The Man Of Men Essay, Research Paper

The Man of Men

A man in the arid valley looks at the sun and bows with praise. A man walks into a room, flips a switch and darkness is no more. Which of these men is more free: the man in the heart of nature out of the bounds of society, or the man in the center of it? We are then confronted by the question are those beings which are savages and cannibals more free within their primitive society than the man of the modern age?

Patient yet savage he awaits for his prey in the early dawn. He vaults to his feat when he notices that the young fawn has spotted him and has begun to flee. As his hairy body passes tree limbs, thorn bushes, and vines, a once clotted gash reopens on the sole of his foot. Blood flows fast but his wound is unimportant; for if he does not succeed in today+s hunt, there will be no food on the fire for tonight.

Here in this state of nature+s harshness men is most free and pure. |The laws of nature still rule them, very little corrupted by ours; but they are in such a state of purity…X (Montaigne, The Essays) Primitive man outside the bounds of formal society is free of the things which character today+s modern society: greed, corruption, waste, and destruction.

Man hits the snooze button only to go back to sleep for ten more minutes. Buuzzzzzzzz!!! Like dejavu he repeats the action. After the second time, he awakens to find himself twenty minutes late. He springs to his feet and still asleep walks to the bathroom. He hops in the shower and cleans himself. Blood flows fast; he has cut his face with the razor because his hands still sleep. A band aid does the trick and he is off to work.

This modern man in the amenities has extracted himself from nature+s harshness; however, he has contracted a far worse punishment. He has afflicted upon himself the harsh sounding names of society: avarice, licentiousness, and hate. By coming into this social union with other men, man has eliminated his original freedoms for the security of the mass.

|Since men cannot create new forces, but merely combine and control those which already exist, the only way in which they can preserve themselves is by uniting their separate powers in a combination strong enough to overcome any resistance, uniting them so that their powers are directed by single motive and act in concertX

(The Social Contract, Rousseau).

As Rousseau said, men give up individual freedom for the security which comes from the strength of many. Therefore, man is a slave to the mass which he adheres to.

A trail of blood shadows the fawn as a silhouette of the man drags the tender dear towards his cave. But over the hills and through the woods he must travel to join company with his own. Once there, a reception of leftover meat, water, and a happy clan will greet him with approbation and open arms. Momentum has stopped for Neanderthal man. He hands the dead to a woman whom will gut and skin the deer. He is greeted by the rest with cold meat and water. He sits by the fire to warm his large muscular body.

Primitive man in his own society depended on others for support, however, he did not give up his freedoms.

Horns blaze loud to suggest movement in traffic up ahead. It is lunch time and man can see the golden arches in front of him. Working all morning has aroused his hunger and his lunch awaits inanimately for the sacrificial $2.99. |I would like a number one please with no pickles and extra mayo,X man says to the cashier. The cashier nods to his request. Incredibly something from every food group is on the tray. His eyes glued to the TV, he meticulously takes a bite out of the hamburger and a sip of the tasty drink.

Thought Modern man depends on others for survival it seems that the exchange of wealth is necessary in order for men to collaborate. Today modern man has given up his freedom for security and the advance of his wealth.

It is afternoon in the quaint little cave dwelling and Neanderthal man sharpens his stones for the removal of the deers silky tan hide and soggy innards. They will feast tonight with dance, howls, and lovemaking; but perhaps the fire will die and they will spend hours to start it again.

Life was ever present for primitive man because every moment could bring upon his demise.

Through the horns and car exhaust the man struggles home. Briefcase clutched, civilized man climbs the three flight of stairs to his abode where he will eat, watch murder on TV, and make love to his wife; and after this he will rest, and so will his day.

Today, man is confronted by the dangers of the urban jungle: cars, smog, crime, but these things do not truly concern him first hand.

With all the modern day comforts, we seem to be complicating our lives. To our employment, government, and school we are bound and made to be complacent seemingly in the creation of a better nation; when in fact what is is happening is the deterioration of society for monetary gain and the control over others. And what was once a fertile land for an early unknowing civilization has become the night-carnival to the devil we call civilized man. In Neanderthal days everyone was an equal, they depended on each other, and money had not yet been born. Which society do you think has achieved freedoms? I think Neanderthal. A wise man once said,

|and though you seek in garments the freedom of privacy you may find in them a harness and chain would that you could meet the son and the wind with more of your skin and less of your raiment, for the breath of life is in the sunlight and the hand of life is in the wind.X

(The Profit, Kahlil Gibran).