Individuals develop a personal code of ethics and a definition of what is right and wrong based on early life experiences with role models. These role models might include parents, teachers, and others. Reflect on the significant relationships in your life as a child and young adult.
Write a 250- to 300-word response to the following:
Explain how the important people in your life demonstrated ethics and morality. Describe what you learned from observing their approach to ethical and moral decision-making. Explain how your early experiences affect your ethical decision-making as a leader.
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.
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 Answer
Sample Answer
The Foundation of Ethics: Lessons from Role Models
Throughout our formative years, the individuals we look up to significantly shape our understanding of ethics and morality. In my life, my parents and teachers served as crucial role models who instilled in me the values of integrity, compassion, and accountability. These early experiences laid the groundwork for my personal code of ethics and continue to influence my decision-making as a leader today.
My mother, a dedicated nurse, exemplified compassion in her everyday interactions. She taught me the importance of empathy by often reminding me that everyone is fighting their own battles. I remember her taking time out of her day to volunteer at local shelters, emphasizing the significance of giving back to the community. From her, I learned that true leadership involves serving others and making decisions that prioritize the well-being of those we lead.
Similarly, my high school teacher, Mr. Johnson, demonstrated a steadfast commitment to honesty. He encouraged open dialogue in our classroom, fostering an environment where discussing difficult topics was welcomed. I observed how he navigated ethical dilemmas with transparency, teaching us that integrity is not just about being truthful but also about being accountable for one’s actions. His approach instilled in me the belief that as a leader, it is essential to cultivate trust within a team by being forthright and responsible.
These formative experiences have profoundly shaped my ethical decision-making as a leader. I strive to emulate the values of compassion and integrity that my role models embodied. By prioritizing the needs of others and embracing honesty in my leadership style, I aim to create an inclusive environment where ethical considerations guide our collective journey. Ultimately, it is through the lens of these early experiences that I continue to define what is right and wrong, ensuring that my leadership is rooted in a strong moral foundation.
