2012gre作文大讲堂:GRE作文范文大全(85)
Our preference for constraining our own freedom of choice is evident on a societal level as
well. Just as children at a playground recognize the need for self-imposed rules and
regulations, as a society we recognize the same need. After all, in a democratic society our
system of laws is an invention of the people. For example, we insist on being bound by rules
for operating motor vehicles, for buying and selling both real and personal property, and for
making public statements about other people. Without these rules, we would live in continual
fear for our physical safety, the security of our property, and our personal reputation and
dignity.
In sum, I agree with the fundamental assertion that people prefer reasonable constraints on
their freedom of choice. In fact, in a democratic society we insist on imposing these constraints
on ourselves in order to preserve that freedom.
Issue 121
"Most people are taught that loyalty is a virtue. But loyalty---whether to one's friends, to one's
school or place of employment, or to any institution---is all too often a destructive rather than a
positive force."
Is loyalty all too often a destructive force, rather than a virtue, as the speaker contends? To
answer this question it is crucial to draw a distinction between loyalty as an abstract concept
and its application. Apart from its consequences, loyalty is clearly a virtue that all humans
should strive to develop. Loyalty is part of a universal ethos that we commonly refer to as the
golden rule: Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. However, whether loyalty in
its application amounts to virtue depends on its extent and its object.
First consider the ways in which loyalty, if exercised in proper measure and direction, can be
a positive force. Relationships between spouses and other exdusive pairs require some
degree of trust in order to endure; and loyalty is part-and-parcel of that trust. Similarly,
employment relationships depend on some measure of mutual loyalty, without which job
attrition would run so rampant that society's economic productivity would virtually come to a
133
halt. And, without some mutual loyalty between a sovereign state and its citizenry there can be
no security or safety from either revolt or invasion. The world would quickly devolve into
anarchy or into a despotic state ordered by brute force. 感谢您阅读《GRE作文范文大全(85) 》一文,出国留学网(liuxue86.com)编辑部希望本文能帮助到您。
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