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Justice And Existentialism In In The Penal Colony By Kafka

Decent Essays

“In the Penal Colony” by Kafka smoothly tied up most of the themes we discussed in Justice & Injustice as it incorporates the purpose of punishment and retribution, the idea of inner revelation rather than blind following, aspects of existentialism, the fundamentals of justice, and the interpretation of ethics and morality. The various characters and aspects of existentialistic themes in “In the Penal Colony” made me find Kafka’s work to resonate with Soren Kierkegaard’s works. Kafka explored an intriguing theme of unexamined values which is similar to how Kierkegaard explored the incomprehensibleness of faith to mankind in “Fear and Trembling.” The officer sees the apparatus as a source of pride as it’s a machine used to enforce justice. However, the entire system of this penal colony is based on the idea that “guilt is never to be doubted.” The condemned are never tried nor given the chance to defend themselves. Instead, criminals of even minor offenses are sentenced to death at the order of the judge. The only reason the officer could see this grossly unjust and inhumane system as fair is the fact that he never examined the underlying values, meanings, and normativity of this system in which he was designated to enforce. Just like how Kierkegaard found it absurd to simply accept Abraham to be willing to sacrifice his child due to his faith for God, Kafka portrays such absurdity of brutality and injustice through the eyes of the explorer. The theme of unexamined values

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