The Frivolity of Evil by Theodore Dalrymple Essay - 886 Words

The article The Frivolity of Evil by Theodore Dalrymple analyzes the causes of human misery. His work as a psychiatrist in Great Britains slums afforded him a great vantage point to analyze this topic nearer to the fundamental of human existence. He concluded that the citizens of Great Britian willingly participated in precipitating their own misery. Their are three recurring theme in his article the lack of moral responsibility, extreme individualism and lack of cultural expectations. Dalrymple begins his article by showing the mind frame of a prisoner released from prison, who had the idea that he had paid his debt to society. In order to get his point across Dalrymple compares the prisoners situation to his very own, the 14†¦show more content†¦He believed that this shift in thinking leads people to imply that dissatisfaction with life is itself pathological. The idea that this is an illness that can be cured by a doctor. Dalrymple believed that this form of thinki ng stands in the way of people understanding their situation and impedes moral change. The lack of moral responsibility was a recurring theme he observed in his patients. The patient who claimed unhappiness had three different children by three different men. The fathers of the three children lived a life of criminality and violence. Knowing this she still choose to enter into a relationship with them regardless of the consequences. What is confounding is the lack of moral responsibility the patients exhibit towards her children. Their is no punishment from the government or society for the actions she makes. The idea of self interest is prominent is this articles. These individuals base their decisions on their on self interest. They only have a responsibility to their own happiness. Her actions are due to the fact that she did not want to remain alone. He mother based her decisions to turn her daughter out based on the thought that her own sexual liaisons were more imp ortant than caring for her child. The mother of the patient created a cycle of misery for her daughter that, the daughter in turn will create for her own children.Show MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Theodore Dalrymple And The Frivolity Of Evil1044 Words   |  5 PagesTheodore Dalrymple and The Frivolity of Evil ‘The Frivolity of Evil’ is an article written by retired psychiatrist, Theodore Dalrymple. Dalrymple has spent 14 years of his life working in the lower-class slum and prison hospitals in Birmingham, England. His exposure to the lower class in his work has given rise to his unique interested in ‘evil’ or as his title suggest, the lack of seriousness that is taken in regard to evil actions and its recent growth. Dalrymple has traveled all over the world