.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Universal Cultural Values Essay - 1290 Words

On an otherwise ordinary day in England, a shadowy figure wearing a Guy Fawkes mask enters the state controlled television studio and at gunpoint, forces its employees to broadcast a specially prepared video addressing the people of England. In the video, the very same mysterious masked man chastises the English people for their disregard for the once cherished values of duty, freedom and honor, values shared by many ancient civilizations. While at first glance, western culture as represented in the movie, V for Vendetta, may seem drastically different from those of ancient societies, many underlying philosophical similarities do emerge deep down. Even though modern westerners enjoy enhanced lives due to technology, medicine, and†¦show more content†¦Arjuana’s advisor, Krishna, reprimands Arjuana for failing on his ascribed duty as a warrior and reassures him that death does no harm upon a person’s soul: â€Å"Bodies are said to die, but that which possesses t he body is eternal. It cannot be limited or destroyed. Therefore you must fight,† (From the Bhagavad-Gita). He then goes and reminds Arjuana of his duty: â€Å"But if you refuse to fight this righteous war, you will be turning aside from your duty. You will be a sinner and disgraced,† (From the Bhagavad-Gita). While Indian concepts of duty describe daily marginal duties, western ideas concern the responsibility of the government in the Social Contract Theory. The theory states that government has an obligation to protect its citizens in exchange for obedience and consent of the government; if government fails its duty, the citizens have the right to overthrow that government. The oppressive government in V for Vendetta dominates its people through fear and intimidation; citizens of the future government of England under Adam Sutler enjoy none of the freedoms of thought and expression that typical modern westerners of today enjoy. Because the futuristic English governmen t fails on its duty to uphold the social contract theory, V instigates a revolution by demanding the English people to stand up for their rights and mandate that the government uphold its rightful obligation. V blames the people for failingShow MoreRelatedMoral Realism And Normative Ethics1189 Words   |  5 Pagesgrounds morality. Here we will use the following normative and meta-ethics to discover how moral realism, moral anti-realism, and cultural relativism can all change what a person or a society believes they â€Å"ought† to do to be morally right. When asking what one ought to do moral realism says that there is only one answer. Moral realism tries to identify moral values that are objective and allows us to use the rules of logic to judge moral statements but it also believes that if two beliefs areRead MoreAre Human Rights Universal? Essay1601 Words   |  7 PagesAre human rights universal? Whether human rights are universal has been debated for decades. There have been individuals and even countries that oppose the idea that human rights are for everybody. This argument shall be investigated in this essay, by: exploring definitions and history on human rights, debating on whether it is universal while providing examples and background information while supporting my hypothesis that human rights should be based on particular cultural values and finally drawingRead MoreCultural Relativism : A Universal Standard Of Morality1480 Words   |  6 PagesCultural relativism is the view that all beliefs, customs, and ethics of a culture should be understood and tolerated by people of other cultures (Fastiggi, 2013, p.30). The universal standards of morality do not exist between cultures rather it exists within cultures which prevents other cultures form being judged (Rachels, p.2). This means that the rights and wrongs are based upon an individual’s culture so an action considered moral in one society can be immoral in another. Cultural relativismRead MoreHuman Rights in History1779 Words   |  7 Pagesthere is a universal set of human rights, governing and ensuring the equal treatment of every individual. After addressing numerous issues and injustices, and the events of the Second World War and the Holocaust, we begin to see a movement. This point created a permanent place for human rights on international agendas. and the human rights regime had began to push forward. Despite this movement forward there are still a vast range of barriers creating a hurdle for the achievement of universal huma n rightsRead MoreThe Conception Of Morality Is Present Throughout Human Civilization1181 Words   |  5 Pagesare inherent in these specific moral principles, as well as cross-cultural. Considering this, it is easy for one to submit to the notion that there is an absolute moral code which dictates human behavior. Conversely, closer inspection reveals that the moral codes of individual societies are widely variable, which makes these universal virtues difficult to recognize or seemingly irrelevant. Although it is evident that there are values which are present within all cultures, this apparent universalityRead MoreUnited Nations Adoption of the Universal Declaration1437 Words   |  6 PagesThe Universal Declaration was adopted by the UN in 1948. Amongst other things, it guarantees free speech, assembly, religion, and the basic necessities of life, like food and housing; it says that everyone has the right to work, to equal and fair pay for equal work, and that all have the rig ht to be free from slavery, torture, and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. The basic premises are that a) people do not have to do or be anything in particular in order to enjoy human rights but thatRead MoreThe Universal Declaration Of Human Rights1728 Words   |  7 Pagestraditional values as the moral fiber which holds their societies together. Culture is a good thing, when allowed to progress, but can be dangerous if followed blindly. Culture can oppress minorities and those who don’t fit the traditional mold of a people. Culture can impede progress and leave women, minorities and other sub-sects of a society without the basic human rights that they deserve. Clinging too close to culture can be dangerous. The Foundations of a Universal Declaration The Universal DeclarationRead MoreHuman Rights And The International Context807 Words   |  4 Pagesthe limits of the term universal human rights Donnelly considers the several senses through which the universal, in human rights is better understood as consensus universality, rather than implied universality (2007, 281). Fundamentally such political constructs are difficult to define and even more difficult to apply in the international context. Critically Donnelly underscores that when properly understood, the term human rights leaves considerable space for cross-cultural relativity and nationalRead MoreA Critical Evaluation Of The Universal Nature Of Human Rights1329 Words   |  6 PagesA CRITICAL EVALUATION OF THE UNIVERSAL NATURE OF HUMAN RIGHTS INTRODUCTION Human Rights are the rights, that are considered to be inalienable, inseparable and vested upon individual by virtue of being human. For example, the Oxford English Dictionary defined the universal nature of Human Rights as ‘a right which is believed to belong to every person’. The aim of this essay is to critically evaluate the universal and relative nature of human rights postulated by the eminent scholars, who haveRead MoreThe Vs. The Purple Crayon And The Frog King Or Iron Heinrich1723 Words   |  7 Pagestheir value as charming escapes into realms of fantasy and wonder, are meant to teach children morals and demonstrate to them the traits they need to successfully function in society. These tales are sustained, generation after generation, in our collective consciousness as literary manifestations of our values. But to what extent is this consciousness collective? Are these morals consistent globally or do they vary from culture to culture?According to Bruno Bettelheim, morals are universal and fairy

No comments:

Post a Comment