Wylie P5 T9 Edwardian Era Synthesis Question

Wylie P5 T9 Edwardian Era Synthesis Question 2

Retribution can be defined as punishment; something done or given to somebody as vengeance for something he or she has done. Questions of the morality and acceptability of violent retribution in society can be answered through examples, taken from the Edwardian Era, of events such as World War One, as well as related examples extending so far as into the world of art, specifically, John D. Shaw’s acrylic masterpiece, “The Highest Possible Courage”. Using the Edwardian example of WWI, the questions of when violent retribution is immoral, as well as whether war makes violent retribution amoral can be answered. Immoral maintains a fundamentally different meaning than amoral: where immoral means a complete refusal of morals to the point of wickedness, amoral mean simply a lack of morals; unethical or unprincipled. Therefore, according to these definitions, violent retribution can be considered immoral in that violent vengeance inflicted unnecessary is always an act of malice. This violent retribution can, however, be modified from a state of immorality to one of amorality in the case of a war. This assertion is fortified by the example of WWI. In that time of chaos, terror, and tragedy violent retribution could most definitely be classified amoral rather than immoral as there was a war going on and many people’s lives were at risk. Additionally, John D. Shaw’s painting, “The Highest Possible Courage”, represents society’s justification of violence as righteous retribution as it depicts men committing brutal acts of war in a valorous light. Finally, society today has justified current cases of aggressive retribution in the same way as it did during the Edwardian Era: drastic and violent times, such as times of war, call for drastic and violent retributive measures.

Wylie Team 9 Period 5

Audrey Ford

Gus Shettleroe

Adrienne Quiles