Swine Wash in the Mire and Barnyard Fowl in Dust - Essay Example

? Assignment CONFIRM AND REFUTE Due CONFIRM AND REFUTE Introduction The maxim under considerationis “Swine wash in the mire, and barnyard fowl in dust” proclaimed by Heraclitus. This maxim has several constituent parts and symbolic contents that make it possible to present it for a confirmation and refutation context. In the maxim, we are told of two major choices, all of which are somewhat disgusting and appalling. This is because we read of a swine washing itself in mire and barnyard fowl washing itself in dust, which could imply to the evil and sinful choices that human make. As independent as the author could be said to have been in delivering this maxim, there are existing similar wise saying that the maxim can be compared to in terms of meaning and significance. Most of these existing and popular wise sayings help in establishing firmer grounds to confirm and refute the maxim. An example of wise saying that makes the confirmation of the maxim possible and easier is Confucius’ claim in Analects (26) that “It’s hopeless! I never see people who can recognize their own faults and then inwardly accuse themselves.” The claim by Marcus Aurelius in Meditations, Book4, 26 that, “All that happens has been fated by the whole from the beginning and spun for your own destiny” is on the other hand a refutation of the maxim. The numerous reports of abuse of law in our society are indeed an situation that focuses on the confirmation of the maxim. However, the liberties and fundamental human rights that people are given to enjoy could also be used as refutation to the claim. Confirmation There can be said to be several passages, events and quotations that amplifies the wisdom and factuality in the position taken by the author as condemning the evil and sinful choices that humans make in life. Generally, all humans are born into societies that have varying moral standards, defining what is good and evil (Lutgen-Sandvik, 2010). Because are born into these moral standards, we have very limited opportunities to asking questions as to why we should complain, but often come to align ourselves with complying. To this end, our intuition and conscious helps in criticizing us when we are heading for evil and sinful paths. Regardless of the self induced realizations that we are often accorded, we go on to make wrong and disgusting choices as we see of the swine and barnyard fowl make, and this always becomes problematic to society at large. In The Desert Fathers, we read of the quote, “Ammonas said that for fourteen years Scetis had been asking God day and night to give him strength to control his temper” (The Saying of the Early Christian Monks, ch 7, 3). This quote confirms that indeed we are always aware of how wrong our actions are but continue to clad ourselves with them; even whiles asking God to help us overcome them. A number of events have occurred around the world to confirm the wisdom in the maxim, most of which can be judged from the effect of the sins and wrong acts that people commit. An example of such events can be mentioned as terrorist acts, which always lead to the destruction of precious human lives and property. As claimed by the author, if the washing of the swine in the mire and the washing in the sand by the barnyard did not matter to the larger society, then committers of evil would be the only suffers of the consequences but this has not always been the case. What is more severe is that the evil choices that people make do not only come in the forms of performed acts but neglected acts as well. In the quote from Meditations, we read that “There can often be wrongs of omission as well as commission” (Marcus Aurelius, Book9, 5). An instance of wrong of omission that can bring about disastrous consequence is a pharmacist who refuses to add active ingredient needed to control the side effects of a piece of medicine. People who take the medicine can suffer dying consequence as a result of the omission. Refutation Regardless of the argument given earlier to confirm the wisdom in the maxim, there are core limitations in it that can be refuted using quotes and events. Generally, the refutation of the maxim seeks to claim that there is no merit in saying that the choices that people make, no matter how bad or wrong they may be should be a matter of concern for the larger society. In its most logical terms, it is understandable that all people are individual beings who come into this world alone and with their own destinations. Pursuant to this, there are laws that society has made, named ‘fundamental human right’, to give recognition to the fact that all people own their lives and should therefore have the freedom to decide how to use their lives. To this end, as to whether human beings, being swine in the maxim would choose to wash in mire or would choose to wash in fountains of pure water should not really be a subject for social discussion. In the actions of people therefore, they must be given the freedom to see themselves as independent, with only God, being the other entity, as it is resounded in The Desert Fathers, “Allois said, until you can say in your heart, “only I and God are in the world,” you will not be at peace” (Saying of the Early Christian Monks, ch 11, 5). Again, there cannot be said to be any wisdom found in the maxim when the scenario and the exemplification of how the nature of people are destined for them when coming to the world is used. Indeed, if a person is destined to live a certain kind of lifestyle, no amount of condemnation or corrective attempt can cause a change in the person (Lutgen-Sandvik, 2010). it is for this reason Marcus Aurelius makes the quotation given below. Are you angry with the man who smells like goat, or the one with foul breath? What will you have them do? That’s the way his mouth is, that’s the way his armpits are so it is inevitable that they should give out odours to match. (Meditations, Book 5, 28). From the above quote, a question will be posed in an attempt to refuting the maxim that if such a person who is born to have a smelling armpit smells like a goat, what should the person do, since he did not create himself. Clearly, an attempt to be bordered with the personalized life f such people will be an attempt to change their entire destiny. Conclusion Heraclitus has argued that “Swine wash in the mire, and barnyard fowl in dust”. In relation to the texts, Heraclitus is claiming to confirm choices that human make in life that he considers as evil, bad or wrong. Generally, the maxim could be said to carry a meaning of life choices as human being are presented with. From such a context of debate, it can be said that the terms swine and barnyard fowl as used in the maxim could refer to either life or human being. The contexts of the choices of mire and dust made by the two subjects in the maxim can also be interpreted to mean sin or evil acts, as these are generally deemed as dirty and distasteful. With this understanding, the maxim can be said to mean that human always have options in life but we always choose the ways of evil. A confirmation of this maxim can be traced to the widespread effects that some wrong doings committed by some people have on larger society. Because of this, it is always important to be bordered with what a person does as an individual. A refutation however exists for the maxim in the argument that all people are independent of their destinies and should have the freedom to determine what they do with their lives. Cited Works Confucius. The Analects. Carnegie: Project Gutenberg. 2001. Print. Lutgen-Sandvik, Patrick. Destructive organizational communication: Processes, consequences, and constructive ways of organizing. New York, NY: Routledge. 2010. Print. Marcus Aurelius. Meditations. Carnegie: Project Gutenberg. 2001. Print. Saying of the Early Christian Monks. The Desert Fathers. Carnegie: Project Gutenberg. 2001. Print. Read More