Write an essay by explain and compare Georg Simmel’s notion of the stranger and social distance to W. E. B. Du Bois’s concepts of the veil and double consciousness.
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 Solution
Georg Simmel was a German sociologist who developed the concept of the stranger in the early 20th century.
Sample Solution
Georg Simmel was a German sociologist who developed the concept of the stranger in the early 20th century.
Georg Simmel’s notion of the stranger and social distance
Georg Simmel was a German sociologist who developed the concept of the stranger in the early 20th century. Simmel argued that the stranger is a social type who is both familiar and unfamiliar to the group. The stranger is familiar because they are part of the group, but they are also unfamiliar because they come from outside the group. This dual nature of the stranger creates a sense of social distance between the stranger and the group.
Simmel identified three key characteristics of the stranger:
- Coming from outside the group: The stranger comes from outside the group, which means that they have a different cultural background and experiences.
- Being part of the group: The stranger is also part of the group, which means that they have some shared experiences and values with the group.
- Creating social distance: The stranger creates social distance between themselves and the group, which means that they are not fully accepted by the group.
Simmel argued that the stranger can play a positive role in society. The stranger can bring new ideas and perspectives to the group, and they can also help to challenge the group’s norms and values. However, the stranger can also be seen as a threat to the group, and they can be marginalized or excluded.
- E. B. Du Bois’s concepts of the veil and double consciousness
- E. B. Du Bois was an American sociologist and civil rights activist who developed the concepts of the veil and double consciousness in the early 20th century. Du Bois argued that the veil is a metaphor for the invisible barrier that separates black people from white people in American society. The veil prevents black people from fully participating in American society, and it also creates a sense of double consciousness in black people.
Double consciousness is the experience of having two conflicting identities. Black people in America have a black identity, which is shaped by their experiences of racism and discrimination. They also have an American identity, which is shaped by their experiences of American culture. This dual identity can be a source of conflict and confusion for black people.
Du Bois argued that the veil and double consciousness are harmful to black people. The veil prevents black people from fully participating in American society, and it also contributes to the psychological trauma of racism. However, Du Bois also argued that the veil and double consciousness can be a source of strength for black people. The experience of double consciousness can give black people a unique perspective on American society, and it can also motivate them to fight for social justice.
Comparison of Simmel’s stranger and Du Bois’s veil and double consciousness
Simmel’s stranger and Du Bois’s veil and double consciousness are both concepts that deal with the experience of being an outsider in society. However, there are some important differences between the two concepts.
Simmel’s stranger is a social type, while Du Bois’s veil and double consciousness are more individual experiences. The stranger is a broader concept that can apply to anyone who is an outsider in a group, while the veil and double consciousness are specifically related to the experience of being black in America.
Simmel’s stranger is not necessarily a negative concept. The stranger can play a positive role in society by bringing new ideas and perspectives. Du Bois’s veil and double consciousness, on the other hand, are more negative concepts. They are associated with the experience of racism and discrimination.
Despite these differences, Simmel’s stranger and Du Bois’s veil and double consciousness can be seen as complementary concepts. Simmel’s stranger provides a broader framework for understanding the experience of being an outsider, while Du Bois’s veil and double consciousness provide a more specific lens for understanding the experience of being black in America.
Both concepts can help us to understand the challenges and opportunities that face outsiders in society. They can also help us to understand the ways in which outsiders can contribute to society.
