Friday, January 24, 2020

Essay --

Plato: Republic: By Allan Bloom In the Plato’s Republic mainly discuses the idea of what justice is. The answer to this question has a variety of answers according to the Republic, which makes it very interesting. Throughout this book, you will be driven in many directions of what justice is. Some may the answer is to primarily is doing the right thing. The main issue comes from about is whether to try and be just at the expense of staying poor, or lie, or even use the very unjust means to get what one wants in life. The main point of the book is a man who tries to be very just, may spend life wandering in the streets in search for money, while the man who lies to get their way, will be rich. This essay looks at the Thrasymachus’s concept of and the Socrates’s concept of justice. The essay also looks at the author thinks that the unjust man will be happier that the just man. It explores the reasons why the concepts are right or wrong. In book one, Thrasymachus definition of justice is, â€Å"the advantage of the stronger† (341d). His view on justice that justice always gives more authority and rule to people who are already in power. The argument that Thrasymachus makes is difficult to understand. His statement may make one believe that the people who are being ruled are considered to act right when their actions are going towards benefiting the rulers. You can also make an interpretation that the ruling class acts fairly by doing things that will benefit them. The confusion comes because Thrasymachus expresses his belief that, when the ruling classes do things that is geared towards benefiting them, they are acting unfairly. In his quote he says â€Å"advantage to the stronger†, which means Thrasymachus is arguing the concerns of justice... ...ons of the people. Socrates brings out the argument that the leaders do whatever they do for the interests of the people. The leaders are stronger than the citizens, the leaders should consider the people as their bosses and work for them. This explains why Socrates accepts that everything the leaders say or do. They do things with the interests of the others. As Socrates argues, leaders are not in power to benefit them. They are in power to serve the interests of the people who put them to those positions. In conclusion, the concept of justice defined by Thrasymachus and Socrates has opposing views. Thrasymachus views justice as making one unhappy. He says that lying and stealing is a way out. On the contrary, Socrates brings out justice as a pure of the soul. Socrates reflects the wishes of the society while Thrasymachus reflects a society that has rotten values.

Wednesday, January 15, 2020

Powerplay in Texts – Antony and Cleopatra (Shakespeare), Gladiator (Ridley Scott) & the Statue of Liberty (Warren Brown)

Power is conditional; it’s a measure of one individual’s ability to control the environment around itself, including the behaviour of other entities through manipulation and exploitation. The application of power, whether this be physical or sexual, individual or political, private or public, replicates one’s ability to control, command and influence others. Ultimately, an entity with power is permitted to employ this for the benefit of others, or unfortunately to their detriment. Power is transient therefore, gains or losses in power can significantly impact on an individual’s human experience. Three texts permeated by power struggles include Shakespeare’s catastrophic play Antony and Cleopatra, Ridley Scott’s film ‘Gladiator’ (2000), and Warren Brown’s political cartoon ‘The Statue of Liberty’. Each composer employs a variety of literary and visual techniques including dialogue, symbolism, sound (both diegetic and non-diegetic), mise-en-scene, irony, soliloquy and emotive language, to explore the transformative effect of power on the human experience. These powerplays are extremely persuasive, and thus we are convinced to embrace the perspectives offered in these texts. The major powers examined in the three texts are political, militaristic and sexual. Antony and Cleopatra is a disastrous play that illustrates a chronicle of two leaders from two very different worlds who fall profoundly in love with each other and their endeavor to sustain their relationship against the Roman Empire, however, it ends tragically with their suicides. Antony grapples with the conflict between his love for Cleopatra and his duties to the Roman Empire; the geographical poles that draw him in opposite directions represent deep-seated conflicts between his reason and emotion, his sense of duty and his desire, his obligations to the state and his private needs. Soliloquies are used throughout the play as a means of aiding the audience to understand the subconscious thoughts of the characters. In Act IV, scene 12, Antony states to himself â€Å"O sun, thy uprise shall I see no more†, foreshadowing his own death. Various persuasive forms of power are displayed in this play convincing us to embrace perspectives offered in this text; those forms of power being political, sexual and militaristic. Before Antony met Cleopatra, he held military and political power so great, even his lieutenants were afraid to out preform him, â€Å"But ‘twould offend him, and his offence†¦Should my performance perish. † Antony’s affair with Cleopatra makes him disregard his responsibilities where the sexual power present allows for passion to overtake his reasonable judgement. Antony knew this in his use of fertility and sexual imagery in the metaphor â€Å"These strong Egyptian fetters I must break, or lose myself in dotage. † Sympathy for Antony was formed through his personal conflict between love and duty, thus weakening Antony’s control over himself and his known loss of power. Antony blames himself for the wrong decision â€Å"My very hairs do mutiny, for the white†¦reprove the brown for rashness† Here hair is used as a metaphor for age, and Antony hasn’t acted as a man with â€Å"white† hair should which is with maturity, instead acting on impulse, brown hair symbolising a younger man. We see the enchanting sexual power of Cleopatra when Enobarbus’ explains to Agrippa â€Å"From the barge, a strange invisible perfume hits the senses†, personifying the sexual power held by Cleopatra, not only over Antony, but the radiating power she holds over all who cross paths with her. â€Å"Mardian, go tell him I have slain myself. † This order delivered by Cleopatra herself is the order, which ultimately, brings Antony to kill himself illustrating Cleopatra’s manipulative power over him. When she learns that she’s being taken to Rome, it produces a fear of humiliation for her; accordingly, she ends her life. Caesars’ use of Antony’s own surrendered men in the front battle line creates a psychological advantage over Antony by bringing emotion onto the field, â€Å"Plant those who have revolted in the van†¦that Antony may seem to spend his fury†¦upon himself†. The emotive language manipulates the situation by making Antony feel he is fighting himself when fighting his deserted soldiers through metaphrasing them as himself. The suicide of both Antony and Cleopatra takes away from Octavius because they become tragic lovers who would always be remembered, â€Å"Our army shall†¦in solemn show attend this funeral†¦and then to Rome†¦see†¦high order in this great solemnity. † Irony is used when Caesar parades both Antony and Cleopatra to maximise his gain in power but instead makes the best political move giving them a great ceremony. The varied force of power is extremely persuasive. Throughout the entire play the effects of Powerplay direct the vents of the characters lives and create and destroy relationships between all characters involved, persuading us to embrace these perspectives concerning the significance of power in the human experience. Similarly, Scott’s film Gladiator, Maximus (Russell Crowe), the Roman general turned Gladiator and Commodus, the son of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius manipulates others to gain power in order to fulfill their desires. The dominant po werplays in this text and political and militaristic, and due to the perspectives offered on the significance of power in the human experience, we are persuaded to embrace these perspectives. Maximus is portrayed as a powerful character by Scott through the use of mise-en-scene, in particular Maximus’ costumes, that being of an Upper Class Roman General and props (ie – his Imperial Sword), and the fact that when we see Maximus fighting, whether it be at the beginning of the film with the Barbarians or near to the end in the arena, we see him through a low-angled camera shot, exemplifying his fighting power and knowledge over his enemies. Maximus’ image of power is gained, lost, and then later re-gained through the duration of the film, despite the capturing of this power ultimately leads to his death. Correspondingly, we are persuaded to embrace these perspectives about the significance of power in the human experience in Warren Brown’s political cartoon ‘The Statue of Liberty’. This text uses a number of techniques to convey its political power play perspective including contrast of size between the two personas. It is a widely shared notion that power is associated with size; the greater the size the greater the level of power. Yet, this cartoon chooses to test this and illustrate the idea that Osama holds power over the Statue of Liberty. This is both ironic and a contrast of size. Although America, represented as the Statue, has been damaged to various terrorist attacks, it still aims to protect itself, just as Maximus aimed to protect Rome at all costs, even after he had been captured and sold as a slave and gladiator. The fact that Osama is not present within this frame suggests that he holds power of the statue. The political perspectives offered in this text are persuasive, thus convincing us of the significance of power in the human experience.

Tuesday, January 7, 2020

The Palmer Shootings During The 1920s - 819 Words

The Palmer Raids In the 1920s, thousands of suspected radicals in thirty-three cities were arrested and charged with anarchy without evidence. The cause for their imprisonment happened to be an effect from the Palmer Raids. Numerous Americans felt the Palmer Raids were in relation to past disasters such as: the Red Scare, May Day, and the Bolshevik Revolution. In June 1919, several cities were bombed. Including the home of Attorney General of the United States, A. Mitchell Palmer. The raids were conducted in the following cities: Cleveland, Denver, Des Moines, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Hartford, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Louisville, Milwaukee, Newark, Omaha, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Portland (Mass.), Syracuse, Toledo, and Trenton. Many believed the cause of the raids were because of the â€Å"Reds† (communist) tried to take over our government. â€Å"On December 31, 1919, Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer stated: Any movement, however cloaked or dissembled, designed to undermine the government will be met with unflinching, persistent, aggressive warfare† (Cayton 1). The consequences Palmer promised surely were met. Thousands of suspects were charged with anarchy and most suspects happened to have been born overseas. Therefore, 2,635 aliens risked being deported because of possible false accusa tion. ‘â€Å"The object of the raids,’ Asst. General Garvan said,’ was to obtain for submission to the Department of Labor cases for deportation of a very largeShow MoreRelatedStudy Guide1605 Words   |  7 PagesTop of Form Question 1 (Worth 5 points) Which of the following was evidence to support Vanzettis innocence during the Braintree robbery and double murder trial? No witness claimed to see Vanzetti during the shooting. Witnesses placed Vanzetti elsewhere during the crime. Vanzetti feared for his safety and that of his friends. Vanzettis gun had not been used in the shooting. 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