Creon And Antigone Analysis

In order to understand the true impact of the decisions that Creon and Antigone made, it is also important to understand Weber’s perspective. In “Politics as a Vocation”, Weber emphasizes the authority and legitimacy from which political leaders derive power. Particularly, in the case of politics, legitimacy is seen as crucial; he defines a state as “the monopoly of the legitimate use of physical force within a given territory” (Weber 4). Without this legitimation, a monopoly of force is not enough to constitute a political entity. Taking it one step further, Weber also discusses the three legitimations of dominion over the state: traditional domination, charismatic domination, and legal domination. For a state to be legitimate, there needs

Although very few would argue that the terminological jungle set forth by other philosophers like Bentham and Kant can be characterized as simple, the two set forth theories of morality that seem to ignore the complexity of most multi-faceted decisions. Bentham’s utilitarianism distills moral decisions into a seemingly mathematical net measurement of pain and pleasure, advocating for decisions that maximize pleasure and minimize pain. The Kantian conception of a “categorical imperative” creates a universal binding set of right and wrong decisions that is not subject to changes in an individual’s whims or differing situations. For instance, if lying is considered morally wrong, telling a lie that may benefit another person is still morally inexcusable. However, whereas these approaches seem rational and practical, they are not applicable to real-world decisions. In Antigone, Creon’s rigidity regarding his moral principles ultimately leads to a tragic ending; his obstinance in the face of a consequential decision leads to an overall negative result. Although Creon is cast as Antigone’s primary antagonist, his intentions throughout the play are noble; he simply wants to act in the benefit of his kingdom. However, as Creon views the final outcomes of his decisions, upon seeing his son’s dead body, he acknowledges that his “own blind heart has brought... [him]/From darkness to final darkness”, and he admits that he has “been rash and foolish” (Sophocles). Sophocles portrays this obstinance and rigidity as negative. On the other hand, Weber’s essay discusses the ethical paradoxes inherent in decision making by emphasizing the complex dynamics of most ethical dilemmas. In Weber’s opinion, those who attempt to simply pursue “good” without