Reference no: EM133427433
Case: Oscar Wilde once said that through disobedience and rebellion, "progress has been made."He also claimed that disobedience should ultimately be considered man's "original virtue." To a large extent, Wilde's observations have been supported by several historical and contemporary events throughout the world. On the other hand, some forms of disobedience do not result in social progress or justice. For example, disobedience for the sake of greed and self-interest should not be considered a virtue, as it leads to heartache and death with no positive outcomes. However,disobedience for various noble reasons - such as ending governmental corruption or enacting equal rights, is virtuous and is necessary for the progress of humanity.
One of the most overwhelming and heartbreaking historical eras to ever take place in historywas The Holocaust. Hitler, lead by his selfish and power-hungry "disobedience" against humanrights and governmental responsibility, committed genocide against millions of people. Hitler's"rebellion" against the world that had previously chastised his country did not result in any "social progress" or virtuous justice for humanity. Instead, his disobedience and blatant disregard for life and liberty allowed him to commit brutal crimes against humanity that resulted in worldwide political and emotional havoc. Hitler's rebellion is a prime example of disobedience's dark side -violence, destruction, and death, with no virtuous concession in sight, no beacon of "social justice" or "political cleansing" to light the dark tunnel of destruction left behind.
However, one might argue that the world's lack of disobedience against Hitler's actions
allowed his rebellious plans to destroy so many lives unfold in the first place. After all, the rest of the world "didn't want to get involved" and waited way too long to intervene - to stand up and disobey his diabolical demands despite the war it would cause. In the end, Hitler's reign of corruption was only demised when The Ally countries decided to rebel against his reign. Certainly WWII resulted in millions of deaths, but the beacon of light - social and political reform - existed at the end. European countries were able to rebuild and the disenfranchised races that Hitler tried to destroy were integrated back into society. As shown here, disobedience for the sake of ending greed and corruption can be seen throughout history and is especially necessary when all other forms of reform have failed.
A similar example of noble and necessary disobedience took place during the Revolutionary War. British citizens tried to flee British rule by sailing across an ocean. When Britain still wanted to control the colonies, they attempted to compromise and demand political reform, but to no avail. In the end, the only way to escape Britain's tyrannical rule was to rebel against the country and its parliament. When the colonies won, not only did they win their independence from British rule, but they were also able to establish an entirely new religious and social order - one based on freedom of speech and religion. Imagine the consequences if the colonies had not disobeyed British policy. America would still be under British rule and its innovative social and democratic policies outlined in the Declaration of Independence that have so impacted the world would never have been created - so much progress would have been lost.
In addition to combating greed and corruption, fighting for social equality is another type of necessary and purposeful disobedience when it is conducted without unnecessary violence. Martin Luther King Jr. spent the majority of his life speaking out against the injustices brought against African Americans. His quiet, yet persistent rebellion landed him in Birmingham Jail, where, from behind bars, he wrote one of the most influential letters of the Civil Rights movement. In this letter, he rebelled against many of the conventional forms of thought that pervaded his jailors - the white clergymen of the area. King's actions, which ultimately led to his assassination, also led to African Americans gaining their freedom, their right to vote, and their ultimate integration into society. Presently, America is hosting its first African American president, the ultimate proof of just how far the nation has socially and politically progressed.
Ultimately, all human traits have the capacity to be either virtuous or malicious. The trait itself is a mere conceptual idea that, without man's influence, holds no true value or weight. After all, man manages to use even admirable traits like love and passion for their own ill-gotten gains. The same holds true for disobedience - it can either be used to destroy or create, manipulate or inspire, indoctrinate or empower. As humans, it is our due responsibility to decide which ways we want to use disobedience. To help with this important decision, it is imperative to remember that we Americans live with our freedom and prosperity because of others' noble disobedience and rebellion against tyranny and oppression. If we do not defend our rights and our freedom by choosing virtuous types of "disobedience," then we are allowing their sacrifices and their deaths to be overshadowed by our own inability to embrace disobedience in the proper way, which Wilde labeled a "virtue" precisely because it takes both courage to go against the vast tide of political oppression that still plagues our country and the control to remain selfless and rational in our endeavors.
How does the author incorporate ethos, logos, and pathos into their argument?