Binary approach to evil - Research Paper Example

How should I live Evil is defined as any intention to behave in ways that lead to harm, destruction or dehumanizing innocent people. It can also be understood to mean using one’s systemic power to permit others to conduct abuse or harm on one’s behalf. It can be summarized as knowing better but doing worse. This can be attributed to egocentric biases that lead to an impression that we are special compared to others. The self-serving sentiments allow us to image that unlike others, we are above average. Most people perceive evil to be a quantity that is inherent in some people but not in others. The rich communities especially in Europe and America are known to assume their culture is superior the most of the cultures in Asia, Middle East and Africa. The concept of a binary approach to evil makes it to appear essential. This simply means that good-people are exonerated from the responsibility of committing evil. This means they are freed from any role that can sustain, or contribute to any manner of crime. An alternative concept is to treat evil as something all people are capable of participating regardless to their background or culture (Reich 1998, 25-29). This probability to indulge in evil is fueled by the circumstances. It also presupposes that people can possess certain attributes at some point to a lesser or greater degree (Monroe, Kristen 1996, 49-53). Human nature can be changed. This can have a profound effect on how people choose to live. People can change from good to bad or bad to good depending on the level of exposure and understanding (Marcus et al 1995, 59). This supports the theory that human nature can be changed towards bad or good. People can learn to become good or bad despite their genetic background pr personality. This understanding shed light on some of the reasons why people perpetuate teasing, bullying, violence or even rape (Reich 1998, 25-29). Essentialist conceptions must be paired with incremental perceptions. Traditionally, the inherent qualities of a person are considered when analyzing the behavior. This includes the freewill, genetic makeup and personality traits. The traditional view indicates that culpability and sin is assumed to resident in the person. Human behavior perceptions Human beings develop and live in a variety of cultures with unique histories. Our perception of the identity and behavior is shaped by the respective cultures. Our behavior is a reflection of the morality and interpersonal relationships practiced in the socio-cultural context (Zimbardo 2007, 31-41). In the case where there is a culture of violence, the normative assumption is that it is a problem-solving technique. In some societies, aggression is part of the cultural practice (Marcus et al 1995, 59). The manner in which people tend to think about others may influence the probability of genocide or violent behaviors (Reich 1998, 25-29). The social cognition theory shows that we tend to subdivide the world into us versus them. People use their in-group for self identity in the society (Oliner, Samuel and Pearl 1988, 69). Positive social identity when the groups we identify with is held with high esteem. Philosophy explains that people can go to a long extent to enhance the social identity and ensuring distinction from other groups (Monroe, Kristen 1996, 49-53). This is referred to as in-group bias. Out-group directed prejudice can lead to hatred. Human beings have the tendency to formulate illusory correlations and to formulate connections. Influence of environment on ethics Human beings tend to use shortcuts when analyzing information about their environment (Reich 1998, 25-29). People only think much about issues that deeply affect their lives (Zimbardo 2007, 31-41). Leaders can play a role in shaping the mindset of people to either fuel or reduce the levels of discrimination, violence and prejudice (Marcus et al 1995, 59). The manner in which we perceive the world can be a reason for violence and hatred. Research shows that people are interested in information that confirms their values and beliefs. The way people live is greatly influenced by the economic, social and political perceptions. Mass violence and genocide are human errors that are provoked by social perceptions (Monroe, Kristen 1996, 49-53). The perpetrators of the mass violence are known to devalue victims as a way of maintaining a sense of just world. According to them, this helps avoid cognitive dissonance. The manner in which people process or handle information can aid in either formation of genocides or propagation of hate. This is mostly done the by the elite. Nazis, Rwanda genocides Cultural rituals and community structures can form an attitude of compliance, obedience or ostracism. The Nazi propaganda developed into the mainstay of culture and had extensive use of anti-Semitic images. Hate and fear messages were used to spread the Rwanda genocide. The same case applied in Yugoslavia. According to the social philosopher Sam Keen, hostile imagination is created through national propaganda. The human psyche has the transformative power on the mental images created concerning the enemy. The justification to want to destroy is an afterthought. The inspiration on how to live is greatly dictated by the social norms and group think. Hostile imagination is known to give birth to genocide (Oliner, Samuel and Pearl 1988, 69). This happens when a certain group of people are conceptualized as the enemy. Hitler was known to use images to suggest that Jews were contemptible and not worthy of human compassion. This led to liquidate at least 6 million Jews. Jews were targeted by the Nazis because of the middle and professional class status (Zimbardo 2007, 31-41). At the time, Nazis were economically troubled because of the interwar period. Realist conflict theory suggests that the primary reason why people may be tempted to show extreme behavior towards others is because of factors like employment and land. The leading exports in Rwanda included Tin and coffee are estimated to have be a reason for the genocide that led to the annihilation of one million people. Extreme poverty led to infighting had caused the competition between Tutsi and Hutus. The airplane carrying the Hutu leader was shot down. This aggravated the tensions that existed leading to destructive actions. In Rwanda, there was systematic rape of women as a tactic of spiritual annihilation and terror. UN reports indicate that over 200,000 women were raped during the genocide in Rwanda. On one instance, a 45 year old mother was raped by her son of 12 as armed interahamwe militias held a hatchet over his head. This was done in full sight of her husband. The social psychology shows that status differentials can be a reason for strife among the tribes. Education tends to correlate extensively in that educated people are expected to have an expanded view of the world. This makes people to identity with other communities beyond their neighbors and family members. Pro-social orientations help in demystifying the perceptions about ethnicity. The rise of social networks has caused people to establish relationships with non-family members. Extensively causes pro-social behaviors and charity. The feelings of moral obligations can cause the people to help strangers. The social conditioning is known to influence the perception of people towards (Rusesabagina, 2006, 19). Ultraists have developed a moral dimension to interpret and justify the actions that happen and the reasoning behind. Feelings of trust can lead to trust and better understanding among communities. Research shows that equality, patriotism and individualism are central elements in mass beliefs. This means they influence the way people think and the actions they take. Belief systems differ depending on the priorities attached to the values and the vertical linkages among the values. There are instances where values conflict. This calls for political tolerance and extensive responsibility for the institutions that oversee the civil liberties (Staub 1989, 51). Individuals are not only required to tolerate offensive groups by to respect their civil liberties. Moral rules exist to protect our interests. This affects what people want and why they behave the way they do. We are often obliged to conduct ourselves in a certain way to satisfy certain demands. The formal and informal rules have a profound effect on the human behavior. Social-conventional violations lead to punishment and social disapproval. Moral transgression can lead to remorse of guilt (Staub 1989, 51). The habitual responses can be related to the environmental elements encountered. The mindset is said to have a profound effect on the conscious attention of human beings. This determines the closeness or openness of the mind (Rusesabagina, 2006, 19). Habitual mindset has the power to cause an individual to become distracted or not. The behavior we choose is likely to be enhanced by our social orientations and the amount of the information that we access. Experience A telling example is my experience in growing up under intrusive and controlling parents. They believed that they were able to exert their willpower and over their adolescents. This also means that the confidence and ability to socialize is greatly affected through parental authority. This state of disunity deteriorated into parental neglect. This is a situation where a parent becomes disinterested in a child’s schoolwork, friendship or career. This affected the material care, emotional availability leading to distress. This situation had parents being unreasonable authoritative leading to abuse. They used their authority to deprive basic services and freedom leading to isolation and insecurity. It entailed preparing personal meals and being left alone in some nights and evenings. The lack of interest in the personal wellbeing at a tender age led to emotional distance, indifference and instability. This was aggravated by the physical abuse. This included being hit severally and issuing of threats over minute issues. This means that there was non-one to confide in. this developed a nature and behavior system in me as enforced by the harsh environment. According to the behavior theory, the environment plays a critical role in shaping the behavior of a human being. At the same time, people tend to remain faithful to the experiences they were exposed to at a tender age. This can be a wrong foundation to determining the course of a life. People can go wrong through unnecessary exposure to evil. Research indicates that children who suffer abuse are likely to abuse others (Zimbardo 2007, 31-41). Most of the abusive parents suffered the same fate at the childhood stage. In determining why people go wrong, exposure, experiences and social perceptions must be taken into account. My behavior has been altered by my experience. People who have suffered abuse tend to have a defensive personality (Monroe, Kristen 1996, 49-53). This means that they are preoccupied with self preservation rather than offering sacrificial help to members of the society. Indeed, inner stability, confidence and mindset determine how far a person can go to help strangers (Reich 1998, 25-29). In determining how to live, there has to be a healing process that creates a reassurance (Oliner, Samuel and Pearl 1988, 69). This reassurance must boost my confidence as a global citizen rather than a needy and vulnerable personality (Rusesabagina, 2006, 19). I believe in high moral standards in confronting any situation. Strong character can only happen when the secret or private shame is removed through candid conversations and reassurances. Studies show that the mindset has a direct correlation with individual behavior. The mindset also affects expectations and habitual responses to the environmental stimuli. I believe in pro-social attitude when facing challenges. Pro-social behavior can only happen when emotional injuries have been healed. This healing and self-confidence is indicated by extensively and a strong attitude towards moral obligations (Zimbardo 2007, 31-41). Studies show that the feelings for obligations of a moral nature influence the decisions to assist others. The ability to be a hero must a product of healthy social connections, proper foundation of personality capabilities and modesty (Monroe, Kristen 1996, 49-53). People who are highly generative are interested in leaving a legacy both to their children and members of the generation to follow. The life stage theory suggests that the generatively is the desire pass knowledge to the incoming generation. The cultural history of a group, situational elements and interpersonal factors are known to have a direct impact to personal behavior and social perceptions (Rusesabagina, 2006, 19). The role of authoritarian leaders and cases of social psychological factors affect the confidence which is needed to respond to social expectations. References Marcus, George E., Sullivan John L., Theiss-Morse, Elizabeth, and Sandra L. Wood. 1995. With Malice Toward Some: How People Make Civil Liberties Judgments. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Monroe, Kristen Renwick. 1996. The Heart of Altruism: Perceptions of a Common Humanity.Princeton: Princeton University Press. Oliner, Samuel P. and Pearl M. Oliner. 1988. The Altruistic Personality: Rescuers of Jews in Nazi Europe. New York: The Free Press. Reich, Walter. 1998. Origins of Terrorism: Psychologies, Ideologies, Theologies, States of Mind. Washington, D.C.: Woodrow Wilson Center Press. Rusesabagina, Paul. 2006. An Ordinary Man. New York: Viking Books. Staub, Ervin. 1989. The Roots of Evil: The Origins of Genocide And Other Group Violence. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Zimbardo, Philip. 2007. The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil. New York: Random House. Read More