Apathy And Its Impact On Society - 850 Words

Chap. 1. What is apathy? Before inspecting the root causes and solutions to the problem of apathy, a uniform definition of apathy must be obtained to be used throughout this thesis. In the Oxford English Dictionary, the word apathy is defined as: lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern. The usage of the word apathy can be traced back to 17th century France, and then still further back to the ancient greek word apathÄ“s, which meant without feeling. As the dictionary makes clear, the concept of apathy has many meanings, but the common link may be summarised as a lack of interest in a certain subject. Although the subject could vary from gardening to engineering, this dissertation thesis will focus on apathy in relation to politics. Having defined apathy, the crucial question is to decide whether apathy has either a positive or negative impact on society. The answer depends, in part at least, on one’s view of human nature. In ancient Athens, Aristotle declared that ‘ man is a political animal’, meaning by this that a full human existence demanded active participation in the public life of the agora. Apathy in this respect would mean being condemned to a subhuman existence. For Christian thinkers of the Medieval Age, by contrast, the highest good is outside politics, being the purely personal quest for religious salvation. From this standpoint, political apathy might well be a desirable thing, since politics is merely a distraction from religion. In the earlyShow MoreRelatedThe Hunger Games By Suzanne Collins1419 Words   |  6 Pagescitizens of the divided dystopia of Panem. This essay will analyze the origins and influence of apathy on a people and an individual, in both a political and personal sense. Collins’ main argument, that citizens’ facing governmental oppression can either become compliant with apathy, or, instead, utilize apathy in creating a false appearance to increase their chances of survival in a sadistic so ciety, is conveyed with contextual motivation for the protagonist’s actions, exploration into false appearancesRead MoreThe Perils Of Indifference By Elie Wiesel939 Words   |  4 Pagespast century, which he claimed were products of indifference, as he attempts to explain why humanity displays apathy to such tragedies. After growing up as a young Jewish during the Holocaust, Wiesel has seen his share of inhumanity from Schutzstaffel, or SS Soldiers. Elie Wiesel’s reasoning behind delivering such an emotionally charged speech is to make his audience aware of the apathy occurring globally. Throughout his speech to Congress, Wiesel uses the persuasive elements ethos, pathos and logosRead MoreProblems Facing Children at School: Apathy 1811 Words   |  7 Pagesapproach to schoolwork and the education system. Children seem not to worry as much about school, but rather about their social lives, or their lives outside of school and how they are accepted by others. Apathy is becoming one of the biggest problems facing children today. One such case of apathy happened to a physical education teacher, Andy Wilson. One class he noticed after he gave instructions on what the kids were to do there was a child who was still sitting around. He told him he had to participateRead MoreThe Effects Of Technology On The Adolescent Brain Essay944 Words   |  4 Pagesdestructive impact on student’s personal lives, but it also affects them academically as well. When students are empathetic towards one another it creates a learning environment in which students feel safe to share their thoughts, make mistakes, and ask for help. Currently, technology is causing a decrease in empathy while apathy is on the rise. As educators we need to use technology as a positive tool to increase empathy and decrease apathy, thus producing productive and caring members of society. EvidenceRead MoreWhy Don’t We Complain? by William F. Buckley Jr.977 Words   |  4 PagesComplaining In William F. Buckley Jr.’s â€Å"Why Don’t We Complain?† he discusses the apathy that saturates modern society and the weakening effect it has on the collective determination to fairness. Drawing from personal experience, Buckley observes how Americans would rather tolerate the negligent inconveniences of the service industry, than express even the most tactful grievance. He claims this is largely due to the growing apathy toward political and social issues. With the presence of a steadily overbearingRead Moresociety can be seen as a malevolent force, bringing about the dehumanisation of the individual1511 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿Ã¢â‚¬ËœSociety can be seen as a malevolent force, bringing about the dehumanisation of the individual’ To what extent is this idea shown in ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ and ‘We’ by comparing the writers presentation of the pressures society brings to bear on the individual. â€Å"A rat in a maze is free to go anywhere, as long as it stays inside the maze.†Ã‚   Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale To understandRead MoreThe Portrayal of Industrialization in London by William Blake526 Words   |  3 Pagesand language to further describe a forbidding sense of apathy that has taken with it the human like qualities of the inhabitants. In this city of desecration it is the â€Å"hapless Soldiers sigh† that †Runs in blood down Palace walls.† A soldier whose function to obey orders without thought echoes that of a machine. It is his apathy in the face of perceived predetermined failure ,and disregard for authority however that is characteristic of a society concerned only with the amassment of wealth is the mostRead MoreCommunity Engagement Reflection853 Words   |  4 Pagesthat Dobson’s thinking is naive in light of the forces of apathy that Meslin presents in his TED Talk. Meslin talks about the idea of community engagement in more simplistic terms and brings real life examples to light and talks about all the reasons why communities are often disengag ed. Both Dobson and Meslin’s ideas support and or compliment each other as they both recognize barriers to civic and community engagement. The forces of apathy, lack interest that the community may feel a disinterestRead MoreAn Absurd Situation in an African Town of Oran in Albert Camus Novel, The Plague1143 Words   |  5 Pageswithout any fuss† (Galens 207). This absurd situation allows the idea of the absurd hero to develop Rieux throughout the novel. As the absurd hero, Rieux needs â€Å"to live without appeal† so that he can do what needs to be done, no matter how small the impact (Camus, Sisyphus 66). Rieux’s plight in combatting the plague is similar to that of Sisyphus. In Albert Camus’ The Myth of Sisyphus, Camus explains that Sisyphus is the absurd hero because â€Å"he is conscious of his plight† and has â€Å"knowledge of theRead MoreMartin Luther, An Augustinian Monk761 Words   |  4 Pagesthe door of the church in Wittenberg, Germany. In retaliation, the Catholic Church excommunicated and later condemned him as heretic when Luther refused to recant his writings. The ripple effects of the Reformation were felt every aspect of the society including education. It marked the end of The Roman Catholic Empire and opened the door to the Protestantism. Printing press which was used as a tool in spreading Luther’s Ninety –five theses now used to distribute the Bibles translated into German