Morality in Politics Essay

People atomic number 18 forced to human introduce object lesson challenges in making everyday decisions. When it comes to benefitting individual and societal reli equal to(p), the great inquiry of politics is raised what is the ripe(p) involvement to do? In Sophocles Antig ane, there is a dilemma whether to put up by the justnesss of the gods taller up the honors of the nation. Antigone conducts a decision that not simply affects her future save the future of the tell apart under her uncles rule. Antigone gains a high moral sense in that she followed the adepts of the gods and and then did the morally right choice press release against order justnesss, either case brook be deemed as morally correct.In this essay it will be argued that citizens should be free to disobey secern impartialitys when scruples dictates. Sophocles play enacts the moral conflict of powerfulness between the laws of the gods and the laws of state. He presents the reader with a dilem ma involving ghostlike rituals passed d testify in the family and a refreshful law passed by a ruler of the state. Antigone and her uncle, Creon, clear a different set of value. Creon, the ruler of Thebes, set the constant order of the state and the unexclusive obedient.Antigone values family and religion, and views these commitments as superior to the laws compel by her uncle. She claims, there is an unchangeable unwritten code of Heaven, (Sophocles, Antigone, 17) and she decides to act against the laws of her uncle to fulfill the laws of the gods, by giving her brother a see to it burial ritual against Creons will. Antigone considers her uncles laws as sacrilege. Creon supposition that his decision would append stability to his state, as he claimed that by corruption few men blow up and numerous come to mischief, (Sophocles, Antigone, 12).Creon places the polis above family and ghostly values and disregards the values that Antigone holds sacred. Sophocles positions Antigone as universe the heroine of the play and allows her to justify her decisions, with the taking of her own life Antigone made a asseveration and accentuates the power she held and that Creon lacked. In the end, Creon is left with discoverings of herb of grace and no family, thus punished by the gods for not abiding by their laws. Antigone believed that her rights were not given to her by Creon entirely if kind of given to her by the gods.She was only doing what she thought was morally right. Antigone is a religious cosmos and clearly values the gods higher than the state she is willing to face the consequences. Antigone was willing to meet with nothing more than grievous, at the worst, than death, with honour, (Sophocles, Antigone, 4) she fortitudeously fulfilled her duties as a religious being. Many the great unwashed would applaud Antigones brookry, for any private enkindle should be allowed to challenge the public serious. In doing so, I believe that those pri vate interests could eventually cristal into a public interest.In the play, a prophet visits Creon to warn him of the consequences that take away been brought round from his foul laws. If it had not hurt been for Antigone publicly objecting to Creons law, it would probably not grow been such a big put under that brought the concern of others. Antigone allowed for others to uncertainty Creons law and debate if it is morally right to go against the laws of the gods. Publicly refusing to follow a law brings fear to an issue that otherwise would have been ignored. champion great example in our society is during the urbane Rights era Martin Luther index juniors actions brought great attention to the issue of racial segregation. He believed that it was right to pioneerly break a law that was not supposed to be a law at all. His actions although non-violent broke many laws that were made to impede success among the African American population in the U. S. He believed that by publicly and consciously shift the law exposes brutality and promotes participation. In doing so, the people against the law were perceived as being brave and those watching were forced to question what was just.When issues become public and catch the interest of the majority of the people in the polis, the governmental science is forced to do more or lessthing about it. Creon responded with a stern and much too approximative punishment that led to the death of his niece, intelligence and wife but if Antigone would not have contested his law he could have eventually reached complete domination of political power. The general population supported Antigone but they were too afraid to say anything until they last felt that something must be done. Creon was runnel a totalitarian government and was modify the state.He was unable to see how partial his law was until others brought it to his attention and tried to prevail on _or_ upon him that his use of power was wrong. Antigone s defying actions instilled courage in the people to withal babble out against their ruler. It might be objected that when someone disobeys state laws whenever their moral sense dictates they argon only service themselves, the person breaking the law is not thinking about the common good but rather fulfilling their own good or promoting confusion. Civil disobedience whitethorn seem reasonable when we consider Martin Luther great power Jr. s situation but it may not evermore be driven with good intentions.By disobeying, disregardless of good or bad intentions, they atomic number 18 hurting the stability of the state. Creon argues, Obedience is callable to the state officer in elflike and great, just and unjust commandments (Sophocles, Antigone, 26). Creon did not hurting to judge his laws as just or unjust, he simply did what he considered was good for the state. It is thought that if people continue to enliven themselves in breaking the laws of the state that they will eventually break every law and lose all respect for the state. Civil disobedience may not always serve the public good and only serve to undermine order.Breaking a law weakens the state and its order, it promotes anarchy and disrespects authority. It should not be encouraged or tolerated. It is a civic virtue to abide by the laws of the state it is what leads to its success and stability. By breaking the law Antigone was face with death, she claimed that she was honor the gods and that they would honor her in the end. But one must question if honor is price the permanence of death. Many people feel so strongly about their opinions that they are wiling to die just as Antigone did in Sophocles play.One notable person in history is Socrates he willingly faced all punishments administered to him. He claimed to have had a contract with his state of Athens that obligate him to accept punishments for taking advantage of the state in the first place. This shows that even though Socrates may have broken some law, he still held respect for the state. non every person that breaks a law is completely recalcitrant. Like Socrates, those who fight for complaisant rights and follow what they believe to be morally correct are aware of their wrongdoings and make it a statement when they finally hold to the law.They are submitting to punishments even if they are deemed unjust only to prove to the state that their ethical motive are important and can give any punishment. In facing moral challenges one is often forced to face it is always difficult to decipher what is right and what is wrong. Everyone has different values and obligations. Here, Antigones values outweighed Creons overwhelmingly unjust laws. One must always question what is more important and find a residuum between the two. Civil disobedience is allowed when the conscience dictates in situations that lead to a great good.Not all private interests are egocentric some may also reflect the interest of the gen eral population. Antigone, although raspingly punished just as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Socrates were as well, have all arise among the common people and proved to be great. They encompassed a passion and bravery for their beliefs that was able to attract attention to conflicts in the law. Without their brave actions the state would not have been open to change and reach a new level of stability.