Do External restraints fail to ensure good human behavior? How and Why?

External restraints are standards of goodness and badness formulated by society in which we live, like in some societies the determinant of individual’s goodness is one’s intellectual abilities while in some others saintness comes way ahead of intellectualness. In other societies respect and pride is based on race, cast and family background. They affect individual human behavior in both positive and negative ways.

The internal restraints are those which human beings have in their nature and instincts, like every one considers lying a bad thing, everyone wants to be praised, liked and talked about by others. Sparing psychologically abnormal person (and this abnormality is mostly caused by external factors and not internal or inborn) all human beings dislike bloodshed, they like peace and love among each other. They are non-violent in nature. They want to help others and they know the right behavior is as they want to be behaved by others.

No doubt there are traces of greed, selfishness, violence and others such so called negative factors in human nature, but they are only to ensure a balance. If human beings had absolutely no greed, no selfishness, they could not have got happiness from their surrounding and we see the ultimate greed is not for wealth, material possession or authority but it is for happiness what these things bring about with them. The selfishness is just doing something for one self at some cost of other’s interests. For human nature or for human soul in other words the self is just a person or a human being as many others in the society but with the difference that this souls is very close, familiar, attached and trusting to that material person (self). So it is very natural that this nature favors more that person (self). If there were no selfishness, I fear human beings could not even use animals and plants for their own purpose and uses and there’s a great chance that they would have sacrificed their own lives in order to spare other living things or even non-living but good and beautiful things as observed by the teachings and behavior of Hindu and Buddhist saints. The same stands true for violence as well.

So being selfish, greedy and violent is a blessing in disguise. The problem arises when we come to know that these so called negative internal factors are operating beyond their desired limits. As a result we find violence against other fellow beings, selfishness and greed doing harm to other’s more important precious and necessary requirements.

The nature equipped human beings with the best possible instincts, desires and standards and important with necessary balance. But why do we see so much deviation from all these internal standards and instincts. One can argue that ideal is not possible is not possible. I agree with this that this is not possible. But who says human nature and requirements are ideal. Coming back to the point that why there is so much deviation. Although living together in societies and interacting more with each other increases the chances that these so called negative factors in human nature operate beyond the desired limit. But in no way living together has in it the demand to sacrifice positive factors for negative ones, however in some way or the other this does happen. The question of “why” and “how” it happens is another issue, but knowing the history of human society from simpler to complex (Carl Marx theory of societies) one comes to know that the overall goodness of human nature is decreasing steadily. If one disagrees with Marx theory of social progression, he’s sure to agree with that with the passage of time society is getting complex. Now having established this, one should compare himself the goodness and badness of human behavior in complex and simple societies through social life in small villages comprising of just a few hundred homes to larger villages and step by step to metropolitan cities of the world which have obviously complex societies than in smaller cities and villages.

Hence it is society and its restraints which are contributing to deviation from instinctual standards and cause bad human behavior which ultimately unite to form the collective deviant behavior of society. Now the “how” and “why” questions remain to be addressed.

There may be many theories and factors which can explain this process. One is “diffusion of responsibility” in larger groups or society. The other could be “aging” theory of goodness of society (with the passage of time society is losing its goodness). Another important factor is lack of trust among human beings in larger and complex society because of shared resources and increased interdependence. This must be noted that in simpler societies, people know each other more; hence they trust and care each other. While in complex societies as a result of decreased trust individuals feels that other people are oppressing them and sharing their rights. Ultimately as a result they too start oppressing other’s rights. The process continues.

In fact this is not a spontaneous process and human beings do have the ability to reverse this, albeit it is very difficult and very sincere efforts need to be made. We observe some societies improve in their behavior by the efforts of individuals and institutions. Some of such examples include the appearance and progress of religions and their beliefs. As Moses, Jesus, Buddha and Muhammad (PBUH) reversed the deteriorating social behavior. Their respective societies remained good for prolonged period of time, but with aging, and diffusion of responsibilities as these societies become complex and larger the problem rises again.

The present day examples of such efforts are those made by institutions, organizations and individuals in teaching people about good and bad. But in fact the pace of deterioration is because of increasing complexity and size of society and lack of trust is much more than the serious efforts made to bring about goodness in the society. As a result the present day world is facing such grave problems, like hunger, terrorism, exploitation of other’s resources and territories, global warming, water shortage and pollution, economic recessions.

If modern world has to find the solution of these manmade problems, it would have to make collective efforts to remove lack of trust, to increase sense of responsibility and improving its moral and ethical values.

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I did not write this Essay from CSS examination point of view. It was just a try. So I didnt follow the words limits and outlines. The language used is simplpe. As The Essay is not complete and I have to groom it so I would like to get all types of constructive feedback other than number of words and outlines.

Regards

Ya, this is not meant for an exam but the topic you choose was from a past paper, right ? Anyway, it is good essay but need some examples from the society to understand it fully. Continue the good work.

nopes, the topic was not from Past paper. Actually In our syllabus and in past paper by chance we had the same Essay. "Machines And Emotions" This was written by Bertrand Russel.
And in our syllabus after reading the Essay we were supposed to discuss some points and one of those points was this, which i discussed here in the essay.

Well, Thanx for you Encouragement..

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"The only necessary thing for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
--Edmund Burke (1729-1797)