Evil in the Society

1. The author’s main argument is the prevalence of evil in the society. The author does not understand why people tend to commit evil, against other people, and what motivates them to do so. According to the author, the world is full of evil, which is mainly committed by people, towards other people. Most people do not therefore live in peace, due to the fear instilled in them by other people due to evil (Theodore, 2). For instance, a government may support the prevalence of evil in the society, thus making it hard for its citizens to be able to live peacefully. Furthermore, the author argues that the systems of correction are not used as correctional facilities, but as punishment facilities, whereby after a prisoner completes his jail term, the prisoner feels free, as if he or she has paid the debt of his or her crime. This has therefore acted as a motivation, since most people commit crime, knowing that they would only be imprisoned for a certain period of time, after which they would become free immediately after being released.

On the other hand, the author argues that the states are doing less in order to protect their citizens from any forms of evil. This consequently means that the measures put in place by the countries are either to further discriminate the citizens, or to instill fear in them, thus making it easy for politicians to be able to rule freely without much opposition from the society (Theodore, 4). Dictatorship has kicked in, making people to suffer, so that the politicians can be able to enjoy committing atrocities without fear, hence living the poor to suffer.

2. The author supports his argument through providing evidence based on what he has experienced as a doctor and while working at a prison. As a doctor, the author has been able to meet with people of all walks, whereby he says he enjoys serving the poor rather than the rich, since serving the poor seems more enjoyable (Theodore, 7). The author has been able to talk to many patients, and he has come to the conclusion that the world is not a better place as it might see to be people are going through a lot of problems in their lives, and this has been attributed to the evils being committed to each other by human beings. Depression and stress levels among most people have risen, making them to feel sick, thus reaching out to doctors for support.

In addition, the author also uses ancillary argument as a form of evidence, when he talks about the Great Britain. In as much as the country is claiming to be fighting against crime, its citizens are very vulnerable to act, by the government itself. The government is therefore doing nothing to make sure that it protects the security of the citizens. Instead, torture chambers have been set up in the streets, whereby most people particularly those who owe drug barons money (Theodore, 9). They are therefore subjected to torture, with the knowledge of the government, and it is consequently doing nothing to make sure that such deeds are done away with. Moreover, dictatorship has killed democracy in the country, thus making it hard for political leaders to offer support to their subjects. Instead, political leaders have become more concerned with their own self-interests, thus forgetting about the interests of the citizens. The author has consequently used ancillary argument in order to create an understanding of how the government pretends to be protecting its citizens from evils, whereas it is doing nothing to make sure that the citizens do not suffer.

3. I completely agree with the author’s argument, due to the reasons that he has provided regarding his argument (Theodore, 9).
4. I agree with the author, simply because he has been able to provide evidence, which shows why people are suffering. A good example is about the patients he treated while in hospital. The author says that most people are depressed, a thing which consequently makes them to fall ill, hence trusting on doctors to support them. According to the doctor, these patients’ are not sick, but they feel sick due to depression. This depression has not been cause by sickness, but by other people. Patients consequently recount to the cruelty they have been subjected to, a thing which shows just how cruel human beings can be to the human race. Human beings are affecting each other, in the sense that they will even go ahead and use others for their own gains. For instance in Liberia, where six hundred people had taken refuge in church and they ended up being slaughtered under the authority of the government. This explains how human beings have turned against each other (Theodore, 12). The government which was elected by the citizens’ ones against the rule of law and decides to kill its own citizens. Political leaders have decided to use all means to make sure that they get in power, forgetting about the innocent lives.

Work Cited

Theodore Dalrymple. The Frivolity of Evil: City Journal. 2004. Print.