Preview

Nietzsche And The Secular Saint Analysis

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
645 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Nietzsche And The Secular Saint Analysis
Although Nietzsche and Dostoevsky fight for the innermost center of humanity in their attempt to define the art living a meaningful life through the metaphor of Zasima and the overman, the turn of the 20th century introduced a new factor. “Totalitarianism is nothing other than the rule of force” (Ambrosio lecture 22) and with the peak of the industrial revolution and the horrors of the two world wars that generated by the scientific community and which brought about death to humanity on an astronomical scale. With the invention of weapons of mass destruction came the new concept of crimes against humanity. How can the individual rise to the status of hero or saint when humanity as a whole through the scientific community created weapons of mass destruction to bring mass …show more content…
Simone Weil life started as that of Greco-Roman hero traits and later in her life adopted the characteristics of the saint. She is one of many lives that lived the calling of the secular saint, a manner of living a life with purpose and meaning that pulled from the historical point of views of the saint and the hero. What is hard to grasp is her philosophy that everyone has the same inalienable rights of food, shelter, clothing and security. She also believes that the soul should have the rights of meaning and value that is rooted in freedom or right to consent or the right to withhold consent. If one wants any of these needs the social expectation in the world of Weil is that it is the reasonability of anyone and everyone should provide that missing need. The individual that is in need, whether due to external events or his or her own failure is unrealistic to require others to be held responsible to provide for that need. Considering that the need is caused by the inability of that individual to act according to universality of justice brought by the hero or the intimacy of love through the relationship of the

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    Her father, Bernard Weil was a physician and her mother, Selma Weil, came from a rich Jewish business family.3 As a child Selma wanted to become a doctor, but her father did not support her decision, and so she fought for the best possible education for her children, especially Weil.3 Having grown up with a strong female influence, it is understandable that she would not have a strong inclination towards feminism, as she saw no problems for women growing up. Weil felt strongly about food and gave up sugar at an age of six, as it wasn’t provided to French soldiers in the war. She maintained this attitude throughout her life, starving herself for causes she believed in. This contributed to the fact her suffering from sinusitis, severe headaches and poor physical health, and, owing to malnutrition, she suffered from what she called “mystical experiences” making her, unlike Beauvoir, a big believer in mysticism and the world beyond most’s definition of reality.3 Religion also had great influence on her, having converted to catholicism later in her life. Like Beauvoir, shes lived during the Russian Revolution and the fall of old political orders such as the the Hapsburg and Austro-Hungarian Empires. It was also the time of the Great Depression of the 1930s. Even though Europe was not as badly affected as the US, hunger was still prevalent and work conditions were often bad. Weil was also briefly involved in the Spanish Civil war – a precursor to WWII, when Forces of the Republic splintered between the Anarchists, the Marxists, and the Nationalists. Fascists, with the help of the German Nazi government, acquired a taste for murdering civilians.3 During the Spanish Civil war deliberately dropping bombs on civilians from planes was still deeply shocking, especially for Weil due to her temperament and upbringing.3 That said, what Weil did not experience is as important as what she did. She and her family…

    • 1340 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    How could a person so cruel win so many hearts and make them believe he was the greatest of them all? In the article “Viewpoints: His Dark Charismas” by Lauren Rees explains how a man became known as a person of trust, but the end result was a disaster of tens of millions of people. In the article, the author’s used many techniques to help him engage the reader and to convey the author purpose. Rees used three techniques to help him, such as text features of photos, first-hand account, and facts and statistics.…

    • 536 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The influence that her time period had on Simone de Beauvoir’s thought process was minimal in her writing and person, as her countercultural ideas were radical and far ahead of her time, but they do provide some important context in her philosophy, the paramount example of which is shown through her book The Ethics of Ambiguity. She discusses whether or not existence is a possibility, she states that it is not necessary that we exist, and concludes from that that there therefore can be no predetermined values or spirit for a human. She also famously stated in this book that one person's freedom requires the freedom of others for it to be. She also began to burden her thought with the aforementioned notion of freedom, along with oppression, writing "to will oneself moral and to will oneself free are one and the same decision." She concluded therefore that if one acts either alone or with no consideration for others they are not tuly free at all.…

    • 824 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The Romantic era took place throughout the 19th century and held the belief that men demonstrate innate goodness, but civilization later corrupts them. Even in today’s society, many political figures, authors, celebrities, and athletes reinforce the Romantic idea of the natural goodness of man and the corruption of man by civilization as they initially exhibit pure values that succumb to the temptations civilization provides. Literature also reflects the belief of the innate goodness of man and the corruption of man by society. For example, Mary Shelley, entails these Romantic beliefs in her novel Frankenstein, in which both Victor Frankenstein and the Creature are born innately good but society later corrupts them. Victor’s,…

    • 1421 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    My body hangs over the edge, swaying with nervousness. One step, I look down, I can’t see the bottom. Two steps, my legs shake like when they came. One the edge now, the wind seems to push me, it’s cold, oh so cold. It whispers and sings in long ways; groaning and howling. For this may be giving up, my retaliation rises, but the winner is clear. They the killers, the ones that named you savages. They have spilled out our blood for us to become one with nature. They chained us to become properties and they have come in a mass wave to take the land we once praised. With one graceful motion I,m falling, my heartbeat rises louder. And louder and louder, the thing almost beats out of my chest. I see the ground, my breath dives my throat, then nothing. Imagine that. You feel so lost and terrified you take your own life with the swiftest motion, letting your existence become one with absence. Now imagine your killer, the one that drove you to do it is a praised hero with a day to his name and equal grounds with Martin Luther King Jr. it's already happened, Christopher Columbus, the praised hero.…

    • 597 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Ethics, the guiding moral compass for what is wrong or right, is personalized for each individual. Ethics holds the power to interconnect people and beliefs across a multitude of cultures. This blend of ideas is the reason why the definition of ethics can present an array of answers; therefore, ethics can best be defined as the constant search of looking for the balance of what is right and what is wrong. Elie Wiesel, author and Holocaust survivor, can be seen as one of the most prominent figures of political activism in the modern world. By publishing his works and experiences that deal with ethical concepts, Wiesel was able to shed a light on the horrors of people’s actions and their moral consequences. Wiesel is a firm believer in how the…

    • 1562 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Nietzsche: the Conscience

    • 1568 Words
    • 7 Pages

    In his second essay of the Geneaology of Morals, Nietzsche attempts to identify and explain the origin of the conscience. He does not adopt the view of the conscience that is accepted by the “English Psychologists”, such as Bentham, J. Mill, J.S. Mill and Hume, as the result of an innate moral feeling. Rather, it is his belief that the moral content of our conscience is formed during childhood under the influence of society. Nietzsche defines the conscience as an introspective phenomenon brought about by a feeling of responsibility, in which one analyzes their own morality due to the internalization of the values of society. This definition holds the position that the conscience is not something innate to humans, rather it has arisen through evolution. In light of this, this paper will give insight into how Nietzsche reaches this conclusion, as well as what results from it. In order to do this there will be discussion of guilt, punishment, the will to power and implications from society.…

    • 1568 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hero vs Villian

    • 321 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The battle between good and evil is timeless. There comes a time in life when you have to choose a path. Do you want to be the “Hero” or a “Villain?” As a hero you could look back at your life and be proud of the righteous choices you’ve made. As a Villain, you may have contributed in mass chaos and the world’s destruction, however there is also the hidden allure of “The Bad Guys.” Despite the temptation of the villain, it is the hero that should be admired and emulated.…

    • 321 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    When we think of a hero we think of someone like Superman or Spiderman or even a firefighter. We think of someone that doesn’t have that many flaws someone who would kiss a baby and would save a stuck kitten out of a tree. Now the definition of Hero is “a person, typically a man, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.” Even though Oskar Schindler on the outside wouldn’t seem to be a hero, the characteristics of one lie in that man. This report will illustrate just who was Oskar Schindler, before, during and after World War 2 (WWII) also this report will explain how this man was able to pull off such deed.…

    • 1210 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    A religion can be seen as a unified system of beliefs and practices which are relative to sacred things and beliefs (Giddens 1972, p.224). It can shape ones thoughts and feelings and gives people a sense of hope and something to believe in. All three main sociologist writers Karl Marx, Max Weber and Emile Durkheim offer different perspectives on religion and how important it is to society. Some of the theorists chose to have a positive view whilst others argue the unimportance of religion. This essay attempts to discover which theorist has the most accurate perspective of religion in modern times. This is done by firstly explaining the basic ideas regarding to religion put forward by Marx, Weber and Durkheim. Then both Marx's and Durkheim's thought will be compared and contrasted in order to determine the differences and similarities between their ideas. Finally, it will be explained which one of the theorists views and ideas are the most relevant to contemporary times and why.…

    • 1387 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Throughout time, conflict has been inevitable in society. These conflicts mostly led to war which brought tragedies. Tragedies changed moral, personality, and the importance of something for many people. With the morals of people changing, many went from their only concern being themselves to the rest being of utmost importance which saved many lives during times of conflict and mishap. In Schindler’s List, Thomas Keneally proves that in times of tragedy true character is shown.…

    • 279 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    What Makes a Hero?

    • 1209 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Zimbardo, Philip. "What Makes a Hero?." Greater Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life. University of California, Berkeley, 18 Jan. 2011. Web. 10 Nov. 2011.…

    • 1209 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Unsung Hereos essay

    • 851 Words
    • 3 Pages

    A hero is a person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities. In Zinn’s “Unsung Heroes” he enumerates false heroes that are often found among former US presidents and military people. Zinn reminds us of the crimes each of them has committed. He suggests that the undue idols be taken off their pedestal and be replaced by real heroes.…

    • 851 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The twentieth century was the century of discovery for life . Dreadful diseases like diphtheria and leprosy were halted; sterile women have been given children; handicapped people were made a part of society. Numerous vaccines have been found to stop the most dangerous diseases. New technologies have enabled the creation of better conditions for life. International humanitarian organizations were felt all over the world where living conditions were not acceptable. Humanitarian aid have been sent many times where they were needed: Africa, Haiti, Pakistan, etc.. Under these conditions, feeding his superego with illusions, man has become complacent. He is gracious and fair. He is, finally, human. However, what ultimately is not understood is that violence, which has its roots deep infiltrated in human consciousness , cancels all these developments. For each cured disease , hundreds of ways to return it are invented. For every child saved in high-tech hospitals there are another hundred killed innocent children. Not a virus manages to disappear as we rush to replace it with another. Violence is everywhere. In this situation , the following idea needs to be understood : violence , in the common perception of this word, destroys everything we dream for. In this essay I will try to argue my thesis, demonstrating why each type of violence in part must be avoided.…

    • 1140 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The extract under analysis is taken from the novella «The invisible man» written by Herbert Wells. Wells is a prolific English writer of the 20th century practiced in many genres, including the novel, history, politics, and social commentary, and textbooks and rules for war games. However, he is best remembered for his science fiction novels, and Wells is called a father of science fiction. His speculations about biological revolution and social development of society, about the mixture of social and natural qualities in people were deep. In his literary works Wells showed himself a humanist trying to solve social problems by criticizing the evils of modern civilization. The novelty of depicting the controversial realities of modern time lies in the author’s attempt to show moral responsibility of scientists for social consequences of realization of their ideas and inventions. The writer investigates the place of man in modern society of technological process. His most famous works are The Time Machine, The War of Worlds, The Island of Doctor Moreau , The First Men in the Moon in which the writer speak about the moral responsibility of a scientist for the wrong application of his theories.…

    • 876 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Better Essays