How Does William Blake convey his anger in the poem London ? Essay

How Does William Blake convey his anger in the poem London ? The poem 'London' by William Blake, relfects his feelings upon the society that he was living in , and how despreratly it needed help. Blake thought that all of the poverty and misfortune that was happening on the streets were caused by the political opression in London. Blake was angered by what he saw in his homeland as other countries started fighting for their indipendence and equality whilst his country stayed dormant, eventhough he felt that there was a serious need for serious action. Eventhough Blake wasn't a typical romantic writer, he too possesed the same beliefs of fighting for what one believes in, and the urge to be liberated from the opression of society. So, by being a writer of the romantic period, watching a controlled and restricted society not showing an intent to break free and fight against the monarchy, angered him and inspired him to convey his ideas and feelings throuh the poem 'London'. In the poem, Blake travels through London and descibes what he sees. And as a result, he sees a severly opressed society that is caused by the authority, such as royalty and the church. This is as Blake sees that even the 'streets' and the 'thames' are 'chartered' and governed by the authorities. This is furthur emphasised by his repitition of the word 'chartered' which then gives the reader an image of the lack of freedom that the people in London posses as the 'streets' is a metahor for the general public while the 'thames' represents their freedom, this is as rivers are normally associated with free will while the 'streets' are gernerally associated with the lower class in society. So, by describing the streets and the thames ... ...y that the monarcy creates. I feel that the poem 'London' effectively convyed William Blakes anger towards the society and his feelings about it. This is as Blake is awear of everything that goes on in the society, and the poem clearly expresses his repulsiveness towards the political opression imposed by the monarchy. However, Blake does not soley balme the monarcy, but also the people of his country. This is because he saw all the other countries that previously suffered the opression of a monarcy, fight for their rights and equailty. Eventhough the monarcy did impose rules upon society, Blake strongly believed that people could overthrow the authorities if they were to truly try and do so. Hence, a part of Blake's anger was conveyed by descibing the self-imprisonment of the people, and how they could break free anytime, but still chose not to do so.

Eric Clapton

ERIC CLAPTON Have you ever heard of Eric Clapton's song â€Å"Layla†? Well it's a really good song. When you think of an artist such as Eric you would think how did he came up with that sound in his music and there is an answer. His music is influenced by the old catchy blues genre. Eric Clapton is an English guitarist and song writer who was mainly influenced by blues, who is referred to as one of the most influential guitarist of all time. ITS ALL ABOUT THE BLUES ROCK When we think about blues a thing that comes to our mind is African Americans playing that catchy sound that characterizes blues.But as time advanced several genres of music deviated from blues and one of them is the famous blues rock. Blues rock is a music genre that has the sound of the twelve bar blues combined with a rock and roll style. This sub genre began to develop in the mid 1960s with bands from the UK and the US experimenting with the music from older American bluesmen. As time progressed by the earl y 70s you couldn't really tell the difference between blues rock and hard rock. (academic. scranton. edu) HOW DID IT ALL START? Eric Clapton was born in Ripley, Surrey , England. He was raised in a musical household.At the age of thirteenth he asked for a guitar and got it , but Eric thought it wasn't a really good one so he lost interest. Two years later was when really started to play and practice. As a young teenager he grew up listening to blues music in the radio. He became passionate for the music with time and in 1963 was when he joined his first band; one that was influenced the blues and rock and roll sound. He remained in this band until 1965. Eric got into more bands as time passed. It was until the early 70s that he started his solo career. (ericclapton. com) WHERE DID HIS SOUND CAME FROM?Eric Clapton grew up listening to blues music. In his early years he listened to Big ball brazy and Muddy Waters. Other guitar influences are: Freddie King, BB King, Albert King, Buddy Guy, and Hubert Sumlin. (http://altmine. mie. uc. edu/bob/) But his most important influence is Robert Johnson a blues men. Johnson was that important to him that Eric Clapton has a CD called â€Å"Me and Mr Johnson. † â€Å"I kind of got hooked on it because it was so much more powerful than anything else I had heard or was listening to. Amongst all of his peers I felt he was the one that was talking from his soul without really compromising for anybody. â€Å"In one way or another, he's been in my life since I was a kid,† Clapton says. He says the project â€Å"has been in the back of my head to do for so long. It was about time that I took my hat off to him. † (Edward) The thing that gets my attention is that all of his influences were related to the blues genre and that says a lot about what sound he was trying to achieve with his music. ACHIEVEMENTS Eric Clapton is referred to as one of the most important guitarist of all time. He has been inducted three t imes to Rock and Roll Hall of fame; 2 times as part of a group and 1 in his solo career.His career not only has been successful but he has inspired many musicians that grew up listening to him. (rockhall. com) The world of music has recognized Eric Clapton as one of the most influential guitarist of all time and that he was mainly influenced by blues music. Such a good guitarist that he has influenced many other musicians. CONCLUSION Eric Clapton is recognized as one of the most influential guitarist of all time. He grew up listening to blues music and that was what made his music be what it is now. His music is so good that people are still listening to his songs. WORKS CITED . â€Å"Eric Clapton Biography. ERIC CLAPTON. Where's Eric! , n. d. Web. 21 Mar 2013. McAllen Memorial High School. . â€Å"Eric Clapton Takes on Robert Johnson's Blues Guitarist Records the ‘Powerful' Music that Influenced Him . † npr music. npr music, McAllen Memorial High School. 30 Mar 2004. Web. 21 Mar 2013. . â€Å"Influences of Eric Clapton. † ROBERT W. ROST, Ph. D.. N. p. , McAllen Memorial High School. 17 Feb 2006. Web. 21 Mar 2013. . â€Å"Eric Clapton: Inducted in 2000. † Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. N. p. , n. d. McAllen Memorial High School . Web. 27 Mar 2013. . â€Å"History of Blues. † Blues Music Rocks. N. p. , n. d. McAllen Memorial High School . Web. 27 Mar 2013.

Explore the reasons why Othello orders the death of Desdemona Essay

Othello is a play about love, hatred, death and deception. Othello is partly betrayed by flaw in his own character. He orders the death of Cassio (his friend and ensign) and Desdemona (his wife) for a number of reasons. Chief among these are is that he is rash, violent and aggressive. He is an angry man who believes whatever Iago tells him with blind faith. He is confused by Iago’s tricks and does as he is told without thinking about its consequences. He is impulsive. He is acting like a true moore (or as what people consider him to be) in Shakespeare days. Othello has the tendency to believe whatever Iago tells him. Even before he is shown any evidence to prove that Desdemona is cheating on him. He starts to hate her â€Å"Now do I see ’tis true.† He turns a blind eye on the fact that he has not seen what the proof is yet. The proof could have been so insignificant that Othello would not trusted it, however in this case the evidence have been planted to mislead Othello. Othello is impulsive. He is rash as fire for numerous reasons. He doesn’t trust his wife (who he married with his happiness) or trust his friend, Iago, Who is his enemy. He believes that his wife is cheating on him and becomes enraged very easily.† I’ll tear her whole to pieces.† It tells us that his intentions aren’t very good. Rather than killing her he could â€Å"Shake he off to beggarly divorcement† and let her live her life. Furthermore, after Iago has completely misled him, Othello finds no other way other than thinking and ordering the death of Cassio. â€Å"Let me hear thee say that Cassio’s not alive.† He acts hastily without letting Cassio stand trail nor defend himself. He is sure that Desdemona and Cassio have become disloyal to him. The audience that Othello is an angry man and â€Å"rash as fire† by his behaviour towards Iago. â€Å"If thou dost slander her and torture me then thou hast, better been born a dog than answer my wak’d wrath†. This show that Othello can’t comprehend it that his wife might be cheating on him so he is taking his anger out on others. An example of that is he takes his anger out on Iago, who he believes to be his friend. However, he is not â€Å"rash† as fire because he resists the urges. He shows this when he is in conversation with Iago. â€Å"I’ll not believe it†. Here Othello is trying to imply that he doesn’t believe Iago fully until he sees the ‘evidence’ in the form of the handkerchief. This shows that he still trust s his wife. He is saying she is as pure as a goddess and if she isn’t then heaven isn’t so perfect when he says â€Å"if she be false then heaven mock itself†. He also proves he trusts his wife. â€Å"I’ll se before I doubt†. He still wants evidence before doing anything. â€Å"When I doubt, prove†. This shows that Othello doesn’t have complete faith in Iago. The audience cannot really blame Othello for being â€Å"rash as fire† as Iago keeps provoking his temper. Iago convinces Othello of Desdemona’s and Cassio’s guilt by using different techniques. To convince Othello, Iago plants circumstantial evidences in order to make Othello think that something is really going on between Cassio and Desdemona. He steals Desdemona’s handkerchief and leaves it in Cassio’s bedroom. â€Å"Such a handkerchief did I see Cassio wipe his beard with†. This helps Iago prove Desdemona’s infidelity as it will give Othello evidence. â€Å"Trifle†¦are to the jealous confirmation strong as proofs of holy writ†. Furthermore, Iago is reticence and implies he is withholding information. He acts like he doesn’t want to say anything. â€Å"Should you do so†¦speech should fall in vile success†. This entices Othello to say â€Å"I pray thee speak to me as to thy thinking†. This makes it seem like Iago is trustworthy because he seems to want to protect his friend, when really he wants to get Othello to hate him. â€Å"Oft my jealousy shapes faults that are not†. Iago start to lie outright. However he only does this after he has largely convinced Othello. He says that he heard Cassio talking to Desdemona in his sleep. â€Å"Sweet Desdemona †¦ let us hide our love†. This is a blatant lie but Othello is fooled and believes him. He falls into Iago’s trap. It works as he creates hideous images of Cassio and Desdemona. This is when Othello for the first time concludes that Desdemona is ‘gone’. His trust and faith in his marital happiness fades into the belief he has been rejected by Desdemona. A technique that works very well with Othello is when Iago implies he knows more than he does, making leading statements. He first introduces the topic by deliberately leading a question for Othello to ask rather than stating the full facts thus playing on Othello’s paranoia. â€Å"Did Michael Cassio, when you woo’d my lady know of your love?† This makes Othello wonder why he would want to know that. He later serves to make Othello think of Desdemona. Iago is clever and subtle in his tricks; Othello cannot be blamed for believing him. Later, when Othello is convinced, he reinforces his ‘honesty’ by saying â€Å"perhaps you mind might change†. He does this because he knows Othello won’t. Another skill which works well is making Othello angry on purpose. Iago uses graphical language to make Othello picture Desdemona and Cassio in compromising situation. â€Å"Would’st thou†¦ grossily grape on behold her topp’ed?† This gets Othello worked up. He uses shocking and profane language such as â€Å"prime as goat, hot as monkey† by saying this Othello believes Iago and becomes all senseless and wrathful. â€Å"Thou had’st better been born a dog than answer my wak’d rath†. This makes Othello irrational and witless. The audience may also consider the social and historical background to be a reason. During the time when the play was written, many events were taking place (we can see hints of this in the play). When Othello was convinced that Desdemona was cheating him, he decided he would kill her. Divorce was not an option for him as the pope, who was at time was the most important man in Europe, would not allow Othello to divorce Desdemona without a trial. Othello didn’t want to do this as he would have to prove Desdemona guilty of infidelity. Othello didn’t want to do this as he still loved Desdemona with all his heart and thought Desdemona cheated him. Another point we must consider is that when the play was written there was a good deal of racism and mis-trust for non-Christians. Shakespeare’s audience may have seen moors as barbarous heathens. This would explain his propensity for violence. Consequently coloured people such as Venetians were given fewer rights as they were regarded as barbarians. Such barbarians would react violently, because they were uncivilised. â€Å"O blood, blood, blood!† Othello’s Moorish heritage may also have influenced his anger at the loss of the handkerchief as he actually believed in its magic. â€Å"Tis true. There is a magic in the web of it†. Othello having been a soldier since he was 7 and then a general, meaning he spent his life in the army and therefore he didn’t know women well. He was also an outsider to the Venetian society and so it made it easier for Iago to convince Othello. â€Å"In Venice they do let god see the pranks they do not show their husbands†. A number of factors contribute to the killing of Desdemona and Cassio. One of the major reasons influencing Othello’s decision is Iago’s numerous lies and his way of manipulating and confusing Othello. These play a major part as, if Iago hadn’t lied to Othello, he wouldn’t have thought his wife betrayed him. Another factor that led to Desdemona’s and Cassio’s killing is that the fact that in his personal life he knew nothing about women. Iago took advantage of this and lies outright. Iago’s lies wouldn’t have worked if Othello had trust in him. If divorce was an option he probably would have considered it letting Desdemona live her life. Another reason that Othello was harsh was because that’s what moors were considered to be.

Performance Review Takes a Page from Facebook

As the world moves towards a more microwave way of operating it is no wonder that employers are jumping on the bandwagon as well. Previously, performance evaluations have been time consuming and somewhat monotonous. The hassle of evaluating several employees’ performance for an entire year in only a few months’ time can be quite overwhelming. Not only is the task intimidating for the manager or supervisor but it is quite stressful for the employee also. In previous years, the performance evaluation was a one-sided task and the employee had no input whatsoever in how they were being critiqued. As important as the evaluation is to the employees pay raise it is astonishing that their input would not have been included in the past. So often the employee would only see the final outcome and have to sign whether they agreed with the results or not. This causes much frustration and can bring down the morale of the employee, causing them to feel like they are under appreciated and that their opinion doesn’t matter. With these facts in mind the company Accenture has developed a social networking tool somewhat like Facebook called Performance Multiplier that will aid the employer as well as the employee in the performance evaluation process. Agree or disagree with this statement and provide reasons for your response. â€Å"If you have regular conversations with people, and they know where they stand, then the performance evaluation is maybe unnecessary. † Performance Multiplier is a tool in which employees can post status updates, photos, and two or three weekly goals that can be viewed by fellow staffers. The goal of Accenture was to provide a program that made the performance evaluation more democratic. Not only does the employee get to play a part in the evaluation process but they also gain the chance to get helpful insight year round on how to improve their performance. In a fun and somewhat casual manner the employer and employee get to change a process that once was dreaded into something enjoyable and less stressing. While I do believe that the regular conversations via the website are beneficial to the performance evaluation process I do not believe that it should replace it altogether. In my opinion what the back and forth conversations via sites like Performance Multiplier does is aid the employee and employer in seeing how the employee is progressing. Depending on what goals are set and accomplished at the end of the year all of this information should be compiled and then used as a foundation for grading the overall performance. I see Performance Multiplier as a way to see where you stand and then try to excel from that point. You should still be graded on how well you took the feedback and knowledge and implemented it into your everyday job performance. If all an employer did was talk to the employee back and forth and never evaluated how well the employee utilized the feedback then the entire process was a waste of time. To gain insight into how good of an employee you have you must analyze the steps they take towards improving. Compare and contrast the possible effectiveness of the social network performance review to the following age groups: veterans, baby boomers, Gen X, and Gen Y. While some people enjoy the opportunity to use a social networking tool to interact with their employer and get insight into how well of a job they are doing, there will be those that will resist the change in processes and gripe about having more work to do when they are already working enough. The generational gaps in the workplace will also pose a problem when trying to implement the new interactive performance tool. There is no doubt in my mind that Generations X and Y will adapt to the new system and use it with an open mind. On the other hand the Baby Boomers and Veterans are not going to be so willing to accept the new way of evaluating their job performance. Veterans and Baby Boomers came from an era where the greatest advance in technology came with the printing press so they are not used to using computers and navigating through search engines via the worldwide web. These employees learned how to use modern office equipment like fax machines, multiline telephones, and even computers but they are not interested in sharing their life online. In contrast Generation X and Y have experienced the influx of such technologies as the Internet, Ipod, and gaming systems like the Wii. Those individuals are used to technology and can adapt fairly quickly which is the exact opposite of their counterparts. â€Å"The biggest payoff of these social network style tools may prove to be better performance by the boss. † State whether or not this statement justifies the time and cost of implementing these systems and provide a rationale. Whenever a company wants to implement a new system they must go into a contract with the developer of the system and pay a hefty amount to use the service. Before any contracts are signed or money is exchanged the employer looks into the product and researches the statistics of how well other companies have done with the system. The employer must feel that the ends will justify the means of adopting the new system into the everyday workload. The goal of tools like Performance Multiplier is to provide the employee with feedback from upper management. In this case I would agree that by using the tool the boss will have to do more work than has been done in the past. Both employee and employer will have to work together but the responsibility of making the tool work relies on how well the boss handles the information provided from the employee. He or she will be forced to improve their communication skills when dealing with their employees. O’Toole states: â€Å"It has been said that Americans are increasingly overworked. † Discuss whether social network type evaluations aid or hinder the overworked American. Justify your response. It is true that in today’s economy most companies are working with far less employees than they have had in the past. In some cases one employee is doing the work of two to three employees. This causes the employee to feel a little overwhelmed and sometimes overworked. Though this may be true I don’t feel that using a social networking tool to evaluate performance will add any more stress to the work day than is already being experienced. The time it would take to update a status or post a question takes no more time than most Americans spend in the break room fixing a cup of coffee. Helping yourself become a better employee should be worth the couple minutes weekly that it would take to make the tool work for both parties involved. Conclusion In conclusion, adapting to change is not always the easiest task to accomplish. When dealing with employees who cross over four generations that task becomes even harder. Past generations are used to how they have done things in the past and the new generations are up for any challenge you throw at them if they feel they will benefit from it. It is up to the employer to make the transition as smooth as possible for the employee. At the end of the day both employer and employee should be satisfied with the results.

Psychology and Health Issues

Psychology and Health Issues: Stress By: Kimberley Messina HCA/250 Have you ever heard of the term â€Å"fight-or-flight† stress response? You will feel this when you have more to worry about and handle then you are used to, or simply, when you are stressed. When your body is going through the fight-or-flight stress response, your body will make more hormones that will speed up your heart rate, give you a burst of energy, and make you breathe faster than normal (Healthwise, 2009). There are times when a little bit of stress could be useful, such as if you need to react quickly or if you need to work harder on something.For example, If you are trying to win a race or finish any work that is important on time. When you have stress that lasts for a long time or if you have stress too often, then your body will most likely have a bad effect from stress. When you are overly stressed, you can experience headaches, back pain, sleeping issues, and an upset stomach. Furthermore, stress can lower your immune system which will make it harder for your body to fight off the disease. With people who have existing medical problems, stress can make your problem worse. Stress has been known to make a person moody, depressed, and tense.This has caused many people to not do as well with their school or job, as well as having their personal relationships suffer. The mind and the body are connected, which means that stress will impact a person’s psychological health just as much as their physical health. Stress can impair your thought process, mental exhaustion, and can cause depression, psychoses, and some neuroses. You will feel pressured, overwhelmed, anxiety, irritability, nervousness, insecurity, and can have panic attacks, social withdrawal, and migraines (Healthwise, 2009).When your psychological health becomes affected by stress, it can affect anything that you are doing, such as your job, parenting, and school work. As we mentioned earlier, stress can be bene ficial if it is a small amount, this goes for your psychological health as well. It can have a positive affect on your motivation, reaction to your environment, and your adaptation. There are many psychology education programs that can help you identify your major stressors and help you manage any stress.One in particularly is called the Worksite Wellness Program, which is a site that was provided from my workplace. This website provides information on how to set up different activities and offers some guidelines on how to create some supportive policies and environments that revolve around stress management (). Within the website you can answer stress management questionnaires that can help employees assess their personal listening skills and their ability to handle stress. They also have handout notes that explain the workplace demands of the employees.Furthermore, there is an evaluation you can take within the website that will allow you to identify whether or not your worksite i s ergonomically suitable so that you can reduce any risks for repetitive motion strains. Finally, the website my job offers has handouts that you can print that will help the employees learn how to manage their stress at home and within the workplace. There are many psychological health issues when it comes to stress, as I have mentioned above. The major psychological health issue with stress would have to be its ability to mentally impair you.What I mean by this is that when you are under an unhealthy amount of stress, it will negatively affect the way you think and act. Our lives are made up of many decisions that we must make, and when under this amount of stress, it can become difficult to think clearly and make the better choice. This is because when a person is stressed, it changes the brain and causes them to have an addiction, anxiety, or depression. Stress affects many different individuals and groups and according to the American Psychological Association, the top three ca uses of stress is due to the economy, work, and money.The developmental, social-cultural, and gender factors all impact stress. Developmental traits such as any behavior towards children that is abusive can cause them to have long-term abnormalities in the hypothalamus-pituitary system, which is what regulates your stress (UMMC, 2011). Also, children face stressors throughout school, whether it is bullying, peer pressure, and tests for classes. Personality traits could also impact stress. There are people who tend to over-respond to stressful situations, which will cause them to stress more than they should.Older adults’ response system to stress becomes more difficult. The older a person becomes will impact their stress because they have to worry about higher risks for medical problems, the loss of a spouse or friends, and financial stressors (UMMC, 2011). Women, especially working mothers, will face higher stress levels because they carry a heavier load of stress than men a nd other women. They are also at risk for more medical problems due to having a child. Divorced or widowed people tend to have more stress than people who are married. They also tend to live shorter lives overall.Furthermore, people who are isolated or lonely, are targeted for sexual or racial discrimination, and experiencing a financial strain are impacted by stress much more then other people. There are a many risk factors related to stress. Some can be controlled while others cannot. You can control some situations to avoid stress such as looking for better ways to manage your time so you can get more tasks completed without feeling pressure. Also, you can try out new ways of thinking such as stopping the worry thoughts and letting go of the things you cannot change (UMMC).Taking good care of yourself such as getting enough rest and eating well can help avoid stress because you feel better throughout your day. Finally, speak up and talk about your needs and concerns because it ca n cause stress if you do not. The stressors that can not be controlled are events such as a car accident or another traumatic event, and a serious biological illness. There is no cure for stress, but there are treatment options to help you manage your stress. You can have self-care in your own home or take medical treatments.Self-care in your own home would consist of removing yourself from the stressful situation or address it, regular exercise, healthy diet and nutrition habits, meditate, acupuncture, and creating social support for yourself. Furthermore, you can also write in a journal, make a hobby for yourself, and express how you are feeling with someone you trust. It is good to laugh, cry, talk, and even express your anger in healthy ways. There are medical treatments depending on the different types of symptoms you are experiencing and how severe these symptoms are.You can receive counseling by mental health professionals and medical intervention for any of the physical prob lems that are discovered (Melissa, 11/25/12). There are a few health promotion strategies to address stress. Educating yourself is the first step in promoting good health against stress. Having the knowledge on how to handle stress when it comes your way is a good way to prepare you on how to react when it happens. When a person becomes stressed, most of the time they react in a negative way, which makes things worse.Knowing how to relax and get a grasp on the situation will help you better control your emotions and make better decisions. The next step would be to make lifestyle changes. These lifestyle changes will consist of exercise, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and using relaxation or other alternative techniques such as herbal or natural remedies (HPI, 2012). Exercise is a great stress management technique that distracts you from the stressful event and balances out the negative affect that stress takes on your body. You can do aerobics, take walks, go swimming, and take yoga, or tai chi.There are many options to choose from and all you have to do is pick one. Cognitive-behavioral therapy will help you identify the source of your stress, reconstruct your priorities, change your response to stress, and find different methods that will allow you to manage and avoid stress. Relaxation or other alternative techniques can lower your blood pressure, respiration, and pulse, and release muscle tension and emotional strain (HPI, 2012). These techniques would include going for a massage, meditating, acupuncture, listening to music, going on vacation, and hypnosis.Herbal and natural remedies such as aromatherapy and valerian can help with your anxiety and overall stress. All herbal and natural remedies should be talked with your doctor first. Throughout this paper, I have provided an overview of stress and how psychology plays a role with it. Then I reviewed a current psychology education program called the Worksite Wellness Program that was provided from my employ ment. After that, I discussed the risk factors that can be controlled as well as how to control them, and which factors that couldn’t be controlled.Next, I discussed how developmental, socio-cultural, and gender factors impact stress. Then, I talked about the treatment options that are available to the public as well as the promotion strategies to address stress. Finally, I provided information on the lifestyle changes that people will need to enhance their health and methods to prevent stress. References: Healthwise. (October 14, 2009). Stress Management: Topic Overview. WebMD. Retrieved on November 21, 2012. From http://www. webmd. com/balance/stress-management/stress-management-topic-overview. UMMC. (2011). Stress- Risk Factors.University of Maryland Medical Center. Retrieved on November 21, 2012. From http://www. umm. edu/patiented/articles/who_at_risk_chronic_stress_or_stress-related_diseases_000031_6. htm. Melissa Conrad Stoppler. (November 25, 2012). Stress. eMedicine Health. Retrieved on November 22, 2012. From http://www. emedicinehealth. com/stress/page6_em. htm. Health Promotion International. (2012). Lifestyle, stress and work: Strategies for health promotion. Oxford Journals. Retrieved on November 22, 2012. From http://heapro. oxfordjournals. org/content/1/3/363. abstract. [pic]

Political thinkers

Shocked by the scenario of the political events, which according to him was not how a state would exist and far from the idealist principles which he had sought. He especially was taken aback with the execution of Socrates in 399 BCC and which prompted him to turn to philosophy instead which he believed, â€Å"Was the only it could rescue human beings from civil war and political upheaval and provide a sound foundation for ethics and politics†. L Plato was a multi-dalliance's In the sense that In his writings metaphysics, epistemology, cosmology, philosophical study of the natural sciences, language and of the mind.Plato also founded his own Academy and also was its director. It was through this academy through which he was seeking to guide his students according to his philosophical principles pertaining to the various disciplines. With his academy, Plato taught various theoretical subjects like philosophy and mathematics which had various theories along with research work bu t was also involved in practical tasks of developing political constitutions where the kings sought his principles and morals for developing their states. He emphasized on creating an ideal and peaceful learning environment for his students. Alto's most famous work, â€Å"The Republic† is a prime example of an exemplary blend of thematic, philosophy, politics and natural sciences and basically all what his Academy represented. Plato died in the year 347 BCC. Plato was well ahead of his time in his teachings and therefore was accused of misguiding the youth with his ideas. He wrote â€Å"The Ideal State† and when this work was believed to be a Utopian concept, he wrote â€Å"The Second Best State† which was less rigid. This made him the first thinker or philosopher to write about the importance of governance in society.Plat's best works and writings were put down in his work, â€Å"The Republic†. This famous work of Plato has lasted through the ages due to the fact that it had three significant characteristics. The first is that of political philosophy which was method rejected in the times before Plato such as the well being of society, the theory of the state and individual by which he prescribed certain methods through which an individual needs to live his life according to certain guidelines to maintain equilibrium in society.The second characteristic which has ensured that this famous work has endured the test of time is that the Republic arrives at certain bold tenements and conclusions having major interest in its own way, which is independent of the merits of his theories as well as the arguments which augment them. The third characteristic is such that the Republic seeks to provide solid foundations across time periods to Justify its political theories and also elaborate the various theories and views stated by Plato such as education, physics metaphysics, etc.The best way to understand the philosophy of the Republic is by e xamining its core principles and there are three fundamental ones: 1 . â€Å"A political society constitutes a natural whole, with its own kind of excellence and well being†. Plato. 2 Plat's writings in the Republic are in stark contrast to those holding atomistic views which states that the a political society consists of a group of individuals who co-exist in harmony with cohesive characteristics or are hostile to each other.Plat's writings do not claim that his ideal society is superior to individual parts existing in society, nor does it have possession of an individual destiny with a separate set of goals. Plat's writings are somewhat in the balance between the two contrasting principles. His view of society is more of that of unity than many liberal minded thinkers would low. He argues that man and society are so similar that each has similar set of virtues. Even though Plato makes this statement, he does not contend that a society needs to contain people that are wise, courageous and Just or temperate.He preaches that society needs to be so set with its values that in itself it can be Just, even goes to the extent of stating that the virtues of a society are relatively easier to understand as they help us with the understanding of an individual. Plato even states that the actions of an individual with his opinions and attitude are the by reduces of the overall virtues of society and therefore has no existence without society. In the second book of the Republic, Plato mentions what exactly he means by justice.He states that Justice is founded based on the needs common to men and which the latter can satisfy only if there is co-operation among SST them by division of labor. This is where he states that every individual is gifted with a particular skill set such as a potter, shoemaker, etc. With this principle of specialization there becomes a need for soldiers and rulers. He states that in keeping with the principle of division f labor, gives ruler s the natural responsibility of caring for the co-operative whole of society.Their responsibility therefore includes caring for the society as it is their sole task and do work with determination towards what we believe is good for the overall betterment of society. Also the kings need to possess the kind of knowledge and understanding of not emphasizing on a particular aspect but rather on society as a whole. Along with these principles of a harmonious society, Plato also mentions about corrupt societies where the sight of the common good is lost and where individualistic interests prevail.Plato as we see above emphasizes on the importance of the creation of a society par excellence. This he states is possible when there is an agreement between all the sections within society about who governs, who fights, who provides for society major and so on. The basis of all of this is education and makes these goals attainable. Plato therefore very rightly states that societal Justice can be attained when the well being of not a particular group, but the whole of the society is secured.By this statement Plato does not mean the happiness quotient of he society which is the amount of happiness of the people but rather the well being of the whole of society is attained when the interest of no particular group dominates society whether the group consists of the rich or the aristocratic class. It would be wrong to say that Plato does not care about the individual in society. His concern for man in society is of a different nature as he believes that for man to progress and maintain harmony in society, the whole and not the individual should be taken into consideration.He even states that it is better rather for an individual to attain Justice n society than injustice for the entire society. This is an exception and this is where the well being of the individual prevails. Justice thereby forming a big part of his first principle in the Republic. 2. â€Å"A political society should look to its well being as a whole as an overriding aim:that is as an aim which, in cases of conflict, takes precedence over others. 3 This principle opposes the notion that whatever concerns the well being of an individual have natural, sovereign and inalienable rights given to them for their well being at the cost of society.It does not however contradict the claim that individuals within a society eve some influence and claim over it and this influence in a way is derived from society is in a way responsible for its well being. What we can derive from both of these statements is that there is a fine line between an individual's well being and that of society and a correct balance needs to be attained. Taking the example of to be a right which is essential for an individual, nor does he see in it the intrinsic worth by which it can be Justified.As stated earlier, everything is for the well being of society and is the same case with education as well. An individual according to Plato s trained for this very purpose till he attains 35 years of age (Tireless and dedicated service towards society). Plato also is a firm believer in the censorship of the arts as he believes that a child exposed to too much nudity or vulgarity in the arts during his/her formative years will have significant impact on the mind and in turn the society as a whole.Similarly, falsified stories about the after life and the gods need to be given the same treatment as this will have a negative impact on the future rulers and society as a whole. Plato emphasizes that those educated to rule can only be Euler to attain an ideally Just society. What Plato states with conviction that an unjust society is the result of haphazard governance consisting of people not having character required to run the administration as well as the prescribed education.Plato also states that he does does not believe that all of the rulers belong to the heredity class. He rather establishes that a child born of a ruler but lacking the quality of a ruler is not fit for the role of a king whereas a child of individuals not belonging to the aristocratic class but possessing all of the qualities fit for kingship can be appointed as the ruler. This writing of Plato is contradictory to the very grain of Plat's aristocratic upbringing but rather accords for the sovereignty of the common good of society.Other philosophers of his time ascribed men and women in society the right to marry and have children and own property, be truthful in political matters or be truthful in order to uphold virtue. Plato on the other hand, for the wider interest of society prevents his rulers from marrying, they are prevented from ownership of property, they are prescribed to consummate with women who the elders or the wise men select for them which meant that the â€Å"women with the best emetics† were chosen as this would produce superior offspring and once the child is born the ruler did not know about w ho his children are.This Plato believes is essential for societal Justice. In the Republic, the importance of Justice is mentioned and Justified multiple times. Plato states that those who are not rulers, future rulers and soldiers lead a much easier and freer life in the sense that they have no formal means of voting to influence the running of society. The rulers can move them as well as separate them from their families. The working class in society are not even allowed to make money as they please as even this aspect is decided by the ruler to prevent extreme accumulation of wealth and prevent poverty.Plato as we can see, places utmost trust in his rulers who he states go through a rigorous selection process and this makes him an embodiment of wisdom and knowledge. He can make decisions on what is right or wrong in society due to this wisdom. Plato states that the Philosopher king cannot make mistakes and he is well suited to take decisions thus making the Philosopher king the u ltimate power in society of course only by means of true Justice as mentioned earlier. . â€Å"What constitutes the well being of society is a matter of objective fact, discoverable by those who have the relevant ability and specialized training†. Plato. 4 Political claims for Plato are not questions of decision, convention or prescription. The facts which the rulers have to live up to. Plato always tried to back up his findings and the same goes with this principle. He tries to back up this principle with a theory. The explanation for this theory is as follows. First off are the cases in which the statements are true because it corresponds to the way the reality is which is basically he facts of the world and reality in general.Secondly, there are two kinds of statements which are possible in the world. First are those whose claims are contingent which means that the truth-values could have been different than what they really are and then there are those statements that are necessary where the truth-values could not have been different. Plato states that the the items which cannot be altered and certain aspects of reality are called â€Å"Forms†. They are intangible in nature and are the solid truth.Justice, virtue and goodness are examples of forms as they are capable of making changes towards the subject matter f necessary truths which cannot be manipulated or altered. What Plato ascribes in order for his theory to be applicable is that the task which the future rulers of the Greek city states need to fulfill is to become philosophers and in the sense put forth only by Plato. They need to acquire Forms such as Justice, courage, temperance and most of all goodness. The other classes in the society do not hold the training or virtue to have all of the Forms at once.Plato also wants his rulers to have a firm and confident grasp of these Forms after fifteen years of specialized training. The society and the world Plato agrees is constantly changi ng but the philosopher king should be able to apply his knowledge of the Forms to the ever changing world. Plato compares his Philosopher king to a mathematician as a mathematician is able to apply unalterable truths which is formula such as the circles, square and other geometrical terms to the ever changing figures which are to be seen in the physical world around.The philosopher king he believes would successfully be able to apply morals which cannot be altered and political formula which are the truths associated with Justice ND goodness to the ever changing behavior of men in society along with their imperfect affairs. The philosopher king has this quality and only he is entitled to rule. ANALYSIS OF PLAT'S THREE PRINCIPLES: Plat's first principle concerning the nature of society and how it concerns its own well being is likely to be rejected only by the most extreme political scholars.Plato does not in any way ascribe special status to society and hence it is hard to see this principle as excessive. What Plato is trying to explain is that, men are not separate or detached from society resembling the organs of the body which are together without avian any aims or purposes of its own or like the grains in a heap of sand. Plato states that men by nature are social animals and unlike other animals have evolved and survived with notable success due to these social characteristics. Even if the social characteristics of man are flawed, they can certainly be corrected through co- operation.He stresses on this co-operation and sometimes even over-stresses on this aspect by which he literally means division of labor. Plat's second principle requires a little more attention and discussion in which he states that a society's well being different school of thought hold the view that a society's well being is a goal which has to be pursued and at least needs to be part of society's many goals. The factor which prompts this view is that, the different interests of indi viduals clash and clash in such a way that it becomes impossible to resolve all of them.A moral principle therefore is needed to ease out the conflict in a manner which is Just and fair. The right answer to this distinct problem as stated earlier is the target of attaining maximum happiness for a maximum number of people. This principle though has a fundamental weakness. For example, the assumption of torture and killing of a few individual people will leading to societal happiness is Justified by Plato and this view has persuaded many philosophers to reject it.Society thereby should not be arranged in a way which would be advantageous to a certain group but rather the interest of all must be considered. This proposal is thereby less sharply defined by Plato and hence makes it difficult to be applied yet not impossible. This kind of consideration can be compared to that of a parent towards the family where they are not concerned with the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of people, but rather on one hand it is ensured that none of the children are favored unduly and also providing a balanced distribution of goods among them.Regarding the restrictions placed on the rulers such as the denial of the right to marriage, ownership of property and living on only the basic needs required on a daily basis, it may seem like the denial of the right to life to a normal reader but Plato sees the wider picture here. He states that there are no restrictions on what might be done to secure the well being of society and Plato sees these denial of rights to the philosophers as moving towards the desired target. This makes us wonder of what Plato would imply to the statement made earlier about killing the innocent for the benefit of society.There are no signs in Plat's writings anywhere that he would accept any actions of such nature and Justify them and rather all of the evidence is contradictory. The big philosophical question though which remains here is th at whether or not would Plato himself succumb to his theoretical beliefs and therefore commit him to endorse these deeds. This principle certainly puts Plato in trouble. Having gone far as striping the rulers of their basic rights, what is it that is holding Plato back.The only obvious way open to him is to assert that built into his idea of the well being of society are certain fundamental components and one of the rules being that innocent men and women are not to be killed. The argument which arises from this principle. People have the natural right to freedom from torture and death and this contradicts the theory which puts forth that the philosopher king can go to any extent for the good of society and the ruler cannot be questioned as he has attained ultimate wisdom due to the rigorous training imparted to him.Therefore, in he one case the conclusion is drawn from considering the society and in the other the individual. What then of Plat's third principle of the declaration th at morals and politics being questions of objective, expert knowledge? Regarding discussions on fundamental political and moral issues, the language of objective assertion is used by philosophers and normal people as though they are speaking of matters of plain fact.Cases where men can make mistake, argue over these mistakes and make What is more is that, they cannot do without the notion of assumption since without t there is no discussion and then they are left with only professions of faith. Comparing with the complex issues of today's time such as nuclear warfare and abortion, there is a tendency to make the added assumption that to arrive there is a need for expertise as well as ability and there cannot be dependence of wit and intuition. Men and women in society need to have the required information but at the same time need to be educated to analyze problems and in assessing consequences.Now, if common assumption such as these mentioned above are justified, then Plato has a v ery good case for holding that morals are principles too re matters of objective fact as well being matters of expertise (The philosopher king). Plato though does not stop here and adds that people who are political and moral experts ought to be the righteous rulers of society. Also while discussing the democratic virtue in relation to Plato, two sets of arguments need to be distinguished which: 1 . That in the absence of Platonic philosophers, the concept of democracy is supported . 2.The concept of democracy being supported absolutely by philosophers and if such philosophers are to be had or not in society. It can be disputed that western models of constitutional models are in the best forms f political societies developed so far and that too in the absence of Platonic philosophers. Plato I believe would've allowed this to happen as it comes closer to his earlier stated goal of securing Justice for the whole and not for the individual. He would've conceded this solely on balance b y pointing out that the conduct of democracy towards society would be uniformly Just.Now coming to the discussion about Plat's Justification of non-acceptance of the concept of democracy, Plato through the Republic reminds us that it was this ideology which put Socrates to death Just because he initiated open discussions. Also he mentions that the same democracy had either enslaved or killed an entire population for not wishing to be part of Athens. It is for these very reasons that Plato would argue that democracies of today would be no match to his concept of the ideal society. Recent philosophers might argue that democracy's case rests with the ultimate sovereign worth of an individual.A person has the ultimate say on how he is governed and how he wishes to be governed without which the philosophers state that they would not be fulfilling heir duties as adults and hence would be no different from slaves and children. On the contrary, Plato would argue that he had not seeded to lo wer the status of man in society. While the modern philosopher sees the dignity of man in the fulfillment of self, Plato has always seen it as surrender of self Just for the betterment of the good of society.He believed that in spite of having philosophers to rule and give political expertise and contribute to administration, it would be foolish to argue that all individuals should be a part of administration and it is the same as saying that non- authentications should provide calculations for building bridges. All of these points however does not make the democrat any weaker, as he has no major worry yet. The reason being that even if the rulers in the Platonic society possessed the attributes of morals and virtues, it cannot be said with certainty that they wouldn't become oppressive and corrupt and thereby not favor sectional interests at all.Plato places individual in the administration turns out to be corrupt. Plato thereby in order to prevent such a scenario and maintain this foolproof system created by him believed hat education can go a long way in maintaining Plat's concept of the ideal society. The training lasts for fifteen long years involving morality and virtue along with ten academics and religion. An education with a combination containing all these aspects is very less likely to make a person corrupt.Plat's emphasis on religious training makes the biggest difference as a God fearing man wont be morally wrong and at the same time be virtuous therefore making his system extremely rigid. ARISTOTLE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND: Aristotle lifespan was the period which can be termed as the turn in the history of hilltop's out of which branched an independent discipline of politics. 5 He was born in the year 384 BCC in the village of Staggers in located in present day Central Macedonia which was one of HTH Greek city states. Aristotle is called the father of Political Science and is one of the most celebrated political thinkers.He was the first thinker to separate the discipline of philosophy from politics and this resulted in the birth of a new discipline of Political Science. He came up with the term of Greek city state of â€Å"Polis† and also invented the term politics. His father was the royal physician n the Macedonian Court and shared a good relationship Witt the King of Macedonia. As he was part of the aristocratic class, he was sent to Plat's academy in Athens for education at eighteen years of age. He spent close to twenty years in the academy and also taught there. Aristotle was heavily influenced by Plat's teachings and writings and he was his mentor.Aristotle though differed on some of Plat's teachings which I will highlight further in this paper. He returned to the Kingdom of Macedon in the year 343 BCC and he was appointed to run and lead the Royal academy of Macedon. At this period, he was also the private tutor of Alexander the Great. In the year 335 BCC, he came back to Athens and started his own academy by t he name of Lacey. Aristotle in his teachings whilst at his own academy wrote about different theories of nature and emphasized that for nature to function without any hindrance, change is certain.Aristotle unlike the other philosopher of his time, looked at nature from a different perspective. He like Plato believed in creating an ideal environment for learning and taught outdoors as believed that being close to nature is ideal for the overall growth of an individual. Aristotle was forced to flee Athens in the year 322 BCC when there was an uprising in Athens gains the Macedonian and as he had published many works supporting the history of Macedonian rule, it left him vulnerable to attack by the Athenians. He left for Above during the uprising and died in the same year.Aristotle like Plato was believed to be misguiding the youth with his ideas and teachings. What makes Aristotle unique is the fact that is to put forth that politics can be devoid of ethics, the complete opposite of P lato who emphasized a lot on ethics. Aristotle like Plato wrote about his win â€Å"Ideal State† which is a continuation of Plat's â€Å"Second Best State†. ARISTOTLE AND POLITY: The politics of Aristotle for the reader becomes intensely empirical at once and also factual knowledge throughout the ancient world known to the Greeks and he put all of this information together to guide action.He used political processes to guide people towards the right path and giving them a good life by following certain guidelines. These moral views laid down by Aristotle are expressed in his work the ‘Politics' and also on his other work ‘Noncompliance ethics'. Aristotle unlike Plato held hat moral views can be held by a person and known without the complete precision of mathematics or the physical and biological sciences. Living a good life is essential for the well being of man in society and such life can come into existence only when human capacities are developed to th e maximum.Put it simply, one has to feel and act in a way required for working towards a whole hearted commitment towards a well rounded life and this life should be truly moral and most importantly truly human. Aristotle describes this well living as ‘daemonic', slightly mistranslated as happiness. Well being can be a closer word for this term and he states that the ultimate of ethics and politics is to attain daemonic. Aristotle introduces his writings in the Politics with two key ideas: 1. The state is a community 2.The state is the highest among all communities, â€Å"Which embraces all the rest, aims for good in a greater degree than any other and at the highest good. 7 Aristotle considers the state to be a natural being and was the first thinker to consider it as a community. Aristotle also puts forth that the state is an instrument, a sort of mechanism and like machinery can be used to meet ends higher than itself. This view of Aristotle is called the ‘instrument alist' view of the state and which actually not invented by him but rather propounded by Sophists who lived a century before Aristotle.This view was however rejected by Plato and revived only by the modern thinkers such as John Locke, Jack Hobbes and John Dewey. The good life within the natural creation being the state can be achieved by whole heartedly acting in ways truly human. Aristotle states that to act in such a manner becomes a struggle for man and he can do so only with utmost pain and difficulty. He observed that young hillier are moved by instincts such as pleasure and pain. They need to trained so that they achieve acts of reason once they grow to be adults such as those of courage or cowardice.They can be trained to endure pain and agony and not to give in to every bodily desire so that everything falls into place and things come easily and naturally. Aristotle like Plato in this case states that education becomes an important element for grooming an individual by devel oping the right reason, the right desire and their harmony. Aristotle unlike Plato in his ideal state where he gives ultimate importance to the philosopher king gives great importance to laws. He states that for individuals, to do good to do good for themselves or others does not come naturally. Man lacks virtue and compulsion through law is therefore needed.In the Monomaniacs ethics, Aristotle states that people have the tendency to resent to things told to them by other people but no resentment is seen when law is enforced upon them. Aristotle states law to be reason which is unfazed by desires. The community: Aristotle difference in political thought to his mentor Plato becomes extremely clear hen he puts forth that the state is the highest form of association concerning man's family for example man reproduces himself; companionship is resolved when living in a village community; and it is only in the state that man realizes himself and his true worth particularly the highest par t of himself.Aristotle therefore does not make division of labor an essential component of society in his political thought but rather expresses that family is the lowest in the hierarchy of the society and man's biological appetites and material appetites are expressed within the family. A man's social sentiment of companionship and that of community is expressed in the bigger association of the village and then ultimately man's morality the quality which makes him most human is expressed and fulfilled in the state.Aristotle unlike Plato in his organic view of the state very clearly explains and expresses what are the implicit and explicit factors for society. He unlike his teacher Plato is unwilling to go as far as where he states that it is not necessary for the betterment of the society, that the happiness of the rulers as well as the ruled needs to be sacrificed. Aristotle is against he principle of excessive unity in the state which he anyways believes to be idealistic and not realistic and even if it is attained it should be rejected as he states that, â€Å"It would result in the destruction of the state†. Aristotle describes the role of Plat's guardian rulers as Just filling a vacuum and that the ideal state put forth by Plato merely contains two states in one with hostility emerging as tube most likely outcome due to the importance associated to the philosopher king. Aristotle in his concept of the origin of the state expresses that every state is a community of some kind and it s created with the intention of some good no matter what the methods used.Aristotle in his concept of politics states that when a ruler has a personal government that he referred to as a king and when according to the rules and principles of political science, then he referred Thomas a statesman. Aristotle tries to look at things in a scientific perspective and the state is no exception where he puts forth that different kinds of rules differ in different societies and it is essential to attain scientific information from them. Property: Aristotle theory of property is completely against Plat's theory of communism of repertory..Plato regarded property to be a hindrance to the proper functioning of the state as it blurred human thought process by encouraging the need for wants and, therefore, suggested the guardian class even though the rulers of society have no claim over any property in the entire city state. For Aristotle on the other hand, ownership of property provided psychological satisfaction to man as human beings he believes have the inherent instinct of possessing and owning property. It is the rightful claim of an individual to own property.Aristotle claims that if an individual goes not own property, then he won't learn the principle of generosity such as giving alms to the needy as well as the connect of hospitable treatment towards the oppressed class of society. What then is the use of moral and virtuous training as stated by Plato when it cannot be put into practice in the wider concept of society. Ownership of property leads to the creation of a good household as the family is society at the micro level and a happy and content family would ultimately lead to the creation of a better society as your needs get fulfilled. Ownership of property is s

Informal proposal Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Informal - Research Proposal Example For instance, there has been a significant decrease in the employee retention rate within the company which stands at 40 percent, a scenario that impact negatively to the branch. The main purpose of this proposal is to identify ways in which Roanoke Branch can motivate its employees and reduce the unprecedented employee turnover. This paper will solve the problem of employee dissatisfaction and high turnover through training of both the employees and the management on effective communication, job evaluation, and a review of the existing compensation for the employees. There is no denying that the employee retention rate has been on a declining trend for the past three months. I have noted that two of the branch’s senior managers have in the recent past resigned from their positions. My investigation has informed me that the senior managers, the art director, and one of the accountant executives, are currently working for a rival company. Furthermore, I have received information from three of the graphic designers and four of the copywriters of their dissatisfaction with the company citing the manner in which their innovations are being modified by the senior management without their knowledge. Moreover, I noted that over 40% of the employees recruited in our branch will leave within the next two years. These unfortunate scenarios within our branch threaten our existence, particularly our ability to create a competitive advantage in the advertising industry. Unarguably, a highly motivated human resource is a valuable asset to an organizatio n. It is therefore important for Roanoke Branch to develop a retention plan to retain its human resource, thereby keeping the employee turnover as minimal as possible. As such, I am convinced that Roanoke Branch is able to restore its reputation by achieving the following objectives: After carrying out an investigation on the causes of employee dissatisfaction at Roanoke Ranch, I realized that the main