Categories
College Essay Examples

ESSAY WRITING SAMPLE: APPIAH READING

Sample by My Essay Writer

Brief Summary
The Appiah reading delves into how perspectives can differ from person to person through differences in their cultural and societal background. This means that even if a group of individuals belongs to the same society, how they were raised and the culture they are a part of can result in radically different views. For example, even if two people are American citizens, if one were an Orthodox Jew and the other a Catholic, their opinion regarding the consumption of bacon would differ considerably. [Need an essay writing service? Find help here.]

As such, the reading infers that there is no such thing as a “one size fits all” perspective. People will have different opinions which are an immutable and inalienable aspect of the diverse cultures and backgrounds that are inherent in most societies. However, Appiah explains that this does not mean that there can be no middle ground between the different points of view.  There is an inherent willingness to cooperate based on the “social contract” that all individuals who are part of a society enter into. In essence, people find a middle ground with their differing perspectives so that they receive the benefits of being part of society.[Click Essay Writer to order your essay]

Appiah even explains this by stating that there is a willingness to be governed; however, this does not mean that someone has to agree with all the claims and values. People desire to be part of society, so they accept the views of other individuals but have no desire to express it themselves.

Question 2
One of the best examples that captures this moral disagreement is when Appiahmentioned how people perceive family life. In the example, he pointed out how one father regularly ate with his favorite sister, gave money to his nieces and nephews and seemly adopted the role of a second father to them. To most people, this would seem incredibly strange since the man has his own family.  [“Write my essay for me?” Get help here.]

However, Appiah resolves this by pointing out that what makes sense to a person is inherently influenced by the concepts that they grew up with. This actually makes a lot of sense since values, morality, ethics and what people consider as “normal” are affected by the patterns of behavior that they internalized when they were younger which then solidify as they grow older. For example, many people find it strange that orthodox Jews only eat food that is kosher; many non-Jewish individuals find this behavior very limiting due to the diverse plethora of food that they would be missing out on.

However, on the part of the Orthodox Jew, this behavior is not strange at all since it is an aspect of their cultural heritage and has become so ingrained into their way of thinking that it is not considered unusual at all and is even an essential aspect of their daily life. This shows that while there are shared valued within a society, there are other issues at work which influence how people live their lives.

Avatar photo

By Hanna Robinson

Hanna has won numerous writing awards. She specializes in academic writing, copywriting, business plans and resumes. After graduating from the Comosun College's journalism program, she went on to work at community newspapers throughout Atlantic Canada, before embarking on her freelancing journey.