moral action
Moral action - Doing something that is right in spite of opposition from others
Adam Hochschild’s King of Leopold’s Ghost is the story of no other than European ruler King Leopold II of Belgium, and the Congo, in which he took ownership of. He later became in control of one of the largest colonies in Africa due to his manipulating ways and tricks. Moreover his Congo, mostly the white authorities, forced some villages in Africa into harsh labor, where they were punished for wrong behavior, and in most cases the wives were kept chained up as somewhat collateral until their husbands were finished with their work. Though these slave-like conditions weren’t going unnoticed by surrounding places the Congo still got away with their unethical practices; mostly due to the fact that Leopold had power over the situation and everything else because he ultimately is King. Most people from different periods of time hold some form of morals and if these people were to look upon the Congo’s actions can see that things are not morally correct. Actual facts on the occurrences of the Congo to the public didn’t occur until the heroic efforts of 4 men: George Washington Williams, William Sheppard, Roger Casement, and E. D. Morel. The efforts of Morel stood out as most significant in doing what was truly morally right. In the voice of Morel, Hochschild talks of this young man’s “flash of moral recognition”, leading into the argument that Hochschild’s work is an embodiment of how history is truly of moral act. First I will talk about Morel’s flash of moral recognition in the text, then I will recall other unforgettable events in history where moral action was in the center of it all.
In an effort to supervise the arrivals and departures of ships with goods to the Congo, Morel ,as a shipping clerk, went to Belgium regularly, and discovered that his trade statistic records did not match what was announced to the public, which brought much suspicion. Leading into his flash of moral
Adam Hochschild’s King of Leopold’s Ghost is the story of no other than European ruler King Leopold II of Belgium, and the Congo, in which he took ownership of. He later became in control of one of the largest colonies in Africa due to his manipulating ways and tricks. Moreover his Congo, mostly the white authorities, forced some villages in Africa into harsh labor, where they were punished for wrong behavior, and in most cases the wives were kept chained up as somewhat collateral until their husbands were finished with their work. Though these slave-like conditions weren’t going unnoticed by surrounding places the Congo still got away with their unethical practices; mostly due to the fact that Leopold had power over the situation and everything else because he ultimately is King. Most people from different periods of time hold some form of morals and if these people were to look upon the Congo’s actions can see that things are not morally correct. Actual facts on the occurrences of the Congo to the public didn’t occur until the heroic efforts of 4 men: George Washington Williams, William Sheppard, Roger Casement, and E. D. Morel. The efforts of Morel stood out as most significant in doing what was truly morally right. In the voice of Morel, Hochschild talks of this young man’s “flash of moral recognition”, leading into the argument that Hochschild’s work is an embodiment of how history is truly of moral act. First I will talk about Morel’s flash of moral recognition in the text, then I will recall other unforgettable events in history where moral action was in the center of it all.
In an effort to supervise the arrivals and departures of ships with goods to the Congo, Morel ,as a shipping clerk, went to Belgium regularly, and discovered that his trade statistic records did not match what was announced to the public, which brought much suspicion. Leading into his flash of moral