LITR 4328:
American Renaissance
        

Final Exam Essays 2015
assignment

Sample answers for
C2. Literature & Morality

 

 

Joshua Van Horn

Moral Complexity in the Romantic Era

Moral understanding has been the pursuit of artists and philosophers of every nation. Undoubtedly, with the shifting landscape of American geography and ideology, America’s greatest minds tackled the issues raised by these questions. In the case of the American Renaissance, it was a pivotal time because following the European enlightenment moral sentiments became less clear. With the enlightenment producing a greater degree of skepticism, people inevitably began to doubt the existence of objective morality. With moral absolutes less established, the question arises as to whether or not one must turn to progressive moral relativism? American writers—Henry David Thoreau and Abraham Lincoln—did not believe so, opting for a path that recognizes the difficulty presented by notions of morality, while also suggesting that one is capable of discovering the best action to take in any moral situation.

          Perhaps the greatest moral concern of the Romantic period was the issue of slavery. As a system that had existed in the nation for centuries, slavery, during the Romantic era, was more complicated an issue than it is today. It being a part of everyday life, people were accustomed to it being tolerated, and it also helped to bring success to societal functions. Because of these circumstances, people were reluctant to give up the practice. Without question, America would be affected-- positively and negatively—through the prevention of the practice, and for that reason, decisions about it were to be considered carefully.

          In Resistance to Civil Government Henry David Thoreau acknowledges the complication of the moral issue of slavery, while still suggesting that action be taken place in regards to the controversial subject. Speaking of evils, Thoreau writes that man is not responsible for eliminating all wrongdoings from the world, but that “it is his duty, at least, to wash his hands of it” (Thoreau 13). Here, Thoreau, while claiming that there exists a moral absolute-- the evil of slavery-- suggests that though one may be sure of this, it is not one’s responsibility to force that knowledge on others. Instead, one must behave in a manner in which one’s behavior does not lend the evil its support. Thoreau places responsibility in the hands of the individual. He does not appeal to an objective moral code, nor does he suggest that morality is futile. Rather, he places the distinguishing of right and wrong in the hands of each individual’s conscience, saying, “the only obligation I have a right to assume is to do at any time what I think is right” (Thoreau 5). Doing this, Thoreau is able to acknowledge the complicated nature of morality, while also urging his readers towards action.

          For Thoreau, it is about acting in ways that ensure one does the right thing without impeding on the freedom of others. This is the point of passive resistance or civil disobedience in that it offers one an opportunity to do what is right without directly impacting other people’s lives. This is also the point of voluntary simplicity, a practice in which one reduces the amount of resources one uses in order to not have unnecessary ties to things that hold one back from proper moral behavior, reflected in Thoreau writing, “You must live within yourself, and depend upon yourself always tucked up and ready for a start, and not to have many affairs” (Thoreau 21). Both voluntary simplicity and civil disobedience work together in order to ensure that one can choose to behave in whichever way one sees fit without having to endure the consequences of being effected by others, and vice versa. Thoreau suggests this path because he understands the gravity of every moral decision. Placing responsibility in the individual urges one to do what is right without forcing others to do the same.

          While many writers took up the issue of slavery, anyone with an elementary education of American history knows that President Abraham Lincoln also spoke passionately about the subject. Like Thoreau, Lincoln was able to perceive the complications concerning moral issues of slavery’s magnitude.  Near the end of the Civil War, in his second inaugural address, President Lincoln, speaking of the two sides of the war, says, “both read the same bible and pray to the same God, and each invokes his aid against the other...That of neither has been answered fully. The almighty has his own purposes” (Lincoln 4).  Here, while having already made obvious what side of the war he is on, Lincoln admits to his audience the problematic nature of the civil war, suggesting that no moral situation is absolutely clear. This is similar to Thoreau in that it demonstrates that though moral absolutes may be harder to come by than they once were people still have a responsibility to act “as God gives us to see the right” (Lincoln 4). Once again, the responsibility is placed within the conscience of the individual. Instead of putting emphasis on doing what is absolutely right, Lincoln suggests that one does what one perceives as being right. This sentiment reveals Lincoln’s insightful understanding of the difficulty of moral issues.

          With the enlightenment rearranging moral structures, it was important for men like Thoreau and Lincoln to come along, and act as a prophetic voice to a nation that was unsure of its moral direction. Studying these men, one not only comes to realize how complicated the nature of morality is, but also that there are ways in which these complications can be resolved. Instead of searching for clear black and white answers, one must rely on critical thinking skills to solve the problems presented by each issue. In studying moral issues, one can either fall into despair, believing there is not absolute right or wrong, and therefore no clear explanation of how one should behave, or one can understand the complexity of moral issues, take heart, and make decisions that one believes are correct. According to Thoreau and Lincoln, one should choose the latter path, and it is because of this belief that it is important that the writings of these two men are continued to be taught.


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