History is flush with examples of men who not only avoided evil, but did good; there are no famous examples of men who simply avoided the evil. The latter men will not try to do evil things, or great things, they won’t kill or save, they won’t try to please the Devil or give glory to God. Often this type inaction will be a worse sin that acting with sinful intent. “Idle hands are the Devil’s workshop.” Being virtuous requires striving for moral excellence and a desire to be Christ-like, as Christ is the most virtuous man to ever live. Thus the definition for virtue is two-fold, requiring an avoidance of doing evil, and a dedication to doing good. The Character Ransom in “Out of the Silent Planet” has the first quality, but struggles with …show more content…
S. Lewis, which means it’s a metaphor. The spirit in charge of the planet Malacandra (Oyarsa), represents a Christ-like figure. As Ransom’s character develops, we watch him put more and more faith in Oyarsa. When Ransom’s unfamiliar with Oyarsa, he thinks of him a fictional god, then, when the eldila (an angel- like spirit) appears to him, as a monster worshiped by foolish primitives, and finally, once he meets Oyarsa, as a God worthy of trust. Ransom develops from a “bent” distrustful and superior man into a trusting and humbled one during his time on Malacandra. By the end of the book, he has been taught the virtue of …show more content…
“Faith and hope cannot be separated. Genuine faith in Christ implies a firm confidence that our future is secure (Heb. 11:1, Romans 15:13). This essential oneness of faith and hope helps us grasp why faith always “works through love.” (Pastor John Piper, desiringGod.org) Ransom, in his first encounters with them, distrusts the Hrossa and Sorns, suspecting their intentions. Later, he realized that their only intent was to show him brotherly love. Through this he realized that the nature of humans was bent, and that in a world untouched by Satan, or “the bent one”, people would always greet each other with brotherly love. Before his time on Malacandra, Ransom had love, but he grew in understanding on Malacandra. Before, he was willing to help the boy that Weston and Devine were trying to abduct. Later, it’s talked about that man loves humanity, and it’s agreed that most humans share this love. But it’s seen through all of Ransom’s interactions with the Malacandrians that humanity is lacking in brotherly love. Ransom, by the end of the book, is a virtuous man. He grew much during his time on Malacandra, gaining faith, hope, and a greater understanding of love through Oyarsa. He not only avoids evil, but seeks good, and seeks to share that good with others, shown in his writing of the book. “Out of the Silent Planet” emphasizes the fallenness of man, and shows a glimpse of what we would be without the fall. It offers
While readers can agree virtue is a trait one must obtain, opinions bifurcate how one does so. Some people surmise that by simply avoiding evil, one is virtuous; others reckon that one must do good in addition to avoiding evil to acquire virtue.
have performed evil action on others will never get away with their misconducts. In the book,
When he first wakes up on board the spaceship after being kidnapped, he is fascinated and also terrified by the odd occurrences caused by being in space. After overcoming his initial fear, Ransom asks Weston many questions regarding space, such as what star they are heading to. His curiosity overcomes even his own anger at being kidnapped, as he asks Weston why they have taken him but is much more interested in his current situation. Later, on the planet Mars, Ransom encounters an alien species known as Hross. Although initially fearful, his curiosity soon leads him to come closer to the creature, and Ransom is able to see that the creature is not merely animal but also intelligent. This leads to him travelling with the Hross to his village and befriending many of the strange seal-like creatures. Finally, during his journey with the Sorn Augray, Ransom asks many questions. He asks about the history of the planet, its species, and Oyarsa, showing his curious mind and his eagerness to learn
Virtue is defined as a morally good and desirable quality in a person. This leads us to wonder: Do you have to actively choose to be virtuous in your lifestyle, or is avoiding evil enough to be considered as a virtuous being? Did Ransom display active virtue in Out Of The Silent Planet? Must a person be righteous to obtain virtue? Though some take the side saying that virtue is an active choice, others disagree by stating that avoiding evil is sufficient for becoming virtuous. A person must actively choose to be virtuous because humans were not born virtuous, virtue is an attribute, and the trait must be learned.
By inborn nature, Man does not hate wickedness, and love virtue. God gives us lessons to show us how to live good and Godly lives. The below story is a modern adaptation of the Rich man and Lazarus
The Crucible proves this theme. The amount of hypocrisy was almost as wretched as preying on the defenseless. Likewise, it was a frequent occurrence. “[Abigail] danced for the Devil… I go back to Jesus, I kiss his hand…”
While the individual has the ability to do good, they also have the ability to do wrong. Atticus points
These characters, however different they lie on the morality scale, all share the sinful trait of greed. They all ask, and take too much, ruining what the good that they had in their lives. Understanding their mistakes offers its useful readers a lesson, not to demand too much of the things we are offered. The characters struggle with their desires, each of them succombing to their passions.
If doing the right thing meant going against everything you believed in, would you do it? In Arthur Miller’s the Crucible many characters have to decide whether to do what they believe in or whether to act solely on their harsh Puritan teachings. Courage and integrity are displayed throughout the Crucible to show that even in times of hysterical fear and scathing accusations people still have the power to be virtuous. Within the theme of courage and integrity three characters stand out showing incredible morality: Reverend Hale, John Proctor, and Elizabeth Proctor.
When anyone thinks of the word “evil” they do not think it is within themselves. In reality, without a structured and well-followed society, people are apt to follow their own corrupt desires and neglect the thought of consequence. In the allegory, Lord of the Flies, William Golding reveals that man’s selfishness and sinful nature will be unmasked when the structure of a society deteriorates.
person of the novel, different traits that can lead us to talk about virtue, and one of them is
Many have written entire novels on the topic of good versus evil. Philosophers have spent their entire lives researching and debating and providing theories to somehow find an answer that will never be clear. What makes a person evil or good? In her short stories, “A Good Man is hard to find” and “Good Country People,” Flannery O’Connor explores the theme of good versus evil and differentiating between them and what that conveys about the complexity of human nature.
An analysis of the nature of evil reveals challenges. The challenges are posed in form of questions or statements such as; if God were good, He would destroy evil; an all-powerful God would destroy evil; Evil can never be destroyed; and thus, the possible existence of such a good and powerful Being is questionable. The lifestyle of a typical Christian revolves around doing what is right and avoiding evil. Believers are expected to give assistance to others without considering their background, race, or denomination. One is expected to be a role model and act as a good example to others in the society. Christians have a big task of ensuring that they win converts for Jesus Christ. This is significant in the war against evil, and ensuring that many nonbelievers are converted through moral teachings and evangelism.
Evil isn’t a separate entity apart from us; it’s within us all through dishonesty, unfairness, etc. In other words, not all evil is sin, but all sin is evil.
For the purposes of this essay human virtue is defined as a trait or ability such that one who has that trait or ability would be considered excellent and thus virtuous by human standards. Additionally it is important to keep