Thomas Merton's Passion For Peace Case Study

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Fear and Lies leads to Inhumane Success

Prompt:
In light of Merton’s essays, compare the role of fear and lies as destructive forces in society. Why does Merton consider them to be detrimental? Illustrate your answer with examples from Merton and one other author discussed in class since the mid-term essay.

Fear and lies have led to immerse cruelty against the Jewish community such the Holocaust, and concentration camps like Auschwitz. Outside of these horrific camps no one had any idea what went on inside these camps because all the activities were covered up by lies. Concentration camps were portrayed as a nice home to the Jews, but little did the outside world know. Fear was a main component that the workers attained because if orders were not followed, there would be consequences to their disobedience. Without the hidden secrets of the reality of these camps, they would not have been successful. Additionally if fear was not present, workers would be disobedient and rebel against the higher up. In Passion for Peace, by Thomas Merton, he demonstrates through different individuals the effects of fear and lies. The unity of fear and lies allowed the success of this dreadful genocide of the Jewish community. These aspects are detrimental because they wipe out the morals and values of a person and that newly brainwashed individual obligates inhumane or unordinary actions. However, American philosopher, Martha Nussbaum depicts emphasis on dignity and this displays the negative effects of fear and lies and how these components are defined as detrimental.
The Auschwitz camp was incredibly big and horrific that it was known as a “death factory.” The death rate of this camp ranged from three to four million people. Closely by ...

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...e immortality in the camps.
Robert Mulka, one of the defendants, denied every little component of the camps such as the gas chambers, furnaces, and murdering of the Jews. He claimed he did not know anything that was going on. Mulka claims he heard rumors about the gas chambers and furnaces however he claims he did nothing. As the trial comes to an end, the judge sentences him life in prison but he objects the decision and asked for him and the other defendants to be understood under the circumstances they were placed under during the time of these camps. He declares that he could not have done anything else beside follow orders since there would be consequences if he were rebellious. During the entire trial, we see Mulka attempt to lie his way out of recognizing his crimes but then confess to his actions but he does this not for forgiveness but to save himself.

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