Sennett says the mythical story of Zeus punishing humans for stealing fire through Pandora's box demonstrates how modern man-made communities often face the possibility of harming themselves and also that people try to justify the opening the casket through its charm. This recalls the nature of God in modern societies and how people handle His perceived word and the errors that accompany this way of thinking. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The belief that a human being himself did not cause his own downfall stems from the belief in God's role in society, especially those like the Greeks who learned to fear God. The Greeks believed that the evils of the world came because of the upset of Zeus, the king of the gods, and they deserved it for their transgressions. This is eerily parallel to the story of Original Sin, where Eve earns God's contempt by upsetting him by eating an apple after being tempted by outside influences, and in doing so humanity is expelled from the Garden that represents paradise. In this way, the fascination of an object, be it the apple or the treasure chest, made human curiosity take over for a moment and led to the introduction of pain and evil among men. Belief in original sin and related stories has created a God-fearing culture in many societies. Many men look to God's role in deciding how to act rather than relying on their instincts, and when their instincts fail they blame God for intervening. A historical example comes from a crucial battle of the Second Peloponnesian War, where Nicias, the commander of the Athenians, stood still while the Spartan navy was conducting an ambush against his navy; he acted as such so as not to upset the Gods as he believed that the currently ongoing solar eclipse indicated such reasoning. He thought that upsetting the Gods would lead to their downfall and so they stood firm, suffering many casualties from the Spartans and taking years to recover their strength from this travesty. From there to modern society, not much has changed in this regard, with many modern societies and customs originating from what is believed to be the will of God. Much of the American government's political philosophy derives from Locke's work. Locke's treatises on government represent a look at the state of nature and the social contracts that man enters into to guarantee his freedoms and thus create a society. Locke derives the morality of his society from the theology of a Protestant God. The adoption of these principles in a country, America, already founded by Puritans seeking greater religiosity in society, creates a government and community intrinsically based on the perceived will of God. Since people's morality is not aimed at others but at God, they also see their misfortunes as attributed to the will of a higher power. Because of this belief, many societies act to please God in their actions, even if it means forgoing a riskier or morally questionable action for the safe route. A recent example of this is the ban on stem cell research that occurred in America while many countries in Europe, a considerably less religious continent in many parts, continued to fund such work because of its potential. This example shows how people continue to invoke God even in their actions. An interesting part of the passage comes from Sennett's subjective observation that people “are seduced by pure wonder, by excitement, by curiosity, and so createfiction that opening the chest is a neutral act,” implying a human nature for people to justify their mistakes. It speaks more to the lack of responsibility found in many people, who would rather make an excuse for their mistake than accept failure. It leads to examples such as people blaming advertising for false promotion in which they are "tricked" because they decided not to use it as their motivation to judge its veracity. Of course this stems from their belief that it is the system itself that remains corrupt, that a higher power, that of God or government, caused such a failure; this leads to another Sennett interpretation of Pandora's Box, that "man-made things risk continual self-harm." He is saying that the system created by other men hurts them and with this accusation he seems to indicate that following God's will could lead to a more "good" society. Whether this actually happens can be hotly debated, but many see it as a form of survival. Sennett notes through the Pandora's Box paradigm the belief many have of what happens when humans upset God, that is, how evils spread because of disobedience. The story of Pandora refers in Christian mythology to original sin and is manifested in Christian doctrine found in modern governments like America and even in the actions of citizens in this secular state. Individuals in the country often blame higher powers due to this nature and see no flaws in themselves, even though this could serve as a greater indicator of the truth. In this way, God's role must be further evaluated and questioned in how people proceed with their daily actions. A better way to show this paradigm is through a potential film idea. A few years in the future, eugenics will finally be perfected. Any indication of birth defects such as Down syndrome is found in the zygote and immediately corrected. Scientists believe that many symptoms without a known cause, such as autism, will soon be able to be diagnosed and corrected in the womb to ensure the baby does not have mental problems at birth. Of course, parents can still choose whether to use the service or not. The film begins with various titles explaining the discovery and applauding the scientist responsible, including the President who thanks him personally. At the end of the introduction, the scientist is found dead with the word Devil scrawled on the wall above his body. The next scene shows protest groups outside clinics for “eugenics” procedures. They protest against anyone who enters, saying that these people are defying God's will by changing their child and thus acting like God himself in the process. A man trying to go with his wife to the clinic tries to tell some protesters that he is trying for his son to live without physical or mental disadvantages and is subsequently booed and jeered by the crowd before he can finish. The man and his wife are in an examination room, waiting for test results from the doctor. A government official arrives, saying that their child fits a profile for the government's military program. The official notes that the success of eugenics had been downplayed by the public and that they had greater capabilities. In fact, the child has the genetic makeup of a “super soldier” and with eugenics they could create one so strong that it would reduce the manpower needed for the army to function. The man is understandably horrified and immediately leaves despite the official's insistence that the.
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