Monsters and The Moral Imagination by Stephen Asma

Throughout history we see monsters taking many different shapes and sizes. Whether it be a ghoul in the midst of a cold nightly stroll or a mass genocide, monsters are lurking everywhere and our perception of what monsters truly are, is enhancing their growth as a force with which to be reckoned. Fear of the unknown is seen throughout time, but as humans progress we are finding that things we once were afraid of we are less frightening than they once were. Monsters can evoke fear in their targeted victims rather than physically harm their victims. For instance, every year a new horror film is released with the next scary beast, but why do we call something a monster even if we know it is not real? Even certain people and creatures are†¦show more content†¦The more we begin to understand a monstrosity, the less we fear the monster itself, however, we fear the actions of the creature itself. Perhaps it is this fear that draws us closer to the unknown and the monsters thrive upon this fear we have. Asma discusses how this fear allows for individuals to play out scenarios in their minds; we then use the events to ultimately ask ourselves, â€Å"what will I do in a situation like that (Asma)?† Dating back to the early days of Christ in a biblical era, we see monsters have always been on the rise. Stephen Asma’s chapter on Biblical Monsters in On Monsters shows how godly monsters were on the rise in the Medieval eras. Whether it was gods’ testing of one’s faith, or individuals’ justifications as to why monsters were on earth, we can see the rise through this Medieval period as gods’ uses of monsters varies. In Asma’s subsection over The Apocalypse, he discusses numerous interactions between good and evil monsters where they are disguised almost as that of a symbolic gesture. For instance, Asma explains how God sometimes will use his monstrous capabilities to cause harm to an individual to test ones faith. W e see this in particular when the devil convinces God to test Job this way (Asma 64).Throughout this period in time, we see the classic biblical beasts such as the Behemoth and Leviathan at work. These monsters, amongShow MoreRelatedThe Monsters And Their Origin1412 Words   |  6 PagesMonster Stephen T. Asma has given an analysis of the monsters and their origin. Besides, he gives a definition on the fears of human beings regarding the monsters. The prejudices and fears date back to prehistory and the developments in evolution that have occurred throughout in humanity. The prehistory gives an account of the concerns that people have in today s world. The author uses the term monster to describe myths and physical deformities. Stephen Asma uses the term to describe that thereRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book A Good Story 1361 Words   |  6 Pagesreader following along. In this particular instance its the monsters that makes the play. When it comes to the topic of monsters, most of us will readily agree that they are bad. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of what makes a monster. Although some are convinced that a monster is defined by being ugly, disfigured and unlikable, others maintain that a monster can be an everyday person who is lacking specific moral attributes. According to the literary criticism known asRead MoreThe Article Monsters And The Moral Imagination 1041 Words   |  5 PagesIn the article â€Å"Monsters and the Moral Imagination,† Stephen Asma, a professor of Philosophy and Distinguished Scholar at Columbia College Chicago, argues that the existence of monsters have a purpose in our lives. It is not only to reveal our deepest fears, but to question our moral instincts. Being attacked by fictional monsters seems impractical, however, chaos and disasters do happen and exist in the real world. The creation of monsters is due to our reaction of our fears and th e inability toRead MoreThe Rude Awakening By Mary Shelley2059 Words   |  9 Pagesculture constrained to constrict of society standards. Many women longed for liberated lives in order to be able to contribute to art and literature, as men did. Janet Horowitz Murray writes a review of Shelley’s Frankenstein in her article named â€Å"My Monster, Myself†, she adds her interpretation stating, â€Å"Mary Shelley s is the story of a woman who tried to live out a feminist vision of womanly dignity and freedom of choice - her dead mother s vision - in a world that was not ready for it (16). WomenRead MoreShould Aliens Be Legal?1784 Words   |  8 Pagesmirroring our own technological narrative. When I hear the word â€Å"monster,† the first image that comes to mind is the cute, illustrated, blue, white spotted monster from the children’s book Monsters Don’t Eat Broccoli by Barbara Jean Hicks. My mother would read me this book as a child before bedtime. She did this because the monsters drawn in the book look cute and friendly and she thought it would help me become less scared of all the monsters that were supposedly living in my closet—which it, in fact

Would Life Still Be Meaningful in the Absence of an Afterlife Free Essays

When people ask about the meaning of their lives, they are more likely concerned as to what worth would their actions be on Earth if there is no specific end to the road that they travel on. Being inherently inclined to the material, Man always seeks reward for everything that we do in our lives. As children, we almost always seek to excel in class in order that we can have the persuasive power to ask our parents for the different goods that we have laid our eyes on. We will write a custom essay sample on Would Life Still Be Meaningful in the Absence of an Afterlife? or any similar topic only for you Order Now This is human nature, and our nature always invades into our train of thought.   â€Å"What would I get for doing this?† would be the collective question that permeates our minds if we think about the meaning of our lives. To them, the meaning of life is the material end which they believe their individual actions would entitle them to. People seek something tangible, something that can be felt, in determining the meaning of life. Some are also driven by their sufferings, their negative experiences, in questioning why they are here. They want to know to what purpose have they been born into this world, and why do they have to suffer that way. To them, the meaning of life is an answer, a reason that will explain the things that happen to them throughout their lives in this world. I believe that the question about the existence of the afterlife is detrimental to one’s quest to finding meaning in his existence. Instead of finding the true value of our lives, we are now preoccupied with how we should act in order to attain the afterlife, and inevitably forget about the fact that we should be living as meaningfully as we could in this world that we have been born into. People, especially those who have found themselves in suffering and in great emotional pain, view the afterlife as a form of escape or a greener pasture that they believe awaits them if they play their cards right in their present lives. However, if we take away that notion, would life for us still be meaningful to live if there is no clear end to which we could direct our efforts to? II. The True Meaning of Life For me, life can still be meaningful despite the apparent absence, or lack of proof thereof, of the afterlife. From my point of view, the afterlife is a figurehead, a symbolic figure, perhaps created by the ancients to address man’s question as to the meaning of his life. It is more of an abstract idea rather than a specific â€Å"life† by itself. I define the afterlife for its simplest meaning: â€Å"to live after we have died,† not an exact place that the supposed soul goes to after death. I believe that the idea of â€Å"going to Heaven by doing good† is made especially to cater to man’s materialistic nature that everything he does should be given a reward. Obviously, man has been created with a reason. Each of us has a reason, maybe a mission, in this world that we have been born into. Unless we ascertain what that is, we obviously cannot find the meaning for our existence here on Earth. We will continue to ask ourselves why we are still here. But how can we find that answer? Perhaps, the famous adage â€Å"no man is an island† is what I’ll consider the most apt and summarized answer to the question of â€Å"Why are we here?† Man exists for the sake of his fellowmen. We are made for the service of each other. That is what man should live for: the good of his fellow human beings and not himself. Every action that we take should be decided with the well-being of our fellowmen in mind, and not just ourselves. The key to finding meaning to our earthly lives is to start shedding our selfish human nature and start living for our fellows. Man’s suffering in this world is brought about by his earthly desire to preserve his own self, his discontentment and his desire to hoard all good things in this world for himself. The more material things Man receives, the more he desires, and the more he feels empty because not all things in this world are achievable. Leading such life is meaningless, for there is no point in that life that man can say that his purpose in living has been fulfilled, that he has found his reason for existing. One would probably argue that the key to self-fulfillment and happiness is to achieve all that we have longed for, definitely including money. However, that is materialism, and anything material is temporary and empty. The feeling is passing, and leads to more emptiness and questions, leading to emotional suffering and discontentment. Like Epicurus said, â€Å"the wealth required by vain ideals extends to infinity.† I, for one, would not be able to find happiness even if I had the power to buy everything that this world could offer and money could buy, because there will always be something better than the ones we have. With endless supply of money perhaps, I would be able to buy those things that I could lay my eyes on. However, I still would not be satisfied because then I find something I do not have, and will then long for it again. The process will go on and on until I find that there is no end to the material wealth that the world offers. When we die, all the material things that we have worked for will not go with us to the grave. Materialism is human nature, and like I said, we should overcome human nature if we are to start finding the meaning of life. If I spend my life entertaining every material and carnal urges that I would find, I would be living in vain because in the end it will all come down to nothing. In finding the meaning of life, we should start looking beyond ourselves and start thinking of what is good for the people around us and ourselves as a whole. This constitutes morality, as one does not learn the value of morality without learning to consider what things would be good for him alone, and what things will benefit both him and the people around. When we are morally upright, we will feel a sense of peace and security. For example, an honest man will have nothing to fear from the law than a dishonest thief will. People might say that honesty is actually subjective because the law has loopholes that can be exploited and bent in ascertaining who is honest from the dishonest, but there is the basic law of morality that we are all governed by. A thief may be able to circumvent the due process of law to his favor, but for the rest of his life he will live in fear that someone will come up with some kind of evidence to implicate him. By then, his life would have been meaningless and without peace, spent in fear of the justice that he has evaded. The time allotted for him to exist in Earth would have been wasted, for instead of cherishing every moment that has been granted to him, he instead spends it in dread and apprehension. III. Conclusion The lack of proof that the afterlife exists will not deter me from finding meaning in living my own life, even if my death is the most definite end of my journey. A life of service through acts of kindness and selfless is, for me, the most meaningful life that I can possibly lead. The greatest fulfillment that I could have for myself is the feeling of peace and contentment that I can attain by being satisfied and being thankful for the things that I have, rather than wasting it trying to own the world and finding no peace in entertaining my material nature. To sum it up, the meaning of my life would be the peacefulness that I would get when I look back at my life when I am in my deathbed, knowing that I have done as little wrong as possible in the time that I have lived on Earth. It is the peace I’d feel in knowing that, in living my life, I have not stepped on anyone’s rights and lives for my own gain.                      How to cite Would Life Still Be Meaningful in the Absence of an Afterlife?, Essay examples

Reasons Teen Disrespect Is On The Rise Essay Example For Students

Reasons Teen Disrespect Is On The Rise Essay Though cultures have many differences there have been a few traits that have united them across the spans of time and geographical area. Many of these traits have even been included in religious doctrine or social and moral laws. In western philosophy and religions the concept of respect has help a high place, allowing a clear distinction between those who have experience and answers to those who are young and naive. Religions such as Christianity and Mormonism stress greatly that the young should respect the elderly, while the Judaic religion provides a strict consequence, should this command be broken. By Old Testament law, the disrespectful child was to be taken to the town council, and then promptly stoned to avoid the spread of the sin and to keep ?God?s Chosen? pure. In recent times the respect that teenagers have shown for the elderly has decreased significantly, this trend has become extremely apparent in the 1980?s and 90?s. Though modern social guidelines do not dictate the killing of a disrespectful youth, it is still considered something that must be stopped. High school students have always been notorious for their lack of respect for authority. Many have wondered how these changes occur, most children are respectful at a young age but seem to ?change over night? into a youthful teenager who is often disrespectful to those around them. Studies done in recent years have shown that society, media, and the physical changes that a teenager undergoes may all be responsible for this metamorphosisThe severe changes teenagers endure are often seen as one of the key reasons for their disrespect. Adolescents undergo startling changes both physically and psychologically through out the process known as puberty. Hormones, the biological chemical responsible for several of the body?s functions, have been found to increase drastically during puberty. Because of this increase, teenagers tend to have clouding judgment and a feeling invincibility. This often leads to them perceiving themselves as the equal of their parents, grandparents, and teachers. The problem of disrespect begins with this perceived equality for it is difficult to respect someone who is an equal, or even a perceived equal.Teenagers also seem to learn who to respect, and who not to respect, based on the culture they are placed in. As the child grows in a society the norms and values of that culture are taught to the child. Things such as saying thank you when given a gift, chewing food with a closed mouth, and even what people deserve respect are all controlled by cultural values. One institution society uses to teach these values to the teenagers are schools, allowing a large group of teenagers to interact semi-independently, in a relatively controlled environment. In recent years however, the moral role of the schools has declined, depriving the teenagers of the guidance they require. This lack of guidance leaves the students to build off values that they are taught else where. Teenagers also learn what to respect from other sources, such as movies. The Movie Industry has become a substantial part of a teenagers life. With hundreds of movies each years fighting for a large audience each movie seeks to appeal to the teenagers by showing them something they desire, or can relate to. Frequently this means casting teenagers in what otherwise would be adult roles, movies now depict teenagers as independent, self-serving characters that can save the world, take lives, engage in sexual acts, or as characters that can beat the odds in death defying situations. With several millions of teenagers influenced by these movies the old adage Monkey See; Monkey do shows just how great of an impact the movies have on the teenage audience. .ua06161399919123394364d3cc05a9229 , .ua06161399919123394364d3cc05a9229 .postImageUrl , .ua06161399919123394364d3cc05a9229 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ua06161399919123394364d3cc05a9229 , .ua06161399919123394364d3cc05a9229:hover , .ua06161399919123394364d3cc05a9229:visited , .ua06161399919123394364d3cc05a9229:active { border:0!important; } .ua06161399919123394364d3cc05a9229 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ua06161399919123394364d3cc05a9229 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ua06161399919123394364d3cc05a9229:active , .ua06161399919123394364d3cc05a9229:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ua06161399919123394364d3cc05a9229 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ua06161399919123394364d3cc05a9229 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ua06161399919123394364d3cc05a9229 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ua06161399919123394364d3cc05a9229 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ua06161399919123394364d3cc05a9229:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ua06161399919123394364d3cc05a9229 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ua06161399919123394364d3cc05a9229 .ua06161399919123394364d3cc05a9229-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ua06161399919123394364d3cc05a9229:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Great Depression Essay Thesis Society, movies, or natural growth, all play a vital role in living the stereotype of a teenager. These three factors are not the only thing that control a teenager?s development, in addition to those discussed there are several lesser variables help explain the trend teenager have developed concerning their respect for the various institutions of society.