|
|
||
 |
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||
|
Essays, Opinion, & Commentary |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Student Essay by Joseph O'Shea
The moral dissonance which plagues the human mind is not the result of a struggle to deny the destructive demands of society; rather, it is the product of the incessant war between the expression of our innate corruptness and the suppression learned and experienced from society's righteousness. The sporadic occasions upon which we witness acts of immorality -- acts of criminality, infidelity, brutality, and depravity -- we are viewing the celebration of the victorious villain who resides in all; it is mankind giving in to the subconscious self and the defeat of society. When humans commit acts of betrayal, dishonesty, rape, hate, theft, etc., it is the mind's expression of our survival instincts; humans do what is best for themselves in order to guarantee a prosperous future. When human beings put the needs of others in front of their own and express love, it is the magnificent teachings of modern civilization overcoming the antiquated program designed to ensure only one purpose: existence. Our experiences with the world instill within us a wholesome goodness and a powerful morality, outlining what is acceptable and creating a venerable role model for mankind to follow. Society alone perpetuates and creates morality; when removed, man is only governed by survival; it is the solitary commandment of natural law. Man only goes astray from the path and loses the battle when he admits to his weaknesses and can no longer defend society's lessons -- they have either been too infrequent or too unconvincing for effective assimilation. It is often in life that we are tempted to commit acts of immorality: to display the untruth in order to appease our own subconscious truth, a demand that every creature desires. It may, at first, seem malicious to the mundane mind to prescribe to the idea that every human being is inherently amoral; however, the seemingly cynical philosophy is essentially one of societal glorification, acknowledging the fact that it possesses the power to hold back innate urges which are constantly attempting to steer humans into the dark. Enlightening religious and familial associations are vital to maintain the imbalanced equation, as it is these groups which help to fill the weaknesses in humanity's defense. Instead of placing a shield that is impregnable to any criticism of one's own alleged "benevolent" human nature and condemning the trivial flaws in society, i.e. new "detrimental" communications and technologies, one should examine the inner person and locate the flaws that are causing immorality. Then, one can open the mind and embrace society for all the goodness it has to offer and permit the reinforcements of society to enter -- finally, one will no longer fall victim to the subconscious self.
About our student author:  Mr. O'Shea is a high school senior in the International Baccalaureate at Palm Harbor University High School in Palm Harbor, Florida. He comes from a rather large family of six. He has been active in student government all his life, serving as president of the student body and training for a future political career. His ideas and philosophies of life are rather new, as he is barely 18 years old and has much to experience. However, he is trying to examine all fields of knowledge now and formulate concepts for himself; this essay is an attempt to express one of his ideas.
Our visitors are invited to respond to this essay in the Academy Online Forum. |
||||
|
Enrich Your Life With a Philosophy Book... Enrich Your Life With a Philosophy Magazine...
|
||||
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
||
[Homepage] [Newsletter] [Search] [Support the Academy] [Link to Us] [Contact the Academy] [Citing Articles from Our Website] [Privacy Policy & Disclaimer]
Copyright 1998-99, 2000-01, 2002-03, & 2004 by The Radical Academy. All Rights Reserved.