The Question of Man
In the novel, ‘Apology of Mrs. Pamela Andrews’ Fielding writes about Mrs. Andrews showing that she was a wicked woman who tricked her husband into marrying her (Fieldings 123).
- Many philosophers have done research to determine if man is really good or bad.
- However, there is still no clear answer as to whether man is really good or bad.
- Man is believed to have the power to conquer evil but the questions come in because there is more evil in the world than good (Thomdike 7).
There has not been a man who has been perfect in being good. Man mainly decides whether to be good or bad because he has the ability to control himself.
Some extrinsic factors in the world can also lead man into doing evil in order to survive.
In the novel Pamela became a conniving woman because she wanted to get married to her boss who was rich and good (Fieldings 123).
- When asked, most people believe that they are good even when others believe they are not.
- When children are taught to do good, they strive to do their best to do their best to please their parents. This shows that man is also good.
Man sometimes does bad things in order to benefit himself (Thomdike 8).
A man can make an action that can be perceived by different people differently.
Other people may see it as a good thing while others may take it to be a bad thing (Thomdike 8).
Conclusion
In conclusion it has been seen that man has both the capabilities of being bad and being good.
This therefore means that an evil man can change to be good and a good man can also change to do bad.
Works Cited
Fieldings, Henry. An apology for the life of Mrs. Pamela Andrews. University of Michigan: Garland publishers, 1974, pp. 123.
Thomdike, Edward, Educational psychology: The original nature of man. Teachers college Columbia University, 1913.