Enemy of the People
ESSAY: AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE
Harry Latirofian
07/SP_CORE_1006_22 The Global Challenge
An Enemy of the people is a drama filled with ethical dilemmas and issues that are largely were caused by the contrasts between the Stockmann brothers. Thomas Stockmann is jovial by nature and likes to be surrounded by people like him that are intelligent and hard working. His brother in other hand is a representative of the conservative world-order. Thomas Stockmann or as he referred in play as Dr. Stockmann is very conscious of his duty as a citizen and he isn’t afraid to go against the mob of arrogant people, which are the majority in that town, and to point out that they are in denial: “Dr. Stockmann: …The majority has might on its side--unfortunately; but right it has not. I am in the right--I and a few other scattered individuals. The minority is always in the right.” (pg. 71, Act IV), but Peter Stockmann, on the other hand, is the person who can sway the mob to his side, by saying what the mob wants to hear. We can see more clearly the difference between two brother if we would consider their’s personalities from the deontological point of view. One is a doctor, who would have to give a Hippocratic Oath in order to practice and it is well known that one of the key elements of the Hippocratic Oath is to help people with all your knowledge: “…. I will apply dietetic measures for the benefit of the sick according to my ability and judgment; I will keep them from harm and injustice. I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody who asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect.”(Hippocratic Oath). And the other one is the politician, who had to step over many people in order to get the position that he has, such people as Morten Kiil: “Well, it wouldn't be a bad thing. It would just serve them right, and teach them a lesson. They think themselves so much cleverer than we old fellows. They hounded me out of the council; they did, I tell you--they
Harry Latirofian
07/SP_CORE_1006_22 The Global Challenge
An Enemy of the people is a drama filled with ethical dilemmas and issues that are largely were caused by the contrasts between the Stockmann brothers. Thomas Stockmann is jovial by nature and likes to be surrounded by people like him that are intelligent and hard working. His brother in other hand is a representative of the conservative world-order. Thomas Stockmann or as he referred in play as Dr. Stockmann is very conscious of his duty as a citizen and he isn’t afraid to go against the mob of arrogant people, which are the majority in that town, and to point out that they are in denial: “Dr. Stockmann: …The majority has might on its side--unfortunately; but right it has not. I am in the right--I and a few other scattered individuals. The minority is always in the right.” (pg. 71, Act IV), but Peter Stockmann, on the other hand, is the person who can sway the mob to his side, by saying what the mob wants to hear. We can see more clearly the difference between two brother if we would consider their’s personalities from the deontological point of view. One is a doctor, who would have to give a Hippocratic Oath in order to practice and it is well known that one of the key elements of the Hippocratic Oath is to help people with all your knowledge: “…. I will apply dietetic measures for the benefit of the sick according to my ability and judgment; I will keep them from harm and injustice. I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody who asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect.”(Hippocratic Oath). And the other one is the politician, who had to step over many people in order to get the position that he has, such people as Morten Kiil: “Well, it wouldn't be a bad thing. It would just serve them right, and teach them a lesson. They think themselves so much cleverer than we old fellows. They hounded me out of the council; they did, I tell you--they