Heroes and Role Models reveal Society's Highest Ideals?

Claim: The best way to understand the character of a society is to examine the character of the men and women that the society chooses as its heroes or its role models.

Reason: Heroes and role models reveal a society's highest ideals.

Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the claim and the reason on which that claim is based.

 

 

      In order to understand a society, there is an immeasurable amount of emphasis placed upon the rich, famous and influential. However, discerning a society's role models and heroes is easier said than done. There are no lists of who are the heroes and role model's of modern society, because it is all subjective. The principles of beliefs, religion, politics, personal morals, and axioms effect who and what is consider the "highest ideals" of a society.

   A society can not be characterized simple by a sample of a particular group. One can not attest that the United States' character as a society is based upon firefighters, policemen, or even politicians. Everyone has different role models depending on their personal life stories, challenges, and social status.

   A person who has had to overcome real personal struggles may say their heroes are people who are philanthropist; while a rich teenage girl may say Snookie from Jersey Shore is her role model and hero. Thus, the idea of "heroes" and "role models" is relative to the person that is being asked.

    It could be argued that the best way to understand the character of a society to examine their laws and prevalent literature. These documentations will be the materials that will last the tests of time. The liberties and literature of a society will be more concrete evidence to a society's ideals.

    The notion of literature and laws prevailing to show a society's ideal is clear with the Roman Empire and Ancient Greeks. As students of the past, we understand their culture, ideals and the identity of the culture through their laws, literature, philosophy, religion, and more.

   The reason and claim made are relative to their audience and can be subjective. The true insight of a society's highest ideals are the arts, culture, and laws that will outlast people. However, people do have their mark on the character of a society, but this is usually to highlight the negative ideals not to emulate.

 

What are you thoughts?