So Raphael has some pretty
strong political beliefs. He knows what he wants to see in a perfect society and what he does not want. He also has plenty of examples that help him prove his point about a belief. I guess that comes from his age and wisdom as well as all of his travels and how he
was able to see how other societies worked and did not work.
His idea that no matter
how good a policy is it will always look insane to someone who sees the world
differently is spot on. That idea is still relevant now. If people have a
different view and idea of how the world works it will be hard to get them to
abandon that idea.
I also liked how he did not think that thieves should be getting
the same death penalty as murders. Yes they committed a crime but the crime is
not that bad that they need that severe of a punishment. Killing them off also
really doesn’t realistically stop people from stealing. To stop someone from
stealing you would have to find the root of the problem, the reason why they
are stealing, and try and fix that. He says that the reason why some have resorted
to stealing is because of sheep farming. They are being run off of their land
and have no choice but to beg, since they aren’t needed as farmers since their
land is being used for something else.
Sheep really do get a bad name
due to the practice of enclosure. When Raphael mentions how sheep used to be
mild and content but now they are so greedy and wild that they devour men, all I
see is a demonic sheep. I just imagine a secret gathering of sheep plotting on
how to kill off the humans. That is a really creepy thought to have enclosure
compared to it seems like he has a problem with the idea of landowners using
their power to fill their pockets and starve the little guy.
One of the biggest arguments, to me, that More makes in the thieves defense is the fact that they were raised to be that way by the society that they live in. By taking away theieves civil liberties and forcing them into poverty by heavy taxation or simple neglect, people are forced into a life a crime because they have no other place to turn to if they want to survive. Thus, why should we kill these people that were simply trying to survive. This idea still carries over to our society today. Not simply with people being pushed to a life of crime, but also the fact that many people stuck in poor communities often are to often stuck in an endless cycle of having to life there for the rest of their lives.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I love the evil sheep comment. Second, I'm on board with Metha about Raphael none too gently blaming the parents and society who raised the thieves. Part of fixing a problem is asking why people do what they do. If people steal because they're hungry, what's really the problem? The stealing needs to be addressed, but the hunger needs to be addressed as well. Otherwise, the stealing continues.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I liked the idea of not killing the thieves, but I was a little unsure about how I felt about Raphael's plan. After our class discussion I can say that perhaps its not such a bad idea at all (other than the torment of almost never being free ever again and being a slave for the rest or your life). That being said, if you can't do the time, don't do the crime I guess, right?
ReplyDelete