Disputing the Canon Essay -- The Loss of the Creature Walker Percy Ess

Disputing the Canon I was in the best of settings when I realized that Shakespeare was indeed great. My freshman year in high school, I had English class with an esteemed teacher, Mr. Broza—hailed as the Paul D. Schreiber High School Shakespeare aficionado, founder of Schreiber’s Annual Shakespeare Day, and, perhaps most heart-warming of all, a self-proclaimed Shakespeare lover whose posters of The Bard could be found as wallpaper in his small office. How lucky I thought I was. Indeed, if I wanted to appreciate Hamlet, I was in the right hands. But how misled I actually was—at least, in Walker Percy’s eyes. In his essay, â€Å"The Loss of the Creature,† Percy recalls a scene from The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter: †¦the girl hides in the bushes to hear the Capehart in the big house play Beethoven. Perhaps she was the lucky one after all. Think of the unhappy souls inside, who see the record, worry about the scratches, and most of all worry about whether they are getting it, whether they are bona fide music lovers. What is the best way to hear Beethoven: sitting in a proper silence around the Capehart or eavesdropping from an azalea bush? (521) Percy here contrasts two different approaches to viewing art—the girl who informally and spontaneously encounters the work of art, out of context, as opposed to the â€Å"unhappy souls inside† who formally prepare themselves for a kind of pre-packaged listening experience. Percy wonders which is better—a question meant for the reader’s pondering. But his essay offers his answer: we can only truly see or hear a piece of art by â€Å"the decay of those facilities which were designed to help the sightseer† (514). Perhaps Percy is right—it might have been better if my experience with Hamlet had been an accide... ...uch great heights to which I may leap, so many undiscovered territories awaiting my arrival. Works Cited Bloom, Harold. The Western Canon. Harcourt, 1994. â€Å"Borges, Jorge Luis; Joyce, James; Shakespeare, William.† Columbia Encyclopedia. 6th ed. 2000. Gould, Stephen Jay. â€Å"Women’s Brains.† Encounters: Essays for Exploration and Inquiry. 2nd ed. Ed. Pat C. Hoy II and Robert DiYanni. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2000. 305-10. Nietzsche, Friedrich. The Birth of Tragedy and Other Writings. Ed. Raymond Guess and Ronald Speirs. Trans. Ronald Speirs. New York: Cambridge UP, 1999. Percy, Walker. â€Å"The Loss of the Creature.† Ways of Reading. Ed. David Bartholomae and Anthony Petrosky. Boston:Bedford, 1996. Winterson, Jeanette. â€Å"The Semiotics of Sex.† Encounters: Essays for Exploration and Inquiry. 2nd ed. Ed. Pat C. Hoy II and Robert DiYanni. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2000. 642-51.

An Enemy Of The People :: essays research papers

An Enemy of the People An Enemy of the People, written by Henrik Ibsen was a play written to show his disgust for the in felt during a hostile reception given to him by the Norwegian public and critics to his earlier play, Ghosts. An Enemy of the People is a story about a doctor that discovered that the town he lives in, has become a cesspool. After discovering the town’s beloved bath, which is supposedly helps people get better and is the main reason the town has visitors from across the county come visit it, has become polluted with bacteria that is caused from the water pipes underground. This resulted in visitors going away from the town with Typhoid and other sicknesses. Dr. Stockmann, which is the discoverer of the pollution, tries to tell the townspeople that they need to fix the water pipes and bath. Facing a large amount of resistance from his brother the mayor, Hovstad the newspaper editor, and many of the townspeople. This results in Dr. Stockmann lashing out at the whole town for its ignorance and lies that this town is built on causing Dr. Stockmann to become an enemy of the people and being out-casted among his town that he loves. The purpose of this book was to show Ibsen’s content toward society in knowing the truth. This play was written in 1882 in Europe. At that time, Ibsen wanted to show the reality of things that are built on lies and for people to become more scientific in their studies rather than being religious wise. Ibsen was met with a handful of critics forcing him to become angered at society. An Enemy of the People does a good job showing society in Europe at that time when people weren’t that interested in technology and the truth. People didn’t care about having rights and allowed their superior to have the say in everything. This one quote which I found had much significance in the definition of this time period was from Mrs. Stockmann. â€Å"Dr. Stockmann: Yes, but I have right on mine!† â€Å"Mrs. Stockmann: Right! Yes, of course. But what’s the use of right without might?† This pointed to me that at this time period, yes, men were guaranteed rights, but the only men that can exercise those rights were the powerful men. Ibsen started off this play with everybody getting along. Dr. Stockmann was on the good side of Hovstad and the rest of the media of the town. Then, Ibsen slowly in the play, shows points of Dr.

La Belle Sans Merci: A Ballad

Keats belonged to the genre of the Romantics. He penned the poem ‘La Belle Sans Merci’ in the year 1819. Being a Nature poet, a tinge of pathos and the delightful re-creative power of Mother Nature weave through all his poems. John Keats seems to have experimented for the first time with the Ballad form of poem and this explains the reason of the Leigh Hunt, in 1819 to publish the poem with slight modifications (Friedlander, 2005), though the original seems to have an irresistible appeal to many readers.This essay shall retain the original version for the purpose of analyses, and try to explore the different dimensions of literary aspects like the ‘ballad’, alliterations, metaphors similes, characterizations; and finally, the beauty of the ballad which the poet has tried to paint. The Theme: Is about an unknown person, assumed to be the poet, meets a knight, who is almost in his death- bed.The pitiable condition of the knight who was â€Å"alone and palely loitering† (line 2) makes the poet wonder as to what may have made the knight to â€Å"ail† (line 1) so badly, that he looked â€Å"haggard and woebegone†, â€Å"pale† as a lily and the healthy â€Å"rose† (line 11) color in his cheeks fast fading. The knight then narrates his sad tale of pleasure and pain, as though in half dream to the poet. In the ‘Meadows† there, the Knight meets with an attractive young women†, whom he addresses as â€Å"Full beautiful – a faery's child, Her hair was long, her foot was light, (line14-16).To the reader, it seems as if the â€Å"Belle† with her â€Å"long hair and wild eyes† bewitches him; though she seems to reciprocate his fascination too, with her â€Å"looked at me as she did love, And made sweet moan† (lines 19-20). The knight seats her on top of his horse and walks by her side and they go to her â€Å"elfin grot† (line 29) – grotto, she sings and declares her love for him â€Å"sure in language strange she said – I love thee true† (line 27-28). His (the knight’s) desire for her is so complete and deep that he â€Å"kisses† her â€Å"wild eyes shut† even though he is unsure of her language and they put each other to sleep.The dream in the sleep seems to be a warning, to the knight. Though the knight elucidates his dream, he makes it clear that he longs for her; despite the premonition in his dreams, in which the likes of kings and princes warn him that she was an imposter of death, â€Å"They cried – ‘La Belle Dame sans Merci’ Hath thee in thrall! †(34-35). Furthermore, even in his dream the condition of the others who have been the victims of her wily responses, shock the knight. Indeed the Knight seems to wake from his dream only to find that his â€Å"Belle Dame† gone and she probably never was, a reality.A similar idea is portrayed by the poet in his poe m â€Å"Ode to a Nightingale† too, in the last two lines wherein the poet says Was it a vision or a waking dream? Fled is that music; – do I wake or sleep? (John Keats) Literary Analyses: The poetic form used here is the â€Å"Ballad† – is a small narrative poem, that sings of dramatic actions or legends of love, death, betrayal, courage or all the above, just as here it is the fatal love that the knight and all her predecessors felt for the unearthly woman.Two distinctive features of a ballad – the incremental repetition and stanza, mark this poem. ‘Incremental repetition’ is the occurrence of one or more lines again and again, with minor changes simultaneously advancing the story; ex. the first two line of this poem: â€Å"O WHAT can ail thee, knight-at-arms, Alone and palely loitering? † occur repeatedly in the second and the last stanzas, respectively. The ballad stanza is generally of four lines. The first alternate lines c ontain four accents, the second alternate – usually the second and fourth lines contain three accents.Keats being a Nature poet has utilized skillfully the art of rhyme and repetition, to impress upon the reader the mood and the darkness of the setting; for example in the second stanza, second line, the words â€Å"So haggard and so woe-begone? † and (line 17) in the fifth stanza, â€Å"a garland for her head,† etc. The musical quality of the ballad is enhanced by the fact that Keats deploys the similar rhyme-endings in the second alternate lines that is the second line and the last line.For example, in Stanza VI of the poem, the second and the last line rhyme thus: â€Å"And nothing else saw all day long, †¦.. A faery’s song† (lines 22-24). As regards the charaterization part of it, there are three principle characters in the poem; one is the poet or the anonymous speaker who during the course of his â€Å"sojourn†, comes to the place wherein he meets the knight who is quite restless. The poet’s wonderment at the once-active knight and his account of the lady or the â€Å"Belle Dame† is well documented.The second character is that of the knight himself and his narration starts form the fourth stanza onwards. His amazement at the sudden appearance of the woman, her eyes, her incomprehensible language, and his craving for the woman, despite the negative connotation of the dream all carry elements of an intrigue to the reader. The third character is the woman, and she is a sort of mythical. Keats seems to put a question mark in the minds of the reader with this subtle references to the ‘elf’’ and the â€Å"faery’s child† etc.And he loved her, kidded her, knowing fully well that there is a strange and undiscovered part in her. In fact, it seems as if the poet enjoys her unearthly trait, and also knowing that it was temporary. There is the inherent and subtle reference t o Nature in lines like these: â€Å"The squirrel’s granary is full, And the harvest’s done. I see a lily on thy brow, with anguish moist and fever dew† (lines 7-10). Here, the use of metaphor â€Å"lily on thy brow† is to be noted. The lily is always associated with paleness.In line 11, â€Å"And on thy cheeks a fading rose† fading rose stands for draining away of color from the cheeks. Conclusion: Keats has used various means effectively and skillfully to bring out the elements of mystery and beauty in this ballad. It is said that just before the creation of this poem Keats read Spencer’s account of Florimel, who is an enchantress that disappears (Friedlander, 2005). But, this elfin beauty is an unique creation Keats and bewitches the reader in a very different and alluring manner.

Anthropology

ANTH100 Assignment 1 Heather Hartwig American Military University October 21, 2012 Assignment 1 1) Discuss what evolution is in terms of physical anthropology. Evolution refers to â€Å"change over time†. In terms of physical anthropology, evolution is changes over time in living organisms. This means that living things have passed their traits from one generation to the next. There are very little changes that occur with each generation, but over time these changes accumulate in each living organism.It is believed that all life on Earth has common ancestry that lived more than 3. 5 billions of years ago (Park, 2008). 2) Define evolution. Evolution is defined as the idea or scientific theory that was proposed by Charles Darwin. Darwin believed that all species changed and evolved by natural selection from the same common ancestors. Evolution simply means that a species undergoes genetic change over time. Over many generations a species can evolve into something different. Thes e changes take place because of changes in DNA, which originated as mutations.Not all species evolve at the same rate. The theory of evolution does not prove that species will constantly evolve or how fast the species will change when it does (Park, 2008). 3) Discuss what a physical anthropologist may examine/investigate in order to study evolution. Paleoanthropology is a branch of paleontology that falls under physical anthropology. Paleoanthropologists study extinct primates and fossils. They use these examinations to further investigate the evolution of humans.They examine ancient humans, like the anthropoids. Anthropoids are considered humans closest relative and have been linked to human evolution (Coyne, 2009). 4) Discuss ‘how’ a physical anthropologist would study your answer for Q3 and why it is helpful for studying evolution. Paleoanthropologists are able to study evolution by examining fossils and ancient humans. They do this by investigating the fossil record and continue to make additions all the time. The first identifiable multicellular organism formed about 585 million years ago.The earliest fossil of the primate can go back before the extinction of the dinosaur over 65 million years ago. Bones and teeth were discovered in Montana and Wyoming (Park, 2008). Even though there was primate like evidence before the dinosaur extinction, (Shipman, 2012). 5) Find at least one outside source related to your answer for Q3 and Q4 (e. g. the genome project for DNA- do not use this example in your paper since it is provided for you). My outside source for questions 3 and 4 is a journal by Pat Shipman titled Fossils.This journal was published in The New Scientist Vol. 215, Issue 2876, p. 8-16. 6) Briefly describe the source and how is it helpful for examining/investigating evolution. It is a journal that discusses fossils of early life and evolution. It gives facts and information pertaining to the timelines, type and the formation of fossils. 7) Choose a second subfield of anthropology – cultural, linguistic, or archaeology. I chose Archaeology as my second subfield of anthropology. 8) Discuss how an anthropologist in this subfield would study evolution.Park defines archaeology as a subfield of anthropology that studies the past culture of humans and reconstructs the past cultural systems that existed. He goes on to say that they study cultures and people that are no longer living (Park, 2008). Archaeology reconstructs past cultural systems. Archaeology began as a method of identifying places and objects that were already known from historical records. It has become a very resourceful means of discovering new information not only about the historical period but also about years beyond the reach of written investigational facts.The purpose of archaeology is not only to recover ancient artifacts but to identify the relationship that these objects may have had with early human life. It also shows how early human primat es and modern humans are closely related. 9) Discuss what an anthropologist from your chosen subfield may examine/investigate in order to study evolution. Archaeologists have investigated fossils and remains of early humans and primates to show how human posture has changed over the years.The information that has been collected shows us a timeline of how much we have evolved since the discovery of the earliest human remains (Park, 2008). 10) Discuss ‘how’ an anthropologist from your chosen subfield would study your answer for Q9, and why it is helpful for studying evolution. Archaeologists have reconstructed human and primate remains that they have discovered to show how closely we are related to each other. They have used the information that they discovered to prove that humans have evolved from and can be compared to the primate species.Compared to earlier species, modern humans have evolved into a more upright species. Early humans were found to have a more curved p osture (Palmer, 2010). The archaeological information that is recorded proves that there is another explanation for our species other than what is believed by many. The Bible teaches that we were created by God. However, archaeologists make a strong case that contradicts what the Bible teaches. 11) Find at least one outside source related to your answer for Q9 and Q10. My source for questions 9 and 10 is Origins Human Evolution Revealed by Douglas Palmer. 2) Briefly describe the source and how is it helpful for examining/investigating evolutionThis book goes into detail on the story of the origins of the human species. It goes into detail about the journey of apes and humans. It compares and contrasts the differences as well as the similarities between early human species and the modern human species. 13) Discuss how the study of evolution between physical anthropology and your chosen subfield compare and contrast. Paleoanthropology and archaeology go hand in hand, because they both study fossils, extinct primates and the remains of early humans.They generally work together when investigating a site where artifacts have been discovered. The team work and information that is provided between paleoanthropology and archaeology gives us a better understanding of how humans have evolved into the modern species that we are today. 14) Conclude by discussing one new piece of information you learned about evolution. The one piece of information that I have learned about evolution is that I cannot solely base my understanding of how the human species became based off of my beliefs from the Bible.I understand now that scientific research has given factual information on how humans can and have evolved from ancient remains of primates and early humans. I will maintain that I believe that God did create us to an extent. However, I think that his creations have continued to evolve into the species that are here on earth today.References Palmer, Douglas. 2010. Origins human evolution revealed. Octopus Books, USA. New York, NY. Park, Michael A. 2008. Introducing anthropology an integrated approach. Fourth edition. McGraw-Hill. New York, NY. Shipman, Pat. 2012. Fossils. The new scientist. Vol. 215, Issue 2876, p. 8-16. Anthropology Anthropology is the scientific study of humans as social organisms and how they interact with each other in a social gathering or community set up. It entails the study of humans past, present and evolution of the cultural, physical stature, linguistic traits and archaeology. An anthropologist interest lies in comprehending human diversity and way of life in an explicit manner. The four main branches of anthropology which include biological, cultural, archaeology and linguistic clearly elaborate what it entails to be human (Lavenda-2013). Biological anthropology talks of how the evolution of humans is genetically influenced and not enhanced by the surroundings. Cultural anthropology is centered on the study of structural system of individuals sharing a common belief or norm. Linguistic anthropology majorly revolves round the psychology of speech, structure and function in humans. Lastly, archaeology is based on the systematic revealing of fossils through excavation, dating the fossils to determine the period of usage and analysis. Anthropology mainly seeks to familiarize the unfamiliar with proven facts and provide knowledge that deciphers facts from fiction.Cultural anthropology is a very enticing concept of anthropology because it does not only enable one to accept and appreciate cultural diversity but also develop globally conscious individuals. As mentioned earlier, this aspect of anthropology explicitly studies human cultures, belief, daily routine, values, ideas, technical economies and domains of social and cognitive organization (Lavenda-2010). There are two means by which an anthropologist can study culture due to its abstract nature; empiricist approach, whereby he mainly relies on observation of the human behavior in a particular community set-up and subjective approach in which the researcher understands the structure of ideas and meanings that exist in a member a certain culture. The primitive perception that I personally had about humanity has been scraped off as a result of the in-depth study of cultural anthropology. Individuals and communities were initially characterized by their social, economical and political factors within their localities. Evolutionism has showed a conceptual comprise due to the easy interaction of individuals as a result of the modern evolution of technology that has made every corner of the world accessible to any person. The level of interactions between individuals from a similar ecology niche has almost become non-existence due to the replacement with television programs, movies and social electronic devices. Despite this, the social interaction circle has grown larger as a result of technology which enables an individual interact with more people different from parts of the world over a short period of time. This study has personally helped me get over the notion that Muslims are associated with terrorism. I initially felt fear when I was in an environment filled with Muslims; well, not Muslims alone but any individual wearing a veil. This mostly applied to Muslim women that wear the veils covering up their faces, leaving out the eyes. I can attribute this fear from to the society I grew in; I was used to my Christian community before I came to campus. The laws and beliefs we had were so strict that we feared other dominions, this seclusion was driven into us by the clergy; to make us believe that people that had different beliefs and practices were potential risks and could harm us at any time. The primitive notion that was instilled in me always had a bearing to this question; if they are good people, why do they find it relevant to cover their faces that much? The definite answer was that they had something to hide; not only secrets but sinister motives. Religious profiling and the threats that came to our country and get aired on national television also cultivated the fear in me. It would have never reached this point if my parents would not have been reacting to the issue with so much disgust as they used to do. My elementary and high school environments were more or less the same because all my schooling up to university level were based in the same strictly Christian district. There were some primitive practices we used to do that I now see them to have been very hurting if not shameful to the face of evolution and humanity at large; there was no shaking of hands or exchanging pleasantries with non-Christians, no accepting gifts from them and worst still, avoid all conversations. I can't imagine that I would literally snob them! I must admit that I had a tough time adjusting to the campus environment. I was always tensed in my first semesters when a non Christian would sit next t me. I remember a particular case when I came to a lecture late and found all seats occupied except one; next to Sikh, I literally missed that 2 hour lecture and had to struggle with my continuous assessment test. It is during that course that I made a turning point and my point was later boosted when I got to learn about anthropology. The struggle I had in my first continuous assessment test was the same one I had in the second. Ironically, the Sikh boy who I was evading was the same one that noticed my problem and came to help. At first I was adamant but with lack of options I thought; why not give it a try. I must admit that that is the sweetest memory I hold dear and use it to enlighten my rural folk later on. With that act of compassion I learnt that religion does or dress code does not define someone's character. Study of anthropology has helped know the value that I hold about my culture and the justifications I give to the are the same ones that any other person would give in support to their religion and culture. It also taught me that judging or profiling others because f ethnicity and background is a heinous notion; if everyone was to discriminate then the world would be an unbearable place to stay. All we could be witnessing are endless fights and ultimate wars. Cultural anthropology thus, aims at enabling the native of a particular culture objectively and rationally understands their own culture to deduce what makes them stand out from the other cultural groups hence upholding the aspect of self acceptance. Besides, it enables one apply the knowledge gained from familiarizing with different cultures to alleviate human challenges and misconceptions rather than causing ethnic conflicts. The collective study of different cultures enables scholars to identify the similarities and unique aspect of various cultures, hence embracing diversity.References:Robert H LavendaCore concept in cultural anthropologyRobert H LavendaAnthropology: What does it mean to be human? Anthropology â€Å"From ruttier to rummies: A Contribution toward the Ethnography of Peeling. † In Cultural Anthropology: A Sampler. Up. :19-22. 2. Elliot Rolling objectives for the article were to observe male urinating behaviors In public restrooms. I believe he did meet his objectives because he was able to observe them Pee. 3. As stated before, the method that Rings used to research his topic was to observe males urinate. I feel Like watching people pee could make people uncomfortable, mad, or actually elate their privacy.Although, the only way to actually understand the culture behind males urinating is to actually observe their behaviors so I think that his method was inappropriate but necessary. 4. The author's findings started off not in the bathroom, but actually led up to why a male goes into the bathroom. While in a social group, one must withdraw themselves from the group by some sort of excuse or statement like saying, â€Å"l have to go to the bathroom. † He further di scusses that bathrooms could also be used as a social setting.For example, in high school hanging UT in the hall ways was not allowed, yet if students met up in the bathrooms, they could hangout and talk without the disturbance of a teacher. Going on, he discovers that â€Å"peeing is the activity primarily intended by†¦ Males†. He discovers that men prefer to have there own personal space of one urinal to the left and right. This becomes violated when one another know each other. Another key fact that Rings realizes is that during the act of peeing, one must look forward and keep they're eyes to themselves.If one was to look at another man, this might â€Å"invite the suspicion of nonsexual interest. † Also, he notices the â€Å"shaking of the penis† to get the last drops out, even though no matter how much shaking you do, when you finish up and walk out the bathroom, the last drops of pee come out and onto your pants. He concludes that Americans value thr ee things: privacy, masculinity, and cool. And infers that â€Å"elimination patters are intimately linked with a cultures system of values. † 5. I think that the significance of the work is trying to understand how people learn the etiquette of using the bathroom without formally being taught.In class we learned bout ethnography, which is the description of a culture through an observer. In the article, a man was observing males Pee. 6. I evaluate this work as an Interesting topic because many people would not think twice about the fact that there was so much that went Into public etiquette. If I were conducting this experiment I would have test subject stand at certain urinals and see which urinals random strangers would consistently use to get better and accurate Information. Anthropology By agrarian 2 October 2013 1. Orrin Elliot 1975 â€Å"From Ruttier to Rummies: A Contribution toward the Ethnography of Peeing.In Cultural Anthropology: A Sampler. Up. Elliot Rings objec tives for the article were to observe male urinating behaviors in public restrooms. I believe he did feel like watching people pee could make people uncomfortable, mad, or actually realizes is that during the act of peeing, one must look forward and keep they're eyes article, a man was observing males Pee. 6. I evaluate this work as an interesting topic that went into public etiquette. If I were conducting this experiment I would have test consistently use to get better and accurate information.

The Role of Christianity in the Restoration and Remaking of State Power

The last centuries of the Roman Empire was marked with chaos and bloodshed. Rival claimants to the imperial throne constantly waged war with one another, disrupting all aspects of Roman life in the process. Barbaric tribes from neighboring regions took advantage of this situation by invading the countryside, stealing crops and livestock, burning entire towns to the ground and killing or enslaving Roman peasants. In the cities, ambitious praetorians and senators often led rebellions, paralyzing economic activity as a result. The tragic end of the Roman Empire eroded confidence in human reason and shattered the hope of attaining happiness in this world. Desperate, impoverished and fearful for their lives, people during this period were searching for an escape from the oppression that they were experiencing. This need, in turn, prompted the evolution and expansion of Christianity. Christianity’s otherworldliness and promise of personal immortality gave a spiritually disillusioned Greco-Roman world a reason to continue living. Furthermore, the triumph of Christianity in the Greco-Roman world marked the end of classical antiquity and the beginning of the medieval period (Perry, Chase, Jacob, Jacob, Von Laue 171). A Palestinian Jew named Jesus Christ (4 BC-29 AD) was the founder of Christianity. Prior to his ministry, most Palestinian Jews were followers of Judaism, a religion that was based on Mosaic Law (Torah). Apart from religious rituals, Judaism was also composed of many laws that governed daily life. Christ himself was taught Jewish religious-ethical thought in his formative years (Perry, Chase, Jacob, Jacob, Von Laue 174). Christ, however, was distressed over the manner in which Jewish leaders implemented the teachings of Judaism. He felt that their focus â€Å"shifted from prophetic values to obedience to rules and prohibitions regulating the smallest details of daily life† (Perry, Chase, Jacob, Jacob, Von Laue 174). For Christ, detailed regulations governing everyday activities dealt only with a person’s visible behavior but not with his or her inner being. Such a superficial manner of enforcing Jewish law produced individuals who mechanically followed rules and prohibitions but whose hearts remained impure (Perry, Chase, Jacob, Jacob, Von Laue 174). He believed that true morality meant doing away with vices such as fornication, adultery, murder and avarice. The Jewish scribes and priests, as a result, viewed Christ as a threat to ancient traditions and to their authority over the Jews. The Romans, meanwhile, regarded him as a political agitator who would incite a rebellion against Rome (Perry, Chase, Jacob, Jacob, Von Laue 175). Jewish leaders therefore had him arrested for high treason and turned him over to Pontius Pilate, who sentenced him to death by crucifixion. But Christ underwent resurrection three days after his demise and later ascended into heaven. His followers then traveled to various parts of the world in order to spread his teachings. The early years of Christianity were not easy for its followers. Christians during the Roman Empire, for instance, were brutally persecuted because they were seen as â€Å"subversives (who) preached allegiance to God and not to Rome† (Perry, Chase, Jacob, Jacob, Von Laue 180). They were imprisoned, beaten, starved, burned alive, crucified and torn apart by wild animals in the arena for the amusement of the Roman public (Perry, Chase, Jacob, Jacob, Von Laue 181). In order to escape harassment, Christians clandestinely met and held worship services in venues such as catacombs. But Christianity’s aforementioned situation was reversed with the fall of the Roman Empire. The appeal of Christianity was based mainly on the common knowledge that religion is more capable of stirring human hearts than reason. The Roman Empire’s staunch belief in science and philosophy did not save it from total destruction. Neither was it able to provide comforting solutions to the existential problems of life and death (Perry, Chase, Jacob, Jacob, Von Laue 178). Christianity, in sharp contrast, gave the assurance that all earthly torments were â€Å"the will of God† – God made human beings undergo suffering in order to test their faithfulness to him. As Christianity became increasingly popular among the Romans, emperors realized that crushing the religion through persecution was already futile. They instead decided to obtain the support of the empire’s Christian population. Constantine, for instance, issued in 313 AD the Edict of Milan – a law that granted toleration to Christians. This directive was followed by other legislations which was favorable to the church – Theodosius I had made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire and outlawed the worship of pagan gods by 392 AD (Perry, Chase, Jacob, Jacob, Von Laue 181). It would be fair to say that these laws transformed Christianity into an apparatus for the restoration and remaking of state power. Fanatic clergy took advantage of their newly-empowered status by persuading Roman emperors to issue decrees that persecuted pagans, Jews and Christians with unorthodox views. Consequently, many followers of pagan cults were fined, imprisoned, tortured and executed. In addition, Christian mobs burned non-Christian writings, destroyed pagan altars and sacred images and squelched pagan rites and festivals (Perry, Chase, Jacob, Jacob, Von Laue 181). In the process, the Roman Empire was slowly being replaced with a theocracy – Roman emperors were reduced to puppets that the Christian clergy controlled at the strings. Christianity further gained political clout when it started amassing material wealth. Many wealthy Christians died leaving almost all of their fortune to the church. Some Christian leaders in the 4th century were therefore able to build monasteries or communities of people committed to prayer and asceticism (Hastings 43). Monasteries played a crucial role in the spread of Christianity – they served as training grounds for missionaries. Monasteries were likewise vital to social and economic development, as they established schools and libraries and served as landlords and organizers of economic wealth (McManners 119). The Christian Church, through the monasteries, amassed so much wealth in donated lands, money and priceless church furnishings. Thus, the Christian Church eventually became richer and more powerful than most lay monarchies. The pope, previously a spiritual leader alone, also became a temporal power in the process (Bausch, Cannon and Obach 120). By the 9th century, the Christian Church was already powerful enough to establish its own empire – Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne as emperor of the Holy Roman Empire in 800 (MSN Encarta n. pag. ). The Middle Ages was characterized with constant power struggles between the pope and the monarchs. In 1075, for instance, Pope Gregory VII and Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV fought over the right of the sovereign to appoint bishops in his realm (lay investiture). Henry refused to acknowledge Gregory’s papacy, while the pope excommunicated the emperor. Lay investiture is said to be the most persistent source of clashes between the Christian Church and the nobility – bishops and abbots refused to have the king exercise control over their lands and other wealth. But it was necessary for the king to do it in order to assert his authority over his secular nobility (MSN Encarta n. pag. ). The Crusades was one of the rare instances wherein the monarchy and the Christian Church joined forces. The Muslim conquest of Jerusalem spawned meant that the sacred places associated with the life of Christ would fall into the hands of a non-Christian power. West European Christians therefore launched the Crusades, a series of wars from 1095 to 1204 that were intended to recapture Jerusalem from Muslim rule. But the Crusades proved to be a failure – Jerusalem returned to Islamic rule a century after the Fourth Crusade of 1202-1204 (MSN Encarta n. pag. ). After the Crusades, the Christian Church was plagued with even more problems. Moral laxity and financial corruption were very rampant (MSN Encarta n. pag. ). The clergy lived luxuriously, while ordinary people starved. Another anomaly that took place within the Christian Church was the selling of indulgences. Priests would sell people relics (hair or bones of saints) at very expensive prices. They would convince people into buying by claiming that possessing relics would immediately take them to Heaven upon their death. Some priests and religious leaders openly criticized the aforementioned irregularities in the Christian Church, a phenomenon which was later known as the Reformation. On October 31, 1517, German theologian Martin Luther published the Ninety-five Theses, a criticism on the selling of indulgences in order to raise funds for the construction of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. His excommunication by Pope Leo X led to the formation of Protestantism. Others, such as Huldreich Zwingli and John Calvin, soon came up with their own Protestant sects (MSN Encarta n. pag. ). The emergence of Protestantism prompted the Catholic Church to stage the Counterreformation in the 16th and 17th centuries. The Council of Trent (1545-1563), for one, clarified controversial doctrines and established guidelines on liturgy, church administration and education. The Catholic Church likewise came up with the Index of Forbidden Books and a new Inquisition. Missionaries were then sent to the Far East and North and South America in order to draw more converts to Roman Catholicism (MSN Encarta n. pag. ). Christianity’s otherworldliness and promise of personal immortality made it appear as a suitable alternative to the chaotic Roman Empire. As a result, people wholeheartedly supported the Christian Church. Apart from being faithful followers, they invested time and resources on the religion. The Christian Church, in the process, became even more powerful than secular nobility. But if power corrupts, then absolute power corrupts absolutely. Later Catholic leaders became morally decadent and corrupt. Consequently, concerned parties from the clergy established Protestantism. It is indeed very ironic that Christianity, once regarded as an alternative to a corrupt status quo, ended up being a corrupt institution itself.

The Role of Higher Education Institutions in Promoting Sustainable Development

The Role of Higher Education Institutions in Promoting Sustainable Development To care about sustainable development means to accept responsibility for the well-being of future generations and also of our habitat, of our planet. An affirmative attitude towards sustainability has to be an integral part of the moral foundation of our activities and of our lifestyle. This means that promoting sustainable development must be an important aspect of the educational agenda at all levels. It starts in kindergarten and it goes all the way to the university level and beyond.It basically involves three aspects: the buildup and reinforcement of a basic understanding of the problem of sustainability, an inspection of all aspects of our life under the criterion of sustainability and finally an active search for new methods and techniques to further sustainable development. In all of this, Higher Education Institutions play a crucial role. Clearly, the research agenda should be influenced – but not dictated – by striving for sustainability with the goal of inventing new methods to deal with all the big problems such as climate change, pollution, energy, hunger, infectious diseases, biodiversity, etc.Systematically thinking about justice and ethics, peace and good governance, not only about ecology, but also about economy might contribute in a substantial way to the establishment of a sustainable way of life. But the most important contribution is in education offered by institutions. Whatever particular subject is being taught, the question whether and how it may influence development towards sustainability must always be asked and discussed. Of course there are contexts in which it is difficult to make this connection, but they are much less frequent then one would expect.Should sustainability also be considered as a topic all by itself and be taught and discussed in special courses? The answer is a clear yes. Nowadays as we are moving towards thematic and prob lem-focused teaching and research, sustainability is a wonderful topic to bring together many different disciplines. Higher Education Institutions not only have to teach their own students, they have to explain the relevant problems to politicians and to industrial leaders as much as to a wider public.Here it is particularly important to show how to differentiate between scientific questions and results on the one hand and moral, ethical or ideological aspects on the other hand. But having said all this, we come to a point that often does not get the necessary attention. As Higher Education Institutions are to a large extent responsible for the training of teachers at the primary and secondary level, they are ultimately responsible for the development of new methods and new approaches to explaining sustainability to everybody, from pre-schoolers all the way to adults.It has to be said that quite a few impressive and successful steps in this direction have been taken, but nobody woul d doubt that much remains to be done. And much remains to be done in all domains of human life before we can claim to be fully on the path towards sustainability. The role of the educational institutions of the Ministry of Education and the school and the teacher is the cornerstone of the basic structure of the society through which we can build generations of intellectually and culturally sound and get rid of all nodes eternal.Teacher In addition to his sacred message of education must be to have another message, a rumor the spirit of democracy to achieve the goals of great importance remain stuck in the memory of the students also attached atoms dew flowers, Should the teacher change real to the imagination of the students towards a glimmer of hope to feel a moment of transparent wishlist using the method of modern education and the teacher to develop itself before it develops the disciples so that he could promote the reality Learning the right direction and uses all his efforts to highlight the humanity to dissolve all differences and to regulate its relations with his disciples to feel safe When listening to him and to have confidence when talking to him In the belief that the ideas addressed to reflect the expression of innovative ideas proposed by them.There is nothing ambiguous and overlapping between education and democracy and we need to find appropriate solutions Giving high doses of education without democracy, and vice versa will be has bad effects, we must make the themes pour in the course of a single coordinated harmonious hear the music fresh, comfortable with the human soul, the teacher make it clear that the surface in method of education and ideas and come in contact with a creative way what is going on in the interior of his disciples, and ideas and fluctuations Ituaha towards a formula amorphous deep knowledge of a democratic approach. From here stems the need to educate the community and then spread the spirit of democracy the existence of education has three objectives with one another, culture is to teach the individual how to accommodate education and receive the views of others, if you know the individual to listen properly to the ideas and proposals of others away from violence and acrimony in the debate and put forward his ideas with a structured format meaningful in this case we say that we have learned the first point of democracy.I must point out an important issue combines a teacher with the students a language to talk, he should attract voices of students and inspire the spirit to talk as he did (Algoskhoun) previously when lists his story, and try to deal with mental disorders among students in order to be able to express their opinions and not obscure desires and cultural needs and intellectual property that arise as a result of psychological factors stemming from within the family because of persecution and oppression of the FPL father and mother to the children, which generates feature sometimes turn to aggressive as a result of subjugation and repression of feelings and desires and can not be of educational institutions to contribute effectively to the success of the moral and intellectual isolation from family and occurs within it should unite the family's role with the role of school to become a cultural phenomenon in which we can achieve democracy in education. Teacher's role in this stage is very difficult because he needs to make another Maimlk of energy and effort to shift gradually towards the case creative students in order to harvest after years of effort, tired and needs to dissolve the differences among students by teaching them self belief of human value high and making the community and decryption problem between the attempt to access the ability to self-expression and social balance and what is created by the individual relationships between members of a sterile society in which they live.Hence the urgent need for the teacher is the first example to his disciples through the treated teachers with each other in a democratic manner the existence of the spirit of cooperation, tolerance and respect the spirit of constructive criticism, among them as can not talk about democracy in the absence of activating and harmony and the small capacity of teaching staff for the purpose of spreading the democratic life of the school . Democratic society in Iraq has a special form due to the circumstances presented by the society such as war and disasters that befell the families of Iraq (forced displacement and non-regulated) and sectarian killings created a lot of orphans who are left to attend school because of material need as a result of the absence of the father of all these things left a lot of Difficulties in the path of democracy, this issue requires upport from government agencies and civil society organizations and the family and the humanitarian organizations and human rights body in order to keep our feet on the first step and most difficult of the state of enhancing the concepts of real democracy, such as material and moral support and a lot of seminars, lectures and use of television, newspapers and magazines to educate society and the exploitation of some of the lessons received by students such as study of art education to output Doakhlhm by drawing on paper to be the case visible, listening to music to overcome cases of depression are enshrined within the hearts, extract the vital activity of exercise to use it in a creative state allowance to use on the differences which occur between the students and lead to hostile situations. Try to change the curriculum and not to impose curricula dry, but must keep up with updating curricula in line with progress in the world.Process subject to human beings and its ability to absorb the vocabulary of democracy and the provision of all supplies of intellectual success in order to create a generation democratic intellectuals keep pace with the rapid changes and act Petkaviip high based on social justice and respect for the law to reach the goals of a great void of class differences and nepotism, conflicts and hatred, social and all that calls for the demolition does not Building and creating an informed community can navigate life towards true equality and compensation for all of society at large without the use of random democracy which do correspond to reality, but we have to use mental intellectual honest and sophisticated approach to generation of creative art, commensurate with the culture of the world.

Thomas Edison Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Thomas Edison - Essay Example Edison started schooling, however, he was not a good student at all. In fact, his teachers complained about his slow learning. Edison’s mother was so upset that she decided to teach Edison at home and hence that was the end of Edison’s school life. However, Edison was a very inquisitive child who wanted to know almost everything. His young mind was always full of awe, fascination, and questions. His mother taught him to quench his own thirst for knowledge with the help of books and Edison followed her advice and started reading voraciously to seek answers to his questions. It was at this early age that he set up his lab and started experimenting by referring to books that he read (Edison Papers). In fact, this period of Edison’s life has a great deal to offer. Today, we rely so much on school and educational institutions to become educated however Edison through his life shows us that what schools give us is nothing but a â€Å"degree† or a â€Å"report c ard† but schools are not the measure of what our minds are capable of. In spite of being exempted from formal education, Edison was determined to learn and understand. Simply attending school or giving exams cannot make us intelligent, they are nothing but mere supports.If an individual is determined to learn and seek knowledge and succeed in life, he need not depend on degrees and exams to make him eligible to do so. Determination and passion are enough for success.Edison’s life had not been a smooth run at all, especially during his growing years.