Ⅰ Literature review

The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus，commonly referred as Doctor Faustus，is an Elizabethan tragedy by Christopher Marlowe，based on German stories about the character Faust.

Ethics is a branch of philosophy that involves systematizing，defending，and recommending concepts of right and wrong conduct.In Doctor Faustus，because of the development of economy，the conventional ethic is greatly challenged.

Ⅱ Good and evil

Good and evil is the basic question of ethics.In Doctor Faustus，the conventional definition of good and evil has been challenged.In the Bible，God is the ruler of the world.People should obey his order and restrain themselves.However，in the renaissance period，with the development of the economy，money became more and more important，and people’s own requirements were also considered as necessary.

In Doctor Faustus this tendency is greatly expressed.For Doctor Faustus，good means things he likes，and evil means things that violate human nature.People have power to search their desires.In Faustus’words：“These metaphysics of magicians，Ay，these are those that Faustus most desires.O，what a world of profit and delight，of power，of honor，and omnipotence，Is promised to the studious artisan.”（Christopher8），he chooses to learn magic because he desires it.And he desires it because it can bring him power、honor and omnipotence，which can delight him.He’s not only searching spiritually self-satisfaction，but also materially self-satisfaction.This fit the feature of the commercial age，and is the direct result of that.“...efficient economic transactions frequently rely on self-interested or profit-oriented motives rather than more noble motives such as benevolence.”（Thomas Donaldson，2005）.

Ⅲ Functional change of the 7 deadly sins

The function of the 7 deadly sins changes from warning to the thrust of human’s self-awakening.In the Christian teachings，the 7 deadly sins are guilty and sordid things that all the people should avoid.However，Doctor Faustus’opinion is different.His words show his appraise to the 7 deadly sins.“Faustus.O，how this sight doth delight my soul！”（Christopher 48）In the sentence he admits the rationality of human nature and expresses his love to it.

Ⅳ Growth of individualism

In the play，Doctor Faustus himself symbols the growth of individualism.He sells his soul to the devil and decides to go to the hell after his death to get his powerful magic.To fulfill self-satisfaction he gives his soul up.In the last plot of the play，Marlowe planned Faustus’regret.This may suggest authors contradictory in his mind.He designed the character in some way and presented a new freely lifestyle.However，the Christian teachings ruled his readers’thinking，forcing him to give his character a bad ending.A powerful evidence to prove this is the reason Doctor Faustus finally goes to the hell.Many people may think that it is his desire sends him to the hell，but in fact，his signing with the devil is the real direct reason.If he haven’t sign with the devil，no matter how crazy he chases money and power，he may never been punished.The author does an interesting attempting.He hides the direct connecting between self-satisfaction and the hell.Under the cover his real opinion is expressed：self-satisfaction isn’t guilty.

Ⅴ Conclusion

With the development of the economy，the ethics changed in the renaissance period.The definition of good and evil has been challenged. The function of the 7 deadly sins changes from warning to the thrust of human’s self-awakening.Faustus’opinion to the 7 deadly sins also shows an intention in the renaissance period：the stress of human’s social attribute is taken place by the stress of human’s nature attribute.

References

[1]AimeeE.Barbeau.“Ethics in a Commercial Age：McCloskey，Constant，and Tocqueville on the Bourgeois Virtues.The Journal of Private Enterprise”，2017，32（4）：59-70.

[2]Christopher Marlowe.Doctor Faustus.Beijing：Chinese Translation and Publishing Corporation，1994.

[3]Christin Firer Hinze.“Social and economic ethics，Theological studies 70，2009：159-176.