“The nature of good”;
It can be difficult to give a definition for the word ‘good’ especially in the context of an individual’s behavior. Through the analysis of three readings entitled “Allegory of the Cave” by Plato, “Civil Disobedience” by Thoreau, and “A Letter from Birmingham Jail” by King, the reader can conclude that the main idea of the nature of good revolves around personal morals and open-mindedness rather than civil law or majority rule in the face of justice.
In “Allegory of the Cave” by Plato, the nature of good is represented through the deprivation of light the prisoners of the cave experience. In this imaginary representation, the individuals are not so much prisoners of the actual cave as they are of their own ignorance. The prisoners are surrounded by darkness and faint light, depicting shadows into reality. If light is the representation of truth, then the darkness engulfing the cave represents the lies the prisoners ignorantly believe. Because the darkness is all that they have known, they incomprehensively refuse to believe there is anything more beyond their field of physical vision. Plato argues that time is the ultimate truth because there are some truths that appear immediately while other truths slowly unravel as time passes on. Time requires patience and an individual with a good nature. However the prisoners take the light for granted, as do everyone else in the world, because it is so easy to bypass the privilege of light. These are the people who are prisoners to their own ignorance. Only when one experiences a solar eclipse or temporary blindness then they begin to appreciate light.
Thoreau’s main message in “Civil Disobedience” is that human law over civil law demands obedience. Human law and government are subordinate and antagonists to each other. Thoreau proposes that in an instance when each odd is against one another, an individual must choose their own moral path instead of the government path if necessary. Thoreau explains that people are not put in this world to make it a better place to live in, rather than to simply live it. He then describes that it is not man’s duty to devote himself to the moral wrong. It is man’s duty to avoid the moral wrong. For instance, if the government tells you to either kill your family members or be sent to jail, it is your duty to obey your conscience. Furthermore, Thoreau explains that the majority is not always correct either and thus, do not accurately determine justice. Although government has a place in human existence, man must eventually follow his own moral decisions and disregard human law.
In “A Letter from Birmingham Jail”, King is restrained in solitary confinement and having to watch the wrong of the world around him. In doing so, he wrote a letter to the Birmingham clergymen aiming to make his point loud and clear rather than attacking them. In the letter King wrote “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” which amplifies many of the controversial claims later in his letter. King explains that breaking unjust laws is the only true justice one can experience. Furthermore, King praises the clergymen for their powerful stance and tension, explaining how tension gives rise to change while proceeding without tension leaves individuals prejudice and racist. King appeals to the clergymen’s emotion and logic by explaining they are hypocrites because they fight for proslavery but throw those in jail who fight back. He then implies “would you really want to support a law that distorts the soul?” King also presents the clergymen with an example of Nazi-type slavery and explains to the clergymen that that is was action which drove individuals to fight for justice, implying that those in Birmingham jail were only doing the same- fighting for justice. In conclusion, King points out that the powerful are those who protect the nation and the will of god, He describes that law and morality are not independent concepts, therefore those who do not join in King’s march for justice are the ones who support injustice.
In short, Plato believes the nature of good is represented through wisdom and patience. Those who lack patience for time and ignorantly believe in lies are the ones who represent the vices of the world. Thoreau believes that the nature of good depends not on the obedience of higher authority, but the obedience of man’s own moral compass. King’s view on the nature of good is similar to Thoreau’s in which true justice is based on morality instead of civil law and those who fight against the government are only doing what the government has done to them throughout human existence.
Conclusively, the nature of good is best defined according to an individual’s conscience and moral compass. Justice is not based on government nor majority rule. It is up to the individual to decide right from wrong. However in making these decisions, the individual must be open-minded, appreciative, and assess each quality of life. Experience and time awards an individual with wisdom. This wisdom furthermore represents the individual’s morality and inner nature of good versus evil.