A psychologist who survived the 1989 San Francisco earthquake published an article the following year documenting her observations of how people responded to the earthquake. The psychologist was accomplishing which of the following goals of psychology
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 psychologist was accomplishing the goal of understanding human behavior in response to a traumatic event.
Psychology as a discipline aims to understand and explain human behavior and mental processes. One of the fundamental goals of psychology is to gain insights into how individuals think, feel, and act in various situations. The psychologist, who survived the 1989 San Francisco earthquake, published an article documenting her observations of how people responded to the earthquake. By doing so, she was contributing to the understanding of human behavior in the face of a traumatic event.
Natural disasters like earthquakes can be highly distressing and have a profound impact on individuals and communities. People’s responses to such events can vary widely, and studying these responses can provide valuable insights into human behavior under extreme circumstances. The psychologist’s observations likely included aspects such as emotional reactions, coping mechanisms, and social dynamics that emerged during and after the earthquake.
Through her article, the psychologist shed light on how people reacted to the earthquake, offering a glimpse into the human psyche in times of crisis. This type of research is crucial for several reasons. Firstly, it helps us understand the psychological and emotional needs of individuals affected by natural disasters, allowing for better support and intervention strategies to be developed. Secondly, it contributes to our general knowledge about human behavior, resilience, and adaptation when faced with adversity.
By documenting her observations, the psychologist not only fulfilled her professional duty but also provided valuable information that can be used for future disaster preparedness and response efforts. Her article adds to the collective knowledge in psychology, enriching our understanding of how people respond to traumatic events and informing future research in this area.
In conclusion, the psychologist who survived the 1989 San Francisco earthquake accomplished the goal of understanding human behavior by publishing her observations in an article. By studying people’s responses to the earthquake, she contributed to our understanding of how individuals react to traumatic events. This research is essential for improving support systems and interventions during times of crisis and furthering our knowledge about human behavior in challenging circumstances.
