The Ethics Of Ambiguity, By De Beauvoir - 1283 Words

All human beings deserve equally, the opportunity to participate in the direction of their life. This basic right is characteristic of what it means to be human. The essence of humanity is our freedom to make choices. This is more eloquently described in by De Beauvoir in her work The Ethics of Ambiguity, in which she explains that taking this right away from someone is oppressive and inhumane. One of the greatest examples of this immoral actions is the slavery that happened in the United States. This tragic historical event provides us with the illustration of what it looks like to take away someone’s basic right to choice. It is also imperative to understand that slavery, although having physically ended, effects of such still exist.†¦show more content†¦This exploitive process sets up enslaved people to become stuck in the system because they may not even realize that what is happening to them. Education also plays a part of social class, leaving a lasting impa ct on people of color. Even when enslaved people became free they were left with the stigma that was created because of their inability to gain knowledge. This situation was forced upon them by their once masters. Stigmas such as this are something that does not dissolve overnight. Freed slaves would have a hard time finding work and making their way up the system because they did not have the same opportunity to an education that their white counterparts did. On a more physical level, Douglass describes in his narratives his experience of going to another plantation which was meant to make trouble slaves more submissive to their masters. This was accomplished by forcing the slaves to work in all circumstances till the stop. Douglass then goes on to say this type of work would turn a human into a brute giving the implication that he saw this as one of the ways that enslaved people were dehumanized. Douglass saw this as dehumanization because of the harsh treatment of slaves and the disregard for their wellbeing. They were treated even worse than property because even then people had respect for their property and would not overuse it or neglect their property. This type of treatment was meantShow MoreRelatedThe Ethics of Ambiguity Essay1519 Words   |  7 PagesAmbiguity can be defined as a lack of precise meaning or interpretation, so how can we describe human existence as â€Å"ambiguous†? Surely, there must be some essence, or characteristic thing, that we can use to solidify the meaning of our existence. However, it becomes difficult to pin down exactly what every human existence has in common. 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Simone de Beauvoir- An important existentialist who spent much of her life alongside Sartre, wrote about feminism, and existential ethics in her works. These included The Second Sex and The Ethics of Ambiguity. She shows how, at each stage of her upbringingRead MoreIs One Action Better Or Worse Than Another?1555 Words   |  7 Pagesand good guidance. Now, if that is just one example of two different people who have two different definitions of what a good action might be, then one can only imagine how many different definitions are out there. In the book â€Å"The Ethics of Ambiguity† by Simone de Beauvoir there are many situations and examples about how there can be conflict when people have different definitions of what a good action might be. Actions can be good or bad. Its how you perceive the situation in that moment. 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Although astutely aware of the philosophical ponderings of God’s existence, de Beauvoir struggled with religious ideas until the age of fourteen, despite her mother Franà §oiseRead MoreSpongebob Squarepants : Character Analysis1468 Words   |  6 Pageshis neighbors’ past influence their future, which signifies the becoming. In the Ethics of Ambiguity, De Beauvoir writes, â€Å"†¦painting itself is this movement toward its own reality† (De Beauvoir 414). When an artist creates a painting, it represents the becoming; every different moment the art itself is something different until the artist finishes. However, the completed painting does not mean it is fixed. De Beauvoir continues, â€Å"it has to found itself, though it is prohibited from ever fulfillingRead More Is The Second Sex Beauvoirs Application of Sartrean Existentialism?3713 Words   |  15 PagesIs The Second Sex Beauvoirs Application of Sartrean Existentialism? 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