Discourses in Childhood Essay

What is a discourse? Describe two competing discourses of childhood and suggest the ways that they can have an impact on children’s lives. The concept of discourse is the key to understanding a social constructionist approach to childhood. A discourse is an independent set of interrelated ideas held by a particular ideology or worldview. The social constructionist approach tries to describe the different ways in which knowledge of children and childhoods are constructed. Different discourses of childhood have different ideas of childhood which has different implications on the way in which children are treated. Within the social constructionist theory there are 3 main discourses – romantic, puritan and tabula rasa. This essay will look at 2 of those discourses, which directly compete with each other – the Romantic and Puritan, and suggest ways in which they impact children’s lives. The romantic discourse of childhood suggests children are naturally good. InRousseau’s (1979) view childhood and innocence go hand in hand – children are born pure and innocent. He believed children ought to be given freedom to be who they are, that their childhood should be carefree, and that their innocence should be protected. Rousseau believed children only learn evil and misbehave because they have been mistreated or corrupted in some way. This is contrary to the Puritan discourse, which believes children are born wicked, are amoral, without conscience, and if left to their own devices will resort to savagery. According to Hobbes (1588-1679), who supports this discourse, children should be controlled and disciplined by adults – even if it causes the child unhappiness, short-term pain or distress. Unlike the previous discourse, the Puritan discourse sees children as being responsible for their actions. These discourses of childhood are seen constructed in the media. The Peugeot television advert (Video 1 Band 3, page no’s 239 – 256)gives an example of a man driving a car fanaticising about being a hero andsaving the little girl pictured from being run over. The advert tries to construct the image that  the Peugeot is the type of car that will appeal to a â€Å"hero† and one who is a ‘protector.’ The advert is constructed in such a way to encourage the viewer to form an image of an innocent, vulnerable child and to treat children as people needing protection. (the man is the hero protecting the child from danger). It is obvious that this advert reflects the Romantic discourse. One further advert constructed around the romantic discourse is the Evian water advert (Video 1 Band 3, video page no’s 256 – 257 & 266 – 268) featuring babies swimming in water. From this the viewer is meant to construct an image of the baby as being pure, and unspoiled. This advert is designed to encourage the viewer to think of pure Evian water and a ‘pure’ baby, suggesting that babies are innocent because they are pure. As already said the romantic and puritan discourses are directly competing. The Puritan discourse can be seen through the following 2 film clips. Thefirst is from the film â€Å"Leon† (Video 1 Band 3, video page no’s 271 – 297) which is a story of the friendship between Leon, a professional assassin and Mathilda who is a young girl who’s parents and young brother have been killed and who asks Leon to teach her to kill so that she can avenge her family’s death. The film has constructed an image of Mathilda as an unruly, sinful, and wicked child which is how the puritan discourse describes children. â€Å"Leon† shows that childhood in this case is not a time of innocence and that bad things, like violence and death are witnessed – and caused – by children. It shows a child – as Mathilda is obviously still a child – who has not had her childhoodprotected. The final film clip (Video 1 Band 3 p 333-339) is that of â€Å"American Beauty† portraying a young girl named Angela who is a friend of Lester’s daughter’s. Angela is depicted in a way that makes the viewer think she is sexuallymature and like Mathilda in the previous clip – ‘knowing’ and not innocent. This challenges the viewer’s ideas of childhood being a time of sexual innocence as here is a young girl oozing sexuality, definitely not innocence – but as a child lacking in morals, mirroring the puritan view of childhood. However in a scene where Lester thinks his fantasy of Angela is about to come true, Angela reveals that she innocent in her knowledge of sexual matters, reminding viewers that she is still a child in need of protection. This film clip began as depicting an amoral, sinful, ‘knowing’ young girl in line with the puritan discourse and ends by depicting children as people in need of protection and who are innocent, and as childhood as a time which adults should be protecting the child from anything that will shatter the child’s innocence. In a sense, the end of the clip depicts the adult’s job as to be the hero, saving the child from ‘evil’ much the same as the man in the Peugeot advert mentioned earlier. These discourses affect our views of children which in turn affects how children are thought of and therefore treated. In adopting a Romantic view, you will see children as innocence which in the 2 media clips, was associatedwith vulnerability and purity. According to Rousseau, children should be protected from the adult world, and everything should be done to make their childhood a happy carefree time. As already seen though through the 2 film clips, the Puritan discourse treats children as being unruly and in need of control. They are treated as being responsible for their actions and therefore they should be punished when they do wrong. Having shown how romantic and puritan discourses can be seen in contemporary childhood through the use of the media, I will move on to look at a true life example – that of the murder of 3-year old James Bulger in1993. This little boy was badly beaten and left on a railway line after being abducted from his mum whilst on a shopping trip. His killers were two 10-year old boys. (Asquith 1996)To adopt the romantic discourse of childhood in dealing with the those two boys who killed James Bulger would be to suggest you believed the boys to be naturally good but corrupted by adults and therefore should be forgiven and given rehabilitation – not punishment. On the other hand, to agree withthe competing discourse – that of the puritan discourse  then you would seethose boys as being inherently evil and responsible for their own actions and therefore deserving punishment. Therefore it is clear that whichever discourse of childhood is chosen in dealing with children, it has implications on the way in which children are treated. So far this essay has looked at the social constructionist approach to childhood, but will now consider another approach – the applied. Whenstudying childhood from an applied approach, the main interests are the effect which practical issues like the children’s upbringing and development will have on the children’s lives. Within this approach there are 2 models ofhow the law can deal with young offenders, like the boys in the James Bulger case. According to Asquith 1996 there are two models within the appliedapproach that give different opinions on how to deal with young offenders. These are linked to the discourses already mentioned within the social constructionist approach. The welfare model uses social and individual factors in explaining why children do wrong – it is because they have been mistreated or deprived in some way. This mirrors the Romantic discourse in the sense that both see children as being innocent and blame other factors for children’s wrongdoings. It believes, therefore that children do not deserve to be punished but ought to be shown forgiveness and deserve to be cared for in order to overcome any disadvantages they have faced. In following this model, children should not be dealt with in a court of law but by means of rehabilitation and by considering what would be best for the child. The justice model is in contrast to the welfare model and sees child offenders as being responsible for what they’ve done and deservepunishment and dealt with in a court of criminal law. The justicemodel mirrors the puritan discourse, as they hold similar beliefs thatchildren are innately evil and ought to be held responsible for their own actions and deserve to be punished accordingly. This essay has looked at 2 competing discourses of childhood – the romantic and the puritan. They are competing in the way that they view children and  childhood which in turn has a direct implication for the way that children are treated. Within the Romantic discourse, children are constructed as being pure, innocent and their childhood should be protected and kept carefree. This discourse competes with the puritan discourse which sees children as being innately wicked, unruly and lacking in moralsIt stands to reason therefore that these competing discourses have different implications for the way children are treated. In adopting a romantic discourse children will be forgiven for wrongs, protected from evil and offered rehabilitation when they do offend whereas in adopting a puritan discourse children who are â€Å"naughty† do so because of their innate evilness and deserve to be punished. REFERENCES Book 1 Understanding Childhood,Chapter 1Block 1 Study Guide and Audio-Visual Notes, Unit 1Video 1 Band 3 â€Å"Representations of Childhood†

King Lear’s Foolishness Essay

King Lear is a metaphorical tale of an ailing man’s journey through hell in order to forgive his sins. Lear’s untimely, sinful surrender of his throne results in a chain reaction of events that send him through a treacherous journey. It is a tale that graphically describes the consequences of one man’s foolish decisions; decisions that greatly alter his life and the lives of those around him. Lear suffers terribly, as a result of ignorantly dividing his kingdom among his eldest daughters, Goneril and Regan. By the time he realizes his daughters’ tyrannical nature, it is too late, and they have already begun their plot to kill him. Amidst his increasing insanity however, Lear does become a wiser man, as he finally receives the ability to see people’s true faces, something he from which he had been blinded from for so long. Lear was foolish in many ways, and was viewed that way by many different people. His most foolish move was questioning the love of his three daughters, Goneril, Regan and Cordelia. He created a contest which would reward the largest third of the kingdom to the daughter whom loved him the most, â€Å"Tell me, my daughters (since now we will divest us both of rule, Interest of territory, cares of state), Which of you shall we say doth love us most? That we our largest bounty may extend where nature doth with merit challenge.† (I, i, 47-53) He planned to divide the kingdom among the three to prevent strife, not realizing that it was an invitation to civil war instead. He asked his daughters to tell him how much they loved him in public. After Goneril and Regan flattered him with lies, Lear gave them third and second prize. When Cordelia, whom the largest piece of the kingdom was reserved for, refused to play the same flattery game as her sisters had done, Lear’s rage exploded. Cordelia could have easily like her sisters, however she did not care to be rewarded with land and riches under false pretences. Lear, being blind to this, disowned Cordelia and banned her from her homeland. Foolishly, Lear also banished his only loyal follower, Kent, for sticking up for Cordelia, â€Å"To plainness honour’s bound when majesty fails to folly. Reserve thy state and in thy best consideration check this hideous rashness.†(II, i, 36-42) Assuming God’s duty was Lear’s primary downfall. He was King of England because God had put him there, and it was God’s decision as to when he should be dismissed. Lear, however, put his  fate into his own hands, and attempted to pass on the kingdom himself. It can almost be said that Lear’s suffering was God’s revenge upon a man who refused the gift of supremacy. Even Lear’s fool, who many consider to be Lear’s own conscience, tells him that he has been foolish in his decision making: Fool: Though wouldst make a good fool. Lear: To take it again perforce! Monster Ingratitude! Fool: If thou wert my fool, nuncle, I’d have Thee beaten for being old before thy time. Lear: How’s that? Fool: Thou shouldst not have been old till Thou hadst been wise. (I, iv, 267-273) Immediately after Lear divides the kingdom in half among his two tyrannical daughters, Goneril and Regan seek revenge upon Lear, and begin to plot his death. Lear is incredibly ignorant, and honestly believes Goneril and Regan’s claim that they truly love him. Only when it is too late, does he realize that the only daughter who does in fact love him, he did outcast. After Goneril only allows Lear fifty of his hundred servants and soldiers to spend the night, Lear questions her actions, and in doing so questions her true love for him. Insulted, he goes to Regan, thinking that she will be kinder to him, however Regan acts much harsher than Goneril, and only allows him twenty-five followers for the night. Upon seeing this, Lear angrily realizes that his two eldest daughters are wicked and do not love him at all. As king, it can  almost be said that Lear was sheltered, as he never had to deal with problems himself, however now that he is simply seen a peasant, Lear no longer has the luxury of people making his decisions for him. He blindly draws the conclusion that though it probably isn’t much, Goneril must love him twice as much as Regan, if she will allow him twice as many followers, â€Å"Thy fifty yet doth double five-and-twenty, and thou art twice her love.† (II, iv, 291-292). As the play progresses so does Lear’s madness. After returning to Goneril’s and being locked out, Lear sets out for Dover with the fool. However as Lear becomes more insane, and his madness increases, he receives the vision that he had been blinded from before. Upon encountering Edgar, as Poor Tom, Lear becomes completely mad. â€Å"Here’s three on’s are sophisticated! Thou are the thing itself; unaccommodated man is no more but such a poor, are forked animal as thou art. Off, off, your lendings.† (III, iv, 109-112) Many misinterpret this scene as Lear’s final surrender to madness, however this scene is possibly where Lear becomes most sane. Lear realizes that sophistication is dressing up nicely to give the impression of being something you really are not. He sees Edgar in his plain clothes and starts to rip his own clothes off to get away from the trickery and the falsehood of the world, as he sees Poor Tom has done. His daughters dressed up their words with lies to get what they wanted and Lear realizes that without clothes you cannot distinguish the difference between a king and a beggar. King Lear’s vision is no longer hampered at the peak of his madness because although he is mad, the words he speaks make sense and have truth to them: Lear: They flattered me like a dog, and told Me I had white hairs in my beard ere the Black ones were there. To say â€Å"ay† and â€Å"no† To everything that I said! â€Å"Ay† and â€Å"no† was No good divinity. When the rain came to wet Me once, and the wind to make me chatter; When the thunder would not peace at my Bidding; there I found ’em, there I smelt ’em Out. Go to, the are not men o’their words! They told me I was everything. ‘Tis a like-I Am not ague proof. (IV, vi, 112-120) All of the pain that Lear suffers can be traced back to the single most important error that he made. Lear chose to give up his throne. Out of pain and anger, Lear banished Cordelia, and split the kingdom into two halves, divided among Goneril and Regan. This one sin bears massive repercussions upon Lear, and the lives of those around him, eventually killing almost all of those involved. Lear does not realize the mistake that he has made, until he suffers the banishment of his two eldest daughters. The fall of Lear is not just the suffering of one man but the suffering of everyone down the chain. Gloucester loses his status and eyes, Cordelia and Kent banished, and Albany realizes his wife’s true heart. Everything that happened to these characters is affected by Lear’s ultimate decision. If Lear had not banished Cordelia and Kent then the two sisters would not be able to plot against their father. Lear cannot see the true faces of people, and this is his tragic flaw. Th e pain and suffering endured by King Lear eventually tears down his strength and sanity, and leads to his ultimate demise, death.

Critical thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Critical thinking - Essay Example I was interested in determining whether media stereotyping of the Arab world was justified or not. The video allowed me to understand that the media portrayed a negative picture of the Middle East region resulting into possible negative implications on its relationship with western countries. It is through this video that I now understand that the media fails to demonstrate that there are specific extremist groups that mastermind terrorists and they do not represent the Middle East or Arab world in general. It is because of this stereotyping that the western society has negative perceptions and attitudes about Arabs. While watching this movie, I realized that the western media is interested more in profits than the negative social, political and religious consequences that they caused within the world in general. The stereotyping has for instance resulted in racist perceptions, which tend to associate Arabs with terror related crimes. The negative image on the Islamic religion, as portrayed in the western media has also caused general or global distrust and the widening of the gap between Christians and Muslims. This video influenced my learning more because it motivated me to conduct further inquiries into the historical relationships between the west and the Arab world. I realized that this relationship have been worsened by cases of terror attacks and the misleading pictures on Hollywood blockbusters. This is due to the reality that most of the terror attacks on western soils have been attributed to Muslims from the Middle East or Arab countries. The second issue that significantly influenced my learning processes during the course is the contribution of the Arabs towards modern civilization. My interest in the history of contemporary civilization caused me to inquire further into discoveries by the Arabs, which have made the modern

Benchmark Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Benchmark - Research Paper Example The company began in the early 80s with only a single line specializing in office systems. Currently, the company has tremendously grown to offer a wide variety of different decking systems and freestanding systems and panel based altos and optos architectural demountable wall products (Teknion, 2011). The company through this strategic expansion managed to improve its marketing segment drastically and expanding its production lines to meet demands of the new markets in furniture products. For example, the company has handled numerous projects in different countries. These include the Barnes Jewish Hospital, Agilent technologies in Israel among other numerous global projects that the company has successfully implemented. This global expansion helped the company in expanding its production lines, improving its design work to meet the current customer demand in a highly competitive market, and coming up with designs and technologies that are in accordance with the advocacy of the day. An example is the embracing of green technologies that are environmentally friendly. As the company expanded to international markets, there were more demands in different markets to have products in accordance with certain environmental specifications, motivating the company to initiate massive design and innovative works to correspond to such market demands. Therefore, from producing a single line of furniture for the domestic market, international expansion helped Teknion in providing much advanced office furniture and other high end furniture to clients in different market segments. Teknion’s expansion to international market did not comprise its domestic market share, but instead the domestic market became much stronger as new international designs previously not made for the domestic market were available to the domestic customers, offering them a large variety of designs with international tastes. The company was in fact named among the top 50 best managed Private Comp anies, with its presence not only growing domestically, but also regionally (Anonymous, 2010). International expansion led to an enhanced image of the company and its products; the company was more involved in international tendering processes, such as in interior and exterior design of the Bow, a 58 story tower near the Bow River in Calgary (Anonymous, 2010). It is such manifested prowess in interior design and furnishes that has enabled the company to control not only the domestic, but also the regional market; meaning its international expansion was a real benefit to the company. Teknion is faced with several risks in its international market operations. Sargent (2011) explains some of these risks as increase competition. The company is faced with stiff competition from much larger multinationals especially from U.S, North America, and other regions. The stiff competition requires strategic operations in realigning with the market demands to offer much superior and competitive pr oducts at a price that will offer much more value addition to customers. The company through design and innovations in office furniture work has been able to compete effectively and capture its sizeable market segment in the international market. In order to ensure a competitive edge in the market, the company has collaborated with renowned construction industry leaders such as Mathews Southwest developments, Ledcor Group of Companies, Gensler among others, making the company’

Business research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Business research - Essay Example The company’s recent expansion was in 2011 when Topshop launched its operations in Australia. Topshop is a significant component of the Arcadia Group that owns several retail outlets. There are close to 440 shops under this business name of Topshop in 33 counties. The management of this organization also allows it to conduct some of its business operations using the online criteria (Davis & Baldwin 2005, p. 112). Mark & Spencer is also based in Britain and retails in clothing and luxury foods. Michael Marks and Thomas Spencer founded it in 1884 (Your M and S 2012). Its Headquarters are in Westminster London; however, it has more than 1000 stores are spread across Europe. The company is denoted as M&S or Marks and Sparks. It has close to 81, 000 employees who facilitate its realization of exemplary profits (Davis & Baldwin, 2005, p. 112). These companies have various stakeholders who facilitate the growth of the respective enterprises. For example, Topshop’s website reveals that its chief stakeholders are its employees, customers and suppliers. The website also acknowledges that other stakeholders include business enterprises, which collaborate with them. Mark & Spencer describe its chief stakeholders as the two proprietors mentioned above. Other partners also own the company apart from Michael Marks and Thomas Spencer. These are stakeholders in this retail outlet. Their final stakeholders are their employees (Davis & Baldwin 2005, p. 112). Stakeholders play significant roles in the entire operations of these two companies. These stakeholders have diverse expectations on organization’s purpose and choice of specific strategies. The management of the companies expects to register high profit levels in their respective operations (Preble 2005 p.112). They choose strategies that will facilitate the growth of these businesses. For example, both companies have employed e marketing that is a strategic

How is or isn't Los Angeles a global city What role does Essay

How is or isn't Los Angeles a global city What role does globalization, as discussed by Short, play in Valle & Torres' disc - Essay Example In short, globalization has affected all sectors of LA, including its industry, society and education. Currently Los Angeles is claimed to be the most globalized city in the world. where it lacks in actual numerical population, it makes up for it through its largest non-native population shares. This is the key to the huge impacts that take place globally. Hollywood and everything in between it got hit by globalization. The former historiographer Kevin Starr claims that all sectors in LA impact globally as well. Mike Davis claims that it is the branched income statistical distribution which is the main outcome of globalization. The moving industry picture is a significant aspect of the L.A. economy, which has captured a noticeable part of global control. However, John R. does not consider this as an important fact to declare Los Angeles a global city position, and according to him Northern California has more prominent multimedia graphics impacts. He believes the foreign investment i n L.A. has more attention towards low paid, unskilled labor, and is highly focused on the poor state of L.A schools. Globalization has become a turning point for the educational sector in the LA. So much is the impact that now the educational systems in the LA are utilizing new and cutting edge technology in teaching practices. It has utilized the services of both public and private parties, a system called the active social educations. These initiatives are in fact becoming an inspiration for educational systems of the emerging countries, and how educational systems can be improved in spite of the staleness of the system. In this way, globalization is serving as a new initiative for reforms of the various social, industrial and educational sectors in LA. Many authors believe LA fits the picture of a global city for all its attractions, business and tourism facilities. No doubt, Los Angeles is a globalized city, having all necessary ingredients of being one of the great cities of it s region. Rodolfo analyzes the position of the three biggest metropolises in the United States to explore what consequence the global economy has had on them. He states that each city, apart from being the largest in the region, each was formulated during a different but significant historic economic construction. New York was therefore known as the "mercantile city," Chicago was an "industrial city," and Los Angeles was known as a "post-industrial city". He then analyzes a number of facts highlighting the height of prominence in the frame of global economy. On the broader context, he considered population and pointed at ethnic diversity, air freight, shipping and foreign trade, the height of control exercised by corporate headquarters, the part of producer and corporate services and the presence of transnational investments as contributory to the process of globalization (John 23). He analyzes that all three cities presented a global significance. Having all fundamentals of enough assiduity of global occasions to equally specify as a global city, he guessed that globalization has fostered or highlighted racial bias and discrimination. His findings highlight the importance of various historical events in making globalization a final process of development of a city. He analyzes that both Chicago and Los Angeles are acutely separated spatially along interracial lines, New

The idealisation of motherhood can lead to the denial of female Essay

The idealisation of motherhood can lead to the denial of female perversion. Drawing upon examples, critically evaluate this statement in relation to violent mothers - Essay Example 13 – 15). Because of the high incidence of unhappy pregnant women and mothers, the number of female perversion also increases. Discussing how negative past experiences or genetic factors could lead to female perversion is important in terms of giving the readers a better understanding of this topic. Therefore, this paper will identify significant factors that could trigger female perversion after discussing the concept of female perversion. In relation to violent mothers, the idea that idealization of motherhood can lead to denial of female perversion will be critically evaluated. As part of going through the main discussion, real-life examples will be provided in details. Prior to conclusion, recommended ways on how we could effectively balance female perversion related to mental illness and legal justice will be explained thoroughly. truth† (The Free Dictionary by Farlex 2010). In the study of psychology, sexual abuse towards children or the act of inflicting harm towards her own body or the child’s body is considered as female perversion in the sense that sexually abusing her own children, inflicting harm towards one’s own body or her child’s body is totally the opposite of the true concept of motherhood and femininity. In order to protect the social welfare of children from abusive parents, there are a lot of psychiatrists who are focusing their studies on parents who are projecting abnormal illness behaviour (Peter 2008; Meadow 2002). In line with this, Welldon (2008) explained that female perversion is often expressed by inflicting self-destructive harm caused by biological or hormonal disorders that normally affects their reproductive meaning. Unlike male perversion, several studies explained that female perversion aims at causing physical harm against their own body or against the objects that they created including their babies (Welldon 2008; Springer-Kremser et al.

Controversial legal issue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Controversial legal issue - Essay Example Major religions of the world favor the continuance of life in practically most instances with a very few exceptions where the taking of life can be justified. Religious laws are quite absolute about the prohibition against taking a life, whether one's own life or that of another person. In the eyes of God, anyone who takes life commits a grave mortal sin. However, great strides and advances in medical science and technology now allow the person to prolong life by artificial methods. This technological achievement is unprecedented in the history of mankind. For the first time ever, Man can now â€Å"play God† because he has a power to extend a life whenever he wants to. Regrettably, present laws and jurisprudence has not kept up with these medical advances. The result is often confusing as there are no rules to guide us by. In the same manner, ethics (in particular, biological ethics or bio-ethics) likewise has not been able to deal with complex medical issues. Euthanasia or me rcy killing is just one bio-medical issue that has hounded healthcare professionals and legal practitioners alike. The questions regarding euthanasia are many and very convoluted; there are no easy answers here. This paper re-visits and examines the issue of euthanasia from a legal perspective. Discussion There are many biological and medical issues that are not being resolved satisfactorily by the present state of our medical ethics today. Besides euthanasia, other examples that legal and medical experts alike grapple with are abortion, surrogate motherhood, organ transplants, brain death and end-of-life care (palliative medicine). The basic questions facing all ethicists can be generalized into a few categories, such as: how is life to be measured and determined (that life exists), who will judge whether a person should live or die, what constitutes proof of death and when should heroic medical intervention be withheld from a patient? The ultimate question is who has the right to live and the right to die? Even dying can be considered as one of the more basic human rights – that is, the right to die with dignity intact. Euthanasia – in plain and simple language, euthanasia means mercy killing. There are many situations in which euthanasia seems to be justified, such as when a person is suffering from an incurable and terminal disease and is very likely to suffer in great pain. Literally, the meaning of euthanasia in Greek is a â€Å"good and easy death† to relieve pain and suffering. Even the British House of Lords had deemed it appropriate to give a precise definition for it – â€Å"this is a deliberate intervention to end a life with express intention to relieve intractable suffering.† While people are still healthy, it is easy to be detached about all the debates on euthanasia but a time will come when a person has to face it and its consequences. The controversy surrounding euthanasia has been made more complicated beca use of the earlier practice of eugenics which is medical science applied to improving the composition of genetics in a human population (Appel, 2004, p. 611). Eugenics fell into disrepute because it was employed by the Nazis in their desire to attain a high level of purity of the Aryan races. There were several abuses committed such as forced sterilization, human experiments and the extermination of undesirable groups of people (compulsory or

Exceptionalities in a classroom Essay Example for Free

Exceptionalities in a classroom Essay

A Book Review on ‘A Man on the Moon’ Essay Example for Free

A Book Review on ‘A Man on the Moon’ Essay Not all great authors can come up great educational book such as Andrew Chaikin’s ‘A Man on the Moon: The Voyages of the Apollo Astronauts’. Moreover, not all true-to-life-stories writers are lucky to deliver such factual account having first-hand information gained through interviews. As Chaikin have provided necessary details such as scientific technicalities, knowledge and feelings involved, running down from the role of politics, biographies, competitions, emotions, failures, accomplishments, trials, motives, sacrifices, faults, private thoughts and comments, up to the extent of constructing the blueprint, plans and programs of planetary explorations, his readers might not just be well-informed about it but completely aware of the ins and outs of manned space flight and landing on the moon. See more:Â  The Story of an Hour Literary Analysis Essay In this book, what the author wants is to expose most of the elements of the Apollo missions that only few people could know. He makes it possible as he did a thorough investigation of his craft. Doing a series of in-depth interviews to almost hundred percent of the people behind the Apollo missions especially the twenty four moon voyagers is never easy. Likewise, pretending that the time doing the interview is dramatically inflict as it is makes his audience feel very closely enough to the scenario if not apprehensively feel updated. Hence, to be hooked in this astonishing book is nothing but normal. The main argument of the author is set to make available for everyone his own discovery of the profound history behind the historical explorations and discoveries from the initial first manned flight of the Apollo 8 around the moon’s vicinity in 1961 to the successful first landing on the moon of the Apollo 11 in 1972 and even beyond that as he reveals reflections of the sixth landing on the moon of the Apollo 17, which is also the last landing as of today. This thesis is well-supported by first-hand interviews, academic reviews, scientific approach, and the legal and technical aspects which played very important roles in the Apollo missions’ golden age and its declination. Writing his work in a very comprehensible approach for easy reading and understanding of every historical detail paints the colorful adventures and voyages of every man and events behind the mission. Thus, it could also serve as a very rich reference for any research about space technology. Having been read ‘A Man on the Moon’ inspires me not to stop believing of my every potential. As Chaikin discloses man’s unlimited discoveries once ignite and properly supported of external factors, enlightens young minds to seek for the infinity. However, knowing that the final landing, as written on the book, happened decades ago can trigger the notion of stopping one’s eagerness to dream and explore. Personally, I could say that the book is not just a thought-provoking one but heart-stopping as well. With those vivid illustrations of the interviewees that are intelligently interpreted and written by the author, it could make me feel as if I myself have competed for the moon’s flight seat or even touched moon’s face. Therefore, making me feel reviving my innermost interest to liberate my wildest dream of becoming an astronaut is the best proof that this book is truly an amazing masterpiece. R E F E R E N C E Chaikin, Andrew. A Man on the Moon: The Voyages of the Apollo Atronauts. New York: Penguin, 1998.

Examining Hacking And Cyber Ethics Philosophy Essay

Examining Hacking And Cyber Ethics Philosophy Essay With technology taking the forefront in communication, world has virtually shrunk! Distance and time are no more any hindrances for effective interactions and communications. Internet has so much invaded our day to day lives that without internet, we feel we are almost without bread! As any advances bring in good , not so good and bad with it-take auto mobiles, electricity, movies whatever-even the communication technology has its own goods and bads. Hacking is something that has shocked the world that is so much dependent on the cyber for its day to day affairs, may it be individual corporate or education fields. Hacking and Hacker Hacking is an action of trying to gain access to a computer or computer network without any legal authorization [1]. The entity who tries the act of hacking is the hacker. The new hacker dictionary defines hacker as below: A person who enjoys exploring the details of programmable systems and how to stretch their capabilities, as opposed to most users, who prefer to learn only the minimum necessary. One who programs enthusiastically (even obsessively) or who enjoys programming rather than just theorizing about programming. A person capable of appreciating hack value. A person who is good at programming quickly. An expert at a particular program, or one who frequently does work using it or on it. An expert or enthusiast of any kind. One might be an astronomy hacker, for example. One who enjoys the intellectual challenge of creatively overcoming or circumventing limitations. [deprecated] A malicious meddler who tries to discover sensitive information by poking around. Hence password hacker, network hacker. The correct term for this sense is cracker. Hacker is someone who has an intention to damage a system and hence invades it illegally [2]. He or she might invade into the system to get illegitimate access to resources. As hacking becomes easier, a vulnerable computer will be the earlier target. Hacker invariably tries to hide his or her identity for launching attacks on the main site, which is generally more secure. The attack is made with an intention of gaining control of the targeted system so that the hacker can execute, edit or delete any file on the users directory. This is achieved generally by gaining access to the super-user account. This helps the hacker hide his presence and provides him maximum authority to access the data. Software bugs are generally used in the attacks which give the hacker super-user status. Ethics and Cyber Ethics That branch of art which looks with wonder at the marvels and mysteries of the world is philosophy. It leads to life with passion, moral and intellectual integrity. Socrates had once stated the unexamined life is not worth living. In philosophy. Everything related to life is critically and comprehensively inquired in to. The branch of philosophy that deals with how we ought to live, with the ideas as to what is right and wrong, and with idea of Good is ethics [3]. The field of ethics that examines legal, moral and social issues in the use and development of cyber technology is cyber ethics [4]. A broad spectrum of technologies that range from standalone computers to a cluster of network computing, information and communication technologies is referred to as cyber technology. Computer ethics has been the general usage term for cyber ethics until recently. Computer ethics however suggests the study of ethical issues associated primarily with computing profession or computing machines. Cyber ethics however attempts to address ethical issues that are more wider and deeper. Other terminologies like internet ethics or information ethics are in use but cyber ethics has wider coverage than internet ethics. 1.3 Legal and Illegal Hacking The informal trespassing into a computer is termed as hacking by many people. Hacking in general has formed a meaning of breaking into computers [5]. The term hacking clouds ethical and legal complexities of law that administrates use of computers. Some hacking is legal and valuable while some are illegal and destructive. Learning the way to get access is legal while using this information to access the system and misuse it is illegal hacking. It is very important to understand the difference between legal and illegal hacking. This could be understood considering an example. For example, the security researcher of the system will learn a number of ways to get into the system without authorization. While learning this information is not illegal, using the information to access a system unauthorisedly is illegal. An action can be considered legal or illegal based on the scenario and the access and authorisation for the particular scenario. 1.4 Ethical Theories Ethical issues are based on morals which are subjective. The ethical theories offer direction for the moral analysis to be made. These are the scientific theories that provide the framework for the analysis of moral issues. We may look into ethical theories relevant to the case in hand. 1.4.1 Consequence Based ethical theories (consequentialism) Consequence based theories judge actions based on results. Proponents of these theories assume that certain state of affairs are better than many others. Actions that lead to better state for maximum number of people are better actions. In simple words, an action that makes the world better is a good action and that worsens the world is bad. Hence here, result is most important. Three subdivisions of consequentialism emerge based on who is benefited by the action: Ethical Egoism: an action is morally right if the consequences of that action are more favorable than unfavorable only to the agent performing the action. Ethical Altruism: an action is morally right if the consequences of that action are more favorable than unfavorable to everyone except the agent. Utilitarianism: an action is morally right if the consequences of that action are more favorable than unfavorable to everyone.(QuoteIEP) Types of Utilitarianism Two types of Utilitarianism are there namely Act Utilitarianism and Rule Utilitarianism. Under Act Utilitarianism, an action is considered good or bad based on its consequences while under Rule Utilitarianism, a code or rule of conduct is more acceptable if the consequences of it are beneficial than not beneficial to every one. For ex. If one steals, it may be beneficial to him but not to all. So the rule is not to steal. Intended Consequentialism Intended consequentialism is a consequence based ethical theory. Here, intended consequence is given importance over actual consequence in judging an action. 1.4.2 Duty Based ethical theories Duty based ethics is otherwise called deontological theory. Deon is a Greek word meaning necessary, binding, obligatory. Immanuel Kant is the main proponent of this theory. It gives importance to sticking to ones duty and principle rather than the consequences. When most stick to Deontological principles, naturally, consequences will be good. The focus is on duty and principle and not on consequences. An other famous philosopher W.D. Ross who supported Kants theory, summarized basic duties as below: Duty of beneficence: A duty to help other people (increase pleasure, improve character) Duty of non-maleficence: A duty to avoid harming other people. Duty of justice: A duty to ensure people get what they deserve. Duty of self-improvement: A duty to improve ourselves. Duty of reparation: A duty to recompense someone if you have acted wrongly towards them. Duty of gratitude: A duty to benefit people who have benefited us. Duty of promise-keeping: A duty to act according to explicit and implicit promises, including the implicit promise to tell the truth.(M2) Character based Ethical Theories Character based virtue ethics is also called Virtue ethics. These theories are mostly based on Aristolephilosophy. Here, individuals character takes prime place over duty or consequence, in contrast Deontology and Consequentialism respectively. Here, the tenet is once the person has strong value system which has stabilized, he would be conscious of what is wrong and what is right, what are his duties to his children, family, society and his master, so, action taken by such persons tend to have good consequences only. An ethical individual is therefore necessarily disposed to do good things acceptable to himself and for society. 1.5 Role of software/Hardware/Application Engineers Hacking has become a threat to modern world which is over dependent on information technology. It is easier done than said that, as you keep your valuable protected in house against thieves and robbers by locking the almirah or the house or safe keeping in banks or covering by insurance. As we use lot of IT services through public domains and distant server based technologies, the risks are even more. Professionals in the field can do their bit based on their knowledge and experience to reduce damages by hacking. Objectives The objectives of this case study are: Highlight the main critical issues that this case brings out light and to critically apply consequence-based, Duty-based and character-based ethical theories to discuss whether the FBI were correct in attempting to capture and prosecute Mitnick. Briefly discuss the general of asoftware/hardware/application engineer in terms of the use dof their knowledge and expertise in regard to hacking. Facts of the case While dealing with the case in hand from the point of the objectives of the case study, we have to critically observe the facts from the following angles. Actions of Mitnick that are subject of ethical and moral nature

US Government - Checks And Balances :: Political Science Government Essays

US Government - Checks And Balances "There is no more important function for all of government to define the rights of its citizens." (Norman Dorsen) In this essay I will give a short history of the government in United States of America (U.S.). Then I will describe each of the three branches of government in the U.S. and the relationship between them. In principle, the U.S. is a democratic republic, they govern themselves by choosing their leaders by secret ballot, and these leaders in turn make the rules. Americans started "governing themselves" as a nation on July 4th, 1776, when the Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia by representatives of the thirteen British colonies in North America. These states joined together formally in 1781 under a first "constitution," the Articles of Confederation. That loose union of the states was replaced by the Constitution of the U.S. in 1789. This document (amended 26 times) is still the political foundation of the U.S. Being based on a written constitution, the U.S. government is committed in principle to the rule of law. To guarantee the rights of free speech, a free press, freedom of religion etc. the first ten amendments, called the "Bill of Rights" were adopted in 1791. There are three levels of government in the U.S. Local government (city/county), state government, and federal government. Here I will pay most attention to the federal government. Many of the concepts of the U.S. government can be traced to progressive thinkers of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, e.g. Locke, Spinoza, Blackstone, and Montesquiueu. Out of some of their thoughts the U.S. government system with the three branches were made: A legislative branch (Congress), an Executive branch (President), and a judicial branch (Supreme Court). The Constitution is most of all a document of checks and balances: among the three branches of the federal government; and between the levels of government, nation and state. The legislative branch (Congress) that has the power to make laws valid for the whole country. Powers like the regulation of taxes, regulation of commerce between the states and with foreign countries, the power to declare war, and the power to impeach the President are some of the other matters the legislative branch have to deal with. Congress has two chambers (or "houses"): the Senate and the House of Representatives ("the house"). The Senate consists of one hundred senators: Two senators from each of the fifty states.

Responding To Loss And Death :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In my entire life there are some experiences of losses that some of them happened to me and some happened to people who were close to me and it was possible to see their responses, and the time that I spent with them during their suffering from losses was enough to realize their situation and recognize its details.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is interesting to compare the losses with each other as a way to assess my learning of loss experiences.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At first I like to state my father’s responses toward his two different kind of losing. First one was his mother’s death. It happened by a car accident, so it was unexpected and sudden and was enough to shock him. At first days he was quiet and sometimes weeping silently, but one thing that in that time for me was interesting and I never forget, was visiting his mother’s grave every night or early morning when it was dark I do not remember exactly how long, but it did not last long. Then after Perhaps three or four weeks it became every Thursdays and probably continues up to now. In our religion Thursday afternoon is a holy time and people believe that this time is the best to pray for spirits’ absolution.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another experience of my father’s losses that I like to mention is from wartime. War between our country and Iraq. During that time town almost was empty because it had been attacked by air force, and continued. One time as a result of the bombing my father’s house was destroyed, when we became aware every body rushed to the town and home, what we saw was an unforgettable scene, all doors, windows and walls were ruined and scattered and massed inside the house. Some furniture plus all rugs were safe, but my father touched nothing; he leaned to a wall and was gazing in space. After a short time he said, â€Å"leave all these stuff here. I do not need anything, leave them for people.† and turned back to the village. First days he was angry, sometimes he was silent and sometimes yelling at every body and for everything, but the main target of his rush and his offenses was the government. He was swearing to governors and the leader all the time. T hen he turned to sadness, but it did not last long and during an interval of war he rebuilt his house.

Biography of Carl Jung

Carl Jung is known to be one of the most famous psychological theorists of twentieth century. For sixty years, he developed him self with a singularity of purpose to analyzing the far flung and deep lying process of human personality. An exceptional and prominent approach of Jung in the field of psychology highlighted understanding the psyche through exploring the worlds of dreams, art, mythology, world religion and philosophy. The present paper focuses on Carl Jung’s biography and his major involvement in the area of psychology and art.Jung, Carl Gustav, Swiss psychiatrist, initiator of analytical psychology, was born in Kesswil, Switzerland on 26 July 1875. Jung was the only son of the village pastor, the Reverend Paul Achilles Jung, and Emilie Jung, nee Preiswerk. His grandfather, Carl Gustav Jung (1794–1864), after whom he was christened, was a much-respected physician, who became Rector of Basel University and Grand Master of the Swiss Lodge of Freemasons. He was s upposed to be the illegitimate son of Goethe. Though he bore a strong physical resemblance to the great poet, this is probably a legend and not fact.Childhood ritual prepared him for his later insights into the importance of projection in psychology. Jung's adult delight in solitude, his alchemical studies, and his research into the dynamics of psychic transformation were also foreshadowed in an adolescent fantasy (Anthony Stevens, 2001). He discovered philosophy and read widely during his teens, and this, together with the disappointments of his boyhood, led him to renounce the strong family tradition and to study medicine and become a psychiatrist. During his youth time, he studied extensively in philosophy and theology.After attaining his medical degree (1902), he worked in Zurich with Eugen Bleuler in the field of mental illness. At Burgholzli, Jung began, with outstanding success, to apply association tests initiated by earlier researchers. He studied, especially, patients' pec uliar and illogical responses to stimulus words and found that they were caused by emotionally charged clusters of associations withheld from consciousness because of their disagreeable, immoral (to them), and frequently sexual content. He used the now famous term complex to describe such conditions.Jung was mainly interested in parapsychology during his career. He came in contact with Sigmund Freud as a close collaborator and most likely successor between 1907 and 1912, but he had disagreement with Freud over the issue of the sexual basis of neuroses. Jung theory of personality is usually identified as psychoanalytical theory because it emphasizes the unconscious processes. He gave more weight on people’s aim and plans and less to instincts (Morgan, 1981). Jung was listed president of the General Medical Society for Psychotherapy in 1933.This organization had Nazi connections. Jung was severely criticized for his activities with the organization and his writings about racial differences in the magazine Zentralblatt fur Psychotherapie. Jung died on June 6, 1961. The most distinctive and prominent feature of Jung view of human is that human behavior is conditioned not only by individual and racial history but also by aims and aspiration. Both the past as actually and future as potentially guides one’s present behavior. Jung theory emphasizes the social and phylogenetic foundation of personality.He explained that the foundations of personality are archaic, premature, innate, unconscious and probably universal. Jung emphasized the racial origin of personality. According to him, an individual personality is a resultant of inner forces acting upon and being acted upon by outer forces. The total personality or psyche consists of differentiated but interacting system. The principal feature of his theory of personality is ego, the personal unconscious and its complexes, the collective consciousness and its archetypes, the persona, the anima and animus an d the shadow.He explained ego is the conscious mind. It is made up of conscious perception, memories, thoughts and feeling. The ego is responsible for one’s feeling of identity. The personal unconscious is a region adjoining to ego. It consists of experiences that were one’s conscious but which have been repressed, suppressed, forgotten or ignored. A complex is an organized group of feeling, thoughts, perceptions and memories that exists in personal unconscious. Jung described the complexes may behave like an autonomous personality that has a mental life (Hall and Lindzey, 1978).The concept, for which Jung is best known, is the collective unconscious. It has had a profound influence not only on psychology but also on philosophy and the arts. The collective consciousness is the storehouse of unconscious archetypes (primordial images), concept that represents the primitive and ancestral experiences of human race. One acquires these unconscious images automatically as a p art of one’s genetic heritage. An archetype is a universal thought form that contains large elements of emotions.This thought form creates images or vision that corresponds to normal waking life to some aspect of conscious situation. Examples of archetypes are God, rebirth, the wise old man and the devil. In the collective unconscious, one finds the sources of myth and memory of universal realities such as mothers and fathers, the sun and storms, masculinity and femininity (Morgan; 1981). The concept of collective unconscious is of the most original and controversial feature of Jung personality theory. It is most powerful and influential system of psyche and in pathological cases over shadow, the ego, and the personal unconscious.Another principal feature of Jung‘s theory of personality is persona. It is mask adopted by the person in response to the demands of social convention and tradition and to his or her own archetype needs. If the ego identifies with persona, as i t frequently does, the individual become more conscious of the part that he is playing (Hall and Lindzey; 1978). Jung intends synchronistic occurrences are neither provable nor disprovable in the hard, rigorous sense we traditionally associate with the natural sciences, and with mathematics.Jung's notion of synchronicity is associated inextricably with his notion of archetypes, those elusive, quasi- instinctual entities which Jung employs to explain just about everything that has to do with the dynamics of human psychology. So-called archetypes are the genetically based tendencies which steer or govern our behavior at the unconscious level, including the psychosomatic level, and which characteristically express themselves in powerful, timeless images usually connected to myths, religious rituals, and magic: the gods of antiquity, the pentagram, the mandala, the cross, the philosopher's stone (M. D. Faber, 1998).In addition to a balance of conscious and unconscious forces, Jung empha sized other balances in one’s nature. Some modes of experiencing and dealing with the world may be prominent in one’s conscious personality, while opposite modes may dominate the unconscious side. He theorized that human is essentially a bisexual animal on the psychological level. Sexuality is the basic driving urge for people was denied by Jung. Jung ascribed the feminine side of man’s personality (anima) and masculine side of women’s personality to archetypes (animus). These archetypes are product of the racial experiences of man with women and women with man.In the view if Jung, shadow archetype consists of the animal instincts that humans invented in their evolution from their lower forms of life. Shadow is responsible for our conception of original sin. When it is projected outwards, it becomes devil or energy. Jung pioneered the notion of individuation. The process of individuating consists of a series of metamorphoses such as birth/infancy, puberty , adulthood, and midlife. If one can individuate at midlife, the ego is no longer at the center and the individual makes some sort of peace with her/his mortality (Ellenberger, 1970).Before the self can emerge, it is necessary for the various components of the personality to become fully developed. Jung formulated the concept of introversion and extroversion that is turning inward toward contemplation or outward toward others (Morgan; 1981). Jung assumes that personality contains polar tendencies that may come into conflict with one another. He believes that the psychological theory of personality must be formed on the principal of opposition or conflict because the tension created by conflicting element is the essence of life itself. Without tension there would be no energy and consequently no personality.All the creative art psychotherapies have their roots to C. G. Jung's early work on active imagination. Jung learned to develop an ongoing affiliation with his lively creative spi rit through the power of imagination and fantasies. He phrased this therapeutic method â€Å"active imagination. † Jung started many expressive techniques to â€Å"dream the dream onward. † Active imagination practice developed by Jung cheers patients to create fantasies, paint pictures, sculpt forms in clay, write poems and stories, dance or move the body expressively, and construct scenes in sand trays in order to foster a relationship with the unconscious.Many of these forms of creative expression have engendered particular therapeutic practices such as art therapy, movement therapy, drama therapy and role-playing. Jung's view of literature was undecided. He had a particular concern in trivial literature. Jung found a personification of the anima in H. Rider Haggard's novel She. Jung was fascinated in the mythic and archaic elements in literature. His Symbols of Transformation (1912) contains a lengthy discussion of Longfellow's Hiawatha, which is regarded as a poet ic compilation of mythical motifs.The old Chinese text, The Secret of the Golded Flower, awakened Jung's interest in alchemy. In 1944, his major study in this field, Psychologie und Alchemie, was published in German. For Carl Jung, yoga is a general term indicating all of Eastern thought and psychological practice. In his writings yoga is used to designate Eastern traditions as diverse as Hinduism, Indian Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism, Japanese Buddhism and Chinese Taoism (J. Borelli, 1985). Jung was a fanatical, gifted thinker committed to knowledge and fearless in his pursuit of the truth.Though the theory postulated by Jung is somewhat shrouded in mystism, Junganian psychology has a number of devoted admirers and proponents. Many of these are practicing Jung’s method of psychotherapy and have accepted his fundamental postulates regarding personality. References: 1) Hall, C. S. , and Lindzey G. 1978. Theories of personality (3rd ed. ). New York: Wiley. 2) Faber, M. D. 1998. Sy nchronicity: C. G. Jung, Psychoanalysis, and Religion; Publisher: Praeger Publishers. Place of Publication: Westport, CT. Page Number: 3. 3) Morgan Clifford T, King Richard A. , Robinson Nancy M. 1981.Introduction to Psychology; Sixth Edition; Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing Company Limited. 4) Ellenberger, Henri F (1970). â€Å"Carl Gustav Jung and Analytical Psychology†, a chapter in The Discovery of the Unconscious: The History and Evolution of Dynamic Psychiatry. BasicBooks, Perseus Books Group. 5) J. Borelli. 1985. Jung and Eastern Thought. Harold Coward – author. Publisher: State University of New York Press. Place of Publication: Albany, NY. 6) Anthony Stevens. 2001. Jung: A Very Short Introduction; Publisher: Oxford University Press. Place of Publication: Oxford, England.. Page Number: 7.

Sparta Speech

â€Å"Learn to love death's ink-black shadow as much as you love the light of dawn. † This is a quote taken from ancient Spartan society that was said to the young men who were in the process of becoming soldiers. While Sparta is most popularly known as a warrior society, it had many other characteristics that made it revered. No other civilization during the Classical Era can be compared to that of Sparta. Sparta’s legendary warriors, women, and politics made it a true iconic civilization during that time period. Of course, the main topic for discussion is that of the men and soldiers. From the moment of a Spartan girl or a boy came into the world, the military and the city state were the center of every Spartan citizen’s life. Male babies were determined by city state if they were strong enough to be Spartan citizens. If the infants didn’t fit the criterion, they were abandoned in the country side to die. This may seem very draconian, but it was a very common thing in the Greek world because Sparta made it an official government policy. When a male Spartan was at the age of seven, he was taken from his mother and sent to live in special military barracks for twenty three years. In these living quarters they were taught discipline, athletics, survival skills, hunting, weapons training and how to endure the pain. At the age of twenty in the barracks, the male Spartans become soldiers for the state. The life of a Spartan soldier was with his soldiers. He ate, slept and trained with them; they never allowed each other to veer off track during their grueling tasks. They were allowed to marry, but couldn’t live with their wives. Only equals were allowed to live with their wives and children. Equals were the soldiers who reached thirtieth age, but if any soldier who disgraced himself in any way was risked not becoming an equal. They were granted rights and allowed to participate in politics. However equals were still soldiers. Military service was required until age sixty. This military system was marveled at and rarely needed a resurgent effort after a battle. However this soldier centered state was the most liberal state in regards to the status of women. While women didn’t go through military training, they were required to be educated along similar lines. The Spartans were the only Greeks not only to take seriously the education of women; they instituted it as state policy. This was not, however, an academic education (just as the education of males was not an academic education); it was a physical education which could be grueling. Infant girls were also exposed to die if they were judged to be weak; they were later subject to physical and gymnastics training. This process of education also involved teaching women that their lives should be dedicated to the state. The women became astute and self reliant after this process. In most Greek states, women were required to stay indoors at all times (though only the upper classes could afford to observe this custom); Spartan women, however, were free to move out and had an unusual amount of domestic freedom for their husbands, after all, didn’t live at home. Spartan women were quite amenable and enjoyed a status, power, and respect that was unknown in the rest of the classical world. They controlled their own properties, as well as the properties of male relatives who were away with the army. It is estimated that women were the sole owners of at least 35% of all land and property in Sparta. The laws regarding a divorce were the same for both men and women. Unlike women in Athens, under the guise of Spartan law, if a woman became the heiress of her father because she had no living brothers to inherit, the woman was not required to divorce her current spouse in order to marry her nearest paternal relative. Spartan women rarely married before the age of 20, and unlike Athenian women who wore heavy, concealing clothes and were rarely seen outside the house, Spartan women wore short dresses and went where they pleased. Spartan society was dived into three main classes. At the top was Spartiate, or native Spartan, who could trace his or her ancestry back to the original inhabitants of the city. The Spartiate served in the army and was the only person who enjoyed the full political and legal rights of the state. Below the Spartiates were the perioeci (dwellers around and about). These were foreign people who served as a kind of buffer population between the Spartans and the helots. Because of this vital function, they were accorded a great deal of freedom and were the artisans. Most of the trade and commerce carried out in Sparta were performed by the perioeci. At the bottom, of course, were the helots. Since Spartan men were full-time soldiers, they were not available to carry out manual labor. The helots were used as unskilled serfs, tilling Spartan land. Helot women were often used as wet nurses. Helots also traveled with the Spartan army as non-combatant serfs. The relations between the helots and Spartans were at times very precarious; much time would elapse before they were able to make amends. Sparta is considered as one of the most important civilizations of all time, this proof being its military, the equality it provided for its women and its various social classes. And of course, who could forget the movie 300?

Endangered Animals

Endangered Animals Humans are destructive. Not a lot of us think about how what we do affects the world around us. We almost act like we are the only ones on this planet. We go around polluting and destroying our world with no regard for our actions. The things that live out in the wild are paying the price for it. Every day that passes there is another animal or plant that is placed on an endangered list. This is happening at an alarming rate.Because of man’s desire to expand and conquer their surroundings, there are animals and plants that are on the brink of extinction that will not be around for our kids and future generations to enjoy if something is not done about it now. This problem has been going on for hundreds of years. There are animals and plants that can only been seen in paintings or early photography. It is because of our early ancestors that we have this problem today and we have to do more to prevent more animals and plants from disappearing forever. So what is an endangered species? What is an extinct species?What has happened to cause them to become endangered or extinct? What needs to be done in order to save the endangered species from becoming extinct? Can anything be done to save them? The answer to most of these questions is not known by everyone. With all the attention that this subject gets from the government or groups that fight for the environment, it gets the same amount of disregard from the public. Many people want to help or donate but very few of those actually follow through. This is a very important subject that needs to be taken serious by the public.It needs their full attention because they are the ones that can truly make a change. People really don’t understand the concept of extinction. If something becomes extinct, there is no coming back, no reset button. It is gone forever. So it is imperative that things are done to prevent more animals and plants from disappearing. The best thing to happen as of yet to advocate for preservation of our nature's beautiful things is The Endangered Species Act. First enacted in 1973, the Endangered Species Act is one of the most critical laws that have been put in place to protect our environment and the organisms that live in it.It protects more than the threatened and endangered animals, in fact. When restrictions are placed on certain activities because of their potential to affect threatened or endangered organisms, those same restrictions serve to a degree to protect the non-threatened, non-endangered organisms that live in association with them. Entire ecosystems are often protected. Some, however, are more critical of the Endangered Species Act than they are complimentary. They contend it should either be abolished or greatly paired down. Supporters of the Act, in turn, often argue that the Act should be strengthened.The intent of this paper is to explore both sides of this argument and to try and reach a conclusion as to exactly what should happen to the Endangered Species Act. The effectiveness of the Endangered Species Act is hard to argue. The US Fish and Wildlife Service Reports (2009) that twenty-two species that are at one time listed as endangered have now been taken off the list as they are no longer endangered. Only two species that were ever put on the list prior to their actual extinction have now become extinct (US Fish and Wildlife Service, 2009).Additionally, twenty-three other species that were once classified as endangered have now recovered to the point that they are considered threatened, a less critical status (US Fish and Wildlife Service, 2009). Less encouraging, however, is that far too many species actually go extinct while they are being considered for listing (US Fish and Wildlife Service, 2009). Ironically, many critics of the Endangered Species Act argue that the fact that key animals have recovered justifies abolishing the Act in its entirety!Conversely, it is argued by proponents of the En dangered Species Act that the need for the Endangered Species Act obviously does not end when any one animal is taken off the list. Consider, for example, the case history of the gray wolf (Canis lupus). The gray wolf is not only one of the most impressive of the large North American mammals it is also one of the most misunderstood. The history of the gray wolf since the arrival of the European peoples who indiscriminately displaced both indigenous human populations and indigenous animal and plant populations has been interlaced with attempts at extermination and, more recently, conservation.The species was almost reduced to the point of extinction before public sentiment would sway to the point where it would receive some protection. First listed as an endangered species in 1973, the gray wolf (thanks to the conservation efforts and severe legal penalties for harming this species that are attributable to the Endangered Species Act) is one of the success stories of the Endangered Sp ecies Act. With the upswing in the gray wolf population, however, there has been a consequent increase once again in the same public resentment which almost obliterated the gray wolf from the face of the earth just a few decades ago.This resentment, and the loss of habitat which seems to characterize so many indigenous species of the Americas, translate to a continuation of the rocky road which the gray wolf has traveled for so long. The plight of the gray wolf can be directly related to the fact that the wolf is considered a threat to man and livestock alike. Although wolf behavior makes them little threat to man the general, the public regards the wolf as a menace waiting in the woods to consume babies and to slaughter livestock. While the former concern is preposterous, the latter does have some basis in fact.Indeed, wolves have been documented as preying on livestock. There are, however, reasons behind the changes we are noting in the gray wolf’s traditional prey regime. Current management efforts for the gray wolf must, in fact, address the many changes confronting the wolf today. These changes include the impact of humans, impacts such as habitat loss, the reduction of prey numbers, and the consequent increase of wolf to prey ratio. In many areas where the wolves natural prey has decreased they have retreated to island like enclaves, some of which are in unfortunate association with livestock interests.In other cases, however, the wolves still enjoy some habitat that is protected in the name of other organisms that are still on the endangered species list. Proponents of the Endangered Species Act use the fact that the wolf population or any other delisted organism's populations could once again begin a downward spiral. The obvious conclusion is that the Endangered Species Act is anything but obsolete. It is just as needed today as it was when it was first implemented. Another common criticism on the Endangered Species Act is that too many organism s are listed.Many of the species on the Endangered Species list, for example, are subspecies. Critics of the Act argue that sub categorizing a species and identifying some of those categorizations as either threatened or endangered is unjust because the species as a whole is doing just fine. Ecologically, however, subspecies are important. It is important to remember when considering subspecies that they sometimes occupy a completely different ecological niche than do other members of their species.Furthermore, they are unique enough physiologically that that uniqueness itself justifies the added protection being included on the endangered or threatened list provides. Another argument that is lodged against the Endangered Species Act is that some of the species have no real value in today's world. Some, in fact, are commonly looked on with disdain by many. Consider, for example, the plight of bats, several of which like the Indiana Bat are included on the endangered species list.The se bats have not only endured significant threats in the past, they are currently dealing with yet another threat. That threat is a disease called white-nosed syndrome, a disease that currently is affecting a potentially serious number of bats in the northeastern United States and possibly in Canada and even Europe. any thousands of bats have already died and others are sure to suffer a similar fate. The US Geological Survey’s National Wildlife Health Center estimates that as of August 30, 2008 some 100,000 have died in the northeastern US in association with this mysterious condition.Some estimates of bat mortality associated with white nose syndrome, however, are considerably higher. Cohn (2009), for example, estimates that some 500,000 bats have died in just the last two winters alone. Cohn (2009) reveals that some populations have been reduced by ninety percent. To understand the full impact that white nose syndrome might have one needs to consider not just how the diseas e is impacting bats but also how decreased bat populations could impact other aspects of our world.Bats are one of the primary natural controls of insects that we have. One estimate is that the total number of bats that have already died in association with white nose syndrome will result in a minimum of 2. 4 million pounds of insects not being consumed by those bats (The Economist, 2008). As one article summarizes, the impacts will extend beyond â€Å"an itchy evening in the garden. Without bats, farmers may have to use more insecticide, raising environmental worries and pushing up grocery prices† (The Economist, 2008, 49). Another considerations is that if we llow bat populations to continually flounder then potentially dangerous insects will undoubtedly increase in numbers. Many of these insects carry diseases like encephalitis and malaria, diseases that directly impact human beings. In addition to their importance in controlling insect populations, bats are an integral co mponent of their ecosystem in other respects. Many invertebrates and microbes depend on them in one respect or another in their own life cycles. Consider, for example, the importance of guano deposits in the cave ecosystem.Without those deposits countless number of other organisms would be deprived the habitat they need to survive. Those organisms, in turn, are eaten by other organisms. The impact caused by depletions in their numbers could reverberate all through the ecosystem. So too could the impact of not listing a species like bats on the endangered species list because of perceptions about their value as an organism! We are, in fact, fortunate as a country because we have the resources to sub categorize our natural world and to delve into the subtle ecological distinctions that sometimes characterize it.Poorer countries are not that fortunate and one result is that subspecies are not typically found on their lists of threatened and endangered species despite the fact that subs pecies are an important ecological element there (Birder's World, 2010). Neither are some of the species that are perceived as less important or desirable. Birder's World (2010) cautions that there is a fine line between too much sub categorization and too little because â€Å"defining too many taxes can create excessive administrative costs and dilute conservation dollars . . But defining too few taxes can hinder the effective conservation of imperiled biodiversity† (11). Having considered both sides of the argument surrounding the Endangered Species Act, it seems logical to conclude that, despite the fact that they Endangered Species Act could stand some improvement in terms of the speed of the bureaucracy that governs it, the Act itself is quite sufficient as is as long as it is administered to the full extent of its power.There is a growing tendency in government, however, to undermine the strength of the Endangered Species Act by making decisions on when and where to app ly it a political matter rather than an ecological matter (Munro, 2010). To do this is to insure that ultimately it will not just be the environment and the wile organisms that live in it that will lose, it will be mankind as well. Endangered Animals Endangered animals are one of the most issues that are affecting the earth today. Endangered animals are any species of animals that is at significant risk of extinction due to the dramatic decline in its population and habitat destruction. The endangerment caused by poaching, global warming and human activities. All life on earth is part of a nature balanced, and all species are dependent on each other to maintain the planet's ecosystem.Removing one species from the system will have some effects.  (Endangered species) claims that there is inconceivable calamity when species disappeared; calamity that cannot expect it. This essay will discuss some information about endangered animals around the world. Trade of Animals The animals are becoming sort of trades in poor places around the world, where no local markets to deter the hunters. In addition, those animals could be a kind of luxury food in rich countries. That is to say illegal hunting refers to how it is important is the money today even if at the expense of animals.Duffy writes that †The size of even legal international wildlife trade is staggering; worth approximately US$160 billion per year, it is one of the most valuable businesses in the world† (Duffy, 2010, p. 17). Species Donnellan points out that â€Å"Today there about 5,000 endangered animals and at least one species die out every year† (Donnellan, 2000, p. 9). One of the most endangered animals is a Siberian tiger. There are only 200 Siberian tigers in the wild, and almost of them are in nature reserves. However, elephants go side by side with Siberian tigers.There are two species of elephant, the African elephant and the Asian elephant. Elephant is an amazing creature that can lives in all major habitats. Furthermore, elephant has an important role on their habitat. They allow the grassland to regenerate again by fall the trees. Certainly when they walk they create paths for other creatures and also water hole. Donnellan (2 000) states that Care for the Wild International support elephant conservation by provides items like vehicles for many places in Africa. Causes of Endangerment Poaching The picture of poaching is complicated, because it covers a wide range of activities.Poaching actually is illegal hunting of any creatures, whether banned by every government in the earth of wildlife. Furthermore, Poaching take of us unique species of animals, such as elephants and tigers. In order, Duffy (2010) argues that the wildlife agencies faced many task of tackling poaching. For instance, conservation practice has been progressively to stop the poachers. Duffy provides information about poaching, †In 1988 president Moi in Kenya gave permission for the Kenya wildlife service to use a shoot-on-sight policy against suspected poachers† (Duffy, 2010. p. 82). Global Warming EffectNational Geographic (2012) insists that the Global warming is a long term change effective the average of weather occurs to a particular region. Similarly, changes may happen due to human activities which include the combustion of fossil fuels in cars. With reference to emitted from cars that are the most dangerous types of gases that called by carbon dioxide. So what the impacts of the global warming have been on wildlife? Only increasing one degree could melt the ice which involve Arctic sea ice, ice sheets that cover Greenland and mountain glaciers where are habitats for many species of animals.National Geographic shows that †Polar bear, Arctic wolf, Arctic fox and Seals are threatened now† (National Geographic, 2012). Moreover, the increase of sea level laid the marine mammals in a serious situation that depend on the ice to survive. Solution Extinct is to be gone forever, so how to protect the endangered animals? Animal needs three essential things to live; fresh air, pure water, food and place to live. People try to help endangered animals from extinction in many different ways.(Endange red species) notes that the Conversation Organisations work to aware people from the consequences of extinction. However, they scream to protect the animals habitat and building nature reserves. Also, captive breeding is another solution which is the breeding of animals in zoos to preserve endangered animals. So what we can do to help the endangered animals in the world. Certainly reduce the amount of paper could survive the habitats while all people know that the papers comes from trees. Conclusion The plant produces things that are important to save the human life.Conserve animals may lead to protect the plant where all of the humans live. Donnellan suggests that †Roughly 99 percent of threatened species are at risk because of human activities alone† (Donnellan, 2000, p. 63). Scientists try to reduce the influence of human activities as much as possible, and recover the habitats. Conservation Organisations present the solutions for the governments that protect endanger ed species from extinct while the governments able to Impose strict laws in the face of offenders. Endangered Animals Endangered Animals Humans are destructive. Not a lot of us think about how what we do affects the world around us. We almost act like we are the only ones on this planet. We go around polluting and destroying our world with no regard for our actions. The things that live out in the wild are paying the price for it. Every day that passes there is another animal or plant that is placed on an endangered list. This is happening at an alarming rate.Because of man’s desire to expand and conquer their surroundings, there are animals and plants that are on the brink of extinction that will not be around for our kids and future generations to enjoy if something is not done about it now. This problem has been going on for hundreds of years. There are animals and plants that can only been seen in paintings or early photography. It is because of our early ancestors that we have this problem today and we have to do more to prevent more animals and plants from disappearing forever. So what is an endangered species? What is an extinct species?What has happened to cause them to become endangered or extinct? What needs to be done in order to save the endangered species from becoming extinct? Can anything be done to save them? The answer to most of these questions is not known by everyone. With all the attention that this subject gets from the government or groups that fight for the environment, it gets the same amount of disregard from the public. Many people want to help or donate but very few of those actually follow through. This is a very important subject that needs to be taken serious by the public.It needs their full attention because they are the ones that can truly make a change. People really don’t understand the concept of extinction. If something becomes extinct, there is no coming back, no reset button. It is gone forever. So it is imperative that things are done to prevent more animals and plants from disappearing. The best thing to happen as of yet to advocate for preservation of our nature's beautiful things is The Endangered Species Act. First enacted in 1973, the Endangered Species Act is one of the most critical laws that have been put in place to protect our environment and the organisms that live in it.It protects more than the threatened and endangered animals, in fact. When restrictions are placed on certain activities because of their potential to affect threatened or endangered organisms, those same restrictions serve to a degree to protect the non-threatened, non-endangered organisms that live in association with them. Entire ecosystems are often protected. Some, however, are more critical of the Endangered Species Act than they are complimentary. They contend it should either be abolished or greatly paired down. Supporters of the Act, in turn, often argue that the Act should be strengthened.The intent of this paper is to explore both sides of this argument and to try and reach a conclusion as to exactly what should happen to the Endangered Species Act. The effectiveness of the Endangered Species Act is hard to argue. The US Fish and Wildlife Service Reports (2009) that twenty-two species that are at one time listed as endangered have now been taken off the list as they are no longer endangered. Only two species that were ever put on the list prior to their actual extinction have now become extinct (US Fish and Wildlife Service, 2009).Additionally, twenty-three other species that were once classified as endangered have now recovered to the point that they are considered threatened, a less critical status (US Fish and Wildlife Service, 2009). Less encouraging, however, is that far too many species actually go extinct while they are being considered for listing (US Fish and Wildlife Service, 2009). Ironically, many critics of the Endangered Species Act argue that the fact that key animals have recovered justifies abolishing the Act in its entirety!Conversely, it is argued by proponents of the En dangered Species Act that the need for the Endangered Species Act obviously does not end when any one animal is taken off the list. Consider, for example, the case history of the gray wolf (Canis lupus). The gray wolf is not only one of the most impressive of the large North American mammals it is also one of the most misunderstood. The history of the gray wolf since the arrival of the European peoples who indiscriminately displaced both indigenous human populations and indigenous animal and plant populations has been interlaced with attempts at extermination and, more recently, conservation.The species was almost reduced to the point of extinction before public sentiment would sway to the point where it would receive some protection. First listed as an endangered species in 1973, the gray wolf (thanks to the conservation efforts and severe legal penalties for harming this species that are attributable to the Endangered Species Act) is one of the success stories of the Endangered Sp ecies Act. With the upswing in the gray wolf population, however, there has been a consequent increase once again in the same public resentment which almost obliterated the gray wolf from the face of the earth just a few decades ago.This resentment, and the loss of habitat which seems to characterize so many indigenous species of the Americas, translate to a continuation of the rocky road which the gray wolf has traveled for so long. The plight of the gray wolf can be directly related to the fact that the wolf is considered a threat to man and livestock alike. Although wolf behavior makes them little threat to man the general, the public regards the wolf as a menace waiting in the woods to consume babies and to slaughter livestock. While the former concern is preposterous, the latter does have some basis in fact.Indeed, wolves have been documented as preying on livestock. There are, however, reasons behind the changes we are noting in the gray wolf’s traditional prey regime. Current management efforts for the gray wolf must, in fact, address the many changes confronting the wolf today. These changes include the impact of humans, impacts such as habitat loss, the reduction of prey numbers, and the consequent increase of wolf to prey ratio. In many areas where the wolves natural prey has decreased they have retreated to island like enclaves, some of which are in unfortunate association with livestock interests.In other cases, however, the wolves still enjoy some habitat that is protected in the name of other organisms that are still on the endangered species list. Proponents of the Endangered Species Act use the fact that the wolf population or any other delisted organism's populations could once again begin a downward spiral. The obvious conclusion is that the Endangered Species Act is anything but obsolete. It is just as needed today as it was when it was first implemented. Another common criticism on the Endangered Species Act is that too many organism s are listed.Many of the species on the Endangered Species list, for example, are subspecies. Critics of the Act argue that sub categorizing a species and identifying some of those categorizations as either threatened or endangered is unjust because the species as a whole is doing just fine. Ecologically, however, subspecies are important. It is important to remember when considering subspecies that they sometimes occupy a completely different ecological niche than do other members of their species.Furthermore, they are unique enough physiologically that that uniqueness itself justifies the added protection being included on the endangered or threatened list provides. Another argument that is lodged against the Endangered Species Act is that some of the species have no real value in today's world. Some, in fact, are commonly looked on with disdain by many. Consider, for example, the plight of bats, several of which like the Indiana Bat are included on the endangered species list.The se bats have not only endured significant threats in the past, they are currently dealing with yet another threat. That threat is a disease called white-nosed syndrome, a disease that currently is affecting a potentially serious number of bats in the northeastern United States and possibly in Canada and even Europe. any thousands of bats have already died and others are sure to suffer a similar fate. The US Geological Survey’s National Wildlife Health Center estimates that as of August 30, 2008 some 100,000 have died in the northeastern US in association with this mysterious condition.Some estimates of bat mortality associated with white nose syndrome, however, are considerably higher. Cohn (2009), for example, estimates that some 500,000 bats have died in just the last two winters alone. Cohn (2009) reveals that some populations have been reduced by ninety percent. To understand the full impact that white nose syndrome might have one needs to consider not just how the diseas e is impacting bats but also how decreased bat populations could impact other aspects of our world.Bats are one of the primary natural controls of insects that we have. One estimate is that the total number of bats that have already died in association with white nose syndrome will result in a minimum of 2. 4 million pounds of insects not being consumed by those bats (The Economist, 2008). As one article summarizes, the impacts will extend beyond â€Å"an itchy evening in the garden. Without bats, farmers may have to use more insecticide, raising environmental worries and pushing up grocery prices† (The Economist, 2008, 49). Another considerations is that if we llow bat populations to continually flounder then potentially dangerous insects will undoubtedly increase in numbers. Many of these insects carry diseases like encephalitis and malaria, diseases that directly impact human beings. In addition to their importance in controlling insect populations, bats are an integral co mponent of their ecosystem in other respects. Many invertebrates and microbes depend on them in one respect or another in their own life cycles. Consider, for example, the importance of guano deposits in the cave ecosystem.Without those deposits countless number of other organisms would be deprived the habitat they need to survive. Those organisms, in turn, are eaten by other organisms. The impact caused by depletions in their numbers could reverberate all through the ecosystem. So too could the impact of not listing a species like bats on the endangered species list because of perceptions about their value as an organism! We are, in fact, fortunate as a country because we have the resources to sub categorize our natural world and to delve into the subtle ecological distinctions that sometimes characterize it.Poorer countries are not that fortunate and one result is that subspecies are not typically found on their lists of threatened and endangered species despite the fact that subs pecies are an important ecological element there (Birder's World, 2010). Neither are some of the species that are perceived as less important or desirable. Birder's World (2010) cautions that there is a fine line between too much sub categorization and too little because â€Å"defining too many taxes can create excessive administrative costs and dilute conservation dollars . . But defining too few taxes can hinder the effective conservation of imperiled biodiversity† (11). Having considered both sides of the argument surrounding the Endangered Species Act, it seems logical to conclude that, despite the fact that they Endangered Species Act could stand some improvement in terms of the speed of the bureaucracy that governs it, the Act itself is quite sufficient as is as long as it is administered to the full extent of its power.There is a growing tendency in government, however, to undermine the strength of the Endangered Species Act by making decisions on when and where to app ly it a political matter rather than an ecological matter (Munro, 2010). To do this is to insure that ultimately it will not just be the environment and the wile organisms that live in it that will lose, it will be mankind as well.

Athenian democracy Essay

Due to experiencing the volatile state of the Athenian government, it is not surprising that Socrates had much to say on the topic of political philosophy. Central to his political theory was his position on how citizens ought to approach ethics and politics. In the Apology, Socrates’ conduct demonstrates his belief that citizens must not be complacent when it comes to political virtue. In order to push citizens out of complacency, Socrates used a method called the â€Å"elecnhus† to prod citizens to discover the true definition of virtues (Jowett, 2009). In doing this, Socrates hoped to promote a rigorous understanding of traditional moral virtues; an understanding of what courage, justice, and wisdom, truly meant (Jowett, 2009). At first glance, it seems that Socrates is promoting the appreciation of the traditional virtues, and is therefore a conservative. On the contrary, I will argue that Socrates’ conservative rationale serves only as a diversion from his radical intentions. In defending this statement, I will first outline Socrates’ conduct and motives in the Apology. Second, I will present the argument for how this behaviour can be interpreted as being conservative using narratives from Crito and The Republic. Lastly, I will argue why this behaviour instead demonstrates that Socrates was a radical. In the Apology, Plato provides a narrative of Socrates’ defence for using the elenchus, an exhaustive questioning method, to stir the position of Athenian citizens on traditional values (Jowett, 2009). Derived from various arguments in The Apology, Crito, and The Republic, it can be found that Socrates had two motives for his conduct. The first motive stems from his notion of benefit in the spiritual realm, which is derived from his theory of virtue. He held that the best life for humans is a life of virtue, and a life of virtue entailed striving to comprehend the true essence of values (Jowett, 2009). The practice of valuing true knowledge was seen to be intrinsically good for citizens, for it adhered to the success of the human soul (Jowett, 2009). Further, Socrates held that evil in this context was the ignorance of the intrinsic worth of the traditional values, and complacency when it comes to abiding by such values (Jowett, 2009). Therefore, Socrates’ first motive for using the elenchus method to stir his fellow citizens, was so that they could abandon their ignorance and begin to obey the true nature of human life, that is a life and soul of virtue (Jowett, 2009). By doing this, citizens would adhere to the true meaning behind traditional values. The second motive stems from his notion of benefit in the worldly realm, derived from his theory on laws. When it came to justice, there were multiple versions of what acting justice entailed. For instance, according to Cephalus, it was to honour your obligation to the city (Plato, 1974, 674). For Polemarchus it was reward and punishment to those who rightfully deserved it (Plato, 1974, 676). However, the orthodox versions of justice was that it involved simply adhering to the laws (Plato, 1974, 687). While this does contribute to a just social arrangement, in that everyone performs the role appropriate to them, it does not address the matters of ethics and law. On that matter, Socrates observed that simply obeying these laws did not automatically entail that the person was acting just, this is because laws are vulnerable to being unjust (Plato, 1974, 701). This introduced a concept that there exists an essence of justice, such that â€Å"there is an essential nature of justice and injustice and what a perfectly just and perfectly unjust man would be like (Plato, 1964, 472b). Without knowledge of the essence of justice, individuals would only be acting just by coincidence, for they would not be able to determine whether their actions were just or not (Plato, 1964, 458a). Contributing to this argument, Socrates saw that laws, and everything else in the physical world, were malleable (Plato, 1974, 98, 505c). This meant that the laws were defined by whomever was in power at the time; in democracy it was the majority, and in tyranny it was the tyrant. Therefore, Socrates held that it was necessary for citizens themselves to comprehend the essence of justice so that they could avoid being slaves to those who managed to hold legal influence at the time (Plato, 1974, 98, 505c). Such that those who held legal influence may be blind towards the â€Å"good† or essence of justice (Plato, 1974, 98, 505c). Therefore, Socrates’ second motivation for using the elenchus was in order to promote the valuing of justice, and other traditional values, in hopes that Athenian citizens could identify for themselves the things which adhere to the essence of these values. Accordingly, with these two motives in mind, Socrates engaged with the citizens of Athens, invoking them to question the traditional Greek values. His mission was to give birth in them a desire to understand the true essence of values, and then to be able to recognize it in the physical world. In response to such conduct, Socrates was accused of corrupting the youth, and questioning Greek life, giving rise to the context in The Apology. From the perspective of the Athenian jury, based on his charges, it appeared that Socrates’ conduct was radical. For the second part of this essay, by using his two motives as a reference, I will now explore the various arguments for why Socrates’ was not a radical, but instead a conservative. For the purpose of this essay, I will hold that the definition of conservative means the preservation of traditional values. Based on his first motive, in order to encourage citizens to abandon their ignorance and begin to virtuously appreciate the traditional Greek value, Socrates openly admitted that he had to push citizens to challenge and question these values (Jowett, 2009). It was seen as radical because such questioning of traditional values was seen as insulting and violating these same values (Jowett, 2009). While this may be seen as radicalism, it is clear that this is not the case when Socrates’ concept of the spiritual realm and the forms are introduced. Stemming from his theory of values, Socrates believed that all traditional Greek values existed in a pure and absolute form that could only become known through reason (Jowett, 2009). Therefore, the purpose of questioning the traditional values was only in order to stimulate the realization of the true essence of these values. Socrates believed that by doing so, it was the ultimate act of respect to traditional moral values, and the first motive can thus be interpreted as conservative. However, the questioning of traditional values ultimately entailed the questioning of Athenian laws. While this also may be seen as radicalism, it is clear that this is not the case when Socrates’ distinguishes the difference between the worldly realm and the spiritual realm. Socrates believed that all traditional Greek values were embodied in a universal law within the spiritual realm, that is above the malleable Athenian law which existed in the physical realm. While Socrates respected and abided by the Athenian law, he was also critical of the nature of such laws. Socrates explains that, because these Athenian laws were malleable to the distribution of political power, these laws were vulnerable to deviation from the traditional values (Plato, 1974, 98, 505c). By promoting the questioning of Athenian laws, Socrates believed that he was preserving the traditional values in the legal system. This traces back to his previous argument, that justice is not simply obeying the law (Plato, 1974, 701). This serves to show that Socrates’ conduct which encouraged the questioning of Athenian law was not radical, but consistent with conservatism. Another piece of evidence was Socrates’ response to escaping prison, as seen in Critos. Here Socrates is offered help from his friend Critos, to escape his death sentence from the Athenian court, but declines out of his respect for the Athenian law (Gallop, 1997, 36, 45a). This is depicted when Socrates states, â€Å"I cannot now reject the very principles that I previously adopted, †¦ and I respect and honour the same ones I did before† (Gallop, 1997, 36, 46c). Further, Socrates also embraced the â€Å"obey or persuade† principle, where if a person disagrees with the law, they must systemically change it, or accept and obey it (Gallop, 1997, 40, 52a). Therefore, Socrates’ acceptance of his death sentence from the Athenian court is an ultimate submission to preserving the integrity of the justice system. Accordingly, while Socrates was deemed a radical by the Athenian courts for promoting the questioning of traditional values and Athenian law, it could be argued that he was actually a conservative who was promoting the appreciation of these values and reinforcing them in Athenian laws. This is defended by the forfeiting of his life in the name of adhering to the justice system. On the contrary, I will now argue for a different interpretation of these pieces of evidence to show that Socrates was indeed a radical who disguised his intentions under a conservative facade. Radicalism will be treated as the converse of conservativism, which will be defined as promoting political reform and deviation from traditional values. The starting point of this argument is that, while Socrates condemns disobeying the law for it is analogous to disobeying your parents, he does not say it is wrong try to change it (Gallop, 1997, 40, 52a). In alignment with radicalism, Socrates sought to be a catalyst of change change in Athens. Although Socrates claimed to be promoting the appreciation of traditional values, what he actually was doing was promoting a change in the way Athenians appreciated these values. Traditionally, these values were undertaken in order to avoid problems in the physical world (Jowett, 2009). For instance, justice was valued for its ability to maintain order and a functioning society. Socrates promulgated a different reason to pursue traditional values, that is to provide benefit in a spiritual manner (Jowett, 2009). This is reflected in his theory of the soul, where he promoted the discipline of appetite and spirit by reason (Cornford, 1974, 23, 428d). For Socrates, the purpose of disciplining the soul was was to pursue spiritual virtue. This is a deviation in the way traditional values were appreciated in Athens. Rather than moderation of courage being pursued to prevent death from arrogance or shame from cowardice, Socrates held that moderation of courage should be pursued in order to promote a virtuous soul. Therefore, it can be argued that Socrates is advocating a departure from the physical world to the spiritual world, in the attitude by which Athenians ought to engage traditional values. The effect of a departure from the way in which traditional values are engaged, is depicted in his conversation with Crito. While Socrates states that he is forfeiting his life out of respect for the Athenian law, now that we understand his position on the difference in importance between spiritual and worldly values, the message he is sending can be interpreted differently. There are two points that give rise to this new interpretation. The first is that in Socrates’ comparison of harming the soul with harming the body, he states that only the individual himself can harm his own soul (Gallop, 1997, 37, 48a). This meant that only by submitting to unvirtuous behaviour, will an individual tarnish his own soul (Gallop, 1997, 37, 47a). As a result, if Socrates were to escape prison, he would be harming his soul in order to avert physical harm. The second point is that Socrates values the preservation of the soul over the preservation of the body (Gallop, 1997, 37, 47a). This is seen when Socrates questions â€Å"are our lives worth living with a poor or corrupted body? † (Gallop, 1997, 37, 47e). Taking these two points into consideration, it is possible to interpret Socrates’ forfeiting of his life as a mockery of the Athenian legal punishment in order to adhere to his own virtues. The message he is sending is that individuals ought to pursue their interpretation of the traditional values, and in the case where they are punished for it, it will not matter because harming the body is insignificant compared to harming the soul. This is again seen in when he states that we should not fear the opinion of the majority, but should only concern ourselves with the opinion of the expert (Gallop, 1997, 37, 47a). Accordingly, while Socrates was sometimes portrayed as being conservative for promoting the appreciation of traditional values and for forfeiting his life in the name of the justice system, when his theory of the spiritual and physical realm are introduced, two points show that he is not a conservative. The first point is that he is promoting a deviation in the way traditional values are engaged. The second point is that he encourages other citizens to deviate regardless of the physical harm that may be done to them. Based on these two points, I hold that Socrates’ use of the elenchus to stir Athenians out of complacency is radical. In conclusion, Socrates’ use of the elenchus was openly accepted to be motivated by a desire to stir Athenian citizens out of complacency. The question that was the focus of this essay was whether his intentions behind this stirring was conservative, to reinforce and maintain the traditional Greek values, or radical, to stimulate a new approach to values. There was evidence which defended that Socrates was a conservative, however, it was shown that this conservative motive was only a front. Evidently, his conduct and theories suggest that Socrates was more on the side of a radical. Cornford, M. (1974). The republic. New York: Oxford University Press. Gallop, D. (1997). Crito. New York: Oxford University Press. Gallop, D. (1997). The Republic. New York: Oxford University Press. Jowett, B. (2009). Apology. Retrieved from http://classics. mit. edu/Plato/apology. html.