“Is the future of psychoactive drugs synthetic?”: Critically discuss this statement with reference to past and
emergent drug market trends.
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
Title: The Synthetic Future of Psychoactive Drugs: A Critical Examination of Past and Emergent Drug Market Trends
Introduction
The landscape of psychoactive drugs has undergone significant changes over the years, with advancements in chemistry and technology leading to the emergence of synthetic substances. This essay critically discusses the statement, “Is the future of psychoactive drugs synthetic?”, by examining past and emergent drug market trends.
Past Trends: Natural vs. Synthetic
Natural Origins: Historically, psychoactive drugs were predominantly derived from natural sources such as plants, fungi, and certain animal secretions. Substances like opium, cannabis, and psilocybin mushrooms have been used for centuries.
Synthetic Innovations: The development of synthetic psychoactive drugs began in the early 20th century with the synthesis of substances like LSD and amphetamines. Synthetic drugs offered advantages such as enhanced potency, standardized dosage, and controlled production.
Regulatory Responses: As synthetic drugs gained popularity, governments implemented strict regulations to control their production and distribution due to concerns about their potential risks and abuse. This led to the classification of many synthetic substances as controlled substances.
Emergent Drug Market Trends: Increasing Synthetic Influence
Designer Drugs: The rise of designer drugs, also known as novel psychoactive substances (NPS), exemplifies the growing influence of synthetic substances in the drug market. Designer drugs are chemically modified versions of existing illicit substances or entirely new substances designed to mimic their effects while evading legal restrictions.
Online Marketplaces: The internet has facilitated the proliferation of synthetic psychoactive drugs through online marketplaces like the darknet. These platforms enable anonymous transactions and provide access to a wide range of synthetic substances, including synthetic opioids and synthetic cannabinoids.
Pharmaceutical Innovations: The pharmaceutical industry has also contributed to the synthetic future of psychoactive drugs. Medications such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and atypical antipsychotics are examples of synthetically developed drugs used for treating mental health disorders.
Critically Examining the Statement
Advantages of Synthetic Drugs: Synthetic psychoactive drugs offer several advantages, including enhanced potency, easier standardization, and the potential for targeted effects. Their controlled production can also reduce the risk of impurities commonly found in naturally derived substances.
Unpredictable Consequences: While synthetic drugs offer certain advantages, they also present unique challenges. Rapidly evolving chemical structures make it difficult for regulatory bodies to keep up with new substances, leading to delayed control measures. This poses risks to public health as unregulated synthetic substances may have unknown or dangerous effects.
Changing Nature of Drug Markets: The future of psychoactive drugs is not exclusively tied to synthetics. Natural substances continue to play a significant role, with a growing interest in psychedelics like psilocybin and MDMA for therapeutic purposes. The resurgence of interest in traditional plant-based medicines suggests a more balanced approach to the future of psychoactive drugs.
Conclusion
While the future of psychoactive drugs does show an increasing influence of synthetic substances, it is important to critically examine this trend within the broader context of drug market dynamics. Synthetic drugs offer certain advantages in terms of potency and standardization but also present challenges related to regulatory control and unpredictable consequences. The future of psychoactive drugs is likely to be a combination of natural substances, synthetics, and potentially pharmaceutical innovations. A balanced approach that considers the benefits and risks associated with both natural and synthetic psychoactive drugs will be crucial in shaping policies and interventions for a safer and more informed use of these substances.
