Human Nature, Plagues and the Antidote
People are born with an equal capacity to do good and to do evil. In every person there is a ceaseless battle between Eros and Thanatos; the need to preserve and conserve life and the need to destroy all living things, respectively. Life has myriad of events that bring Eros and Thanatos into conflict. War is a constant in human nature so it is expected that was will also be seen in the physical world. War is aided by many different sources but on of the most prevalent in modern society is nationalism. In War is a Force That Gives us Meaning, Chris Hedges writes about the perils of nationalism, the eternal war in human nature, and how those two things relate.
Eros and Thanatos are in a constant struggle …show more content…
When people are “blinded by the narcotic of war” it is easy to forget that the opponent is also people trying to protect their beliefs (158). Both sides during a war are fighting for their people: Eros. Both sides during war are fighting to annihilate the opposition: Thanatos. Both sides are fighting for their counties: Nationalism. Nationalism is sustenance for Thanatos“as long as [people] find in patriotism and the exuberance of war [their] fulfillment” (180). Nationalism “ allows [people] to do what peacetime society forbids or restrains [them] from doing” and by doing so allows Thanatos to overcome Eros (171). Hedges asserts that “love alone can fight the impulses that lures [people] toward self destruction” (160). Love is the only thing that can counteract Thanatos and break through the veil of nationalism. As long as fulfillment is found in war , “[people] will never understand those who do battle against [them]” therefore Eros cannot overcome Thanatos. Thanatos and nationalism are the inverse of Eros and love. In Gorazde, the nationalistic forces were against a Serbian family and it caused “the Soraks [to be] childless” (51). After the presumed death of the Soraks first son “his wife gave birth to a girl … and was unable to nurse the child (51). The Soraks’ muslim neighbor, against the nationalist tide, “gave [the Soraks] 221 litres” of milk to keep the child alive (52). During war “love may not triumph, but it keeps [people] human” and gives them some sense of morality back during an immoral time (168). The Soraks neight was risking getting killed by snipers to milk his cow and withstood the ridicule from the Muslim community in order to keep the child alive. He demonstrated that even with the pressure of Thanatos and nationalism, Eros and love can make a difference in a person’s life. Eros, Thanatos and nationalism are reasons people are attracted to war. Thanatos and nationalism allow people to
People are born with an equal capacity to do good and to do evil. In every person there is a ceaseless battle between Eros and Thanatos; the need to preserve and conserve life and the need to destroy all living things, respectively. Life has myriad of events that bring Eros and Thanatos into conflict. War is a constant in human nature so it is expected that was will also be seen in the physical world. War is aided by many different sources but on of the most prevalent in modern society is nationalism. In War is a Force That Gives us Meaning, Chris Hedges writes about the perils of nationalism, the eternal war in human nature, and how those two things relate.
Eros and Thanatos are in a constant struggle …show more content…
When people are “blinded by the narcotic of war” it is easy to forget that the opponent is also people trying to protect their beliefs (158). Both sides during a war are fighting for their people: Eros. Both sides during war are fighting to annihilate the opposition: Thanatos. Both sides are fighting for their counties: Nationalism. Nationalism is sustenance for Thanatos“as long as [people] find in patriotism and the exuberance of war [their] fulfillment” (180). Nationalism “ allows [people] to do what peacetime society forbids or restrains [them] from doing” and by doing so allows Thanatos to overcome Eros (171). Hedges asserts that “love alone can fight the impulses that lures [people] toward self destruction” (160). Love is the only thing that can counteract Thanatos and break through the veil of nationalism. As long as fulfillment is found in war , “[people] will never understand those who do battle against [them]” therefore Eros cannot overcome Thanatos. Thanatos and nationalism are the inverse of Eros and love. In Gorazde, the nationalistic forces were against a Serbian family and it caused “the Soraks [to be] childless” (51). After the presumed death of the Soraks first son “his wife gave birth to a girl … and was unable to nurse the child (51). The Soraks’ muslim neighbor, against the nationalist tide, “gave [the Soraks] 221 litres” of milk to keep the child alive (52). During war “love may not triumph, but it keeps [people] human” and gives them some sense of morality back during an immoral time (168). The Soraks neight was risking getting killed by snipers to milk his cow and withstood the ridicule from the Muslim community in order to keep the child alive. He demonstrated that even with the pressure of Thanatos and nationalism, Eros and love can make a difference in a person’s life. Eros, Thanatos and nationalism are reasons people are attracted to war. Thanatos and nationalism allow people to