Review of “The Frivolity of Evil” by Theodore Dalrymple Essay

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Theodore Dalrymple, in his work “The Frivolity of Evil”, argues that most of the misfortunes that people face throughout life arise from the realization of the consequences of the actions. The author points to the ever-increasing number of social grievances in Britain. Even though their scale is comparatively smaller than in other countries, they are the leading cause of most citizens’ suffering. Dalrymple supports his opinion by providing his working experience as a psychiatrist in a local prison and hospital, where he used to communicate with criminals or victims of certain crimes personally. The author’s main argument is that the lack of responsibility for individual behavior leads to social problems.

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As mentioned earlier, Dalrymple’s main argument is that people consciously engage in activities that will lead them to suffer. Despite the understanding of all the negative consequences of their actions, some members of society deliberately spoil their own lives and those of other people. Each person has the right to make their own decision. Respectively, the choice between positive and negative consequences becomes the personal responsibility of each individual. The actions that cause the suffering are represented by three main themes repeated throughout the text. These include self-centeredness, lack of a moral code and ethics, and public acceptance of this kind of action. In support of his arguments, the author gives examples from his professional practice. Moreover, he points to events taking place in the UK and draws the reader’s attention to their impact.

For a more detailed analysis of current social events and identifying a cause-and-effect relationship between the author’s arguments, it is worth considering one of the examples in more detail. Dalrymple talks about one of her patients suffering from persistent depression. The woman is a mother of three children, and they are all from different fathers.

The heroine of the story faced problems within her own family when her mother kicked her out of the house, preferring a new man. Her biological father left, and the woman has never seen him in life. According to the author, this scenario represents people who lack a sense of individualism and moral ethics. He notes that the woman voluntarily agreed to marry such men, representing their lifestyle and decision-making. This caused her suffering as well as problems for her children. In this context, egocentrism is represented by a man from a third marriage. He pursued purely personal goals, regardless of how many mothers he left alone to raise his children. A woman’s mother’s selfishness is displayed when she kicks out her daughter to invite another man into the house.

I agree with the author’s argument that suffering is the result of human decisions. People who make decisions with a negative bias, such as leaving a family, know that their spouse and children will suffer. The person planning the murder will also be mindful of the moral and economic harm he will inflict on the victim’s relatives. From the article, you can learn more about psychological issues, such as mentality, and how it affects decision-making that is harmful to society. Depression is also associated with feelings of giving up on life. Thus, having a deeper understanding of how the human mind works when committing a crime and how it ultimately leads to depression helps the professional understand the human mind better.

Close to the author’s point of view can be considered the judgments of Plato about the essence of the human mind. Dalrymple states: “men commit evil within the scope available to them” (122). Both thinkers agree that evil develops only when external factors favor it. In the Ring of Gyges, Plato argues that if a person can break the law, they must be Dalrymple, and Plato also agrees that the fear of punishment drives us to follow statutes and social precepts. In both the Ring of Gyges myths and “The Frivolity of Evil”, the authors state that it is human nature to take advantage of the opportunities to do injustice with power and authority. Plato says that people, when given a choice, choose to commit large-scale injustice. So, despite the enormous difference in the time of creating their works, both authors agree on many aspects of human psychology.

Reference

Dalrymple, Theodore. “The Frivolity of Evil.” City Journal, 2004, pp. 121-146.

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IvyPanda. 2022. "Review of "The Frivolity of Evil" by Theodore Dalrymple." June 30, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/review-of-the-frivolity-of-evil-by-theodore-dalrymple/.

1. IvyPanda. "Review of "The Frivolity of Evil" by Theodore Dalrymple." June 30, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/review-of-the-frivolity-of-evil-by-theodore-dalrymple/.


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IvyPanda. "Review of "The Frivolity of Evil" by Theodore Dalrymple." June 30, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/review-of-the-frivolity-of-evil-by-theodore-dalrymple/.

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