Quiz 2 for POLS 4160 Jaspers Four Concepts of Guilt

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* Jaspers’ four concepts of guilt
The first concept is metaphysical guilt, which is akin to “survivor’s guilt”. By definition, it is a feeling that results from actions which oppose the overruling qualities which are inherent in human traditions and in this case the German culture. It is a misconstrued and abused concept that reminds us of the faded ways in which each and every life on earth is entangled and we knowingly and unknowingly profit from the suffering of other people. Its boundaries lie with a higher being only. Metaphysical guilt is part of a general guilt by humanity for failing to live up to what is considered to be idealCITATION Ste13 \p 38 \l 1033 (Wolfe 38). This connection between humans makes hi, or her equally responsible for every decision made whether good or bad and most especially for crimes committed in his knowledge or presence. Jaspers explains that all Germans are guilty because they inherited the German culture, a culture that will forever be betrayed by the murder of millions of Jews. However this guilt is cemented by the actual fact of genocideCITATION Ste13 \p 58 \l 1033 (Wolfe 58). Therefore, humanity becoming an aspect of metaphysical guilt is guided by the ideas to which it has access to in tradition and culture.
The second concept of guilt as discussed by Jaspers is political guilt, which is an overall guilt borne by citizens for the guilt of their leaders and fellow citizens and it means that every individual faces consequences for said deeds, misgivings and actionsCITATION Ste13 \p 38 \l 1033 (Wolfe 38). Political guilt falls on all people, friend or foe, and it doesn’t mean that individuals are not accountable for the acts done by other people in the name of the state. Its boundaries lay with the power and intentions of the victor should the state be defeated in any military front. The exercise of prudent politics serves to mitigate arbitrary power. As with criminal guilt, citizens may be accused of political guilt and may have a certified interest in seeing justices being served but the judges are not interested in the fate of the said nation as much as in administering pretend justice. Tools such as the art of guilt-manipulation are used to make enemies surrender in this crusade that political guilt use as a lead to the concept of war. Political guilt and all its collective trimmings is the only rightful collective guiltCITATION Ste13 \p 59 \l 1033 (Wolfe 59). The only right way to address political guilt is by accepting responsibility and making repairs, though in reality this amounts to total recall of one’s pride and letting the victor take charge. The more powerful and strong adversary plays judge, jury and executioner, and none of it really contains much in the way of larger moral lessons. Individual political liability is properly calibrated according to the extent of the individual’s participation in the atrocious crimes committed.
Moral guilt is the third concept explicated by Jaspers. This is where an individual is responsible for all their moral actions for participating in and executing of orders given from any sideCITATION Ste13 \p 37 \l 1033 (Wolfe 37). Groups cannot be morally guilty as the concept of mob psychology does not apply as moral convictions are an individual’s personal decision. It cannot be made up for or simply forgotten as it becomes part of what an individual deals with from the time one’s conscience kicks in and they start judging themselves. The burden and liability is immediate yet short, involving neither moral nor metaphysical changes against a person but it has adverse effects on every person in a country whether positively or negatively. Such a case is when Germans would feel morally guilty especially when; they would pretend to salute and propagate a loyal facade to a government they all hated, throwing about their salute to a man they didn’t want to associate with, attempting in futility to find a good thing in their feigned association with other individuals and refusing to pick a side to support, looking at the Nazi disaster and suspending judgmentCITATION Ste13 \p 37 \l 1033 (Wolfe 37). They were instead deceiving themselves that by ignoring or simply not addressing the issues that they will fade over time and there will be no retributions as portrayed by the then Germans who tried to avoid taking responsibility of their actions.
The fourth and last concept of guilt is criminal guilt, which refers to acts with objective proof that have a capability of violating both conventional and unconventional lawsCITATION Ste13 \p 38 \l 1033 (Wolfe 38). It is bound in a court that is not in the least bit concerned with trying to rehabilitate individual but is intent in getting justice for the wronged party and appearing right in the public eye. Any individual may be accused of criminal guilt and the accuser might have a genuine interest in seeing justice being done but the judicial systems of any one country has a supposed main aim of serving justice and not correction of errant behaviorsCITATION Ste13 \p 38 \l 1033 (Wolfe 38). The proper way to deal with criminal guilt is atonement.
* The impact of the pre-1945 treatment of the Jews and Roma on post World-War II justice
Roma or Gypsies had long been ostracized and punished in Germany and the larger Europe for they were deemed to be ‘undesirable&rsquo...