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Morality In The 20th Century Research Paper

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Morality is an ever changing variable in human society. It has morphed throughout time, and every society’s morals define their century. Morality itself is how an individual views an action with regard to whether it is morally good, morally bad, or somewhere in the middle. Individuals can determine whether they think something is good or bad, but this freedom is easily manipulated. Outside forces can use different propaganda techniques to nudge an individual to think something is good, or bad. This became more and more prevalent in the 20th century. In the 20th century new technologies were created, and two huge wars were fought. These events changed people’s viewpoints on a vast range of topics, and therefore morality. For example, since …show more content…

In the 20th century, morality morphed to become more directly influenced by the rule of the state, the prosperity of an individual or a society, and the happiness of an individual or a society. In the 20th century, the state had a much stronger grip on the individual, and therefore morality, because of the need to be united. Two world wars were fought in the 20th century, causing an increase in the popularity of a stronger central government to protect the people. There was an elevated sense of allegiance to one’s nation. This nationalism was especially prevalent in Nazi Germany. The Nazi Conspiracy and Aggression Volume IV: Document No. 1708-PS states that “The activity of individuals is not to counteract the interests of the universality, but must have its result within the framework of the whole for the benefit of all”. The state essentially had control over the actions of individuals, so consequently the state had control over how an individual manifested their morality. If an individual thought something was wrong, but the state did not agree with that individual’s viewpoint, there was no way that they could express it to others without breaking …show more content…

A good example of this is in Watchmen when the vigilante Rorschach notices that “On friday night a comedian died in New York . . . nobody cares, nobody cares but me”. This “comedian” was actually Edward Blake, a member of the Watchmen superhero group. His death was of little significance to New York, where he and the other Watchmen live, even though it was a murder. A little while later, Dr. Manhattan leaves Earth for Mars after being accused of giving cancer to his friends and lovers. This draws much more attention though, because it weakens the United States’ defense, since Dr. Manhattan was crucial because of his godlike abilities. The distress of the society is best expressed by a government employee who says “The linchpin of America’s strategic superiority has apparently gone to mars!”. Since this event more directly threatens the happiness and safety of the society, there is more press coverage and attention given to this absence instead of Blake’s murder. Alan Moore adds this dilemma into the novel to raise questions about the importance of what 20th century societies deem more fitting of

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