Big Essay in Alph Edwards English Class

He Qiu Zheng

Prof Edwards

EN 1034, Section C

October 2, 2006

Civilization and People in the Society

Looking back to the long path of our human history, we can see that our great ancestors created many wonderful civilizations. We feel astonished and proud of our ancestors. However, it is not the time for us to do that right now. Now, we need to think deeply about this question: How do civilization and people in society influence each other?

Reading the great psychologist Sigmund Freud’s Civilization and Its Discontents, we will learn more about this issue. In Civilization and Its Discontents, Freud said: “We recognize as cultural all activities and resources which are useful to men for making the earth serviceable to them, for protecting them against the violence of the forces of nature, and so on" (42). The quote means with the help of their wisdom, humans made themselves more suitable to live on the earth. They could protect themselves from the damages of nature. In addition, Freud said:” With every tool man is perfecting his own organs, whether motor or sensory, or is removing the limits to their functioning" (43). As humans got used to the surroundings where they lived, they began to build up more and more things that could improve their lives. Gradually, civilization was set up.

However, not everyone will be satisfied with the civilization of the society they live in. In Civilization and Its Discontents Freud stated: “The liberty of [the] individual is no gift of civilization. It was greatest before there was any civilization, though then, it is true, it had for the most part no value, since the individual was scarcely in a position to defend it. The development of civilization imposes restrictions on it, and justice demands that no one shall escape those restrictions” (49). What Freud said indicates that the civilization is the common wealth for the majority of the whole society. If anyone goes against the civilization due to the desire for the liberty of individual, he or she is about to be punished by the restrictions which are made by the civilization. At this time, the minority in the society who goes against the civilization may separate into two groups: loyalists and rebels. The loyalists may have to suffer the force which is in opposition to the individual’s wishes and rights. However, “the urge for freedom, therefore, is directed against particular forms and demands of civilization or against civilization altogether” (50). The rebels will keep on their struggles no matter how the society suppresses them. As the struggles enlarge, more and more people in the society join in the struggle. At last, the strong group of the rebels may pull down the former civilization and build up a new one. That is how one civilization subrogates the other civilization.

One the other hand, we can get a similar idea to Freud’s Civilization and Its Discontents from Aeschylus’ Prometheus Bound. In Prometheus Bound, without fear of the dangers of stealing it, Prometheus brought mankind fire to lead mankind a bright future. After his stealing fire, Prometheus was nailed to a cliff as penalty by Zeus. From here, we can see that Prometheus is acting as the rebel against the civilization created by Zeus. As he went against the restrictions of Zeus’ civilization, Prometheus was punished. However, no matter how the God of the River Oceanos, who was afraid of Zeus, advised him to yield to Zeus, Prometheus insisted that "I shall drain myself till the high mind of Zeus shall cease from anger" (377-378). As a rebel, Prometheus still kept his will, which was to bring liberty and a bright future to mankind; he kept on his struggle against Zeus. Prometheus was not struggling by himself. The Oceanids, who are the daughters of Oceanos, gave great support to Prometheus. On hearing of the affliction of Prometheus, the Oceanids blamed Zeus's violence. Though their father, Oceanos, came to persuade Prometheus to change his mind, the Oceanids still stood on the side of Prometheus rather their father. The Oceanids kept on searching for the truth with their eyes and ears, listening to the whine of Io, blaming the arrogance of Hermes. At last, without any fear or regret, the Oceanids fell deep into the underground abyss with Prometheus. Why did Prometheus and the Oceanids go against Zeus? No need to say, it was all due to the irrational force from the Zeus’ civilization. The restrictions of Zeus’ civilization went against truth and justice. They needed to struggle for truth and justice. Now, we can see that if the development of civilization goes against the original will of the people, it will lead more and more people to feel unpleasant about the society and stand up to go against the society and civilization.

In a word, though the people create the civilization, the restrictions of civilization will suppress the liberty of the individuals. However, if the development of the civilization separates farther and farther from the will of people, the civilization will become unstable and easily fall down.