Curiel-Moysen 1

Alex Curiel-Moysen
Ms. Conoway
Literature
29 April 2014
The Morality of the People
In the life of Pi, religion shapes the morality of Pi. Religion was a major influence in his
moral standards and knowledge. Yann Martel did this by allowing Pi to practice three religions:
Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam. He then puts the focus on these religions as Pis source of
hope, that later become a test to his morality. Why is it that society has a hard time working
together that government has to intervene to make it work? The varieties of groups that make up
the society have aside their own set of moral standards as well as a different mindset. Societies
mind set depicts on the beliefs of the ones who raise them, and their rationalism that grows from
experience.
Body Politics refers to the practices and policies through which powers of society
regulate the human body, as well as the struggle over the degree of individual and social control
of the body. Individuals struggle to become treated as well as other groups in the human body of
Body Politics. Individuals and movements engage in body politics when they seek to alleviate
the oppressive effects of institutional and interpersonal power on those who are denied rights to
control their own bodies. (Body Politics Feminism and, Racial Pg. 1) Peoples choice places
them to be involved in a society that all combines to make a body politic. The body politic is the
system that the Government studies to make regulations. The Term body politic is used to
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describe the people of a government considered as a whole. (What is the body Politic? Pg. 1)
When discussing the body politic, people are categorized as a society that is united. There are
many ways to study the body politic. Some people describe the government itself as the body
politic, excluding the citizens but more commonly the term refers to the government and the
people as a collective. (What is the Body Politic? Pg. 1) This study has been around for a long
time, allowing government to more easily control their population. The concept of the body
Politic is ancient and the idea behind the concept is that healthy government should focus like a
healthy human body. (What is the Body Politic Pg. 1) Government has to regulate the mixture
of the different groups to continue being a working government. Discussions over making
decisions in to which action should be taken are important to help ensure the governments to run
efficiently. Opinion columnists often talk about the body politics when they want to stress the
idea that a society must function as a whole. (What is the Body Politic? Pg. 1) This refers to
politicians and to those who have power in government that are able to make decisions over body
politics.
In humanity, the morality of humans is depicted from many sources that make it difficult
to work together. Kids who have frequent opportunities for role taking in which they see another
persons perspective are known to be more morally advanced than others. In the Life of Pi, Pi
builds his morality on religion. They didnt know that I was practicing Hindu, Christian[ity],
and Muslim. (p64) Pis familiarization with many religions affect his mindset, the way he
thinks, and his knowledge of good and bad according to his religions. Though not everyone
practices a religion, their standards of morality start off somewhere. A persons moral domain
can vary by the culture they are affiliated with, that will later broaden to encompass and regulate
more aspects of life. There are no grounds for going beyond a scientific explanation of reality
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and no sound reason for believing anything but our sense experience. A clear intellect, close
attention to detail and a little scientific knowledge will expose religion as superstitious bosh. God
does not exist. (p27) This mindset view passed on by generations is why many choose not to
follow religious ways and have various moral standards different but similar to those who do.
Though, the generations bring different knowledge to the newer generations, the generations
moralities arent completely constructed on what they learn as children. A study in moral
psychology says that children figure out morality for themselves due to rationalism. Morality
cant be entirely self-constructed by children based on their growing understandings of harm.
Cultural learning or guidance must play a larger role than rationalist theories had given it.
(Haidt p50) Cultures are majorly influenced by religion. Culture then falls into a big factor of
how children begin constructing their morality. Children dont fully understand morality causing
for it be self-constructed. One of the basis of morality begins with harm. Children construct
their moral understanding on the bedrock of the absolute moral truth that harm is wrong. (Haidt
p28) Most children are taught at an early age that harm is wrong whether or not the family of
friends around them whose moralities and mindsets arent always the same. Religions have been
focused mostly but there are other major ways that moralities build and experience is one of
them. Experience leads to important parts of the morality of humanity and that is rationality.
Rationality is our native, and good moral reasoning in the end part of development. (Haidt
p23) As people age, their minds expand into thinking more of rationality, greatly affecting the
mindset along with the morality.
Islam and Hinduism are both from different types of societies that ascribe to their own
moral mindsets. They are similar to Christianity, which is known to be the most practiced
religion in the world. The people look up to leaders in their religions and change their way of
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thinking. The truth of life is that Brahman is no different from atman, the spiritual force within
us, what you might call the soul. (p48) Brahman is a spiritual superior in which Hindus follow,
by studying the rules or code established in that religion. Pi learns a lot by studying these
religions. He feels so strong that he encourages for others to learn about it as well. I challenge
anyone to understand Isla, its spirit, and not to love it. It is a beautiful religion of brotherhood
and devotion. (p61) Pi suggests that people learn and understand the ways of Islam. The ways
are promising, and sets a good moral standard as well as a mindset. Many do not learn about
religions, that peoples view towards others such as Muslims is negative but they do not fully
understand the Muslims ways. The historical gradualism attests to changes in the social and
political structures of Muslim societies which also influenced their approach to religious
knowledge. (Barlas p10) Much corruption that religious leaders do and the fact that Muslims
are viewed in a negative way by many people because the lack of womens rights make others
not want to get involved with them, and become thought of negatively. Different societies have
to realize that they share similar ways of respect such as they do and they dont have to criticize
others for their religion choice. Respect for elders is a keystone of Hindu Culture. (Hindu
Culture p1) Respect plays a big role in persons experience that greatly affects the mindset.
Problem is that their experience is full of discrimination that they grow this hate for others,
causing much less interactions with the outsiders. When will it end, is what many ask. The
result is a recycling of a historically dated exegesis and with it pejorative notions about womens
bodies and also their rights. (Hindu Culture p1) Corruptions of religious leaders add on to the
discriminating views towards the Muslims as well as other religious followers, that an argument
is created going back and forth in what is right and wrong. Statements about Muslim women not
having enough rights are always discussed, people criticize their religion and many Muslim
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women support this and rebel alongside with them. Situations like this one have gone out
through history.
Though many individuals morality begins with the belief of a religion, the other groups
in society create their mindsets on facts that they believe to be true. The arguments of the
existence of such religions provoke people to have a mindset that depicts off of knowledge to
construct their morality. Religion is designed to focus the peoples attention on a supreme being,
who created an inferior race, and in which people have to follow oppressive rules. Look: Christ
on the cross died of suffocation but his only complaint was of thirst. (p135) One simple
statement like this about ones religion can cause a controversy. This leads to arguments being
made between different societies in the Body Politics that starts off problems, and most of the
time its atheists against religious followers. I can well imagine an atheists last words: White,
white! L-L-Love! My God!- and the deathbed leap of faith. (p64) Religious followers would
argue that though atheists may not believe in God all their life, they may show they do at the
confrontation of death. They may believe there is a possible salvation for their false acting
throughout their lives. It could possibly be true that God itself is not real, and be a form of
manipulation that society has created. Religion is a power structure which feeds the people
dogma to keep itself going financially as well as maintaining its power. (Werner p1) Many
groups of people view it as corrupt, and the findings of corrupt religious leaders add on to the
fact it is all an act. It may not be the leaders here that are good but the knowledge itself that is
promising. They believe it is promising but if it wasnt, obedience to that knowledge is the same
as slavery. Christians etc, believe that they get as much knowledge as they need from their
bible, etc but they dont know how that thats only a fraction of the knowledge that exists, and
worse, their books are full of half truths, distortions and omissions. (Werner p1) It is argued that
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the Bible does not truly inform its religious followers, and they fall into a manipulation. Would a
God really ask for worshipping? Mans desire to worship could possibly mean nothing, but is
used to feel useful to a God that really has no use for anything man has to offer. They preach
disempowerment and ignorance which leads people into deception where they often become
accessories to evil. (Werner p1) For many, its clear how people have allowed themselves to
become ignorant and dumbed down by the tradition of religion. The top religious leaders how
great understanding of the power structure religion brings, and they follow a simple way to
control those under religion: those who control the past also control the present with the future.
The way religious followers are being taught is affecting their mindset. This can explain why
though many people go to church, they still dont always do the correct things outside of church.
They fall into ways of evil though their moral and mindsets were constructed on religion, but
their experience over ruled that by promising better things. After all, Christians cant avoid sins
because their religion was built on the idea of sins.
As mentioned before, Pi practiced three religions. Pis actions and way of thinking
synergize with his beliefs. Pi would visit all three forms of churches to learn more and pray the
way they did. He was eager for more knowledge that he discussed with priests about the ideas he
had and asked any questions that needed answering. He felt so strongly about it, that he obtained
a rug in which he can use at home to pray just like they did at mosques. His mother did not like
the idea of his practices that she made Pi do other activities to distract him. This did not help
which eventually lead to a decision, alongside other factors, that meant Pi had to leave his town
to a whole new country. His morality and belief were put to the test when he was left stranded on
a boat with a tiger beside him. He was afraid, but looked at his God for hope. He may have killed
fish for food, but he knew how to pray and be grateful for the food that has been placed in his life
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to acknowledge the blessing that God allowed. Pi had so much fear built in him at the beginning
that it was questionable if he would ever break. Without ever doubting his religions, he survived
to tell the story of how he managed to live in the middle of the ocean for so long.
In conclusion, the moralities of humanity are all constructed in a similar way with the
same basis as a foundation. It is not about who or what tries to influence a childs growing moral,
but rather who or what guides it. Everyones moral comes with a story. People are not to judge
others because of their constructed morality, but instead should discover a way in which they
may communicate with respect to both their views. Similar to how Pi was put to the test, people
will not break to what others have to say or do and will stay committed to what they believe, to
the very end.

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Works Cited
Barlas, Asma. Islam and Body Politics. 26-28 June 2009. 12 April 2014.
http://www.asmabarlas.com/PAPERS/Iceland.pdf
Body Politic. 6 Ocotober 2012. 12 April 2014.
http://www.economist.com/node/21564191
Body Politics - Feminism and, Racial. n.d. 8 April 2014.
http://encyclopedia.jrank.org/articles/pages/6016/Body-Politics.html
What is the Body Politic? n.d. 8 April 2014. http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-body-
politic.htm
Haidt, Jonathan. The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and
Religion. n.d. 12 April 2014
Hindu Culture. n.d. 12 April 2014. http://mailerindia.com/hindu/veda/index.php?hculture
Werner, Andrew. The Horrible Truth About Religion. n.d. 12 April 2014.
http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/biblianazar/esp_biblianazar_18.htm