The process of society moving toward civilization affects the relationship between the society and individual. As the society and individual developing over time, these two processes seem to be further away from each other, yet the development of society restricts individual’s. This is a very controversial topic and being discussed in many literature works such as the poem,“Sunflower Sutra,” by Allen Ginsberg and the book, “Civilization and Its Discontent,” by Sigmund Freud. Both Ginsberg and Freud point out that civilization would negatively affect individual such that as civilization is forming in the society, individual starts to lose its true nature or instincts.
The poem, “Sunflower Sutra,” by Allen Ginsberg is referring to the time period of industrial revolution which symbolized the process toward civilization. Ginsberg uses the sunflower as a
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Even thought both Ginsberg and Freud focus on how civilization has impacts on individuals, they have different resolution to it. Ginsberg is sort of presenting a hope that people whose true nature is spotted by civilization can be awaken and return to who they originally are in some day. Freud on the other hand, who just states what he observed in the real world without actually give a suggestion such as people should go against civilization and re-obtain their instincts of pursuing happiness. While both of them claim about the negative effects of the creation of civilization, some people would argue that there is the bright side of it as well. Certainly, civilization has introduced good things to human life, but are they fair enough to compare with the negative side of it? Some people might then ask: why is civilization created if it has more cons than pros? Probably because the society needs
Theodore Dalrymple is an English writer and retired prison doctor and psychiatrist. Daniel in his writings has frequently argued that the liberal and progressive views prevalent within Western intellectual circles minimize the responsibility of individuals for their own actions and undermine mores which are traditional, contributing to the formation within rich countries of an underclass which is afflicted by violence, sexually transmitted diseases, criminality, welfare dependency and drug abuse. His writings are generally based on his experience of working with criminals and the mentally ill. Dalrymple has been at various occasions been accused of being a pessimist and a misanthrope, but his persistent conservative philosophy has which is describe as being anti-ideological, skeptical, rational and empiricist has been worthy of praise . In 2011, Dalrymple for his works has received the 2011 Freedom Prize from the Flemish think-tank Liberia. The Theodore Dalrymple’s, “What We Have to Lose”, is the vigorous defense of civilization from barbarism. His main argument which he puts forwards with detailed examples and evidences many of them form his own experiences, recognizes that often the greatest threats to this fragile human achievement come from within. In his essay he provides a chilling glimpse at the problem we face in the West. He recognizes the fact that we have grown so used to civilization that it is almost impossible to believe that it is a fragile thing, and it can disappear. It gives us an important lesson that civilization, despite its grandeur and its seemingly endless resources, is not invincible, and can disappear. I would say we are witnessing an accelerating decline. The situation in West comes down to a point wher...
In the year 2081 in “Harrison Bergeron,” George and Hazel both have restraints to hold back any so-called “advantage,” that they may possess. This in turn, forces innovation and evolution into a sudden hault. “Totem” on the other hand, says that evolution has overdeveloped where the social structure is back, where sympathy is nonexistent. It suggests that the development of society has also taken a standstill and is struggling to innovate. The two stories are similar in a way that both argue no matter which angle humans approach society from, an equilibrium must be established for a successful environment to unfold.
A consistent imagery in “Notes” that has a political implication is the sun. Universally, the sun represents warmth and the energy that gives life; however in this poem, the sun represents Mao Zedong. According to McDougall, the sun was commonly used to “signify Mao Zedon...
In nature, someone can hear the sounds of a creek flowing and birds chirping and insects buzzing; in civilization, someone can hear engines roaring, people chattering, and buildings being built. In nature, one feels happiness and contentment; in civilization, one feels guilt and misery and sorrow. These simplicities of nature are what appeals to William Cullen Bryant in the poem ‘Inscription for the Entrance to a Wood’. The poem tells the reader that nature is a happier place than civilization and that nature gives one the answers to their existence and problems of life that civilization created. Civilization is ugly and corrupt while nature is beauty and tranquility.
“The Starry Night” by Anne Sexton describes her experience of visiting Van Gogh’s painting during a gallery showing. Anne Sexton’s Poem “The Starry Night” is written in reference to Vincent Van Gogh’s painting The Starry Night sent to his brother. She writes this poem with a heavy hearted tone, and the understanding of Van Gogh’s work to be a destructive painting, full of darkness and longing for death to come. Sexton views the town at the foot of the hills as decaying and silent as it slowly disappear below the starry night. More importantly Sexton sees the tree that looks like the hair of dead woman drifting in the blue sky which is like a serpent that is sly and deceitful. Like the understanding of the evil of the sea in the times of the ancient near east, she saw the swirling sky similarly. Through this she then sees the night like a beast that brings chaos and destruct, removing all that is beautiful. For she says the even the eleven starts, so beautiful with the moon will be swallowing up by the beast of the night. She writes as if all of this was once beautiful and a source of life to this earth, however is now destroyed, and source of longing for the destruction of life.
Even though Freud and Marx?s view slightly differ, they both provide us with many new and interesting ideas that are well supported. Although some might disagree with all their opinions about the development of history and how it affects humans, one cannot say that Marx and Freud?s ideas are not to some extend correct. When all they have to say is well thought and analyzed one must conclude that some of the ideas are very well constructed and that actually can be beneficial in solving problems in our society. Maybe they both do not have the exact definition to the origin of human history I think they give us some basic principles that one can thing about and expand on.
“Civilization and Its Discontents” is a book written by Sigmund Freud in 1929 (originally titled “Das Unbehagen in der Kultur” or The Uneasiness in Culture.) This is considered to be one of Freud’s most important and widely read works. In this book, Freud explains his perspective by enumerating what he sees as fundamental tensions between civilization and the individual. He asserts that this tension stems from the individual’s quest for freedom and non-conformity and civilization’s quest for uniformity and instinctual repression. Most of humankind’s primitive instincts are clearly destructive to the health and well-being of a human community (such as the desire to kill.) As a direct result, civilization creates laws designed to prohibit killing, rape, and adultery, and has severe consequences for those that break these laws. Freud argues that this process is an inherent quality of civilization that instills perpetual feelings of discontent in its citizens. This theory is based on the idea that humans have characteristic instincts that are immutable. The most notable of these are the desires for sex, and the predisposition to violent aggression towards authoritative figures as well as sexual competitors. Both of these obstruct the gratification of a person’s instincts. Freud also believes that humans are governed by the pleasure principle, and that they will do whatever satisfies or pleasures them. He also believes that fulfilling these instincts satisfies the pleasure principle.
This poem was about very religious. In this poem she talks about her admiration of God and how she and all humans are humbled by God's creations. She says, "The higher on the glistening sun I gazed. Whose beams was shaded by the leafy tree; The more I looked, the ore I grew amazed, and softly said, 'What glory like to thee?' Soul of this world, this universe's eye, No wonder some made thee a deity; had I not better known, alas, the same had I". This quote means that a tree because of its beauty amazes her. Also, she is saying that the thing responsible for creating such a thing must just as beautiful if not the most beautiful on the earth.
At first glance, the poem tells a story about the speaker buying peaches at a roadside stand and eating them on a nice summer day. Upon further reading, the story begins to unfold and the layers begin to reveal a profound hidden meaning. The imagery of the speaker eating fruit soon dissipates as the reader’s thoughts begin to ponder about life. How did a simple everyday experience just become so complex? “From Blossoms” is an exhibit of how a simple indulgence such as eating peaches on the side of the road correlates to the beautiful sentiment of savoring every moment in life.
In our so called “modern society”, the idea that through time, humanity has slowly been dismantling the behavior influenced by the
She is known for creating radical novels, which stuck discord in many of its early readers, and writing highly respected sonnets. Similar to Behn, Smith also captures the inner thoughts of not just women, but all human beings in the sonnet “Written at the Close of Spring” and juxtaposes the beauty of the annual spring with the frailty of humanity. In the first stanza of this poem, the speaker uses imagery in order to help readers connect with the beauty and delicacy of spring flowers. In the second stanza, she calls to attention the fact that the spring flowers are dying and, to experience the beauty again, one will have to wait until next spring to enjoy them. In the third stanza, the poem’s focus changes from nature to humanity and asserts that as people age and begins to take part in, “tyrant passion, and corrosive care” (Line 11), youth becomes wasted. The speaker comes to the realization that once youth vanishes, it will forever, unlike the yearly revival of spring. The major fault of this sonnet is that it can be difficult to understand and has several different messages, some of which are not as strong or enlightening as
Something which I found interesting about the poem is that the pomegranate seeds get described as they were the jewels of the culture. That means the seeds are described as something dear and precious which contains the uniqueness of each single part of the tradition. The reason why I found that interesting was because the seeds are used as a symbol for the word heritage. In a way that the seeds are the individuality and similarity of culture and traditions.
So we must discuss the disadvantages to accepting society as is. What would have happened if Tesla, Einstein, Socrates and the many other great minds of our pass just accepted things the way they were? Society needs creativity as much as it needs structure. Biblical Worldview Proverbs 23:13-14 states, “Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die. If you strike him with the rod, you will save his soul from Sheol.”
Sex is important for the repopulation of humanity, but an addiction to sex can lead to the destruction of oneself, as shown by Slothrop’s continuing mental deterioration due to his paranoia, and the destruction of society, as shown by the actual destruction of cities and towns every time Slothrop has sex. Gravity’s Rainbow is an excellent example of how modernistic themes tie into everyday life, showing the ever-evolving internal battle that people experienced during this time. While many believe this novel to be simply a representation of wartime on man, it is rather an exploration of the relationship between socially implemented morality and natural response to events. In short, Pynchon displays the differences between nature and nurture through modernistic ties to the real world and real-life events; that society is controlled by those who are no less impartial on their desires and needs than any other man or woman. Whether a person is able to truly escape the fear of death and self-decay to achieve happiness or is doomed to a life of addiction and immorality, society is forever adapting and changing to reflect the aspects of those who reside within
A civilization in simple words is a community which is non-primal (or savage), clearly this can be deduced from Freud’s writing as he compares discontentment within civilization versus discontent, which is arguably non existent, within what he refers to as a “primal family” (73). Hence, one could assume that a civilization is an advanced community (with laws and some sort of hierarchy). In light of, Freud exposing that “primal [families]” (...) “[enjoy] this instinctual freedom” (73), ergo, allowing them to be happy. Moreover, from a more elaborate view-point a civilization is “a cultural community consisting of double individuals like this, who, libidinally satisfied in themselves, are connected with one another through the bonds of common work and common interests” (65). Through this detail of a civilization, one could allude to the idea that by civilization perhaps Freud is also referring to a nation-state.