Questions On 'The Underground Man'

Determinism is a doctrine suggesting that for every event there exist conditions that could cause no alternative event. Free will is a philosophical term describing a particular sort of capacity of rational agents to choose a course of action from among various alternatives. Understandably, the dichotomy between these two concepts is a topic philosophers have debated over for many years. As a result of these debates, a number of alternative philosophical perspectives arguing for the existence of free will, namely libertarianism and compatibilism, have emerged, existing in stark contrast to determinism. In order to ascertain the extent to which free will is compatible with determinism, one must first consider these different approaches to

In this essay, we will discuss two pieces of literature, Plato’s “The Allegory of the Cave”, and Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”. Both pieces are “about defying what is expected of you in order to do what is right.” Plato’s allegory is about a man who was born a prisoner, stuck in one position, who is later freed and experiences life outside of the cave. King Jr. explains his reason for being in a jail. We will discuss how they were both faced with opposition, and I will detail a time where I was faced with opposition while going again societal “norms”.

This quote marks the turning point when Equality turns away from collectivism by claiming the tunnel as his own and vowing to fight for it until death. Deciding to enter the tunnel alone displays his curiosity and fearlessness, as well. It

An individual’s legacy, in many ways, is predetermined by the primordial “Fate.” A sort of judge and guide that some people have subscribed to for centuries. This guide develops a certain permutation for an individual’s life which is only influenced by one’s ability to compose judgements and decisions about obstacles which appear everyday. This decision making process is cyclical in that it always leads to another question to answer or problem to solve. One decision may edge the next until it yields to fate, the ultimate philosophical judge. Fate is a permanent path and one is stuck on its course. The same could be said for the Wes Moores’ of the work The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates. Throughout the work, the Wes Moores’ made complicated

At this moment, the human civilization is falling apart. The shield that guards the safety of men is broken by wars and conflicts. The hearts of people are injured severely by hatred, inequality, and discrimination. Countries lump into anarchy as laws and orders fall apart. And day by day, promises have been broken so frequently that it becomes a norm, and the meanings of words fall into ashes as people progress on deception. The world is gradually transforming itself into a pure arena, where people disguise as hounds and serpents simultaneously. However, amidst this chaos, there stands supreme thing keeping the pieces of mankind’s civilization together—the Law of Nature.

Free will is an important feature of modern person’s life. It is “a philosophical term of art for a particular sort of capacity of rational agents to choose a course of action from among various alternatives” (“Free Will”). In other words, free will allows person to make a choice regardless of specific surrounding circumstances. Different systems of philosophy have controversial attitude to this term. Depending on affiliation with certain school, experts admit or reject the thought of existence of a free will. But, regardless of philosophical judgments, people often admit an importance of the possibility to make independent decisions and administer own life. Free will gives person an opportunity to decide in favor of long-term, more global purposes; and this choice can expose immediate perspectives to a risk. This particular situation was described by Sarah Orne Jewett in her short story A White Heron. A possibility of free will sometimes became a vital feature; Kate Chopin showed a literal reflection of this statement in her story The Story of an Hour. The author demonstrated what catastrophic consequences can cause an unexpected loss of desired free will.

Many times I find myself sitting and wondering whether I am fully free or not. I wake up every single morning and do the same routine, which is eat breakfast, go to class or work, do homework, go to the gym, shower, and then go to bed. Does this truly mean I am free? There are a lot of questions that you can ask yourself while following a routine. Is this really the path I should have taken? Were my choices determined by external factors? Determinism is the thesis that an any instant there is only one physically possible future. Robert Blatchford and Walter Terence Stace, two philosophers, both agree that determinism is true, although they have two different views on whether this means that people are free or not. Blatchford believes that everything is predestined. Stace on the other hand, believes that a person chooses what they do because of free will. In this essay I am going to discuss both of the philosophers’ views more in depth and why I favor Stace’s view over Blatchford’s.

The overall emphasis of this work is on humans and human free will. Pico demonstrates the importance of free will. It is because of free will, according to him, that humans can choose their

The Man Who Lived Underground by Richard Wright is full of symbols. The story is that of a man who after being accused of a murder starts living in underground sewers, in an attempt to escape the law. There are several themes in the story, however, underground life is a powerful major theme in it that has several meanings and implications in the context of the story. Underground can be seen as a potent symbol meaning an escape from the social institution and its bondage, as a relief from inequality and racial divisions, as solitude and self-discovery and many more similar things. Underground is also the stage for the most of the drama that takes place as a part of the story. However, underground also appears as a symbol of repulsion and revolt. Overall, the writer has used the symbol of underground to expose the corruption and chaos in the society in a brilliant manner.

Notes from the Underground is a novel written by Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky. In this book, Dostoyevsky illustrated his ideals through the words of his literary protagonist, the Underground Man. The Underground Man strikes the readers as a person

Adaptation plays a large role in “The Overcoat” and “The Man Who lived Underground”. Bureaucracy does not affect Akaky because he is used to constant oppression. Daniels initially is oppressed by his surroundings until he learns to interact with them beneficially. Daniels, unlike Akaky, mentally transcends all forms of oppression by believing that he is a God. Daniel’s transcendence from social restrictions allows him to live ignorantly in his oppressive world. Akaky and Daniels both interact with oppressive environments; however, they only experience subjugation from their environments when they are aware of the oppression. Ignorance of their circumstances allows the two to avoid experiencing the oppression unless there is a change in their status quo.

I am shocked by the underground man’s inability to feel kindness and gentleness in any way at all. He tends to cherish the misery of others and despise the societally accepted good things in life. The underground man proposes reasons for this hate but it really is simply because of a plagued and evil heart. Men are generally not like this in their hearts and I tend to believe in all men having greatness in their hearts and that all men do only what they believe to be right when tasked with making difficult decisions. Perhaps this man is playing a game to tempt his sanity like the extraordinary man but I believe that he actually is evil inside. To say that this man is an outcast is an understatement. Everyone that I have ever met wants to do

In this essay I will explain why I think the strongest position of the free will debate is that of the hard determinists and clarify the objection that moral responsibility goes out the door if we don’t have free will by addressing the two big misconceptions that are associated with determinists: first that determinism is an ethical system, and secondly that contrary to common belief determinists do believe in the concept of cause and effect. I will also begin by explaining my position and why I believe that the position of the indeterminist does not hold water as an argument and the third

The critically acclaimed American author, William Faulkner, once said, “We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it.” The concept of free will has been a widely discussed topic that presents both end of the spectrum to bring forth their own point of views. In Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky, the idea of freedom is argued against a deterministic view that actions and decision are predetermined and can be calculated using advancement of humanity through “present day” technology. The debate between the two-opposing side will be analyzed through a recount on the deterministic point of view, an exploration about free will with its connection to the provided text, and an opinion piece of the matter.

In his parable Before the Law, Franz Kafka suggests that obstacles that one faces in life can either be used to mold one’s success or bring about one’s failure. If one can overcome challenges that they face they grow in a unique type of way, for every individual perceives each situation in a distinct fashion. That unique type of growth is what establishes a person’s character and perception of the world. However if one cannot overcome their obstacles, then they cut of their means for growth and are left uninspired, forgetting any dreams or aspirations. It is through the man’s interaction with the doorkeeper, and his inability to overcome this obstacle, that eventually leads him down the path of complacency and failure.