The Nature of Good and Evil Admission Essay

The Nature of Good and Evil
An in-depth exploration of the nature of human beings as naturally good or naturally evil.
# 154103 | 2,447 words | 5 sources | 2012 | CO
Published on Jan 15, 2015 in History (General) , Philosophy (General) , Ethics (General)


$19.95 Buy and instantly download this paper now

Description:

What is good and what is evil? How can you describe one without the other? In the course of our lives as human beings, we go through both good and evil. We make good decisions sometimes, but others, we can be evil and self destructive. I think every human being would lie if they said they know they are entirely good/evil. I think there is a little bit of both in every single one of us. Even though we can choose between good and evil, we have a past 'natural state' in which we can definitely say we were entirely good or evil. Are we good or evil by nature? This has been a subject with a lot of debate from famous philosophers like Sigmund Freud, Immanuel Kant, Thomas Hobbes and Artistotle. In this essay, we get to read all of they perspectives and come with a final answer to the ongoing question: Are we good or eve by nature?

From the Paper:

"What is good and what is evil? How do you describe either one? How can you describe one without the other? Being good is having positive or desirable qualities; not bad or poor. On the other hand, evil is something that causes harm, misfortune, or destruction. Good and evil are all about choices and decisions. Both good and evil are acquired through the growing up process, and they can also be discarded if one wishes. Humans can choose between good and evil, but it is much harder to switch from evil to good, while it is easier to fall from good to evil. One of the biggest questions in humanity is the nature of good and evil in human nature. Researchers and philosophers around the world have been trying to find an answer to this questions from a long time ago. They have been trying to analyze whether humans are more attracted to evil than good. Among them are Sigmund Freud, Immanuel Kant, Thomas Hobbes, Terry Eagleton, Aristotle, and Paul Formosa. Many books show how human beings have a tendency toward evil more than good. In the book the Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, we can see how human nature has a wicked side and that without punishments to keep it in check society would degenerate into a barbaric anarchy. William Golding presents a Freudian view of the individual, which is mainly that within each person there is a struggle between right and wrong. So the question comes into mind: Is man good or evil by nature? The Lord of the Flies shows us that man is not good by nature, but by the laws enforced on them. When society lacks laws, it is flooded with evil and therefore will inevitably fail. Humans are driven more toward evil than good. In this paper the nature of good and evil in human nature will be thoroughly discussed and analyzed with the purpose of showing that humans are more attracted to evil and good."

Sample of Sources Used:

  • Works Cited
  • Clarke, Antoine. Hobbes's Theory of Human Nature: A Warning to Libertarians. (c) 1995: Libertarian Alliance; Antoine Clarke.
  • Eagleton, Terry. ``The Nature of Evil''. Source:Tikkun; Jan/Feb2011, Vol. 26 Issue 1, p80-94, 5p. Document Type:Article.
  • Formosa, Paul. Kant on the Radical Evil of Human Nature. Philosophical Forum; Fall2007, Vol. 38 Issue 3, p221-245, 25p. Article.
  • Freud, Sigmund. Civilization and Its Discontents. Translated from the German by James Stranchey. 92 pages. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., Inc., 1961.

Cite this Admission Essay:

APA Format

The Nature of Good and Evil (2015, January 15) Retrieved December 10, 2023, from https://www.academon.com/admission-essay/the-nature-of-good-and-evil-154103/

MLA Format

"The Nature of Good and Evil" 15 January 2015. Web. 10 December. 2023. <https://www.academon.com/admission-essay/the-nature-of-good-and-evil-154103/>

Comments