Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven
As human beings we constantly struggle with ourselves on whether our actions are virtuous or vice. Some of us choose to act in an ethical way when presented with a certain situation, while others choose to act on their desires and therefore act unjustly. This was the struggle that the character, William Munny, faced in the movie “Unforgiven.” He was unable to control his desires, which resulted in his unethical actions. His actions support Socrates and Plato’s theory that if we let our desires or our emotions drive us we will act unethically when faced with circumstances. In this paper I will show how Socrates and Plato’s philosophy regarding our emotions and desires, explains William Munny’s actions throughout the movie.
According to Plato’s philosophy in order for human beings to have a healthy “soul,” our view of the world should not be distorted by fears, insecurities, irrational anxieties, or overpowering desires. He also explains that our judgment should not be blinded by greed or self-interest. Having a healthy “soul” means having a clear mind and seeing things for what they actually are; this “soul” is the core of our personality. A person with a healthy ”soul” will live a virtuous life by making ethical choices and controlling his or her desires.
William Munny was not that type of person, because his mind was clouded by desire and his “soul” was unhe...
All through out history, we have had many situations that may have had good intentions but in reality would have bad consequences. Some people might think they are doing the right thing but in reality they might just be making the situation worse. For instance, we see it in Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave”, Vonnegut’s “Harrison Bergeron”, and today with “Vaping” also know as the use of an electronic cigarette.
According to Plato, the soul is composed of three parts: Reason (logical), Emotion (spiritual), and Appetite (appetitive); these three parts of the soul also resemble a Just society. Emotion and appetite are considered the less worthy with reason being the most significant because its’ passion isn’t lustful, rather it seeks knowledge and education. Plato stresses that Justice is a very important trait in the soul of an individual because a Just person is a person ruled by reason and not easily deceived by his or her emotions and appetites. A soul that is primarily ordered and governed by reason, has the ability to control its’ emotions and appetites thus being a Just and healthy soul. The logical part of the soul is what makes a Philosopher King possible.
We see Plato solidifying his position on which of the souls three sections needs to be in control for a man to be just, and happy.. In the text it states “And what, said I, are we to suppose the philosopher thinks of the other pleasures compared with the delight of knowing the truth and the reality, and being always occupied with that while he learn?” Meaning, that Plato believes the man of reason and knowledge (such as a philosopher) is the happiest, and will remain as such as he continues to learn, as he understands the difference between the necessary and unnecessary pleasures in life, and will always be occupied with the “delight of knowing the truth and the reality" as Plato states within the text.
Everything has its evil side which, if not tamed, will lead it to eventual destruction. By saying everything, one may want to construe the meaning to include all things in the abstract and in reality; that is to say, both humans and actions. Humans should also be understood to mean the soul and the flesh separately. The soul does not do any action. The evils that accrue to the soul, therefore, are only as a result of its association with the body as seen earlier. As fronted by Plato, it is believed that it is the specific evil that is harboured in every individual thing that deteriorates it before eventually destroying it completely. It is the small weaknesses of the body that accumulate, if not tamed, into a greater darkness that finally leads one to commit some form of action that brings with it
In his work The Republic, Plato often refers to the terms just and justice. What could being just have to do with the soul? Or more importantly what is a just soul? Plato argues for something to be just, it need to be in harmony. Site just to make him happy For us, to find our justice, we must ‘do our own work.’ Insert Quote Here Plato states that a man needs to focus on his inner self and not that of others hence the term ‘our own work’. Justice itself is a virtue that is to be held by all individuals. A soul can only be in a healthy state if individual justice exists. Therefore, refraining from morally wrong actions such as stealing or lying will lead to a more harmonious soul. (Slote) To Plato, a good soul lives well. The soul is a part of overall happiness and justice for a person. This person is able to live morally and make decisions that don’t just benefit himself, but to society and the individuals around him. (Lorenz) The goal is to bring a balance to all three parts of the soul. Plato pushes the idea of harmonizing the soul. The soul guides the mind and ...
We live in a society that values the quantity of our possessions over the quality of our souls. Capitalism is driven by the principle that if everyone acts in their own self-interest, it will benefit both the economy and society in the long run. Coupled with our consumerist culture, where our happiness and satisfaction often depend on the sheer quantity of things we own, our money-loving souls will never achieve their highest potential as Plato describes it. In Republic and Phaedo, Plato puts forth several theories regarding a balanced soul ruled by reason and how it benefits society as a whole however they directly conflict with the “greed is good” mentality that drives modern capitalism and consumerism.
Philosophy has offered many works and debates on morality and ethics. One of these works is the concept of utilitarianism. One of the most prominent writers on the theory of utilitarianism is John Stuart Mill. He suggests that utilitarianism may be the guide for morality. His writing on utilitarianism transcends through the present in relation to the famous movie The Matrix. In the movie, people live in a virtual reality where they are relatively happy and content and the real world is filled with a constant struggle to survive. The movie revolves around Neo, who tries to free people from the virtual world in which they live. In light of utilitarianism, freeing these people would be morally wrong. In this essay, I will first explain John Stuart Mill’s Utilitarianism and some objections it faces. I will then talk about utilitarianism’s relation to The Matrix and why it would be morally wrong to free the people and subject them to the real world.
The problem of dilemma, as presented by Philippa Foot in her writing, “Moral Dilemmas Revisited”, is the problem of whether it is possible to be in a situation where you cannot avoid making a wrong choice. Foot argues that it is always possible to avoid making a wrong choice in a difficult situation. She presents the ideas of multiple philosophers and their defense of the thought that there are situations where you can and will make a wrong choice. Foot defends herself further in the explanation of her point. She is presented with many views that involve a person still feeling guilty after a decision has been made. In this paper I will show and defend Foots argument that it is always possible to avoid making a wrong choice in a difficult situation because feelings of guilt do not have to coincide with actual regret or symbolizing a bad decision.
In this paper I will be discussing the tripartite (three parts) of the soul that Socrates discussed in chapter 6 of Plato’s Republic, and I will compare and contrast them to that of Aristotle and Anthony Kenny. In Plato’s Republic the three parts of the soul consist of the rational, spirited and, desire. In this dialogue the three parts of the soul go hand and hand with three parts of a just society.
As a person exits childhood, gains higher education, works in different careers, and establishes a family, they grow and decide their own beliefs. Because of the way a person’s life changes as they grow older, their views on the world and their interpretation of what is right and what is wrong will be altered. This will cause their ethics and values to be an agglomeration of what a person has acquired from personal experiences and the influences of others. The development of values and ethics is a process that lasts a lifetime. For instance, a high school-aged girl’s idea of “the perfect man” may include characteristics such as kind, tall, handsome, funny, athletic, and popular. Once she is an adult, her idea of “the perfect man” may include traits such as hardworking, has a stable income, shares common interests, is working towards the same goals in life, and has a nice family. As this girl aged and matured, her values changed, and what she valued in a man changed too. Plato states in his work, The Allegory of the Cave, “You will not misapprehend me if you interpret the journey upwards to be the ascent of the soul into the intellectual world” (Plato 3). Plato calls the shift of the “soul into the intellectual world” a journey. This means that in order for a person to develop their values and ethics, they must complete a lifelong trek towards a final goal of knowing what they believe in and what they value. One does not have a breakthrough moment during their life in which their views on right and wrong are
... the nature of reality, and by cognitive optimism, a belief in the capacity of the human mind to attain the truth and to use this truth for the rational and virtuous ordering of human affairs. Plato believes that conflicting interests of different parts of society can be harmonized. The best, rational and righteous, political order, which he proposes, leads to a harmonious unity of society and allows each of its parts to flourish, but not at the expense of others. The theoretical design and practical implementation of such order, he argues, are impossible without virtue.
Humanity is in a constant process to better themselves, as a result of their self-transcending nature. The purpose of this process is to achieve an immortal soul. However, an individual cannot obtain this without first being educated in the system developed by Plato and after surpassing his methods, the individual will remain in a constant state of pursuing the classical virtues.
This includes an important principle concerning conflict between desires, stating that opposite actions or states cannot be assigned to the same thing, in relation to the same object, at the same time. Therefore, desiring something and being opposed to it are opposites. This means that parts of the soul can conflict. In order to conflict because they cannot coexist in the same “state”, this is evidence that the human soul is composed of at least two distinct parts. One part can experience desire for something, while another part experiences aversion to it. For example, the “appetite” component of the soul can desire physical pleasures such as gluttony with food and sex, while “reason” knows that a ravenous desire to consume extravagant amounts of food and sex is not socially acceptable in society and will most likely lead to other problems as well. The Republic breaks down the tripartite soul further, assigning reason as knowledge and truth, for the purpose of guiding and regulating life. Reason is informed and can assess all parts of the soul individually and collected to make good decisions. Appetite is the “voice” of the body’s needs including safety, comfort, sex, food, and water. The appetite focuses on immediate gratification and pleasurable feelings. Plato believes that if an individual’s appetite’s basic
According to Socrates in Plato’s Republic, justice is a virtue that allows the soul to perform its function well. This justice is chosen both for its own sake and its consequences. Every human soul has three parts, a spirit, a reason, and an appetite. When the soul is functioning properly the virtues of that soul is just. Education causes the soul to be moral in nature. Education in music and physical training contribute to the soul and body. In this essay I will explain how through education a soul is allowed to truly become just, contributing to a healthy balance of spirit, reason, and appetite within the soul.
For Plato, the human soul is divided into three parts which have to function together in harmony. Reason, spirit, and appetite are together the soul. When an individual is unable to control one of these parts, chaos follows. In fact, Plato describes the soul as a charioteer pulled by two horses, where the charioteer is the reason and knows what he wants, but he needs the two horses to accomplish it. One horse is the spirit, which can be easily directed because it responds well. However, the other horse is the appetite, which is strong, and hard to control. For instance, the appetites are the human desires for pleasure and satisfaction, both mental and physical, and it takes discipline and determination to keep them contained. It is extremely important for a human being to