Is fighting for what you believe in always a good thing? Is it a virtue?
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
[PL 431] Should you fight for what you believe in?
"Fight for what you believe in" is a ubiquitous theme in blockbuster movies. For example, in Underworld: Awakening, David tells Selene that he admires her because she fights for what she believes in.
Is fighting for what you believe in always a good thing? Is it a virtue?
Is fighting for what you believe in always a good thing? Is it a virtue?
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I think that fighting for what you believe in is a great thing. If you believe in something and others are telling you it is the wrong thing to believe in, then you have to make it known to them why you are a believer. Fighting for what you believe in is a virtue because it shows that you have moral standards. For example, during the Civil Rights Movement millions of African Americans participated in nonviolent protests, marches, and sit-ins in order for segregation to turn into integration. They thought that the moral thing to do was to fight for equal rights. They faced opposition nationwide from people who did not believe in what they believed in. Despite the animosity, African Americans kept on pushing and fighting for what they believed was the right choice.
ReplyDeleteFighting for what you believe in is always a good thing if it serves an honest purpose that can help others or ourselves. In the history of America, the people of our country have made tremendous progress. In the past, immigrants, African Americans and women of this country have been discriminated against and denied equal rights. The likes of Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton all fought for what they believed in. They fought for their rights and eventually won the fight. These leaders had the courage to stand up and fight for what they believed in. Their work not only benefitted themselves but also had a tremendous impact on all of the following generations. Therefore, these are examples when it was definitely worth fighting for what you believe in.
ReplyDeleteHowever, there may be times in which it is not always a good thing to fight for what you believe in. An example could be showing support for a politician who ends up being corrupt while in office. Another example can be supporting a friend who is being accused of lying. When that friend is proven guilty, it may put ourselves in a tough situation.
In conclusion, fighting for what we believe in is very important. It establishes our integrity as human beings. However, it is important to ensure that what we are fighting for is valid.
No. The Crusades is a prime example of “fighting for what you believe in” being a not-so-good thing. Yes, they believed it was a good thing, but murder is not condoned in current society as being good. Furthermore, this character trait is a virtue. Although it may not always be a positive virtue, according to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, “to possess a virtue is to be a certain sort of person with a certain complex mindset.” The mindset, in this case, would be to have an emotional connection, along with perceptions and values, concerning what the person believes in. If it was one action, it would not be a virtue, however, it one’s entire life is dedicated to this belief, it can be considered a virtue.
ReplyDeleteJustice and benevolence do, in general, benefit their possessors, since without them eudaimonia is not possible.
ReplyDeleteThe concept of a virtue is the concept of something that makes its possessor good: a virtuous person is a morally good, excellent or admirable person who acts and feels well, rightly, as she should.
Hursthouse, Rosalind, "Virtue Ethics", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2013 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = .
In reference to this article practicing restraint and mindfulness for the well beings of others is most desired. It is not virtuous to fight for what you believe in that it is not in good favor of who you are fighting for. Fighting is an ambiguous term and implies the sense of perceived strength over a person or situation or a struggle resulting in a loss of a physical or mental battle. It is advantageous to make your intentions known about your position toward a person. Virtue also run into the discrepancy of being perceived different based on the perception. Displaying a sense of purpose toward your desired goal is always a fitting fashion to model a behavior.
According to Virtue Ethics, "The concept of a virtue is the concept of something that makes its possessor good: a virtuous person is a morally good, excellent or admirable person who acts and feels well, rightly, as she should." Our society loves to make movies, TV shows and write books based on the idea, "Fight for what you believe in." My biggest concern when it comes to this belief is, who is deciding whether what the person believes in is good or evil? The idea seems virtuous, and courageous, but it can just as likely be selfish. Let's say I believe in not going to college and instead being a sloth and living off of my parents for the rest of my life, well, when my parents insist I get a job I can say, "NO, I don't want to work or study. I want to stay home and do nothing. It's what I believe in and you can't make me do otherwise!" I'm positive no one would agree that I'm fighting my parents for a just cause, yet I would say I'm fighting for what I believe in. That's only a mild example. Now imagine I hate a certain ethnic group and decide that they all must be killed. If I tried then I would just be "Fighting for what I believe in." Do you see where I'm going with this? The idea can get absurd really quickly and even horrifying if it involves hurting others. Don't get me wrong, this belief can be noble such as, "I believe that no one should go to sleep hungry or without shelter, therefore I will feed the homeless and provide a home for them." So when it comes to fighting for what you believe in, I don't think it's always a good thing, nor do i think it's always noble.
ReplyDeleteFighting for what you believe in is an ambiguous phrase. One would need to clarify what they mean by “fighting.” Is the individual actually physically fighting or does it refer to a hurdle that one needs to face?
ReplyDeleteEither way, fighting for what you believe in cannot always be a good thing. In this example of Selene in the Underword: Awakening, by fighting for what she believes in, she is actually physically fighting, and taking quite a numerous amount of lives along the way.
It is tough to say if it is a virtue or not because it depends on the context, and what one is fighting for. This example would display a case in which this theme would not be considered a virtue. However, in the case of Martin Luther King, Jr., this theme may be considered a virtue because he fought for what he believed in (which is racial equality). This “fighting energy” is what allowed him to become such an influential man in history.
These are two very extreme cases, but prove the fact that fighting for what you believe in is not always a good thing, and since virtues are innate, good qualities a person has, then it cannot always be said that this theme is a virtue as well.
Fighting for what you believe in is always a good thing. The word “always” makes this sentence a little more set in stone, but definitely true. There is nothing wrong with having your own beliefs especially in today’s society and fighting for those beliefs. For example if Martin Luther King Jr. did not fight for his beliefs then would segregation and other unfair laws towards people of color still exist today or have changed the way that it did? Nope. If Mother Teresa did not fight for what she believed in and stood up in helping the poor and needy then we wouldn’t have the Missionaries of Charity and she wouldn’t have inspired millions of other people in wanting to help out the needy and doing good/being a better person. Even after a fight, what one believes in may not come true and this does not make fighting what you believe in of lesser value. A virtue is a positive trait or quality and is a foundation a person has that implies he/she is a good moral being. When people fight for what they believe in, it’s usually because they believe it to be good. Due to feeling so strongly about a matter that a person feels the need he/she can stand up for it I do think that this action itself can mean that it is virtuous. Parts of virtue include having wisdom to make the right choices and do good; virtue also goes along with dignity. All of these concepts tie along with the intent behind fighting for what one believes in. One must have wisdom to make the right choices in fighting for what one believes in. So yes, whether it is a success or fail to fight for what you believe in will always be a good thing, and the intent behind it will make it virtuous.
ReplyDeleteFighting for what you believe in motivates us to move forward, and think outside of the box. Many people in history have been successful because they believed that their own causes were worth fighting for and most likely they reached to a level of satisfaction by finally obtaining the acceptance or support from society. However, even though many cases are being fought for positive outcomes they are other situations that aren’t and that is the reason everyone needs to re evaluate and question how worth is it to fight for an specific argument. During this reevaluation, one must identify the problem, and the possible solutions. In my personal opinion, individuals should fight for what they believe when in fact this cause promotes the common wealth of society.
ReplyDeleteI do no think fighting for what you believe in is always a good thing because what a person may believe may not be ethically or morally right. Why upholding one's beliefs can be seen as a strength in regard to loyalty, people can be blinded by their own ignorance in regard to their beliefs. For example, people who believed in the Holocaust and Hitler's agenda clearly were in the wrong morally and ethically and were ignorant in regard to their own beliefs. I do not think it is a virtue because in every situation fighting for what one believes in is not always morally right or correct.
ReplyDelete