Greater Good Essays

  • The Greater Good

    623 Words  | 2 Pages

    I believe that working toward to increasing the quality of life for others around me by helping the greater good has been the driving ethical principle of my life. Over the course of my life, I have consciously been making choices and taking action based off of how I can help others reach a positive state of life. After every interaction I have with someone, I hope that in someway I have made their life better in some capacity. Whether my action be as small as holding the door for someone, or getting

  • For the Greater Good

    608 Words  | 2 Pages

    In practice capital punishment is flawed in a multitude of ways and should not be practiced, but in principle capital punishment is ethical and can be a legitimate sentence. Capital punishment can be supported when the crime committed is extremely horrendous and when the individual under question who has committed a serious crime cannot be rehabilitated. As a rule of thumb rehabilitation should be the first goal, but if that goal cannot be completed the individual is a threat to society and capital

  • The Greater Good of Humanity

    1777 Words  | 4 Pages

    protect the people of all countries is a law that will have to implemented and followed by all. It is not fair to all people who have the same rights internationally. It is up to leaders to follow the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Now is a good time for them to execute them into their policies and enforce them to the fullest. Having another country invade yours to make your leaders abide by the rules is torture within itself. To end all of these responsibilities all they have to do is treat

  • The Great Scripture of Hinduism

    694 Words  | 2 Pages

    is amazing. It is a kind of two-way worship that I admire greatly. The beautiful idea of the true Self, or Atman, is raised in Chapter Two. The Self is never born and therefore never dies, allowing one to work through life for the benefit of the greater good and not personal gain. This is reinforced by the idea of Java, the soul, traveling through Samsara, rebirth. This is the reasoning Krishna gives to Arjuna in order to convince him to fight … for he will not actually be killing anyone. Though

  • Macbeth Essay

    870 Words  | 2 Pages

    the greater good. People like Adolf Hitler became corrupt because of the goals he set out. On the other hand the goal of someone like Mother Theresa has helped all of mankind. In the case of Shakespeare’s play “Macbeth” the goal and desire for power corrupts the two main characters. However, to Macbeth’s credit, it takes a lot more deceiving to convert Macbeth to evil than it does Lady Macbeth. Macbeth seems to still have a conscience and has to debate evil deeds and ignore his natural good in order

  • Benevolent Assimilation: The American Conquest of the Philippines, 1899-1903

    2829 Words  | 6 Pages

    1899-1903, revealing aspects of United States imperialism that are often forgotten. Miller provides both a military history as well as a demonstration of the way America lied and forgot its history, justifying war and colonization as a step for greater good. America's involvement in the Philippines is sometimes remembered as an act to protect Filipino's from Spain, and to "teach' them American democracy. Other historians look to the war as a part of American imperialism linked to its capitalist and

  • Psychological Conflicts In Literature(2)

    568 Words  | 2 Pages

    Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien, there are many psychological conflicts involved that all weave together. The conflict I want to focus on, though, is the conflict between the character Boromir and his inner desire to use the Ring for the greater good of his kingdom, namely himself. At first glance, he seems a harmless man. But as the story progresses, so does his infatuation with the Ring. “…And Sam saw that while the others restrained themselves and did not stare at him, the eyes of Boromir

  • Voltaire's Candide as an Attack on Optimism

    1281 Words  | 3 Pages

    had been done by a divine creator as he created the harmonious universe. Since he was benevolent, omnipotent, and omniscient, he logically would create the best of all possible worlds. Hence, everything that happens in the universe is part of this greater plan, and thus must be for the best. Humans cannot appreciate how the evils encountered in every day life contribute to the best of universes and universal harmony, but they do, nonetheless. Optimism was attractive to many because it answered

  • Voltaire's Candide as Vehicle to Discredit Optimism

    1005 Words  | 3 Pages

    omnipotent and benevolent, then why is there so much evil in the world? Optimism provides an easy way out: God has made everything for the best, and even though one might experience personal misfortune, God (via your misfortune) is still helping the greater good. Voltaire's experiences led him to dismiss the idea that this is the best of all possible worlds. Examining the death and destruction, both man-made and natural (including the Lisbon earthquake) Voltaire concluded that everything was not

  • Capital Punishment

    1397 Words  | 3 Pages

    based on a past wrongdoing. A utilitarian justification of capital punishment strays from the definition of the term "punishment" because it is "forward looking." An argument for social utility maintains that the death penalty should result in a greater good and the consequences must outweigh the harm, thereby increasing overall happiness in the world. Perlmutter recognizes the three potential benefits of a punishment as the rehabilitation of an offender, protection for other possible victims, and

  • Parents + Teachers = Conflicts

    656 Words  | 2 Pages

    to problems In “Parents Behaving Badly” by Nancy Gibb (Time, 2005,135,40-49), the author examines how well meaning parents can hinder the educational process by doing things that perhaps are well intentioned, but are quite possibly not for the greater good. She sites from a 2004 MetLife survey, (Gibb, 2005, p.44) that 90% of new teachers agree that involving parents in their children’s education is a priority, however only 25% described their experience working with parents as “very satisfying”.

  • Death of a Salesman and All My Sons as Optimistic Tragedies

    4131 Words  | 9 Pages

    Arthur Miller deviates from the standard perception of tragedy in his plays, Death of a Salesman and All My Sons because unlike other tragedies, they are optimistic in that the main character causes the tragedy for what they perceive to be the greater good. The body of this essay starts out with a discussion of tragedy, and the commonly viewed perception of it, one of pessimism. It goes into detail of several different definitions of tragedy, made by literary critics. The "tragic flaw" is discussed

  • Alexis de Tocqueville's Democracy in America

    967 Words  | 2 Pages

    becoming too individualistic, and therefore not bothering to fulfill their civic duties or exercise their freedom. Tocqueville feared that the political order of America would soon become aimed at the satisfaction of individual needs, rather than the greater good of society. Alexis de Tocqueville viewed participation in public affairs, the growth of associations and newspapers, the principle of self-interest properly understood, and religion as the only means by which American democracy could combat the

  • Rome and America

    645 Words  | 2 Pages

    Rome could not have succeeded without the personal freedom and individuality granted to its citizens. This nurtured a creative and inventive mind, which would not be hindered by the limitations of oppressive monarchies. People lived for their own greater good more than the government, as in America. America and Rome both produced technologies that made their economies dominate over their neighbors, appreciating the value of their currencies. A strong sense of peace and order helped each country thrive

  • Analysis Of 1984

    1360 Words  | 3 Pages

    Party to suppress its followers. These people live in a society that is ruled by totalitarianism, and the aim is to give the greatest good to the smaller number. As indicated by “Cliffs Notes,” on pages 34 and 35, the main character, “Winston, like others, is expected to do his job efficiently and receive no reward but the opportunity to live austerely for the greater good and self-perpetuation of the Inner Party.” Told in third person limited, the reader is only allowed in-depth knowledge of the protagonist

  • Taoism and Western Moral Philosophy

    3921 Words  | 8 Pages

    ones desire by eliminating them. Taoism and western moral philosophy deal with desire but Taoism deals with it directly and western morality often only tries to stem the effect of desire. Both systems see in man that he does not naturally desire the good and true or the Way. Desire is the root of evil. Only when we desire something bad do we act bad. Thus, as in western moral philosophy, we can provide an incentive to not act on ones desire or, as in the case of Taoism, desire can be eliminated. The

  • Analysis of The Inquisitor's Argument in Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov

    1007 Words  | 3 Pages

    Analysis of The Inquisitor's Argument in The Brothers Karamazov Dostoevsky makes a strong case against Jesus in "The Grand Inquisitor": Jesus did not love humanity sufficiently to care for the greater good of the race. The majority of people, according to the Grand Inquisitor, are weak and "like sheep." Jesus prized freedom of faith above all else, and because he cared more for that freedom than for the happiness of people, the Grand Inquisitor and the Catholic Church, as led by he Inquisitor

  • Judy Bacas Murals

    1692 Words  | 4 Pages

    task of making the street a little easier to look at. It involves those who created it, those who supplied the means to create it, and those whose lives it continues to impact. Wall paintings in particular take an important role in working for a greater good. Judith F. Baca, a Hispanic-American woman and artist- activist has contributed an unaccountable amount to the mural movement in Los Angeles. She has accomplished this by giving individuals the chance to create art and develop a sense of pride

  • Cormac McCarthy The Crossing

    619 Words  | 2 Pages

    Cormac McCarthy The Crossing This story contains an almost equal balance of good and evil, though it also raises questions of what is truly good. It blurs the line between good and selfish or thoughtless. Characters’ actions sometimes appear impure, but in the long run, are good. In this story Billy is faced with a wide range of undeserved punishments, but shows good through all of them with his strong will and determination. He accepts the things that happen to him in a levelheaded manner

  • American Legion

    1588 Words  | 4 Pages

    American Legion The American Legion: A Right To Membership Introduction The United States Congress chartered the American Legion in 1919. Its purpose was to benefit veterans and their families, promote Americanism and serve the greater good of communities nationwide. First welcomed to membership were veterans returning home from the battlefields of Europe. But over the years, Congress amended the Legion’s charter so as to include those who had served in World War II, Korea and more