In AS class, we have talked about both the wisdom and ignorance of crowds. This is the concept that many people collaborating can problem solve very quickly and be effective in many ways, and at the same time that group of people, with the wrong motives, could influence and control the opinions of every group member. I think that the puritan society in The Crucible is an example of both those concepts fused together. On one hand, the collective beliefs and goals of these people have helped them to form a very successful society, which had previously been uncommon in the "wilderness" of the new world. In addition, however, the combined perpetrating force of the society allows these people to commit the horrible accusations and punishments brought upon the alleged witches of the town. In this way, a society of dedicated, hard working people with essentially nothing but good intentions became a dark chapter in history, stained with the story of the witch trials. This awful history brings me to the question: although not to the severe degree of the witch trials, does a society of like-minded people always bring both strength through unity and ignorance, or could a society exist with only the positives?
That's an interesting question. I don't think it's possible for a society to exist with only positives. At some point one person will want power, and will realize that he can gain it if he convinces a group of people to act against another person or group. It's difficult for this not to happen, because it's easy to start to believe what others around you believe, even if it's not true or positive.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Liesel on this one. There are endless issues in this world, and all of them have more than one side. In order to please one person, another person somewhere else is likely to get mad. Also, bad intentions lie within all human beings, even though we might not realize it. In a world with only positives, someone will eventually realize the potential and try to take control. You have to take everything with a grain of salt, and in this instance, I feel ignorance is key to the proper function of society.
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