Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
The nature of good and evil
To kill a mockingbird thesis statement
To kill mockingbird statement
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
The State of Man: An Analysis of the Inherently Good Nature of Man
906 Words2 Pages
Good and evil are two of the most ambiguous terms in the English language. There are definite themes of good and evil throughout Harper Lee’s “To Kill A Mockingbird”. Most define good as “morally righteous” and evil as “morally wrong or immoral”. These two definitions raise an important question. What is morality? Philosophically, morality can be described as a code of conduct that, given specified conditions, would be put forward by all rational persons. So, if morality is a code that all rational persons set forward, are immoral people irrational? Or do they believe in a different code that is set forth by them and other like minded persons? How is morality judged? Should the morality of an action be judged by the action’s motivation or the action’s consequence? Morality as a philosophical construct is very ambiguous and is debated by many philosophers. To understand good and evil conceptually, one must first fully understand morality (Gert 1-2).
The following is an excerpt from Nietzsche’s “Beyond Good and Evil: Chapter V (The Natural History of Morals); “There are systems of morals which are meant to justify their author in the eyes of other people; other systems of morals are meant to tranquilize him, and make him self-satisfied; with other systems he wants to crucify and humble himself, with others he wishes to take revenge, with others to conceal himself, with others to glorify himself and gave superiority and distinction,--this system of morals helps its author to forget, that system makes him, or something of him, forgotten, many a moralist would like to exercise power and creative arbitrariness over mankind, many another, perhaps, Kant especially, gives us to understand by his morals that "what is estimable in me, is ...
... middle of paper ...
...ave their faith in the goodness of man challenged. Both believed in the good nature of man, which is a testament to the goodness of man in itself. Morality is an ever changing landscape. The duality of humanity’s nature will always be in question but there will always be people like Atticus and Scout who help the goodness of man be seen.
Works Cited
Gert, Bernard. "The Definition of Morality." Stanford University. Stanford University, 17 Apr. 2002. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.
Glover. "To Kill a Mockingbird Themes." Study Guides & Essay Editing. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.
Locke, John. "John Locke." Poetry Genius. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.
Nietzsche, Friedrich. "Beyond Good and Evil Ch 5." Beyond Good and Evil Ch 5. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.
Sue, Fatinn. "Co Existence of Good and Evil to Kill a Mockingbird." By Fatinn Sue. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.
Related
Vernonia School District V. Acton (1996)
1761 Words | 4 PagesPrinciples of Morality. Seattle: Ponster Printing, pp. 89-92. 2010. Print. The. Gevinson, Matilda.
Teaching To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
1491 Words | 3 PagesShaw-Thornburg, Angela. “On Reading To Kill a Mockingbird: Fifty Years Later.” Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird: New Essays. Meyer, Michael J. Lanham, Md: Scarecrow Press, 2010. 113-127. Print.
Plato vs. Machiavelli
1692 Words | 4 PagesMorgan, Michael L., ed. Classics of Moral and Political Theory. 3rd Edition. Indianapolis. Hackett, 2001.
The Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals
1055 Words | 3 PagesGroundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals. Trans. H. J. Paton. 1964. Reprint. New York: Harper Perennial Modern Thought, 2009.
The Question of Free Will: Descartes, Hume, and Nietzsche
2066 Words | 5 PagesLeiter, Brian. “Nietzsche’s Moral and Political Philosophy.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Metaphysics Research Lab, CSLI, Stanford University, 26 August 2004.
Human Nature In To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
1566 Words | 4 PagesJones, C. (1996). The Mad Dog as Symbol. In T. O'Neill (Ed.), Readings on To Kill A MockingBird (pp. 36). San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, Inc.
History as a Theatre
3309 Words | 7 PagesP. 38-39, Friedrich Nietzsche, “Beyond Good and Evil” Cambridge Texts in the History of Philosophy, translated by Judith Norman, Cambridge University Press, 2002
Morality is Relative
634 Words | 2 Pages1."Morality is Not Relative," by James Rachels, edited by Louis Pojman, collected in Philosophy: The Quest for Truth. Wadsworth Publishing 1999.
Ethics and Morality in Vegetarianism
1942 Words | 4 PagesThe. The Basis of Morality. London: G. Allen and Unwin, 1915. Web. The Web.
Nietzsche's Noble Morality
1269 Words | 3 PagesNietzsche was a man who questioned the morality of his time. He dug deep in to what good really meant, and if there was a difference between bad and evil. He sought to look at the world by stepping back and looking at it with out the predisposition of what morality was/is. He looked at what he called slave and noble morality. He looked passed what was on the surface, and gave us many things to digest and discuss. In this paper I will discuss how Nietzsche’s writing can be seen as favoritism towards the noble morality by touching on how he believes the noble morality and slave morality came about, then I will talk about his “birds of prey and lambs” example which shows his fondness of the bird of prey, and I will end with my interpretation
Moral Dilemma of Atticus in To Kill A Mocking Bird
878 Words | 2 Pages...Scout, I couldn?t go to church and worship God if I didn?t try to help that man.?? Atticus would help a man if it is the right thing to do, he does not consider what people think of him, he will only be bothered if does not help, then he is going against his moral beliefs. Atticus shows his beliefs, truthfulness, and justice.
Ethical Egoism
1545 Words | 4 PagesShafer-Landau, Russ. "Chapter 8." The Fundamentals of Ethics. New York: Oxford UP, 2010. 100-11. Print.
Abortion Is Morally Permissible
2044 Words | 5 PagesArthur, John, and Scalet, Steven, eds. Morality and Moral Controversies: Readings in Moral, Social, and Political Philosophy. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. Eighth Edition, 2009.
The Origin of Morality
1357 Words | 3 PagesPlato. “Morality as a Good in Itself.” Ethics: The Big Questions. Ed. James Sterba. Massachusetts: Blackwell, 2009. 27-34. Print.
Friedrich Nietzsche And The Death Of God
722 Words | 2 PagesFriedrich Nietzsche has probably been one of the most criticized and controversial philosophers of modern times. His philosophy and ideas offended many, as much as it attracted others for over a century after his death. Most of his work was done under ill conditions that included headaches, depression and loneliness throughout the years he lived. His philosophical ideas included, firstly, that God was death. Secondly, the concept of an “Overman”. Thirdly, the idea of master morality. Friedrich’s arguments have influenced on how different individuals see today’s concept of religion, morals and achievement of power.
More about The State of Man: An Analysis of the Inherently Good Nature of Man
Vernonia School District V. Acton (1996)
1761 Words | 4 PagesTeaching To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
1491 Words | 3 PagesPlato vs. Machiavelli
1692 Words | 4 PagesThe Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals
1055 Words | 3 PagesThe Question of Free Will: Descartes, Hume, and Nietzsche
2066 Words | 5 PagesHuman Nature In To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
1566 Words | 4 PagesHistory as a Theatre
3309 Words | 7 PagesMorality is Relative
634 Words | 2 PagesEthics and Morality in Vegetarianism
1942 Words | 4 PagesNietzsche's Noble Morality
1269 Words | 3 PagesMoral Dilemma of Atticus in To Kill A Mocking Bird
878 Words | 2 PagesEthical Egoism
1545 Words | 4 PagesAbortion Is Morally Permissible
2044 Words | 5 PagesThe Origin of Morality
1357 Words | 3 PagesFriedrich Nietzsche And The Death Of God
722 Words | 2 Pages