Nature Of Good And Evil example essay topic

Of all the animals on Earth, humans are the only intelligent beings that have the ability to think consciously. The question is, though, are we all using this unique ability to its maximum potential? Some people do think deeply, while others just respond to the information obtained through their senses. This ability to think is what influences our human nature. The nature of good or evil is determined by whether or not humans think consciously to find the deeper meaning in a situation. A society may influence a person's nature, but these influences can be countered with deep thought.

The media, government, and leaders of a society may produce propaganda or make speeches that are full of lies and hatred. These lies and hatred are not going dissipate but they can be detected by thinking intently about what is right. During the holocaust, Hitler's propaganda and speeches blinded the Germans and concealed the truth. Most of the Germans reacted to what they saw and heard and did not think thoroughly to realize that they were supporting sinful acts of violence. It can be seen that thinking about what a person sees and hears in a society can help see the truth and help make informed decisions to become a good person.

Even the influences of the people around a person can be analyzed by thinking. A child may have bad parents or bad friends but the child will also have learned good morals from a teacher, stories or even movies, which show the good and evil sides. If the child thinks thoroughly about the actions of others, he will realize what is right and develop into a good person. Many people in Germany were influenced by the decisions of others in their community. "He was a thoughtless bureaucrat, a middle manager, and his crimes came from "an authentic inability to think". (Owen 15).

In this quote, Hannah Advent is implying that Eichmann was told what needed to be done by his superiors but he had not taken the time to think about what he was doing and how it will affect everyone as well as himself. Even Hitler's ideas were influenced by the mayor of his town, who was also his hero. Hitler had not thought deeply about the atrocities he had committed and how the consequences could affect his life. A person cannot control other people's actions, but he can control his own actions by thinking about the right thing to do. There are many aspects that may influence the human nature, but a good nature can prevail if there is a will to think consciously. When people think deeply, they care about how their actions will affect others as well as their own future goals.

If everyone were to use their ability to think, there may not be any more atrocities like the holocaust. The nature of good and evil is not within the human heart; it is within the human brain. Owen, Gerald. Evil is in vogue. National Post Eban, Abba. The Eichmann Trial in Retrospect.

Thinking through the essay.