The Existence of Good and Evil: Impacting Society Positively - Essay Sample

Introduction

In every society, livelihood is determined by different items according to the norms, the believes, and the culture. One common thing is that, for every action that is done, the aim is to act in a way that people will be impacted positively. The fact informs this of the existence of good and evil. The strive of every individual and the society at large is to do good and do away with crime, as much as possible. This way, people will be able to live in peace and harmony. The majority of the communities, therefore, have set standards that will guide the society towards achieving excellence for the betterment of the organization. This explains the reason for the existence of virtue.

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Virtue is the quality of being or doing something morally right. It forms the basis of the foundation of principles that guide people to become good moral beings. It Brings about an individual's characteristics, which is valued at the promotion of collective and individual greatness. These virtues, however, have been defined to take a different curse in which it is specific to gender. This is mythical; however, since; there is no proof that virtue is leaned towards one gender or that there are sects of goodness that are expected to be associated with a particular gender. An example is how people take compassion and sensitivity to be a women's thing. This paper aims to discuss the unisex of virtue.

According to Evelyn, it is the work of everyone to regard the feeling of the other person who is going to preserve the harmony within the group (Hamilton, pp431). This means that gender is not considered here since everyone if working as a group. This is suggestive that gender is unisex and, therefore, is not incline to a particular person. The male is more masculine and associated with rough behaviors which are contrary to women who are often docile with little defense. This, however, does not mean that there are virtues that are for men of women.

The goal of every good activity is the promote the welfare of every member of the group. This would require that everybody contributes to the group, and this activity excludes most of the lines between gender and virtue. This is because morality is in the heart and can be developed. An example is the use of politeness in which, during the early 19th century., was used by politicians to win the trust and attraction of other people. It was utilized by the majority of the people to escalate to higher levels of wealth. This applied to both genders. It just serves to explain how virtue is unisex. Compassion cannot be associated with a particular gender since it is the state of heart and mind that can be formatted through teachings and practice by the individuals.

The standards of behavior by women and men do not vary. What may vary may be the responsibilities which do not, in any way, define or dictate value. This is because work requires force, which is changed due to the strength level difference in women and men. Therefore, the hard activities would be left to men while women would be given the lighter events in the society - all thee have nothing to do with virtue.

Hamilton introduces sensibility as the ability to get into the feelings and emotions of others. This way, one can understand what the other person is going through. It is what, in most cases, brings about sympathy. When one follows the fate of different people from a personal point of view, it would be easier to relate to their situation and, therefore, comforts with them. Taking the example of kin, when a family member is going through something, it would be so easy for the family members to understand the individual that would make any other person. This sensitivity can be extended to other people. It brings the hearts of individuals closer and the quality that is placed in the life of one another.

Sensitivity, therefore, serves to build virtue in that, the people who embrace it, live in a more conscious and concerned environment. Pity and empathy are also cultivated, and therefore, people re able to the acre for one another. This sensitivity springs from sense according to the background that the person has grown in. It builds on self-discipline, which will call the person to action without having to be told to act on a particular thing.

Locke, in his theory, introduces rationality, which he claims is above feelings that Chesterfield argues. He gives an education system, which is termed as good breeding. Everything originates from the mind and, therefore, how the thoughts of a human being controlled will guide their action. This is to be considered since feelings can compromise dangerous situations. Acting out of reason can be cultivated by changing the thing lane of an individual. The social characteristics of the place that the individual lives in shape the person's way of approaching things. Therefore, virtue will be under the dictation of the nature of society and how it shapes the reasoning of the people. This is not aligned to gender whatsoever and, therefore, defending the unisex of virtue.

An example of how society shapes the mindset of people is one of the comments of Mrs. Selwyn, in the writings of Evelina. Mrs. Selwyn comments that Lord Orville was born, having been designed for that age. This is because Lord Orville was extremely polite, and he even regarded people of low class to be equals and treated all with fairness. This was the era in which politeness was being alleviated in the society, and most of the people took it to be of high standards, being associated with elites. This has its core; therefore, it is also proving that virtue is nod-gender based. The reason is that Orville introduces a justice system that levelized people to be equal in terms of social classes and even in gender. Therefore, there is an opportunity for everyone to do good as they deem. This is most significantly complemented by Locke's claims that if the mind had a conversation with any part of behavior, it would be constrained, uneasy, and ungraceful (Hamilton, pp425). Therefore, the human mind plays a vital role in choosing what is right and what is wrong.

The standards of behaviors by both men and women vary according to society and also according to the individual. The behavior of one is what will define their virtue, according to the actions. There may be rules that govern a particular behavior and would be followed by those who are favored by it. An example is the rules and regulations given by the London society, which governed how ladies were to behave, similarly to men. For instance, it was disrespect and disgrace for a woman to dance in public with a stranger. This might not be an absolute truth, but the Britons believed so since it was the rules that guided the people, especially those of high class. During this time, birth and fortune were requisite for gaining respect and civility (Burney, 326). However, Evelina, through her marriage to Lord Orville, proves that this was not the case.

Sometimes, people may be discriminated against due to their parentage. This is because people during the time believed that one's background could determine the behavior of a person. In Evelina, Lord Orville is first critiqued for wanting to marry a woman whose background is not known. H is hesitant at first because of this issue but later overcomes it. Has Hamilton would explain it, the behavior has nothing to do with families, but rather it is the state of mind. The birth of Evelina is seen to be obscure, but her beauty seems to be what saves her (Burney, 347). In response to this, Lord Orville sees more than just her beauty, but rather a mind that he believes can adorn any station, however exalted (Burney, 362). The acceptance of Lord Orville to her also is a clear indication that virtue is unisex, and does not align to one gender only.

Behavior can also be governed by one's instincts despite what society holds of a particular action. This means that something may not be accepted by society, but if they serve to do the right thing, then one can go on and perform it. Evelina writes a letter of apology to Lord Orville for using her carriage with her lower-class relations for business. Evelina breaks the rules and decides to follow her instincts, after feeling that she had gravely wronged Lord Orville (Burney, 249). In response, Orville thanks her for the apology and the step she has taken, which further takes her in shock. This was a city filled with propriety, with men being held in high standards, but Orville could not condemn Evelina, but rather thank her. Therefore, instincts can surpass rules and regulations concerning the conduct and behavior of an individual, as given by the social conduct rules.

Standards of behavior for men and women differ in accordance with the position that one holds in society. The mode of conduct and morality for both men and women would be different for both men and women, given their responsibilities. Events surrounding something can also dictate the behavior of an individual. Given the case of Evelina, her farther Rev. Villars quickly sends her to London, on learning that she was her daughter. This was not a good gesture as he didn't want to be associated with her because her mother eloped. Such children, during that time, were taken to be low and not wanted and, therefore, a shame. This explains the reason for Rev. Villa sending her away. The fact is, Rev. Villa did not want shame, and therefore the desire for good public image influences his actions, which reflects his virtue.

Another experience that Evelina shows that virtue is unisex is when she describes how, in her school, she would dance with several men and didn't bring a case of impropriety as it is in London (Burney, 36). Evelina's earlier suitor before meeting Lord Orville is perplexed that she soon heeds to Orville's request for her dance. She interprets her laughter for the disparity that exists between his rank and that of Lord Orville, to be a matter of social class (Burney, 33). The earlier suitor takes it heavily that she did this since it was against the social customs of London society. The majority would leave her soon, but Orville would still insist on her. Had there not been the societal norms, would these suitors still stick to her? Orville shows Evelina courtesy like tuning the discourse amusement and occupation of the London society (Burney, 32). This was because Evelina did not regard the social norms but rather chose to go by her instincts. Lord Orville demonstrates how the social class would not dictate his behavior by breaking these.

The social ranks can also influence the perception of people on an individual. This sets standards and expectations that the person is to achieve as per the thoughts of people. This is generally seen in the entire book, especially the critics surrounding the marriage of Lord Orville and Evelina. However, a clear indication is seen during the watching of the operas. Evelina dresses in manna that makes her feel odd from her company. She s drowned into the songs and the displays of the opera but notices that everyone was looking at her (Burney, 89). She would wish to have enjoyed the opera, but the condemning faces of the people make her uneasy. This is solely because of how elegant she had dressed, trying to fit into the fashion of society. Therefore, she presents am an image that invites critic from the public based on how they perceived her from her previous manners and nature.

Conclusion

In conclusion, virtue is unisex, and the conduct of behavior for both men and women is dependent on society. However, people can surpass this and introduce their ways of approach things, depending on what suits them. Hamilton presents the idea of the mind, being the one that controls behavior, based on logic. This idea complements the action f Evelina and Lord Orville, who, despite the rules and regulations...