Ignorance is Not an Excuse Essays - 980 Words

Ignorance is Not an Excuse We only choose what we think is good and if anyone chooses evil it must be through ignorance. Plato believes that we always choose good unless we are ignorant. Plato claims being ignorant would be the only excuse for choosing evil. His views of this are apparent in the Meno. As I read up on whether or not we deliberately choose evil I realized there are many sides, many ways to answer this question. My opinion is not as clear as I thought. In this paper I will go through numerous writings on this subject, such as the Meno. The writings by Augustine and Descartes basically support Platos argument. While comparing all the writings I hope that I can come up with a conclusion of my own.†¦show more content†¦Also, it is quite apparent that Mr. McVeigh is not ignorant. He happens to be a very smart man. Here is a perfect example of someone choosing harm, or evil without having the excuse of being ignorant. Unfortunately, we know there are many more people in the world like this. I give Plato the benefit of the doubt for his opinion because maybe in the time peri od he lived there were not these extreme examples of people choosing evils on purpose, without the excuse of ignorance. Augustines writings on Free Will contain a segment about whether or not to choose sin. Augustine starts in the Garden of Eden, where all Christians believe everything began. Augustine states that in the Garden of Eden there were Gods commandments from above and the serpents, the Devils, suggestions from below. Gods commandments are the good and the suggestions from the serpent are evil. Augustine is real blunt when explaining what he believes. He says that if a person has reached a state of wisdom he shall have no problem in not succumbing to the suggestions from the serpent below. He states that even fools, the ignorant, will eventually be able to move on to a state of wisdom. They will then be able to overcome the evil suggestions of the serpent. Augustine does write that those who find wisdom after ignorance will have a problem letting go of the sweetnes s of the evil things they have become accustomed toShow MoreRelatedIgnorance Is Not An Excuse For Not Learning Essay1337 Words   |  6 PagesScream aloud and you will be heard, because if you scream in your head and sigh quietly aloud, no one will hear. More often than not, it is the loud, obnoxious, and the obvious that are recognized. It is true that ignorance is not an excuse for not learning, but one must realize the ignorance before being able to right it. Many people are ignorant when it comes to mental illness. It is an odd paradox, that a society, which can now speak openly and unabashedly about topics that were once unspeakableRead MorePlatos View of Conventional Morality853 Words   |  3 Pagesare an excuse for partners to cheat. However, I do believe that it aids the overall process along. 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