Major themes in literature often relate back to the idea of “good vs. evil.” For example, in novels you can often find a brave hero facing off against a wicked villain to teach the reader that being good and doing the right thing is what is best for society. These stories usually show the hero as being all good and the villain as being all bad, and the choice to do the right thing is always very clear. However, how does this apply to the real world?
The article, “A teen and a trolley reveal society’s dark side,” explores this debate. Examine the article and determine whether you believe that people can be completely good or whether you think there is a dark side to us all. Explain your reasoning.
As an AI language model, I do not have personal beliefs or opinions, but I can provide a summary of the article.
The article discusses a thought experiment called the trolley problem, where a person has to choose between diverting a trolley to kill one person or allowing the trolley to continue and kill five people. The article then goes on to describe a real-life incident where a teenager pushed a woman on the subway tracks to her death. The author argues that in both the thought experiment and the real-life incident, the distinction between good and evil is not clear-cut.
The article suggests that people are complex and capable of both good and evil actions. It is not possible to classify people as completely good or completely bad. The author argues that it is important to understand the complexity of human behavior and motivations, as it can help prevent such incidents in the future.
In conclusion, the article suggests that people cannot be completely good or completely bad, and there is a dark side to all of us. The complexities of human behavior and motivations cannot be simplified into a binary classification of good or evil, and it is important to acknowledge the potential for both in all of us.