Socrates Essays (865 words) - Socratic Dialogues, Dialogues Of Plato

Socrates While reading Plato's Meno, Euthyphro, apology, and Crito, it became apparent that Socrates held very strong beliefs about the relationship between law and morality. Socrates makes it clear about the reasons laws should be or not be followed. He also clarifies his stand on why laws should be followed and why disobedience to the law is rarely justified. Socrates views humanity in the context that anybody is capable of wrongdoing. He continues with the elaboration that even returning an injury upon oneself is wrong. Socrates then makes a connection between the city and morality. If one is acting without the city's allowance, one is doing wrong toward the city and it's laws. Behaving wrongly towards the people is also doing wrong against the city. The wrongdoing would become a way of destroying the cities laws, and hurting citizens in the process. Socrates compares this relationship to that of how a child should not cause harm to his parents. By doing so you disrespect the laws within the city. Causing harm to your father would lead to conviction; further illustrating the fact that wrong against the law is a wrong against everybody who abides by that law. Socrates follows this by examining what each citizen is taught. From birth you are told to obey laws. You were brought to life from your mother and father and thus you should respect and obey the rules that they do. But the cities laws were there before you mother and father, and are therefor equally if not more important than the laws of your mother and father. The city's law should be respected at least as equally as one's parents should. Socrates then goes on to explain that you do not have the same rights as your parents. Because they have taught what is right and wrong, it is immoral to treat your parents as they treat you. Your parents must have a higher position than you because they taught you. This thought is then extended to the city with the quote ?One must obey the commands of one's city and country, or persuade it as to the nature of justice. It is impious to bring violence to bear against your mother or father, it is much more so to use it against you country.? (Crito, 46) One should obey your parents, but more important is the city. Because the city was that which has taught your ancestors and your parents, it must be superior to them. The cities laws being superior to your mother or father, should be respected and followed. Socrates explains his thoughts of the city and its rules as the nature of life. We were welcomed into the world by the city so it is immoral to fight against it. The laws should be ac cepted and followed. But one should not obey a law just because it is a law. What is moral has been taught to us by our parents, and to them from the city. It is their opinion that will tell us if our actions are moral or not. However, one aspect of the city and its laws is that you are not forced to do as it dictates. As Socrates explains, you have two options, to obey the law or not. But in regards to Socrates opinion, it is not another's opinion to decide what is right and wrong for us. But just as children argue with their parents, one doesn't have to do everything that he is told to. It is an immoral life to follow others opinions about morality. From Euthyphro Socrates opinion on how disobedience can be justified is shown. When Euthyhro accuses his father of murder, he states ?I say that the pious to do what I am doing now, to prosecute the wrongdoer, be it about murder or temple robbery or anything else, whether the wrongdoer is your father or your mother or anyone else; not to prosecute is impious.? (Euthyphro, 22) In this case, Socrates is defending himself. He doesn't believe in all the God's ideas and is justifying his opinion. He has similar thoughts about morality when he states ?I find it hard to accept things like that being said about the

Transformational Leadership

Transformational Leadership Introduction In any organization, the focus is based on yielding high profits. The key to this lies in the leader who in turn inspires the staff. Leadership in an organization is usually classified in different categories based on the style the leader uses.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Transformational Leadership specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Different leadership styles are used to attain desired goals, but Bass (2006) pointed out in his work that the secret to an organization that is effective in achieving its goals lies in the use of transformational leadership. A leader usually uses power and influence to exercise authority. In transformational leadership however, the idea is to emphasize on influence to manage the teams and bring them aboard in understanding the vision the leader has. Transformational leadership therefore can be defined as implementing new ideas by way of adopting a more flexible and univer sal method of influencing and continually ameliorating those around them. This type of leadership calls for the leader and the staff to work on improving one another’s motivation levels. Motivational leaders bravely work towards making the staff realize the need for higher ideas and the vision they have for the future of the organization. Transformational leaders naturally role model the followers and pass their enthusiasm by clearly letting them visualize what his ideas are, what he is doing and by outlining his genuine personal beliefs he shows the followers that he has these values. Transformational leaders are able to achieve these results by possessing certain qualities and characteristics. Transformational leaders understand their abilities and confidently stand firm on their beliefs. The confidence in their abilities keeps them motivated and helps them to emotionally connect to the organization. They have high levels of self-determination which helps them attain a sens e of direction for the organization and in turn influence the followers and together they propel the organization in the right course. They possess self drive which helps them to visualize themselves as achievers who do not have to rely on luck to achieve good results. It is this understanding of self that help them to transform those around them (Chammas, 2010). Another characteristic of effective transformational leaders is seen in their ability to understand those around them and particularly those under them. Transformational leaders carefully understand and purposefully influence and motivate the staff to understand the goals and together they working the direction of attaining that goal since he assists them to realize its intended worth.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This requires the transformational leader to have the right communication skills to be abl e to relay the vision they have to a point of winning the willingness of the followers such that they too are excited and have the drive to achieve the desired change. A transformational leader fully understands what they hope to achieve and the process carefully relaying the intent to the followers requires idealized influence which ensures the followers are not resistance to the idea. To do so the leader must also be willing to actively involve them in chatting the way forward towards attaining the goal. After they are all in agreement of the right course of action to take, the transformational leader again provides inspirational motivation to keep them going and excite their minds to have the urge to achieve the task. After the transformational leader purposefully develops the ideas and effectively influences the staff to yearn to do attain the goal, it only marks the beginning of the process. The work of the transformational leader now is to keep the staff focused on the vision continually, help them stick to the agreed on course of action to attain the vision and continually be actively involved in influencing more and more colleagues to support the vision. The importance here is to make sure that the staff clearly understood the vision the leader has for the organization’s future and make sure that they will support the course and keep abreast with the importance of the task even in years to come. The staff should not just be involve din doing their assigned job but engage in the job because they realize the importance of the outcome of the job. The last characteristic of transformation leadership is a combination of three qualities which require that the transformational leader think outside the box. According to Chammas (2010), a transformational leader is not afraid to evaluate the organizations tradition and make changes to them without interfering with the organizations core business. This requires that they come up with innovative and creati ve ways that work inline with the vision they have for the organization. In their pursuit for change they are seen as ignoring the present and yearning for a better future. A factor that works with this is their willingness to embrace innovations and ideas. The transformational leader encourages the others to come up with new methodologies and innovations that are in line with attaining the vision. This they do so as to keep abreast with the changing times and to demonstrate that they understand that new challenges in the future need new solutions.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Transformational Leadership specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More They therefore encourage suggestions and accordingly offer appraisals for the best ideas. The third point on the same is that the transformational leader takes up their role as the advisor and the guide of the team. Their role here is to assist the whole team through the operation s. This requires that they understand that each individual have their own personal strengths and weaknesses in given areas. The leader also takes into consideration the individual’s level and will to adjust to the new ideas. By understanding the readiness levels the leader is able to establish the right timing for implementing the new ideas so that the resistance is kept at minimal. The ability to forge ahead and achieve anew transformed organization depends on the transformational leader’s influential levels on the staff and to develop them in the areas needed to achieve a new organization. Transformational leadership has proven effective by far compared to other leadership styles. This is due to its influential nature that seeks to have both the leader and the follower develop each other and together they work towards attaining a vision and in turn a new organization. The benefits of adopting transformation leadership are clearly felt in the outcomes. Transformation leadership increases the influence at the topmost leadership level. This according to Cox (2010) is because transformational leaders act as role models to other employees in the organization hence are obeyed and their method of dealing with people is respected. The result is an organization where there is solid unity between the leader and the employees which give rise to an atmosphere of mutual trust and communication is effective. This means that the executive is given a hearing by other staff and therefore implementation of ideas is fast and the environment at the work place is not tense or hierarchical. This is because more emphasis is laid on developing each other as opposed to arguing on bureaucracy. The leader concentrates on guiding the staff through the vision as opposed to spending most of the time trying to unite opposing groups in an organization. Results are achieved very fast once all the staff are on board and are working passionately. Another benefit of transformatio nal leadership is seen in the way the leader oozes with charisma and the excitement they have performing their duty. The rest of the staff is able to read clearly what the leader’s aspirations are and consequently they follow in trying to achieve the vision too. The energy possessed by transformational leaders is said to be a major contributor of the other staffs willingness to join in because they are inspired by their leader’s genuine vision of taking the organization to a whole new level. A successful and effective organization is able to be realized through two important aspects; a leader who has a clearly defined vision for the organization, and staff who have the will to assist and work together towards realization of that goal. Transformational leaders are enthusiastic about the vision they have and through their ability to bring other staff on board, realizing the vision becomes very easy and hence a successful and effective organization (Cox, 2010).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More A major benefit of transformational leadership is the way they are able to guide the employees bit by bit in achieving a change in the organization. This they do by gradually explaining and influencing the employees and therefore take them through the step-by-step process of attaining the desired change. They are able to visualize the changes the organization should hope to achieve e.g. introduction of a new product, new methods of operating, new technology adjustments etc. they then embark on a mission to carefully engage the employees in trying to understand their feeling toward the desired change. According to Xenitelis (2010) this they do through employing tactical approaches in trying to reveal their thoughts on the same and to involve them directly in the process of defining the desired change. They then attempt to make that necessary adjustment so as to make the employees clearly get the picture as to why the change is important, and what it hopes to achieve. After the necess ary change is made to propel the vision, the transformational leader then guides the process and ensures that every one is on board. The leader keeps a constant check by evaluating the process as it continues and hence makes the necessary changes. This step-by-step engaging of the process proves very successful and is the most effective way of the organization realizing changes. It is also an effective way of avoiding resistance to change which is usually a major hindrance to progress in an organization. Its effectiveness is seen especially where the organization wishes to launch a new product or they desire to make complete change in their operating processes (Xenitelis, 2010). Employees in an organization led by a transformational leader always feel the challenge to keep their energies going because they are inspired by the leader. This fosters a feeling of taking ones duties and responsibilities personal and yearning to perform ones tasks to the best of their abilities. This sort of inspiration by the transformational leader encourages the employees to come up with new ways of doing things. Creativity and innovativeness amongst the employees is encouraged and this in turn brings out the full potential the individual has while still addressing the issue of self development. The benefits of such a working environment trickle down to the organization which has employees with self fulfillment and are giving their best and their creative input is enjoyed hence the organization’s effectiveness is realized (Stewart, 2006). Bass, one of the pioneers of transformational leadership pointed out that application of this style of leadership helps the employees push their abilities to levels they never thought they could reach. In addition to transformational leadership uniting and ensuring people are in agreement, Bass pointed out that it fosters a working culture where moral force flourishes and therefore the level of employee turnover is kept at minimum. Employ ees who understand that the organization they are working for encourages them to give their creativity and allows them to develop to levels they never thought they could achieve are likely to stick with the organization for long. The benefits of such a working culture are realized in the organizations success towards achieving its vision since the costs associated with employee turn over and employee retention are cut as well as the benefits of developed and satisfied employees (Bass, 2006). Transformational leadership brings forth a culture and climate in an organization whereby, success is bound to prosper. When a transformational leader takes into consideration the abilities and needs of each employee individually and shares their genuine vision in a clear and elaborate manner, it brings forth a culture of honesty and receptiveness. The employees feel that their input is respected and credit awarded for their ideas. This in turn gives rise to a working environment where there is job satisfaction and consequently due to absence of commotions the environment is stress free. The employees are always in high spirits and their motivation to work hard is on top hence they express freely their abilities to improve on certain areas and the areas where they are strong in is emphasized on. Organization’s success is bound to be realized in such a working culture which is stress-free, high motivation levels, job satisfaction is high and personal abilities are given a consideration. Transformational leadership is beneficial in that it can help an organization cut on the costs. Through the transformational leader’s ability to connect with the employees and giving them a chance to understand the task at hand including allowing their ideas and creativity, job satisfaction is achieved which means employees do not feel the need to leave the organization hence the reduced employee turn over. This in a major way saves the organization high costs that are associat ed with loosing employees and having to employ new ones. In a transformational leadership organization, the employees are given a chance to concentrate on areas they are strong hence the unnecessary costs of having to train the employees on areas they are unfamiliar with are reduced. This also goes for the fact that the employees are given a chance to develop and as they work harmoniously they teach each other through sharing of ideas and hence in-training of employees is unnecessary in most cases (Stewart, 2006). In conclusion, effectiveness in an organization highly depends on the leader’s ability to have a vision, ability to build consensus with the employees and adjusting his leadership style such that it fits the vision and is able to guide the whole team towards the desired direction. Transformational leadership takes all this into consideration by having the leader clearly understand the direction he wants to propel the organization, influencing the employees and makin g them understand how important the change is then together they engage in the process. Transformational leadership combines the right employees and the right motives and inspires creativity and motivation in achieving a smooth flow of processes which in the long run ensure an effective organization which delivers in its results and is consistent in achieving the desired changes. Reference List Bass, M. and Riggio, E. (2006) Transformational Leadership. New York, Routledge. Chammas, A. (2010) Leadership Characteristics for Organizational Transformation Success, Transformational Leadership, vol. 12, no. 6, pp. 16-27. Cox, R. (2010) The Benefits of Transformational Leadership. 2010. Web. Stewart, J. (2006) Transformational Leadership: An Evolving Concept Examined through the Works of Burns, Bass, Avolio, and Leithwood, Canadian Journal of Educational Administration and Policy. vol. 27, no. 56, pp. 1-19. Xenitelis, M. (2010) Transformational Leadership, Management. vol. 43, no. 12, pp. 11 17.

Patterns and Sorting Teaching Activities for Children

Patterns and Sorting Teaching Activities for Children Teaching patterns to your child goes hand in hand with teaching them how to sort. Both activities rely on seeing the characteristics and attributes a set of items has in common. When kids think about sorting, they think about putting things into piles based on the most visible characteristic they have in common, but if you help your child to look a little closer, they’ll be able to see subtler common attributes, too. Ways to Sort Items Toddlers and preschoolers start sorting early on when they put their various toys in color-oriented piles. Color is just one of many attributes to look at. Others include: SizeShapeTextureLengthType of objects Depending on the objects you have to use for patterns and sorting, it can get even more complicated. For example, if your child is sorting buttons, he can sort them by size, sort them by color, and/or by the number of holes in each button. Shoes can be sorted into left and right, laces and no laces, stinky or not stinky and so on. Connecting Sorting and Patterns Once your child recognizes that a group of objects can be put into groups by their similar characteristics, they can start making patterns by using those characteristics. Those buttons? Well, let’s consider the ones with two holes â€Å"Group A† and the ones with four holes â€Å"Group B.† If there were any buttons with one hole, those can be â€Å"Group C.† Having these different groups opens up a number of different ways to construct patterns. The most common pattern groupings are: ABAABBAAABABC It’s important to point out to your child that what makes a pattern a pattern is that the sequence repeats in the same order. So, putting down a two-holed button, a four-holed button and a two-holed button isn’t yet a pattern. Your child would need to put down another four-holed button to complete two sequences of the pattern to begin a pattern. Look for Patterns In Books Though the concept of patterning is mathematical, patterns can be found everywhere. Music has patterns, language has patterns, and nature is a world full of patterns. One of the easiest ways to help your child discover patterns in the world is to read books that are either specifically about patterns or contain language patterns. Many children’s books, like  Are You My Mother?,  rely on patterns to tell a story. In that particular book, the baby bird asks each character the title question when he meets them, and they each reply No. In the story of The Little Red Hen, (or the more modern version, The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza), the hen is looking for someone to help grind the wheat and repeats the phrase over and over again. There a number of stories like this. Look For Patterns in Music Music is a little more difficult for some children because not all of them are able to distinguish the difference between a sound going up and a sound going down. There are basic patterns to listen for, though, such as the repetition of a chorus after a verse and the repeating melody of a verse and a chorus. You can also point out the patterns of short notes and long notes or play games that teach your child the patterns of rhythm. Often, learning simple clap, tap, slap patterns can help kids listen for the patterns in music. If your child is more visual, they can benefit from looking at the patterns found on instruments. A piano keyboard, for example, has a number of patterns on it, the simplest of which is found on the black keys. From end to end, the black keys are in groups of 3 keys, 2 keys, 3 keys, 2 keys. Once your child has grasped the concept of patterns, theyll not only see them everywhere, but they’ll be off to a great start when it comes to learning math!

MY MAJOR (Architecture) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

MY MAJOR (Architecture) - Essay Example responds in some measure to some external or prevailing cultural climates when making their designs, hence overtime it has emerged that architecture is a cultural artifact reflecting the nature of that culture.(Fawcett, 1998) Over the years since Vitruvius writing at the time of the founding of the Roman Empire, Ii has been recognized that an appreciation of the role of architecture is essential to the understanding of the art of architecture itself. Vitruvius in his time identified that there are three basic important components of architecture as firmitas, utilitas and venustas. These three words were later described by Sir Henry Wooton in the seventeenth century to mean firmness, commodity and delight respectively (MacDonald, 1994) Commodity is in the Vitruvian qualities referred to the practical functioning of the building structure. It means the practical functioning of the building will require that the spaces provided for in the structure is actually of use and serves the purpose for which the building was built. Firmness is the most basic quality. It encompasses the buildings ability to preserve a high physical integrity and survive in the world as a physical object. The part of the building involved mostly in firmness is its structure, without structure there is no building and hence no commodity. The final quality is delight, this simply referrers to the beauty of the structure including the beauty of the external environment and the interior design. In order to appreciate fully the qualities of the work of the architecture, the observer or critique should at least know something on its structural makeup. (MacDonald, 1994) The architect as a person should be well conversant with the various disciplines of life; he or she should be well equipped with the numerous branches and the varied kinds of learning, for it is through his or her judgments that all the works of art is put to test (Morgan, 2014). This knowledge then becomes the ‘child’ of

INTRODUCTION TO LAW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

INTRODUCTION TO LAW - Essay Example There should not be any further assumption in a trial and judgment process. Rather it is supposed to take for granted in addition to supporting previous resolution, whether by resolution or some summary means. This should not be exclusively left to judges, without being backed up by legal rules to advocate that the best way to settle dispute is to opt out of the trial process into alternative depute resolution. Opposing parties should not be left to themselves. It therefore becomes urgent of the legal system to effectuate a means through which any settlement will be achieved at its maximum. This will to a greater extent, reduce the amount of trials. The second assumption upholds the view that the most effective way of settling a dispute is by permitting the opposing parties to go to court. If therefore a trial has to be set into motion, there should be a traditionally adversarial method in which all opposing parties are given equal opportunities with regards to establishment of facts , discovery of evidence and production of witnesses. If this is effective, the trial process will not be wanting of a fundamental principle of fair hearing, although opposing parties may have unequally bargaining powers. The truth is that authenticity of facts or opinion will be distorted and parties will bear enormous costs where bargaining powers of litigants are not at par. There is need for reform. But reform should be more feasible moving from an adversarial to inquisitorial system because this will â€Å"alter lawyers’ conduct within the existing system, a task which†¦is less productive and more difficult than changing the system†1. It is thought of that changing the existing conduct of lawyers will mean that there will be an ascendant of more settlements. Should this be a problem? It may be impossible to completely cause trials to vanish. But it is true that the rates at which trials are brought to court will gradually diminish. Remember that litigants will be more aware of the benefits over which settlement has over trials. Therefore, settlement out of court should not be discounted by the courts. The court should egg on litigant to settle their disputes out of court. This will even be more effective when there is disclosure of facts earlier to the settlement. Remember that settlement without earlier disclosure of important facts will render the settlement unfair. 02 How do you think moving to an inquisitorial system would address some of the criticism raised by the author? The criticism raised by the author relates to disclosure in of evidence and eventual cost of litigation. To begin with, the adversarial method is a method which affords the parties and the counsels a great deal of absolute control over the manner in which facts and opinions are collected and tendered. Maybe, the best way to understand the adversarial method is by reference to what transpired in Whitehouse v. Jordan2. Civil litigation is without doubt, a classic il lustration of the adversarial system. The process calls for neutrality between all parties to the case. Keep in mind that neither side of the opposing camp is obliged to make known more of its evidence before the trial than the other side. It is however, the plaintiff who bears the greatest burden of proof and this is on the balance of probabilities. Remember that this is a standard which is of no benefit to all parties. The character of the inquisitorial method is found in the

Summary and reaction Essay Example for Free

Summary and reaction Essay The writer started his article by describing a group of people called Tuvans, who lives in a remote area in the Republic of Tuva, in Russian Federation. The importance of this group came from the fact that they are speaking Tuvan, a language consider by linguists to be among a group of languages that are considered to be on the edge of extinction because of the low numbers of people that speak it. The earth population speak approximately 7000 languages. Tuvan is among the 3500 small languages that are spoken only by 8. 25 million people in the entire world, which is a very low fraction of the seven billion people who inhabit the earth. On the other hand, seventy eight percent of the earth population are speaking only 85 languages, Mandarin, Spanish, and English are among the top spoken languages on the globe. Linguist predicted that in the next century almost half of the spoken languages may vanish, and at this point more than 1000 languages are considered on the extinction. The writer mentioned the reasons that lead to this languages dilemma. He mentioned the effect of the dominant languages, that controls communications and commerce, on the small one that do not have any defense mechanism, like television or currency, to protect its existence. Because of that the people of Tuva must speak Russian or Chinese if they want to stay in contact with the outside world. The writer then mentioned another endangered languages known as AKA, the native language of AKA people in Plaizi a small village in India. The writer describe its people as a very self-dependent people that produce everything they need in their daily life. The AKA language was protected from outside influence because of the location of the village that makes it very difficult for outsiders to reach it. The authors then described two trends in the field of linguistics. The first one is based on the theory of Noam Chomsky who mentioned that all languages came from one single origin which is fixed in the human genes. The second trend is the increase interest in small endangered languages around the world, and how the field linguists are interested in idiosyncrasies that distinguish each language from the others and the cultural effects on it. There are 85 percent of the needs to be documented in order to understand it, and the main reason for this documentation comes from the fact that each language contains unique human experiences that reveals many aspects of life . The writer declared very important point regarding the loss of any language. His main idea was based on the fact that every language contains a valuable information about the culture and the knowledge that accumulated from generation to generation in this culture. The author gave us another example of vanishing languages which is the Cmiique Itiom, a language used by the Seri in Mexico and how their language contains the knowledge that is important for all humans. Cmiique Itiom managed to preserved its original form without any outside interference . The Seri managed to keep their language untouched mainly because their hostility to the outsiders. Even the modern commodities likes cars the Seri managed to bring it to their culture but they used for it a unique names that merged from their own language so they never used there Spanish names. The writer mentioned a way to preserved the vanishing languages which is to: â€Å"†¦ enshrine it in writing and compile a dictionary. †. He gave an examples for linguists that worked in those kind of projects like David Harrison and Greg Anderson who compiled the first Tuvan- English dictionary. Also, Steve and Cathay Marlett who worked to finish Cmiique Itiom dictionary, but the writer mentioned very important point which is stated in page 86 : â€Å"But saving a language is not something linguists can accomplish, because salvation must come from within. †. The salvation must come from the people who are using this language by teaching it to the next generation, and also by using dictionaries and books to preserve it and keeping it active as long there is something to speak about it. Writer Choices The writer starts his article by using a story as a hook for the readers, to grab their attention for the rest of the article, and he kept telling the readers different stories about the people he met during his travel. The writer also used creative language ,like figurative language which includes metaphor in many places in the article, and he also used compare and contrast in many other places . Numbers was used by the writers to support his main idea, he mentioned a specific numbers related to the languages in the first page. Visuals aid had been used by the writer to illustrate the subject of his article in a very professional way, yet it was very simple and effective, we can see that from the beautiful pictures for all the people that he met during his trip. Reflection on the Reading Process I found the article hard to read at the beginning, but after using SQ4R and reading the article in class for many times it became much easier for me to understand, and this make the whole process of reading very interesting. The language used not always clear, with difficult word as shown below: Nomadic: roaming about from place to place aimlessly, frequently, or without a fixed pattern of movement. Proselytize: to try to persuade people to join a religion, cause, or group. Dwindle: to gradually become smaller. Thatch: to make (a roof) with dried plant material (called thatch). Supplant: to supersede (another) especially by force or treachery. Atelier: a room where an artist works. Propitious: likely to have or produce good results. Reading process included: Skimming and Skamming ,summarize the article and annotate the key points in it, and SQ4R. Reaction Languages is the soul of human civilizations. The connection between the two of them is very similar to the relationship between human soul and body because without the sole the body will surely collapse because humans need their soul to drive the physical body and to keep him from perishing. In contrast, language plays the same role in people collective awareness about their on existence in the society and culture. Language is the invisible glue that hold the culture pieces together, and without this glue everything will collapse. It’s the strong foundation that up hold the society structures and grant it the strength to resist any outside threats. Why the language is so important? Because it’s the memory of the society. This memory is the experiences and knowledge that transferred from generation to generation until it reached this point in time, and no it will very hard to live without our memories. Losing any language would be similar to someone who lost his own memory. The only thing he can do is to embrace a new experiences and knowledge, and to start accumulating new memories about his new life. Unfortunately, it is the same thing for languages, when the people abandon their own language in favor for new ones they will lose their cultural experiences and knowledge. They will eventually lose their own identity that distinguished them from the rest of humans. Finally, losing any language on earth would be a lost for humanity in general because we will lose our diversity that make life on earth interesting . I think life with one color would be very tedious, and for life to be interesting it should contain whole spectrum of color. Spinoff Topics One of the spinoff topics would be a to study the individuals that abandon their own language and how they adopt with their new languages and cultures.

Chinas Rise Essays -- Chinese History, Mao

China’s last dynasty ended one hundred years ago, and the last great dynasty ended one thousand years ago. (Dharmananda)Nonetheless, China is rising out of the ashes in modern times. China became a communist nation in nineteen hundred and forty nine. (Woods, 2009) With the help of the U.S.S.R., China made multiple nuclear weapons in the nineteen fifties. This sparked the start of China’s military modernization and their reemergence to the international community. China’s international policy is to promote world peace. They hope to do so by staying neutral and only defending their interests, and not instigating. The only contradiction in China’s policy is that it interferes with Tibet and Taiwan. If Taiwan ever tries declaring independence, China will declare war on them and it just so happens the United States is an ally of Taiwan. The global superpower of today is the United States of America. (Vale, 2010) The United States has the strongest military for ce in the world, with the most funding of any country by billions of dollars. The United States is also China’s number one trading partner, so if China were to oppose the United States, China’s economy would crumble. China’s rise is not a threat to global security. Pre-communist China was a nation in turmoil. In the nineteen forties the country was in a civil war, between the Nationalist’s and Communist’s. China’s economy was in shambles. The weapons that the Communist’s used were primarily from the U.S.S.R. and the Nationalist’s used weapons from the U.S.A. (Global Security, 2005) When the Communist’s won the war, the U.S.S.R. continued to support the Communist regime of China. In the nineteen fifties China began their nuclear weapons program, building multiple nuclear bombs... ...ates they would lose their number one trading partner by almost $70 billion dollars. (Prasad & Gu, 2009)The loss of the United States would devastate the Chinese economy. China at this point in time isn’t ready to oppose the United States. China’s rise is not a threat to global security. They promote peace and international development. Their international policy is not a threat to global security. The only issue they have is if Taiwan ever declares independence. If China declares war on Taiwan then the United States would declare war on China. Global security relies on the United States for their military force. If China were to oppose the United States they would lose. Since China depends on United States for trade they wouldn’t go to war against them. Global security is not threatened by China’s rise because China and the United States depend on each other.

A Critical Essay on Theodore Roethke’s “My Papa’s Waltz” Analysis

How can a poem written more than fifty years ago manage to find a more contemporary reading, and inspire a healthy yet critical discussion between ‘classicists’ and ‘modernist’ readers or audiences?Such is the charm exhibited by the poem My Papa’s Waltz written by Theodore Roethke. Even before jumping straight to the discussion of the meat and matter, or the content of the poem itself, there is already so much to say about the poem if we are to judge its literary merit in terms of form.NARRATIVE STRUCTURE, LANGUAGE AND RHYMEThe poem is very easily understood and is presented in a clear chronological order, from the time the father comes home, up to the conclusion of the ‘waltz’ with the speaker in the poem off to bed (Roethke).     Because of a clear chronology of events, the poem is light, delightful, and yet, remains thought-provoking.The language used is also very light and appropriate, as it is seen that the speaker in the poem is a child and the addressee is the papa, or the father of the speaker (Roethke). Such easy vocabulary is appropriate for the speaker in the poem, thus creating a high level of believability in the reader and lending credibility to the speaker in the poem.We see clearly and immediately the distinction between the speaker and the addressee, and we can also create in our minds the right profile for both speaker and addressee in the poem. The rhyme scheme is A-B-A-B-C-D-C-D-E-F-E-F-G-H-G-H.There is a wonderful mix of masculine rhymes; like head-bed in lines 13 and 15 (Roethke), and dirt-shirt in lines 14 and 16 (Roethke); and feminine rhymes like dizzy-easy in lines 1 and 3 (Roethke), and knuckle-buckle in lines 10 and 12 (Roethke) in the poem. The few ‘sloppy’ rhymes found in the poem are also interesting since they can be, again, attributed to the fact that the speaker is a person of tender age.IMAGERY AND FIGURATIVE LANGUAGEThe narrative structure of the poem is further b olstered by a clear and vivid rendering of images. The very first two lines – â€Å"The whiskey on your breath/Could make a small boy dizzy† (Roethke); – clearly and certainly presents a clear mental picture, where, not only the mind’s eye, but as well as other senses are able to participate: to be specific, in these lines, the sense of smell.Even the ‘mind’s ears’ are able to participate in the sensory experience of the poem as evidenced by lines 5 and 6 – â€Å"We romped until the pans/Slid from the kitchen shelf† (Roethke); where one could easily hear the racket that these pans sliding off kitchen shelves may have caused.This poem is simply a delight to the senses! The use of figurative language is superior as well. With lines 7 and 8 – â€Å"My mother's countenance/Could not unfrown itself† (Roethke), and the final lines – â€Å"Then waltzed me off to bed/ Still clinging to your shirt† (Roe thke) – are excellent and very inventive use of figurative language, not to mention it being far from clichà ©.The poem is a brilliant gem of literature that exhibits mastery, not only of poetic form, but as well as content. Speaking of content, this is exactly what has been subject of heated debates and lively discussion regarding the theme or the reading of the poem.DUALITY OF READINGThe poem presents a multilayered theme, capable of multiple readings. This conflict of reading and interpretation of the poems thematic or symbolic meaning stems from a difference in reader response to the poem.Most ‘classicists’ view the poem as an innocent and nostalgic retelling of a ‘bonding time’ between a doting father and a beloved son/child. On the other end of the spectrum are the ‘modernists’ interpretation of the poem as one which speaks of child abuse by physical punishment of a drunk father.The classicists argue that a reading of a poem shoul d also take into consideration the era or period at the time of the poem’s writing. They argue that the poem should not only be read and appreciated or criticized by using intrinsic information within the poem, but also extrinsic factors, such as the reference to line 1’s whiskey breath (Roethke), and lines 7 and 8’s mother’s countenance (Roethke).The modernists are in the view that this is not an enjoyable scenario for a child when such a dance is considered ‘not easy’ (Roethke) in line 4, as well as a ‘hung to death’(Roethke) in line3. Furthermore, violence is suggested by the hand holding on to the persona’s wrist in line 9, which is described as batter in one knuckle in line 10. There is also a strong suggestion of violence by the scrapping of the right ear in a buckle at every misstep (Roethke) in lines 11 and 12. Delivering the final nail to the coffin of the argument are the final lines 15 and 16’s waltzing o ff to bed still clinging to the abusive father’s shirt (Roethke), which shows reluctance and forcible tucking in of the speaker to the bed.I identify with the modernists in the reading and interpretation of this poem. I see violence and abuse in the poem, but to debate on such matters would be to entirely miss the point. The point here is that, this work is a marvelous piece of literature because it has the timeless quality of a classic, as well as a multi-faceted and multi-layered interpretation.After all, a good poem should impart a significant human experience, and it should draw from the reader, empathy, and a participation of the senses. Whether this is a nostalgic recall of good times between father and child or a violent episode of child abuse, the fact remains that the poem succeeds both in form and substance or content, and transcends time, is of essence. Its allowing for multiple readings is only a testament to the sterling qualities of this timeless classic.

Plantation Management in the Old South Essay

William Scarborough’s, The Overseer, examines the importance and the daily duties of the plantation overseer and how they influenced and contributed to the production and efficiency of slaves in the â€Å"Old South†. This position was unarguably, the most important position in the southern plantation system as they determined the success or failure of a plantation. In some small plantations, but mostly larger ones, the overseer was in charge of the supervision of enslaved Africans, care of the land, planting, farm tools, and harvesting. The overseer has been especially known in history as the handler of harsh disciplinary actions against slaves for breaking heavy or mild rules. The emergence of job advertising stormed through the south with higher number of individuals owning slaves. Over time leading up to the Civil War, the position of overseer has been professionalized with some planters even requiring letters of recommendations from their applicants. The goal of the author is to gather facts and accurate evidence that demonstrate how overseers effectively completed their task set forth by plantation owners and were less concerned about the torture and harsh beating of the enslaved Africans. The writer focuses more on the profession itself as opposed to examining the individual’s social class or morals in society. He also attempts to provide a valuable interpretation of one of many groups that made up the white middle class of the Old South. The book is divided into three sections with the first concerning the history and role of the overseer in the plantation establishment. It also gives key details on contract negotiations between the overseer and the plantation owner. Lastly, this section shows the view of the overseer by the general public. The second section examines the managerial duties and responsibilities and some of the disagreements between the plantation master and the overseer. The final section shows the occupation and the importance of the plantation supervisor during the Civil War and how the loss or reduction in available overseers affected the surviving plantations after the war ended. The overseer system was first introduced in the United States by the Virginia Company of England with the primary job function of upholding gained territory. When Africans were shipped to the Louisiana Territory as slaves, this very system was implemented. The vast majority of overseers during the colonial period were indentured servants whose terms of service had expired. One major reason for the increase in overseers in the antebellum south, during the 18th century were the cultural change that demanded plantation owners to indulge in the arts and other cultural pursuits. The profile of many of the men that went into this profession were most likely either the son of a planter, white lower class men, and men who actually saw the economic benefits of being an overseer. One distinctive feature of the overseer system during the colonial period was the practice of leasing developed plantations with slaves as stock. With this agreement the overseer was in charge for maintenance of the s lave force, and in return received one-third of the net proceeds from the selling of the crops. This profession would soon become highly profitable when cotton became the forefront of agriculture in the United States although to some had a negative view of the position. Although most of the overseers were originally poor and uneducated, they still gained enough respect by their employers to be acknowledged as a semi-elite professional with a very profitable position. Whatever may have been the view of the planter class regarding the step on the â€Å"social ladder† occupied by slave managers, the overseer himself had no feeling of class inferiority and showed little resentment toward the proprietary group. One of the major duties of the overseer was the welfare and discipline of the slaves, the care of livestock and other agriculture implements, and the production of staple and subsistence crops. The overseer assigned certain task to specific slave groups and supervised the labor of slaves in the field. The overseer was expected to have basic medical understanding to be able to examine the slaves and make note of any who actually needed professional treatment to treat certain physical hinders. The slave manager was obliged to make periodic inspections of slave cabins and was responsible for the distribution of clothing for the slaves. Lastly, and most importantly, the overseer was expected to ensure the security of the whites against uprisings of slaves, which was to some, inevitable. Depending of the plantation, there were also a second set of rules that were handed down from the planter to the overseer to instruct to the slaves. Some plantations had very harsh working conditions and required long hours, regardless of age or gender, while other were pretty mild with less work demanded from pregnant women and children under the age of seven. Some planters stated that â€Å"a happy slave is a productive slave† and the overseer had to abide by the wishes of the planter although they may have had different views on the use and managing of the slaves. The relationship between the overseer and the planter became pivotal leading up to the Civil War in 1861. As the Civil War began to run its course, the production of agriculture (with slave labor) was extremely important in the surviving and continuity of the south. The role of the overseer became even greater than ever with the departure of healthy white men leaving to join the Confederate Army. In many areas in the south, the only remaining security against insurgencies from the slaves was the overseers. It was no surprise that the drafting of plantation managers to the Confederate Army, angered many planters knowing that there would not be enough qualified managers to keep the slaves productive and fearful. There were even laws put into place in states such as Georgia, South Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana that limited the number of overseers that could be drafted into the army. The south also made a rule stating that any wounded soldier who is able must return and oversee a plantation in order to contribute to the production of goods in the south. With this reduction in overseers, many slaves were able to escape and a number of large plantations fell due to the absence of the â€Å"slave Manager†. Scarborough’s The Overseer, examines the life and impact of the plantation overseer and how it shaped the working system of slavery and production in the United States. The author’s uses key facts to back his thesis on the importance and professionalism of the overseer. Scarborough did extensive research by exploring primary sources such as the memoirs of planters, public records, legal documents, and advertising posters. He incorporates a number of different employment contracts between planters and overseers and compared them based on the size of the plantation, state and region, and number of slaves. The author seemed to look at this job description from a professional standpoint as opposed to the ills and negative view that society and some historians have placed on the managers of plantations. He mentions that some overseers who were uneducated or inexperienced greatly affected the outlook for this profession and shadowed the somewhat complex job of managing an entire plantation.

Edgar Allan Poe essays

Edgar Allan Poe essays Edgar Allan Poe, a great poet, who is known world wide for his stories of terror, grief, revenge, and misery. Yet all his ideas all target the same thing, French writer Charles-Pierre Baudelaire. The story of Poes life is nearly as compelling and horrifying as the stories that came form is evil, insane imagination. Poe was born to his actor parents Elizabeth Arnold and David Poe Jr. Born in Boston in 1806; he was conceived while the acting company was performing Hamlet. He was named Edgar after the theatre manager. His mother later gave birth so his sister Rosalie, and struggled to support her family, so she sent Edgars brother William to live with David Poes family in Baltimore. Elizabeth soon became sick with tuberculosis and died on December 8, 1811 at the age of 24.His sister was sent to like with the MacKenzie family. When Edgar was about 3 he was sent to live with Frances and John Allen. His early years with the Allans were pleasant. When Poe was 6 his life made a sudden change again. John Allen took the family on an extended business trip with him to England for 5 years. There he attended London academy in 1816 and in the fall of the next year went to the Manor House School in Stoke Newington. Judging from the poems he would write later on, the 3 years he spent in the gloomy narrow halls of the Manor House were important ones. He seemed to have absorbed the Gothic atmosphere into his very soul. (Poe, pg 21) Often in Poes writing the image of a dying woman appeared often, and also in his life. Poe first experienced the death of his mother and then later on at the age of 15 he encountered the death of another woman in his life. Jane Stanard. She was the mother of Edgars classmate Robert, and he had an odd crush on her. Poe always referred to her as Helen, a name that is often associated with beauty. She become sick and died in April 1824. This painful los ...

African Instruments

The history of African musical instruments is rich and diverse as the people that populate the African continent. Because music Is so deeply rooted in African culture, knowing about African instruments helps you understand the continent as well as the people. Apart from Africans themselves, this knowledge Is usually restricted to ethnomusicology and historians. The roots of African-American Instruments are burled deep within the music of the African continent. The history and evolution of African-Americans instruments are as rich and complex as the history of AfricanAmericans themselves. The essence of African-American Instruments Lies In Its expression of the human experience. Although the different styles vary widely In their tone, topic and the tools used to produce them, African-American Instruments have the ability to cross all color and culture lines. Styles such as the blues, country, jazz, gospel and hip hop have spread their Influence all over the world. Drums, banjo, and shakers have been a important key to making beautiful, inspiring music. Drumming was an important part of many African musical and religious radiation.The drum heads at either end of the drums wooden body are made from hide, fish-skin or other membranes which are wrapped around a wooden hoop. Leather cords or thongs run the length of the drums body and are wrapped around both hoops; when you squeeze these cords under your arm, the drum heads tighten, changing the instruments pitch. Drums served as an early form of long distance communication, and were used during ceremonial and religious functions. Ceremonial functions could include dance, rituals, story-telling and communication of points of order.The traditional drumming found in Africa is actually of three different types. Firstly, a rhythm can represent an idea (or signal). Secondly it can repeat the profile of a spoken utterance or thirdly it can simply be subject to musical laws. Drum Communication were based on actual natural languages. The sounds produced are conventionalism or idiomatic signals based on speech patterns. The messages are normally very stereotyped and context-dependent. By playing the drums the slaves would send warnings such as, the king is approaching or the enemy is attacking.After the work day was over, slaves would get together and sing out affirmations, pledges and prayers that they eventually lengthened out with repetitive choruses. At first, they accompany their vocals with handmade drums, but slave owners soon grew worrisome that this may be some sort of signal being made from one set of slaves to another that would ultimately lead to a revolt so the use of drums was abolished. African Instruments By Serenading populate the African continent. Because music is so deeply rooted in African culture, the people.Apart from Africans themselves, this knowledge is usually restricted to ethnomusicology and historians. The roots of African-American instruments are buried deep within the music of the African continent. The history and evolution of Americans themselves. The essence of African-American instruments lies in its expression of the human experience. Although the different styles vary widely in their tone, topic and the tools used to produce them, African-American instruments jazz, gospel and hip hop have spread their influence all over the world.

Analyzing sports in Latin America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Analyzing sports in Latin America - Essay Example Strictly speaking the region encompasses many different people from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Although some people would argue that the continent has been dominated by Spanish and Portuguese colonization, many successive waves of immigrants from various parts of Europe, Asia and Africa has made a significant impact on the continent. For example Nestor Kirchner (The former president of Argentina) was of German descent, and Alberto Fujimori (The former President of Peru) was of Japanese descent. This has played a significant role in the impact of sports in Latin America insofar as people tended to bring their own cultural traditions with them when emigrating to Latin America. For example cricket (A sport which was created by the British) plays a more domineering role in the Falkland Islands, and baseball plays a more important role in the Dominican Republic (A nation with some historic ties with the United States). Physical geography plays a significant role in the impact of sport in Latin America because the continent is extremely diverse. FIFA had a temporary ban on international matches stadiums at high altitudes which made it difficult for nations like Bolivia. Moreover, nations that have access to lakes and oceans are more likely to engage in paddling sports than those that are landlocked. For the purpose of this paper the major sports that will be discussed are soccer (football), baseball, and basketball. Without question, soccer plays a significant role in Latin America. Although the sport is likely played across the entire continent some nations have become international powerhouses. Argentina is a nation that not only performs well in international competitions (Such as the World Cup) but has also give us some of the most memorable players. Diego Maradona is a player who came from humble roots in Buenos Aires yet is remember for two major goals during his career â€Å"The goal of the Century† and the â€Å"Hand of God† goal. Just after the completion of the Falkland war Argentina and England came face to face at the 1986 FIFA World Cup Quarter Final. The first half of the game was scoreless yet in the first few minutes of the second half, an English player tried to clear the ball yet accidentally hooked it towards the English goalkeeper. At this point Maradona jumped , screeching through the air with his fist extended which came into contact with the ball which went into the goal. The referee never saw the infraction and the English. However just a few minutes later Maradona ran at full steam for over sixty meters, blazing past five English defenders and ran 'dribbled' the ball around the English goalkeeper to score the goal that the English could not return. Although Argentina went on to win the World cup, it was often stated that beating England was more important as it satisfied their revenge for the Falkland war. Although some soccer players ar e relatively unknown in the United States they are often more popular than movie stars in their own country. Player such as Lionel Messi (Argentina) Ronaldinho (Brazil), Marcelo Salas (Chile), or Cladio Pizarro (Peru) are all international celebrities. Soccer plays a significant role in South American sports but it is by no means the only Sport. In nations such as the Dominican Republic, Cuba and Venezuela