society’s victims” (Schaefer 38). It is always someone else’s fault that things do not go their way and the person “… transfers the responsibility for failure to some vulnerable group” (Schaefer 38).

    Read More

More about The Practice of Scapegoating

Open Document