Sociological theories

by | Mar 2, 2023 | Analysis

 

– Use sociological theories and literature to interpret, explain, and elaborate on a
current event.

Sample solution

Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell. 

In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.


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God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.

Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.

To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.

 

References

Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.

Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

Sample Solution

A current event that I want to discuss is the ongoing protests in Hong Kong against the proposed national security law. This law, if passed, would grant Beijing unprecedented powers to crack down on any perceived anti-government activities in Hong Kong and undermine its autonomy. The massive demonstrations taking place since June have been met with violent suppression from the police, who have used tear gas, rubber bullets, and pepper spray against protesters.

 

Sample Solution

A current event that I want to discuss is the ongoing protests in Hong Kong against the proposed national security law. This law, if passed, would grant Beijing unprecedented powers to crack down on any perceived anti-government activities in Hong Kong and undermine its autonomy. The massive demonstrations taking place since June have been met with violent suppression from the police, who have used tear gas, rubber bullets, and pepper spray against protesters.

 

The sociological theories of collective behavior can be used to explain this current event as it illustrates how large groups of people can come together for a common cause even when it involves risk or danger. According to collective behavior theory, individuals are driven by shared feelings of distress over an issue which leads them to express grievances publicly through protests or other forms of civil disobedience (Fligstein & Dattomaiolo, 2018). In this case, protesters feel that their rights are being threatened by the Chinese government’s encroachment into Hong Kong’s affairs and are willing to take risks such as facing violence from authorities in order to make their voices heard and protect their autonomy.

This also shows us how social movements emerge out of existing networks formed between likeminded people who share a common purpose (Tilly 2008). For example, pro-democracy campaigners in Hong Kong have long been organizing themselves online via various digital platforms such as Telegram or LIHKG which has allowed them mobilize quickly and efficiently when needed; something essential during times crisis like these where rapid response often necessary maintain momentum behind cause Additionally there has also been strong support abroad with many international figures speaking out against proposed legislation urging governments around world take action prevent it from being implemented

These events demonstrate power dynamics at play between state actors those trying resist oppressive measures put place authoritarian regimes While ultimately decision rests hands Beijing what happening now shows importance organized collective resistance combat injustice inequality not only within countries affected but across entire globe It will be interesting see how situation unfolds future given history resilience citizens Hong Kong fighting for freedom democracy

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