...Common Themes in The Hunger Games and Hitler Youth Two of the summer reading books, The Hunger Games and Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler’s Shadows, share common themes. The themes of rebellion, resistance, morality, government censorship, and oppression will be explored in this essay. In The Hunger Games, rebellion and resistance were the most dominant themes. The way that the Districts rebelled against the Capitol is strikingly similar to some of the people who tried to resist Hitler’s reign as chancellor during World War II. This is a very important theme because rebellion is what caused the Capitol to create the Hunger Games. The Hunger Games were created as a punishment for the rebellion of the Districts against the Capitol. Without rebellion, there would have been no Games for the tributes to compete in. There were also several times in The Hunger Games when Katniss rebelled and tried to resist the Capitol’s control. Early in the book, Katniss went outside the government’s fence to hunt. When Katniss was showing off her skills to the sponsors, she rebelled against them when they didn’t pay any attention to her. She shot the apple in the pig’s mouth as an act of rebellion. Also, when Rue died, Katniss covered Rue’s body in flowers. She knew this would make the Capitol angry. Also, at the end of the Games, after Katniss learned that she and Peeta couldn’t both win, she threatened suicide by eating the berries. This act of defiance showed how Katniss didn’t...
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...Deontology vs. Utilitarianism The first person I will examine is Adolf Hitler. During his reign, he killed million of Jewish people, all in the name of German expansion. He did, what he believed, was the right thing for his people, despite the horrible methods he used. His belief was that by expanding a "pure" race, the world would be a better place to live and many of the problems that plague the world would cease to exist. By this logic, he chose a form of pleasure over the suffering of his "people". This pleasure was the expansion of this pure race and the destruction of those Hitler saw unfit. With the eradication of these "Undesirables", which included gays, Jews, Africans, and Gypsies, Hitler thought that Germany would become a...
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...murderer. But what if the man he killed, killed others? Or done worse crimes? Was he a rapist? Possibly, and if he is then was his actions justified? The saying does say if the result is good the action is justified but how good of a result does it have to be? If you rob a bank and give the money to the less fortunate is that justified? How about killing one to save the lives of many? Let’s use teleology and deontology to help us figure this out. First let’s define what deontology and teleology mean. The word deontology comes from the Greek roots deon, which means duty, and logos, which means science. Which means deontology is the "science of duty." Deontology focuses on independent moral rules or duties. In order to make the correct moral choices, we simply have to understand what our moral duties are and what correct rules help us regulate those duties. The word teleology comes from the Greek roots telos, which means end, and logos, which means science. Which means teleology is the "science of ends." Teleology focuses on the consequences which our actions might have. When we make choices which result in the correct consequences, then we are acting morally. When we make choices which result in the incorrect consequences, then we are acting immorally. Deontology dictates that if we fail to do our duty then we are acting immorally. For example if we were in WWII and need to find the Jews for Hitler and we lied to protect them, we would not be doing our duty and therefore we would...
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...The solution of keeping Palestinians under military occupation is analogous to Hitler restricting Jews through the Nazi Law that was carried out by the German military. If the Jewish people wish to resolve their issues with Palestine, it should not be carried out through continuing this same method that was used upon them during WWII. To prevent horrific moral and unethical issues like genocide from happening, the Israel military must not perform these Nazi-like, unlawful actions on the Palestinians. In philosophical terms, performing a wrong to achieve a right will not result in a true, morally right end. The Israel government must learn from their own history and grow from it, which can be done by removing this dehumanizing occupation. Fortunately, there are Jewish organizations that realize the moral dilemma behind this pro-occupation argument and are fighting for the freedom of the Palestinian...
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...20 July plot was the plan to assassinate Adolf Hitler inside his Wolf’s Lair in Rastenburg, East Prussia and Operation Valkyire was originally a plan to continue the government after an emergency but was changed so that the conspirators would be able to take control of Germany after the assignation of Hitler. The plan was instigated by Colonel Claus von Stauffenburg (Played by Tom Cruise) who was recruited by conspirators to come up with the plan. The film also has many themes and uses a few literary elements. This movie is a pretty realistic portrayal of the actual event and has a pretty good story. The film Valkyrie takes place during World War 2. The film covers the events of the July 20 plot. The main character of the story is Colonel Claus von Stauffenburg. The story follows him from the beginning of the story when he gets recruited to the cause. He then meets other committee members such as Dr. Goerdeler, and Witzleben. There Stauffenburg comes up with assignation plan. Their first attempt at the plan fails but they get another attempt ot try again. The second time they try the bomb is placed and the plan looked like it worked with the bomb exploding in the meeting room with Hitler. They then mobilize the Reserve Army and attempt to take over Berlin. However their blast did not kill Hitler and he was alive. Their plan then falls apart and most of them get arrested. In the end they all end up dying of execution or suicide. The main purpose of this film was to inform people...
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...In my opinion I believe that it does make sense to use utilitarian reasoning when deciding on how to fight a war. The utilitarian view is seen as being morally right if you can exert more happiness and pleasure than pain and unhappiness in that instance. Therefore when the U.S. Army had to decide whether it was morally right to attack the Nazi’s, they then evaluated how many people it would cause pain to and the amount of happiness it would also exert. By attacking the Nazi’s we were able to save many lives and stop Hitler the leader who planned to take over the entire world with his beliefs. The U.S. Army realized that risking only a few lives of their own would save many more lives than what would be taken away, making their attack morally...
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...objective moral truths, for example, it is always immoral to kill people. This philosophical belief system can best be summed up by a quote from Rachels and Rachels’ The Right Thing to Do; “Utility, or the Greatest Happiness Principle, holds that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness. By happiness is intended pleasure, and the absence of pain; by unhappiness, pain, and the privation of pleasure” (29). There are two main camps of utilitarians: act and rule utilitarians. Act utilitarians believe that an act is right if and only if it results in more good than any alternative, while rule utilitarians believe that an act is right if and only if it is required by a rule that generally leads to the greatest good. Either way, utilitarianism provides a single, objective, common-sense way to understand which actions are right and which are wrong. It also promotes flourishing and reduces suffering. The primary argument for utilitarianism is this: An action is right if and only if it maximizes the consequences of whatever is considered good over whatever is considered bad. The only good is happiness. So, an action is right if and only if it maximizes happiness. Premise one is the basic theory; a decision or action is deemed “right” if it brings happiness to the most people. In premise two, happiness is defined in the same way Rachels and Rachels defined it, and can come from many sources. For example...
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...burial, but also in Greek myth without having a proper burial one is eternally to wander the river Styx and their soul is never able to be at rest. In order to assure Polyneices’s soul is at rest, Antigone feels she must disobey Creon’s order even though it will most probably lead to her death. However, in Swing Kids Peter is confronted with a fairly different situation. Set in early Nazi Germany, Peter originally resists the Nazi regime and doesn’t wish to join the Hitler youth organization. Throughout the film he joins the Hitler youth organization to assure the safety of his family and himself. Through time he watches his family and friends support and join the Nazi regime and has the internal conflict of whether or not to conform in support of the murderous dictatorship. Although the plots of the Greek tragedy Antigone and the film Swing Kids have many differences, there are also many important parallels between the two. Antigone and Peter face many common issues in their endeavours for what they think is right. In giving her brother a proper burial, Antigone is disobeying the power hungry king Creon. Creon is a self involved king that works more to maintian his pride and respect rather than protecting a serving his citizens. Antigone knows it’s dangerous to go against Creon and in doing so will more likley result in her execution. Peter faces similar dangers. Peter reconizes the murderous and monsterous nature of the rising Nazi regime. Throughout the film it grows more and...
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...13-Antonakis.qxd 11/26/03 5:38 PM Page 302 CHAPTER 13 Ethics and Leadership Effectiveness Joanne B. Ciulla T he moral triumphs and failures of leaders carry a greater weight and volume than those of nonleaders (Ciulla, 2003b). In leadership we see morality magnified, and that is why the study of ethics is fundamental to our understanding of leadership. The study of ethics is about human relationships. It is about what we should do and what we should be like as human beings, as members of a group or society, and in the different roles that we play in life. It is about right and wrong and good and evil. Leadership is a particular type of human relationship. Some hallmarks of this relationship are power and/or influence, vision, obligation, and responsibility. By understanding the ethics of this relationship, we gain a better understanding of leadership, because some of the central issues in ethics are also the central issues of leadership. They include the personal challenges of authenticity, self-interest, and self-discipline, and moral obligations related to justice, duty, competence, and the greatest good. Some of the most perceptive work on leadership and ethics comes from old texts and is out there waiting to be rediscovered and reapplied. History is filled with wisdom and case studies on the morality of leaders and leadership. Ancient scholars from the East and West offer insights that enable us to understand leadership and Author’s Note:...
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...13-Antonakis.qxd 11/26/03 5:38 PM Page 302 CHAPTER 13 Ethics and Leadership Effectiveness Joanne B. Ciulla T he moral triumphs and failures of leaders carry a greater weight and volume than those of nonleaders (Ciulla, 2003b). In leadership we see morality magnified, and that is why the study of ethics is fundamental to our understanding of leadership. The study of ethics is about human relationships. It is about what we should do and what we should be like as human beings, as members of a group or society, and in the different roles that we play in life. It is about right and wrong and good and evil. Leadership is a particular type of human relationship. Some hallmarks of this relationship are power and/or influence, vision, obligation, and responsibility. By understanding the ethics of this relationship, we gain a better understanding of leadership, because some of the central issues in ethics are also the central issues of leadership. They include the personal challenges of authenticity, self-interest, and self-discipline, and moral obligations related to justice, duty, competence, and the greatest good. Some of the most perceptive work on leadership and ethics comes from old texts and is out there waiting to be rediscovered and reapplied. History is filled with wisdom and case studies on the morality of leaders and leadership. Ancient scholars from the East and West offer insights that enable us to understand leadership and Author’s Note:...
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...example of American arrogance or at very least shows a clear short sighted mentality. After doing research I found that 30 states at the time of the Buck v. Bell case had passed legislation in favor of sterilization. It was not as if Virginia was on the fringe of the country on this topic, it was rather widely held that sterilization in an effort to prevent “feeble minded” persons from having children was a positive idea with merit. It was an idea that many people in the country saw as a useful way to handle these people and the idea of their procreating. Many influential people during the time even saw the procedure as a positive, such as Helen Keller. I think the Helen Keller example truly shows how much the entire country latched onto the idea of wiping out mental illness but taking away reproductive rights. When a woman who went through all the hardships that Keller did can come out and agree with legislation such as this it is clearly a popular and widely held idea. This thought process toward the so-called feeble minded during that time period interests me greatly. During Hitler’s reign many Americans saw many, if not all, of his actions to be morally reprehensible. Yet it was this same idea used in the Buck v. Bell case that was used by Hitler. The Nazi party would even directly give credit to acquiring the idea from the state of Virginia. While the Nazis would take it a step farther and sterilize people based on other factors than mentally ill, the principle...
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...The Greek origin of holocaust is “sacrifice by fire.” It is no surprise that this is how the Germans killed the Jews. Germans believed they were racially superior to the Jews, so it seemed fit to kill off the “aliens.” Over eleven, including six million Jews were killed during this time of chaos and confusion. During the time of the Holocaust the Germans also targeted Roma Gypsies, the disabled, and some of the Slavic peoples . Hitler, the German leader wasn’t messing around, others were persecuted on political, ideological, and behavioral grounds, including Communists, Socialists, Jehovah's Wittness, and homosexuals. First, the Holocaust is significant because it is an example how extreme racism can get, and what we can do to prevent something...
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...At first I was not fond of Night I usually like a book that has some kind of mystery or romance involved. With Night I already had an idea of how the book will end and I would not understand any way to pull a romantic notion from it. This book would definitely not be a first choice of mine. Even though I did enjoy reading it and believe that the events should never be forgotten, it is important for our societies to remember the victims along with the dwindling number of survivors. I was very impressed with the wording used; the word choice was very strong. It is amazing that his wife was able to translate and use words with so much power and strength. I had the same feelings and questions after reading Night as I have had after reading Ann Frank’s diary or watching Schindler’s list. How could this happen? What would drive any one to these thoughts or actions and believe it is right, good, or even acceptable. I wonder how Adolf Hitler would have felt if Jews had decided to eradicate Austrian/ Germans? What would he have done, would he have died or survived? I googled Adolf Hitler and there are several websites saying his father was ½ Jewish. There is even a video on UTube about Hitler being part Jewish. With a name like Adolf, some of his facial characteristics, and hair as dark as his why, would he want to annihilate a mass of people who are similar to him? I am not sure if Hitler truly was part Jewish, but if he was, did he know? How would he react if he was alive, the allegations...
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...Arts/Humanities The Power of Language In “A Handmaids Tale” by Margaret Atwood we see the establishment of a new world. This new world has taken over what was previously known as The United States of America. We see a world where women are oppressed, restricted in their rights, and where government has total control over it’s people. These acts of oppression and restriction of rights by the government stand alongside another period in time (though this one not being a work of fiction) which is that of Nazi Germany. In “A Handmaids Tale” within the new society of Gilead we see the use of language being used as a tool of power. The government constructed these new sets of words in order to hide the bitter realities of what they were doing, as well as to serve societies elite. They invented a new set of laws and language that would be used to persuade the public that their new “empire” would be better and improved than the last. Women do not have a true identity in Gilead, as they are simply defined as a “Wife”, “Handmaid”, or “Martha”. A wife is simply a married woman, while a handmaid is the woman who is hired to carry the wife and her husbands baby due to infertility rates. A Martha is a woman whose ovaries are deemed unusefull and acts as a cook or servant in the house of a commander. After the United States government was overthrown, a chemical spill took place that extremely lowered fertility rates. “Handmaids” are kept under control over the “Martha’s” until they are assigned...
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...therefore all ethical statements can be meaningful because they can be proved whether they are true or false. Non Cognitivism on the other hand involves the belief that there can be no ethical knowledge because ethical language and statements give no factual information and therefore they are not as meaningful as they are not subject to the true or false test and this approach suggests that they are just expressions of emotion and prescriptive recommendations. The naturalistic fallacy is a form of ethical non-naturalism and it was devised by G.E Moore and Moore believed that the term “good” is a simple term like “that’s yellow” and it couldn’t be defined and he also believed that we couldn’t prove moral statements through the use of evidence, Moore also believed that the only way of knowing if something is good or not is through intuition and this makes Moore into an ethical intuitionist and this is in fact described as intuitionism. Intuitionism was also then developed by H.A. Pritchard and his intuitionism states that obligations are as indefinable as good and intuition decides what you should do in a situation and he also believes that some people’s intuition is...
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