Philosophy - Platos Allegory Of The Cave Essays - Platonism

Philosophy - Plato's Allegory of the Cave Plato was born 427 B.C. and died 347 B.C. He was a pupil under Socrates. During his studies, Plato wrote the Dialogues, which are a collection of Socrates' teachings. One of the parables included in the Dialogues is "The Allegory of the Cave". "The Allegory..." symbolizes man's struggle to reach understanding and enlightenment. First of all, Plato believed that one can only learn through dialectic reasoning and open-mindedness. Humans had to travel from the visible realm of image-making and objects of sense to the intelligible or invisible realm of reasoning and understanding. "The Allegory of the Cave" symbolizes this trek and how it would look to those still in a lower realm. Plato is saying that humans are all prisoners and that the tangible world is our cave. The things which we perceive as real are actually just shadows on a wall. Just as the escaped prisoner ascends into the light of the sun, we amass knowledge and ascend into the light of true reality: ideas in the mind. Yet, if someone goes into the light of the sun and beholds true reality and then proceeds to tell the other captives of the truth, they laugh at and ridicule the enlightened one, for the only reality they have ever known is a fuzzy shadow on a wall. They could not possibly comprehend another dimension without beholdin! g it themselves, therefore, they label the enlightened man mad. For instance, the exact thing happened to Charles Darwin. In 1837, Darwin was traveling aboard the H.M.S. Beagle in the Eastern Pacific and dropped anchor on the Galapagos Islands. Darwin found a wide array of animals. These differences in animals sparked Darwin on research, which lasted well up to his death, culminating in the publishing of The Origin of Species in 1858. He stated that had not just appeared out of thin air, but had evolved from other species through natural selection. This sparked a firestorm of criticism, for most people accepted the theory of the Creation. In this way Darwin and his scienti fic followers parallel the escaped prisoner. They walked into the light and saw true reality. Yet when he told the imprisoned public what he saw, he was scoffed at and labeled mad, for all the prisoners know and perceive are just shadows on a wall which are just gross distortions of reality. Darwin walked the path to understanding just like the escaped prisoner in "The Allegory of the Cave." Plato's parable greatly symbolizes man's struggle to reach the light and the suffering of those left behind who are forced to sit in the dark and stare at shadows on a wall.

Journal Entry Essays

Journal Entry Essays Journal Entry Essay Journal Entry Essay In the article â€Å"Urban and rural students swap places to learn about different lives†, which appeared on CNN.com on May 23, 2007, the issue of education and how students learn to overcome their differences through awareness. This particular news story deals with two groups of students from Alaska who are part of an exchange program to help bring awareness to students about the differences in the way each group lives. One group is from a tiny Eskimo village in Alaska, and the others from a suburb of Anchorage. Each group lives a completely different way of life despite the fact that they all live in the same state. The educators in this case felt that through the exchange program students could learn to appreciate the different ways of life that each lives and to learn more about the world around them and their neighbors. The rural teens were amazed at how many varieties of food there were in the supermarkets and how less expensive it was, and were amazed at the different s tores and even the indoor plumbing. The urban teens were shocked by the exact opposite in the rural village, yet they all learned to appreciate not only the way of life of the other teens, but to appreciate what is special about themselves and their life.I selected this article because it deals with education and how educators are trying to overcome some of the differences that exist in society and some of the social, political, and racial inequalities. Through the exchange program teens of different cultures get to learn about each other through their time with their host families and in the different area, and also get an education about people who are their neighbors, in a sense. The teachers responsible for this program are hoping to bring unity to Alaska and to connect it to classroom curriculum ranging from healthcare to economy. I was attracted to this story because it is a beautiful example of how education and understanding can lead to more acceptance amongst people of diff erent social groups, as in the case with the Eskimo children and the other Alaskan children. This is an important social issue because if more educators would adopt similar methods then we could foster more understanding amongst different groups within our own nation. This innovative approach shows a social solution that can help many other educators around the country if they were to implement this type of program to help children of different races, religions, income levels, and nationalities within our own country learn to appreciate and understand each other.Journal Entry # 2The article â€Å"Gold Star wives help a new generation of war widows† that appeared on CNN.com on May 26, 2007 is an interesting look at the way that our own suffering can be a basis for helping others in similar situations. The article deals with the social issue of war and how it affects not only the people in the midst of the war but the wives, husbands, and children that are left behind by the me n and women who die in the war in Iraq. I was attracted to it because of the closeness to Memorial Day and the fact that is encourages people to reach out to others going through problems.This article is about a woman named Marie Speer who lost her husband in WWII and how she founded this organization called Gold Star Wives, which was established to help war widows in many various ways, from friendship and compassion, to helping lobby for benefits for the wives and husbands of those lost in the war. The women of this organization have all lost husbands to war and know how it feels, but instead of doing nothing they reach out to others through the organization. This is an example of how we as Americans, no matter what our thoughts on politics and the war, can use our own compassion to help others, no matter our situation in life. It also shows how, no matter the generational difference, some things, like losing a spouse in the war, can link us to those who dealt with similar things b efore us. The war in Iraq is a major social issue right now, politically, but the social impact of this is felt greatly by the spouses of the men and women fighting in Iraq. This article gives us a look at how we can come up with solutions to some issues by reaching out to people who are in pain. While this organization is not a solution to the war, it is a help to people.Journal Entry # 3The article â€Å"The First Steps† by Alex Tresniowski, et al, appears in the May 7, 2007 issue of People Magazine and is a look at the healing process that is happening at the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, Virginia following the massacre that killed 33 students in Norris Hall on April 16th. This article is unlike many of the others because instead of dealing with the dark, brooding gunman or all of the mistakes and issues that led up to the shooting, it deals with how the students affected will take steps to heal and help create a better environment for all students on campus. This ar ticle was interesting to me because it was not just another doom and gloom article about the tragedy but point out what was being done right by the Virginia Tech students, faculty, and campus administrators to help the college heal. Violence has become such a huge social problem in our society and this issue was made even more glaring by this particular school shooting. The article’s look at the counseling being offered, the changes in the college, and most especially the way that the community, parents, and students are all reaching out to each other as a means of healing is incredible. It also shows how they are hoping to eliminate loners and outcasts like the shooter by reaching out to their fellow classmates in need. Instead of dwelling on the bad, they are looking for something positive to come out of the tragedy.I was attracted to this article because of the hopefulness that it leaves the reader with, especially concerning something as troubling as the Virginia Tech Mas sacre. This is such an important social issue because it is so prevalent in our nation and what makes people commit violence is still not really understood. It is hard to remember that out of the pain of such an event there can come something wonderful and positive, like a new spirit amongst people or a greater awareness of the signs of mental illness. Also, just simply being out to reach out to others. It’s relation to the social issue of violence also attracted me because that is such a large problem in our society, and the solutions given are interesting and uplifting.Journal Entry #4The article â€Å"Global Fund Saves 1.8 Million Lives† appeared on the ONE.org website on May 24, 2007. The ONE is a new poverty campaign that aims at helping â€Å"to make poverty history†. Some new bills have been passed recently, including education-related issues, and it has become well-known in the press because of publicity gained from its appearance on American Idol and at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C. in 2006. This particular article deals with the response from the American Congress and how much money they have given to the Global Fund in support of the various programs that are helping to end world hunger, poverty, and disease.In summary, this article is about the money grants given to ONE.org and the Global Fund, both of which are dedicated to ending poverty, hunger, and disease in third-world nations around the world. Because of the insistance of ONE.org and other organizations the United States has pledged hundreds of millions of dollars towards helping their cause and there has been some great progress, including many lives saved because of insecticides, medicine, food, and nets that help to protect people from the things that harm them in other countries.This story attracted me because I really feel strongly about ending world poverty and giving everyone in the world a chance at a good quality of life. I feel that we in th e United States are especially responsible for helping others who are less fortunate. The issue of poverty is an important social issue that is dealt with not only around the world, but in our own country as well; however, this article is especially interesting because it gives ideas on how we can help. The article talked about how just donating insecticide-treated nets to families with children can help to stop disease and that 3,000 people every day are saved just by this one program. One person can be saved simply by donating one net. It’s important to understand how we can get involved, even if we have limited means ourselves.Journal Entry # 5The article â€Å"U.N. Presses for Peace in Darfur† appeared on the Los Angeles Times website on May 27, 2007 and deals with the conflict in Sudan and how the U.N. is trying to create a change for the better in that country by encouraging peace within its borders. The article talks about the ongoing conflict in Sudan and the t ypes of terrible violence going on there, particularly amongst the militia and rebel groups. The article is about the U.N.’s push for Sudan to call a cease-fire and to start peace talks so that the violence can end. It also talks about the many peacekeepers who are proposed to go in and help create a more stable nation for the people who live there under violent conditions.The social issue that is happening right now in Darfur is critical. There has been genocide happening there fore years and many people live in refugee camps because their homes, land, and country have been filled with so much violence and war for so long. This article deals with the social issue of war, as well as poverty, and global inequality. The war going on there has created a global inequality unlike any other nation, and has caused so many people to descend into poverty and hunger. People are dying everyday because of the conflict and while the U.N. is taking notice they are not able to convince Darf ur to stop the violence and create a better nation for the men and women who live there.I was attracted to this article because it is about an issue that is really at the forefront of the minds of many right now because of the publicity it has gotten from celebrities and the media. This article also has some solutions in it that are interesting, pointing out what is being done by the U.N. to help bring peace to Darfur, including the unification conference between the African Union and the U.N. that has happened recently. While Darfur is still a social problem, the involvement of the U.N. in the peace process is encouraging.Journal Entry # 6The article â€Å"Trial set to begin in Mississippi civil rights-era case† by Jerry Mitchell appeared the USA Today on May 24, 2007 and deals with the case of a man who is facing charges for killing two African-American teenagers in 1964. In the past few years there has been a push in Mississippi to bring to justice former klansmen and othe r racists who killed civil rights workers and African-Americans during a time and in a place where discrimination was so abundant that no one would convict them. This case is one of these, and is an interesting look at how the justice system can be corrupt and yet, today, we can try to make things right.James Seale is 71 years old now, but in 1964 he was arrested and admitted to beating Henry Dee and Charles Moore, two black teenagers who were hitchhiking and picked up by a vehicle of klansmen, including Seale. They were beaten to death and then weighted down and thrown into the Mississippi River. Seale was arrested and interrogated and admitted to beating them and even admitted that God knew he killed them to an FBI agent, but told authorities they would have to prove it. In the deep south in 1964, he was never prosecuted and charges were dropped. Today, however, authorities in the South are looking to make right on the racial injustice that took place there by prosecuting the kill ers now in hopes of showing the world that the new South doesn’t let people go for killing another person just because of the color of their skin.This article attracted me because racial inequality has always been such a problem in the U.S. and the fact that so many people got away with murder in the South just because they killed black people has always haunted the nation. Now, as a social solution, prosecutors are setting out to change that by punishing these people now for the sins of the past in the hopes that the deaths of so many during the civil rights-era can be vindicated. The criminal justice system is looking past race in Mississippi and doing what is legally and morally right.

Theater Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Theater - Essay Example between her and her sister Becca because her sister thinks it is not fair for Izzy to have a child and she does not, ever since her son Danny died from a motor accident. Izzy has been portrayed in the play as a moody person as evidenced in Act 1 Scene 1 where she is telling Becca how she punched another woman in a bar (Rabbit hole,p.10). Izzy is also portrayed as a very irresponsible person where she bends the rules and gets pregnant from her relationship with a musician named Auggie. The family is a middle class unit and worse of all; Izzy is no longer working at her usual place. Becca has a steady relationship with her man Howie but she is affected by grief ever since their son Danny died. Howie has a rigid time controlling and understanding her spouse and this brings lots of tension in the family. Izzy is also in a relationship with Auggie the musician, though not from a wedding setting, and this intensifies tensions in the family unit. I like the fact that Howie is a loving and caring person, but I dislike Becca’s attitude towards him. I also like that Izzy is in search of happiness from her musician boyfriend but I dislike the fact that she got pregnant too fast without getting to know her boyfriend and his previous relationships better. Izzy’s overall goal in the play is to show that she is an agent of change in the family setup where people like Becca should not live a life of regrets and grief. Izzy’s objective in Act 1 Scene 1 is to show herself a strong woman who can not be intimidated anyhowly by anyone she cant recognize. She also portrays herself as a woman who will bend the existing notions and perceptions that seem to hinder her path to happiness as evidenced by her relationship to Auggey, the musician. Izzy would wear trendy clubbing attire in the set to portray her fun-loving nature as evidenced in her act coming from the bar where she picked a fight. She is a woman who has never grown up despite her twenty-something years of existence in

America in Transition 1801-1848 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

America in Transition 1801-1848 - Assignment Example President Jackson asserted that removing the Indians was necessary in order for them to maintain their culture, which could not be possible if they mixed up with the Americans. He announced that the two major tribes of the Indian community had already agreed with the terms for their removal, and supported this by saying that this was a good example to the rest, who would soon follow the same path as they seek similar compensation (Lewis 2001). The building of the Erie Canal illustrated the confluence of a vision. It took 15 years to be completed beginning from 1817 to 1832. It was viewed by many as the dream of Washington, who is believed to have a great understanding of the significance of transport and communication in nation-building. However, he did not live to see the completion of the canal (Bernstein 2005). It created a significant landing point for the sea vessels at New York City. The river barges were used for transportation of the cargo from these vessels to far places such as Chicago. The canal facilitated the growth of the New York City which became a major port in the United States. With time, Chicago also followed similar developments as in New York City. The population of the two cities rose as the two cities became the largest of all the cities in America. Construction of the canal received public support, notably from particular public officials who according to (Bernstein 2005) included â€Å"people such as Morris, who represented the first Continental Congress†. Bernstein further notes that the public was excited regarding the canal as they saw it as a major step towards achieving prospects of acquiring the capability of transporting commodities which included salt and others such as gypsum to far places through it. This was not possible before the construction of the canal. There used to be no trading activities between merchants from the East and the West.

Book of Acts Essay Example for Free

Book of Acts Essay The Book of Acts The book of Act was written by Saint Luke. The date of the writing is uncertain, but most scholars favor the period 8-90 A. D. Some people think that Acts represents normative guidelines for the New Testament church for all times. In this view I think it is agreeable for the book of acts just shows the ideal church with corresponding beliefs and values. This kind of church should be present to all even up to the present times. This book, in which St. Luke records the actions of the apostles, particularly of St. Peter and St. Paul, (whose companion in travel he was,) is as it were the centre between the Gospel and the Epistles. It contains, after a very brief re-capitulation of the evangelical history, a continuation of the history of Christ, the event of his predictions, and a kind of supplement to what he had before spoken to his disciples, by the Holy Ghost now given unto them. It contains also the seeds, and first stamina of all those things, which are enlarged upon in the epistles. The Gospels treat of Christ the head. The Acts show that the same things befell his body; which is animated by his Spirit, persecuted by the world, defended and exalted by God. In this book is shown the Christian doctrine, and the method of applying it to Jews, heathens, and believers; that is, to those who are to be converted, and those who are converted: the hindrances of it in particular men, in several kinds of men, in different ranks and nations: the propagation of the Gospel, and that grand revolution among both Jews and heathens: the victory thereof, in Spite of all opposition, from all the power, malice, and wisdom of the whole world, spreading from one chamber into temples, houses, streets, markets, fields, inns, prisons, camps, courts, chariots, ships, villages, cities, islands: to Jews, heathens, magistrates, generals, soldiers, eunuchs, captives, slaves, women, children, sailors: to Athens, and at length to Rome. Others view it as only descriptive for the 1st century church. Descriptive in the sense that it only describes the pattern and how the church worked during that period of time. The term Acts is not used, as it is sometimes with us, to denote decrees or laws or having to describe it, but it denotes the doings of the apostles. It is a record of what the apostles did in founding and establishing the Christian church. It is worthy of remark, however, that it contains a record of the doings of Peter and Paul. Peter was commissioned to open the doors of the Christian church to both Jews and Gentiles, and Paul was chosen to bear the gospel especially to the pagan world. As these two apostles were the most prominent and distinguished in founding and organizing the Christian church, it was deemed proper that a special and permanent record should be made of their labors. While some think that it is both a normative guidelines and a description of the church of the 1st century. At the beginning of the book the author states his purpose and that is to explain to Theophilus, and to the world, how Christianity arose and began its sweep across the earth. By this time Christianity appeared to be on the way to becoming a world religion, and some account of its beginning was needed so that it might appeal to cultured and learned people. It talks about the Day of Pentecost, empowered by the Holy Spirit; the apostles take the Good News of Jesus Christ throughout the Mediterranean world. The title is misleading, for Acts is not a record of all the original disciples of Jesus. The book gives the early history of Christianity from Christ’s ascension outside Jerusalem to Paul’s visit in Rome. Chapters 1-12 stress the work of Peter in Judea and nearby lands, mainly among Jews. Chapters 13- 28 tell of the far- ranging missionary preaching of Paul, mainly to gentiles. In my opinion it is a normative guideline for the New Testament church. In the book of Acts, it is shown how the people and the believer should act before God. All antiquity is unanimous in ascribing this book to Luke as its author. It is repeatedly mentioned and quoted by the early Christian writers, and without a dissenting voice is mentioned as the work of Luke. The same thing is clear from the book itself. It professes to have been written by the same person who wrote the Gospel of Luke, Ac 1:1; was addressed to the same person, and bears manifest marks of being from the same pen. It is designed evidently as a continuation of his Gospel, as in this book he has taken up the history at the very time where he left it in the Gospel, Ac 1:1, 2. It also shows that the Holy Spirit is really with His people if they will ask from it, for the Holy Spirit will be their comforter and friend. The church nowadays should be guided by the Holy Spirit for a strong foundation. The gospel should be well delivered and evangelized throughout the world by the believers. They should acts upon what is right just like what Paul and Peter did in the book of Acts where in they weren’t afraid to spread the good news among all people. This book has commonly been regarded as a history of the Christian church, and of course the first ecclesiastical history that was written. But it cannot have been designed as a general history of the church. Many important transactions have been omitted. It gives no account of the church at Jerusalem after the conversion of Paul; it omits his journey into Arabia, Gad 1:17; gives no account of the propagation of the gospel in Egypt, or in Babylon, 1Pe 5:13; of the foundation of the church at Rome; of many of Pauls voyages and shipwrecks, 2Co 11:25; and omits to record the labors of most of the apostles, and confines the narrative chiefly to the transactions of Peter and Paul. References: 1. Book of Acts. New Standard Encyclopedia. Volume 2. Pages 355-356. 2. Youth Bible. Holy Bible Contemporary English Version, Global Edition. Pages 861-871 3. Acts of the Apostles. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Acts_of_the_Apostles

Improving The Literacy Of America Essay -- Illiteracy In America

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Reading and writing are two of the most important functions performed on a daily basis by individuals. One problem in America is that a significant amount of the population cannot perform one or both of these tasks. These two tasks are commonly referred to as literacy. What encompasses a literate individual is a controversial topic. For example, if someone can read a sentence and decipher what it means does this mean the person is literate. Or should the individual be able to interpret a sentence as well as write and respond to a given situation to be considered literate. Due to this vagueness in what encompasses a literate individual, I will not state statistical information about the state of literacy in the United States. The statistical information is not important, rather the way the literacy rate can be risen in the U.S. is what is important. A general situation that has to occur to raise literacy rate is the situation where an individual has the desire to r ead and write and does not do so solely because of instruction from authority figures. This certainly is not occurring today, as exemplified by the event that â€Å"even a best-selling book in this country might reach 5% of the population† (Castell 38). Perhaps a better way to influence the literacy in America is to examine the classrooms where primary education geared toward literacy takes place. This refers to elementary and middle school classrooms. An examination of what processes in a classroom context help develop literacy in individuals is an important aspect of the literacy of the children in America. Three aspects of a classroom that affect literacy are: the power of the teacher, community with peers, and access to tools of literacy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Power, in this case, refers to the power of the teacher and the extent to which this person expresses this power. The teacher serves to regulate the activities of children. One of the most important things that he does is to foster the interest and learning of the pupils. In this way the teacher has infinite power over his subjects. He can assign work, manipulate exactly what the student has to know for his class, and alter his teaching styles for different subjects. Traditionally little power is given to the student in the classroom setting. Often times students regurgitate memorized information in order to perform in a well in a given class. Th... ... learning literacy desirable to the student, which obviously increases learning. The United States has to move toward implementing better literacy-directed learning in our school’s classrooms. In the long-run, this will help the U.S. compete on the national level with other countries.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  But the advantages to a more literate society are obvious even when viewing the issue on a more personal level. Literacy is the key to the social world as well as the job market. Individuals who benefit from the increase in literacy rate will be more successful in life and maybe even have higher feelings toward themselves. The vision of a totally literate America is certainly a very promising and positive one. Works Cited Bloome, David. Classrooms and Literacy. New Jersey: Ablex , 1989. Castell, Suzanne De, et al., eds. Literacy, Society, and Schooling. New York: Press Syndicate, 1986. Harris, Karen, and Barbara Baskin. â€Å"Toward a Culturally Literate Society.† School Library Journal 35.12 (1989): 29-32. Wells, Gordon. â€Å"The Zone of Proximal Development and Its Implications for Learning and Teaching.† Sep. 1996. http://cite.ped.gu.se/network/zpddiscussion.html (31 Mar. 1999).

Media Worldview

Brandy Cain March 2, 2013 CVW 101 G. Malloy Media Worldview The movie I chose was It’s A Wonderful Life. It is one of my favorite movies. I think it’s a classic and everyone should watch it at least once. The movie is based on the life of George Bailey. You know from the beginning that the worldview is Christian because it starts with everyone praying for George. George is a troubled man going thru a hard time and an angel named Clarence Odbody comes down to show him how different his life would be if he had never been born.Clarence has to save George so he can obtain his wings. The head angels Franklin and Joseph show Clarence Georges life up till now. George lives in New Bedford, NY. It’s a small town where everyone knows everyone. George’s father owns the Bailey Building and Loan Association. From when George was a child to his adult life the Bailey Building and Loan Association is in danger of going out of business. George Bailey is the type of person who sacrifices his own dreams for those of others. When George was 12 he saved his baby brother Harry after he falls into a frozen pond.He ended up losing his earring after getting a cold from being in the freezing water. George worked at the local pharmacy. He realized that the druggist, Mr. Gower, has just received a telegram saying that his son had died. He was so distraught that he put poison in a pill supposed to be given to a child. George notices this and doesn’t deliver the medicine. The druggist is so mad that he hits George in his bad ear. George then explains to Mr. Gower that he made a mistake. Mr. Gower forgives George. After graduating high school George goes to work at the Bailey Building to save money to go to college.It takes him 4 years and his brother Harry is now graduating from high school. George’s dad wishes he could send both of his sons to college at the same time. George explains that Harry can do the same thing as he has done. George goes to celebrate Harry’s graduation. He dances with Mary Hatch who has had a crush on George for years. One of the other guys who was after Mary was upset that George stole her from him so he plays a prank on them. Underneath the dance floor opens up to a swimming pool. George and Mary were dancing on the crack of the floor.When the floor starts to open George and Mary are unaware and think that they must be dancing every good. They fall in and start dancing in the pool. Everyone see how much fun they are having so they jump in. That same night George’s father dies from a stroke. George has to put his plans on seeing the world on hold to run his father’s company. Harry and Mary go off to college leaving George behind. Four years Harry returns with a wife whose father has given him an excellent opportunity that George can’t let Harry pass up.George goes to visit Mary and professes his love to her and a few months later they get married. After their wedding the Ba iley Building is about to be foreclosed upon and George and Mary take the $2000 saved for their honeymoon and give it to the customers. George and Mary have four children: Pete, Susan, Tommy, and Zuzu. George building Bailey Park an affordable housing project. On the day the bank examiner comes George’s uncle Billy has lost the $8000 they owe. They try and trace down his tracks but do not find the money. George tries to get a loan and fails.He lashes out at his family because he is so distraught. It’s Christmas Eve and he decided to go to the bar and get drunk. He runs is car into a tree and feels he would be worth more dead than alive and stands on top of the bridge about to jump. Clarence his angel shows George Potterville. George sees his life is worth something and heads home. He is greeted with friends and family giving him money to save him from bank fraud. Clarence was able to get his wings. You know his happens when George’s daughter hears a bell and say s, â€Å"Every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings. †