False Dichotomies Essay, Research Paper

For years communities have grown and changed based on personal and

intellectual growth of the people in the community. It seems that every community

always has an ideal way of living. When this is disrupted by bad behavior, the

behavior is usually looked down upon and often times is punishable. This just proves

that in most communities, certain behaviors are always desirable, while others are always

undesirable.

In Peacemaking Among Primates, Frans DeWaal discusses the fact that peace is

most always a behavior that is desirable within communities, while aggression is

undesirable. He then goes on to explain that the words peace and aggression can

have many different definitions, The connotations and moral values attached to these

words coax us into false dichotomies, whereas in real life we rarely meet pure forms

(18). Each of these words, while usually either frowned upon or condoned, do not

always mean what people believe them to mean. Every human has the universal

definition of each of these words embedded in their memory, but when they themselves

use either word, depending on the situation, the definition changes. When these words

are used to describe a situation, for example in international politics, what they believe is

usually based upon the universal definition. Either of these words can be used to shape

our idea of different situations, making us believe something that may not be true. This

just proves that certain behaviors are more desirable than others, but it depends on who is

critiquing the behavior.

DeWaal uses examples of international politics to prove that the use of the words

can change people s belief about a situation.

The word peace is the lullaby of politicians all over the world. The War is

Peace rhetoric of Nineteen Eighty-Four is recognizable in terms such as

pacification for wiping out entire villages in Vietnam, peacekeeping forces for

the British army in Northern Ireland, and Peacekeeper for a deadly missile

weapon. (19)

This just proves that the government, and everyone else, uses an ideal definition of

words to get a positive or negative reaction from the community.

I believe that it is true that certain behaviors are always desirable while others are

always undesirable, because it does not always have to do with peace and aggression.

Showing love for someone, going out of your way to help a person in need, doing

something to better yourself or the people around you, are always going to be things that

are admirable and desirable to either yourself or the others you are helping. Murder,

rape, and physical abuse seems to be undesirable to most people and is looked down

upon in most societies.

Situations and actions can be made to seem different from what they really are,

and people will believe what they want to believe. Because of this certain behaviors are

always going to be undesirable and others desirable because of what society has molded

people to believe.