Perception of Social Issues: A Philosophical Analysis - Essay Sample

Introduction

Depending on where people come from, customs, beliefs, and levels of education, among other factors, their perception towards many everyday issues differ profoundly. Indeed, many philosophers have put across many quotes on a broad range of concepts, which proves that ideas toward related concepts vary from one person to another. When one looks closely at the class quotations, it is apparent that they speak more about social issues not only during the time its authors were putting them across but also today. They are relevant and can be used to evaluate more about people's perspectives on various critical matters. Herein, Apollo's quote and others from Works and Days and Lucian have been compared while assessing how they differ on their views on the family and the myths they may contain.

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Before assessing the differences in these quotes as far as the family is concerned, it is vital first to analyze what makes an assertion or a story a myth. As generally used in various settings, myths represent the widely held ideas even though they are misleading. Regarding that, they are false beliefs whose principle is fallacious. In traditional settings, myths were told to explain how the world came to be and how things work (Barker 4). In families, the roles that both genders play, the numbers of children that a family should get, among other general views, have a lot of mistaken beliefs that make people make wrong choices as they try to conform to the set rules. These false ideas were highly spread in the past where people observed their customs strictly such that a small deviation from the norm was an abomination. Even though there is a significant change today, some ideas are misleading and can make people fail to get the true sense of the family unit.

Apollo's quote highlights several points that shed more light regarding his idea of a family. He talks about the marriage being between a man and a woman and depending on destiny. It (marriage) is a serious matter that is mightier than the oath that people take and it is defended by justice. Another crucial observation in Apollo's quote is the assertion that murder and vengeance are unjust. Apollo highlights the principles that form the foundation of the family- some are correct, but others might be misunderstood too. It depends on the context.

When it comes to the application of this quote in everyday family settings, Apollo gives a personal reflection of his idea of the family and the principles that should guide. However, he seems to have a firm conviction that the union between a man and woman to start a family depends on destiny, which may be mythical. On one end, it takes a lot of effort to compose a family. People take time to know each other and get their objectives right. It is a process, and people do not sit and wait for destiny to take its course. Even though it is challenging to determine the future accurately, everything is not destiny-based.

As time continues changing, the concept of the family is changing. Marriage is no longer a man-woman issue. People from the same genders are composing a family together, and it is legal to do so. Indeed, the American constitution has preserved this right by obliging the federal government to treat same-sex marriages similar to opposite-sex unions. This right is as preserved in the Fourteenth Amendment (Lyle 2-3). Nowadays, many states have legalized same-sex marriages, and the trend is expected to persist as people continue to change their views about the constituents of marriage as the foundation of the family.

Even though the constituents of past and present marriages are different, the principles that guide it seem to remain the same- to a significant extent. Apollo quotes on the need for justice. This assertion means that partners should avoid abuse and try to protect each other in all situations. Even though it is somewhat challenging to maintain a pleasant environment for families to blossom at all times, demeaning and dishonoring the vows that one makes when starting a family is highly condemned. Regarding that, it is essential to remain highly guided on how to approach family as an institution to keep it from a potential breakup.

While extending on how people should conduct themselves in a family, Apollo highlights the importance of avoiding heinous acts, including murder, vengeance, and inflicting one's wrath on one another. At this point, the importance of staying focused on creating a peaceful unit is apparent. Many families have been disintegrating in the present society due to a lack of moral guidance, but Apollo quotes the various issues that people must avoid. The assumption, here, is that avoiding them promotes stability that is essential for a peaceful cohesion. However, it does not suggest that their absence signifies being a stable state. They are part of the issues that people must avoid for a united, progressive, and focused family.

Different from Apollo's quote that focuses on the principles of a stable family and the relevance of marriage, the Works and Days quote highlights the importance of a wife and the quality she should possess. In the present day and past, there is no denying that wives play an instrumental role in the family composition. Indeed, they are a critical part whose function cannot be overlooked at any time. Many views have been given regarding the role of husband and the wife in the family, and their qualities discussed in many platforms as factors that determine the success of the family.

Works and Days suggest that "there is nothing better than a good wife" that a man can win. This point implies that there are some qualities that someone's wife should possess for her to qualify to be good. In modern families, a lot has been said concerning what a man should observe and prioritize when looking for a wife. The suggestions have been varying depending on people's culture, family backgrounds, religion, and social class, among other factors. The quote further suggests that there is "nothing more painful" that one can compare to a bad wife. As a result, what keeps the family together is the quality of a woman.

Despite the suggestion that a woman should be "good" and avoid being "bad" for her to qualify as a wife, there are a lot of inconsistencies as far as the evaluation of this issue is concerned. To some people, the "good" means being morally upright and avoiding acting against the set norms that determine the right way in which people should conduct themselves. Given this, a woman should conform to the social settings regardless of what she believes in; this has made the idea of being "good" a misconception at some point. It is confusing at some instances, but that is normal since society is advancing at a high rate and people's views on many social concepts are changing too.

The third quote that brings a different perspective on the idea of the family is Lucian's suggestion that "there is no happiness without tears." Despite the suggestion that there is no life without death, which is true, suggesting that happiness can only occur in the presence of tears is mythical. From the definition of a myth, misconceptions, and false notions about an issue are leading elements. Families need stability, and it is possible to have a peaceful and happy union without necessarily being in trouble.

In modern and traditional family setups, different challenges emerge in various situations. At times, breakups are inevitable, and it can be tiring as well. However, it is fallacious to justify the presence of tears since it is the only way to get happiness. This ideology is false and can make people develop wrong ideas about what a family should look like and how its different elements should conduct themselves. For that reason, it is crucial to get the right image of a family and avoid following highly generalized ideas such as Lucian's quotes about the connection between happiness and tears.

Overall, a myth is a misleading idea about something. It is a false notion that people should avoid. The different quotes as highlighted above highlight several points regarding the concept of the family- some are mythical while others are not. Apollo depicts a family as a unit formed from a marriage between a man and a woman. This idea is changing. On the other hand, the Works and Days' quote suggests that there is nothing better than a good woman. However, the meaning of "good" in many societies is highly misleading. Lucian is of the view that happiness is inseparable from tears, which is false as well. Even though these perspectives are different but raising valid points about the family, they all contain some mythical elements as analyzed above.

Works Cited

Barker, Geoff. What Is a Myth? Britannica Educational Publishing in association with Rosen Educational Services, 2014.

Denniston, Lyle. Opinion analysis: Marriage now open to same-sex couples. SCOTUS Blog, 26 Jun. 2015, https://www.scotusblog.com/2015/06/opinion-analysis-marriage-now-open-to-same-sex-couples/. Accessed June 4. 2019.