ipl-logo

Egoism In Frankenstein Research Paper

1004 Words5 Pages

Mary Shelley's iconic novel, Frankenstein, is often considered a cautionary tale about the dangers of scientific ambition. However, the novel's themes extend far beyond scientific advancement and delve into complex questions of social ethics. Shelley's portrayal of Victor Frankenstein's battle with unintentional egoism and his conscious struggles with Kantian first and second formulation highlights the ethical implications of science and technology; and the importance of social responsibility.
"Frankenstein" can be connected to philosophical egoism, as both explore the concept of self-interest and the pursuit of personal satisfaction. Philosophical egoism is the theory that individuals always act in their own self-interest, motivated by the …show more content…

Immanuel Kant was a philosopher who created the two categorical imperatives on which to live your life. The first formulation of Kant's Categorical Imperative, "act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law," emphasizes the need for ethical consistency. Victor's creation of the monster is based on a maxim that he cannot will to become a universal law, as it would result in chaos and destruction. The second formulation, "act in such a way that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other, never merely as a means to an end, but always at the same time as an end," stresses the importance of treating others with respect and dignity. Victor's treatment of his creation as a mere experiment rather than a sentient being highlights his failure to uphold this …show more content…

In "Frankenstein," the creature is constantly treated as a means to an end, as he is exploited and used by various characters in the novel. For example, Victor uses the creature as a means to satisfy his own scientific curiosity, while other characters see the creature as a tool for their own personal gain. The treatment of the creature as a means to an end can be seen as a violation of the second formulation of the categorical imperative because the creature is not being treated as an end in

Show More
Related

Examples Of Cruelty In Frankenstein

687 Words | 3 Pages

The novel Frankenstein brings to light many problems and situations that shed light on the faults of mankind. Cruelty was a huge factor in the novel; throughout Frankenstein is cruel to his body and to his creation. When he first makes the creature he runs from it, leaving the creature to fend for himself; even when reuniting with the creature he continues displays cruelty. The creature, in turn exhibits Victor cruelty right back. Within Frankenstein cruelty can be attributed, often affecting both Victor and the creature; serving as a crucial motivator and revealing their anger, pain, frustration till eventually both die.

Read More

Pathological Narcissism In Frankenstein

1375 Words | 6 Pages

In the novel “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley, the main character Victor Frankenstein is portrayed as a pathological narcissist throughout the entire story, he has this personality trait because of a traumatizing event that occurred in his youth changing his ideology to pursue a way to be better than death itself and play as a god. What a pathological narcissist is, is a “Personality Disorder is a disorder that is characterized by a long-standing pattern of grandiosity (either in fantasy or actual behavior), an overwhelming need for admiration, and usually a complete lack of empathy toward others. People with this disorder often believe they are of primary importance in everybody’s life or to anyone they meet” according to an article written by Dr. Steve Bressert. These are the base traits of a pathological narcissist, but in order to see how this affects Frankenstein in his life, a closer look needs to be taken to see how his actions reflected on his personality.

Read More

Victor Frankenstein Selfish Essay

248 Words | 1 Pages

Going through life, it is not people's eyes that are blind, but their hearts. People always want to disbelieve the things that are happening in front of them. In the story Frankenstien, by Mary Shelley, Victor Frankenstein, the main character, had this quest for knowledge that he wanted to succeed in. Doing this, he had created a monster that goes around terrorizing victims' lives. He became selfish and greedy for himself.

Read More

Examples Of Ambition In Frankenstein

974 Words | 4 Pages

Ambition Does Not Always Lead To Success In today’s world ambition is often seen as a good, successful thing. However, in the novel Frankenstein, Victor uses his ambition to create the Creature, which in this case is a creature; once the creature is created, he focuses his ambitions on killing all those close to Victor. Throughout the novel, Victor and the creature’s drive for ambition leads to tragedy, conflicts, and complications. Victor is intrigued with how God created so many things, so he also tries to perform these God-like tasks such as creating monstrous creatures.

Read More

Theme Of Self-Actualization In Frankenstein

1023 Words | 5 Pages

In Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, Frankenstein’s Monster experiences a sense of self-actualization after coming to terms with his “monster” identity. In chapter 13, after Frankenstein’s Monster learns about human history and social norms, he conducted a self-analysis of his current self. He stated, “I possessed no money, no friends, no kind of property. I was, besides, endued with a figure hideously deformed and loathsome”. Moreover, when he “looked around, he saw and heard of none like [himself].

Read More

Stable Families During The Great Depression

1487 Words | 6 Pages

Do you know how hard it was to maintain a stable family during the Great Depression? So many people had that idea of the American dream, which meant having the perfect family. In the U.S. so many families wanted the American dream, things were normal, women and men had their roles, things were cheap, everything was perfect. When the 1920s hit, that was when Americans all started thinking about the American dream and what it would be like living in it and having it. During the 1920s, appliances, cars, houses, were cheap.

Read More

Victor Frankenstein Selfish Essay

549 Words | 3 Pages

In Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein, both characters: Victor Frankenstein and his creation, the creature, exhibit malicious behavior at different points in the story. However, it is ultimately Victor who can be seen as the true malicious party due to his reckless actions and disregard for the consequences of his experiments. Victor's initial motivation for creating the creature was not inherently malicious; he hoped to use science to create life and push the boundaries of what was possible. However, as he became increasingly obsessed with his work, he began to neglect his relationships and responsibilities, ultimately leading to the creation of the monster. He quickly realized the enormity of his mistake and instead of taking responsibility for his actions and trying to help the creature, he abandoned it, leaving it to fend for itself in a world where it did not belong.

Read More

Frankenstein: Selfish And Selfishness In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

1135 Words | 5 Pages

Victor Frankenstein is selfish. The novel portrays Victor as a selfish character who is only concerned about his own well-being. Frankenstein wanted to manipulate the power of life. He abandons his creation because of the creature’s appearance and also withholds information or lies about his creation. Due to Victor 's selfishness, readers feel sorry for his creation.

Read More

Isolation In Frankenstein

1321 Words | 6 Pages

In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the ideology of the monster being isolated, not cared for, and being created for someone else’s legacy in scientific advancement is prominent and shapes who he is as a character, and in addition affects

Read More

Empathy In Frankenstein

838 Words | 4 Pages

From the dawn of time to the present day, humanity has built its philosophy based on the individual. The lack of empathy has been seen as the common root when pinpointing what causes one to act selfishly. Psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky believes "Selfish behavior is not only immortal, but it is also bad for your psychological well-being" ("Psychology Today"). Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, tells the tale of Victor Frankenstein creating a hazardous "monster" who is painted as a scapegoat for the town's troubles. However, lurking in the shadows is a potential prospect whose selfish demeanor causes many individuals' downfall.

Read More

Good Vs Evil In Frankenstein

1434 Words | 6 Pages

In the novel, Frankenstein, written by Mary Shelley, Victor and the Creature are the main references when it comes to the issues of morality. Several themes such as good versus evil, prejudice, and ambition & fallibility, the importance of friendship along with references to other famous texts like the Christian bible are manifested through the use of Victor and the Creature as they interact with each other allowing readers to construe examples of morality. Many debaters may argue the Creature is “evil” since a majority of his actions harm others while Victor is good because he was the victim and seeks to destroy his creation. However, one may counter this argument if they accentuate Victor is evil since he was the Creature’s creator,

Read More

Duality Of Human Nature In Frankenstein

819 Words | 4 Pages

Duality is shown in Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein, a gothic tale of a scientist whom looks to advance the life-giving qualities of mother nature. Through this novel, Shelley proves that good and evil in human nature is not always simple to define, and that everyone has both of these qualities within them. The duality of human nature is shown through the characters of Victor Frankenstein and his monster, who are both heroes in the novel while simultaneously displaying anti-hero qualities. Shelley forces the reader to sympathize with them both but also creates gruesome ideas of the two. Frankenstein’s creature places himself in a submissive position when he begs his creator to have mercy on him and asking the creator to “create a female for [him] with whom [he] can live in the interchange of those sympathies necessary for [his] being.”

Read More

Self Identity In Frankenstein

703 Words | 3 Pages

The creature, Victor Frankenstein’s creation, had to suffer and tolerate life without care, love, or identity. The creature was never given a name because Victor didn’t want his monster to become more human-like. It can reinforce that the creature is property, and not a human being that is loved and cared for. Names are important for everyone because it is the easiest way to have self-identity. The creature never received a Christian name throughout the story.

Read More

Victor Frankenstein Character Analysis Essay

1220 Words | 5 Pages

In 1818 Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein, a novel that follows Victor Frankenstein, an ambitious man on his journey to defy the natural sciences. In Volume I of the novel, Victor discusses his childhood, mentioning how wonderful and amazing it was because of how his family sheltered him from the bad in the world. “The innocent and helpless creature bestowed on them by heaven, whom to bring up to good, and whose future lot it was in their hands to direct to happiness or misery, according as they fulfilled their duties towards me” (35). When Victor brings up his childhood, he suggests that parents play a strong in how their kids turn out, either "to happiness or misery" (35). In particular the main character was sheltered as a child to achieve this “happiness” leading to Victor never developing a coping mechanism to the evil in the world.

Read More

Frankenstein Critical Analysis Essay

883 Words | 4 Pages

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein Critical Analysis About the author Naomi Hetherington is a member of the University of Sheffield, the department of lifelong learning. She is an early researcher in sexuality, religious culture, the 19th-century literature, and gender. She holds a BA in Theology and religious studies, an MA and a Ph.D. in Victorian Literature. She currently teaches four-year pathway literature degree at Sheffield University for students who have already attained foundation degrees. Among the books, she has written the critique of Frankenstein.

Read More

More about Egoism In Frankenstein Research Paper

Related Topics

Open Document