Write 5 page essay on the topic The Wise, the Tried, and the Victimized.Download file to see previous pages... Society is a structure, with rules and organization that make it possible for large numbe

Write 5 page essay on the topic The Wise, the Tried, and the Victimized.

Society is a structure, with rules and organization that make it possible for large numbers of people to function and progress together. The foundation of any societal structure is culture, which contains all the ideals, beliefs, faiths, and traditions of the people within a functioning society. Although society and culture are not the same construct they are inevitably intertwined. Together they become fused and the people living within them are held by the restrictions and requirements that are expected of them. People evolve, cultures evolve. when they do traditions and ideals may change, but, often, society is less open to the changes that its individual citizens may be. When an individual’s ideas of what is best for themselves, families, or society begin to differ from what society holds as the only right and just things to do within that society they may find a conundrum awaiting them. These differences may put place them in some very extreme moral and ethical dilemmas. When one finds themselves in position to express our varying individuality we become at odds with ourselves, our loved ones, or society as a whole. Culture and therefore society “…is a powerful human tool for survival, but it is a fragile phenomenon.” (O'Neil) Sometimes society is fearful of change because it may destabilize the structure that exists. That is the situation that is found in the four historical stories of Socrates, Master Chuang, Augustine, and Job. Each, for one reason or another, found himself in opposition to the understood traditions and accepted truths prevalent in their times. Although they all differ in time and place they are all linked in their common dilemmas. Today we, often, take for granted our liberties to freely think and contemplate and express our philosophical ideals, debate religious traditions, and oppose popular political views. However, throughout history those rights we perceive as innate now were, hardly, considered to be so in the past. Augustine and Master Chuang have a great deal in common. Both men offered variations on an already accepted belief system that was paramount in their societies. Both men, also, relied heavily upon their own self reflection of their inner selves and their perceptions of reality as a basis for this change. Now this may seem quite personal and innocuous, indeed it proved quite differently. In order to understand how each became to be in opposition to their societies it is helpful to understand the societies they were living in. In the year 313 AD, or as modern experts term it 313 CE, Emperor Constantine decreed a law of tolerance for the Christians living within Roman borders.(Gill) This act set Rome on a path that would, ultimately, result in a power shift in the empire to one where Christianity became the controlling power in the land. Augustine had been a practicing member of an early Christian denomination called Manicheanism. However, after ten years within the faith he found himself at a spiritual crossroads and began asking questions and thinking outside the box he had been presented. That said, he eventually became a cloistered monk and began on what was a soul searching endeavor. In order to reconcile the ideals of good and evil and God he embraced a belief in free will. The idea that our individual intentions and actions make us responsible for one’s own sins.