Evil Is For Good Men To Do Nothing Analysis

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The constituents of living as a human on Earth develop with us both individually and with the rest of civilization. With this, good and evil cannot be simplified into two innate elements of human nature. “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” A quote by Edmund Burke encapsulates the theory and basis of philosophy in the long debated conflict between good and evil. At it’s core, this quote provides the implication that humans can be classified as either strictly good or evil. Despite this, in correlation with this quote, it can be asserted that the complex dynamics of morality and goodness in people give way for evil to triumph. This is denoted due to the dynamic composite of morals and ethics that …show more content…
As elaborated upon in the previous argument, human nature, the mind, and societal structures have developed greatly since our ancestors first walked the Earth. However, it is blatant that, fundamentally, the indolent nature of good people capacitates the manifestation of evil. Studying history shows, us in the modern day world, the outcomes of certain situations and teaches us to not repeat the same mistakes. Within this, it depicts true human nature. In the more modern bracket of warfare history, World War 2 and the Holocaust remains an ill reminder of the result of complacency and ignorance. Adolf Hitler infamously brainwashed his people while he controlled Nazi Germany, killing six million Jewish people in a cruel conquest for international power. Hitler's army, or wehrmact, was composed of 2 200 000 militants in 1945, who were thrusted into following Hitler’s beliefs, even if they contradicted their own. German historiography shows that at the time, the majority of Germany was aware of the mass murders, however, they did not know why exactly occurred at concentration camps. There is a powerful image of German POWS (captured by American soldiers), watching footage of concentration camps as part of the Allied Forces “denazification” process. Evident on nearly all their faces are forms of disgust, fear, and sadness. It is known, in context with human nature, that German soldiers and citizens of the nation had a tendency to fall into a state of denial, ignoring the institutionalized anti-Semitism and fascist nationalism out of fear. This reflex to avoid confrontation and ignore problems is what stopped the German people and the 2 million soldiers from even attempting to decelerate the Jewish genocide. Obviously, taking into account the perspectives of many during that time, it wouldn’t have been enough to completely stop the