...Philosophical Genius: From start to finish 2 Originally named Aristocles, “Plato was born at a time of warfare and upheaval,” (Russo, Michael) in Athens. His father, Ariston, died when Plato was a young child. But descended from a line of kings of Athens. Plato’s mother, Pericitone, remarried to Pyrilampes but came from a similar line of royalty. Plato gained the nickname Platon as a young boy from his wrestling coach. The nickname means broad because of his broad body structure. He died at the age of eighty-one. On the evening of his death he had a Thracian girl play the flute to him. Plato died in his bed and, did not drink hemlock; which he was ordered to do by to the laws of the democracy. Hemlock was a poisonous plant in which a killing potion was made from. “He decided not to drink the potion to ensure he dead was just like Socrates’.” (Schall James, Summer 1996) So, Plato’s dead was categorized as by natural cause. Although, Plato died with someone by his bedside he never had a wife or even children. “He was almost certainly gay (as many Athenians were of his day), since he wrote about the idea that love between men is superior to love between a man and woman. “ (Sanderson Beck, 2006) Many men of this time and empire had wives and male lovers so it was not considered uncommon. Plato resided in the Greek civilization; which were made up of independent states called Polis...
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...Same Sex Marriage and Religion In the 21st century, the controversial debates about the LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender) community and their rights are becoming more and more common in the media. Over millennia, same sex relationships have transformed from a socially accepted way of living in ancient times, to a social taboo with the birth of Christianity, and finally into a widely accepted way of living in the 21st century. Most sources of media, especially television shows have embraced this evolution and have become supporters of the LGBT community, these shows include some of the most popular series around the world such as Glee, Pretty Little Liars, Doctor Who, Grey’s Anatomy, and many more. Furthermore, many influential people are part of or advocates for the LGBT community. For instance, Madonna, Janet Jackson, Christina Aguilera, Ellen DeGeneres and many more. Today I will talk about the history of LGBT rights and evaluate the supporting arguments and opposing arguments of this topic in today’s society by assessing a host of different media sources, including newspaper articles, magazine articles, and documentaries. First of all, I will present the history of LGBT rights and assess to what extent society has changed its views and ideas on this subject. The first evidence found on same sex couples were found in Egyptian hieroglyphics and old Mesopotamian records which demonstrated same sex relationships were accepted in their community. (Eskridge) Although this...
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...1b) to what extent are things only good because God commands them? (10) To find out the extent to which things are only good because of God commanding them you would first have to decide whether an action or thing becomes good because of God commanding it or if it is good before. Other questions which should be examined include whether the things God has commanded you to do are actually ‘good’ and if the things God has said are wrong and immoral really are. Personally I believe that many things can be good even if God has not declared it to be so and this point has become increasingly obvious throughout time; one of the most renowned and obviously ridiculous examples of things that God has informed us is not ‘good’ is homosexuality. In my opinion this is the best example of why the answer to our question is a ‘very small extent’; God, Christianity and many other religions are absolutely against homosexuality with no exceptions at all taking a strictly deontological view on the matter. Despite the act you would think, not hurting anyone Leviticus 18:22 clearly states that this is an abomination and those who practice homosexuality should be put to death, yet the entire religion of Christianity is based upon love, love of oneself, love of your neighbour, and most importantly love of God. But why should the love of another man be considered evil? God has clearly commanded that humans should not be gay and that the act is wrong, evil, and most poignantly not ‘good’ but then sets...
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...Decline of Democracy in America The founding fathers didn’t create a democracy because they thought it would work perfectly. They didn’t give people the right to vote so that everyone would find true happiness. They knew better than to create a utopia where everyone had their own white picket fence, went to church on Sunday and lead lives as model citizens. They understood that toes would get stepped on, feelings would get hurt and sacrifices would happen. The founding fathers didn’t start a revolution to make people happy, they started a revolution because they believed in the idea that everyone had the right to equality. They founded America on the belief that hard work will lead to prosperity in the land of opportunity. All the ideas we associate with America: capitalism, the free market, education, elections, these all came about because people wanted to have power over where their life took them. Being able to make decisions in your own interest: the founding fathers based America on that principal, and they structured the government so it would protect those interests. Today, this is not the case. Although it may appear that America has come a long way since the civil and women’s rights movement, increasing inequality and discrimination in the 21st century has created a democracy that no longer represents the interests of its constituents but its ruling elite. Despite people’s preconceptions that our society represents...
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...Plato and Play Taking Education Seriously in Ancient Greece Armand D’Angour In this article, the author outlines Plato’s notions of play in ancient Greek culture and shows how the philosopher’s views on play can be best appreciated against the background of shifting meanings and evaluations of play in classical Greece. Play—in various forms such as word play, ritual, and music—proved central to the development of Hellenic culture. In ancient Greece, play (paidia) was intrinsically associated with children (paides). However, both children and play assumed a greater cultural significance as literacy—and, consequently, education (paideia)— developed during the classical age of 500–300 BCE. Uniquely among ancient thinkers, Plato recognized that play influenced the way children developed as adults, and he proposed to regulate play for social ends. But Plato’s attitude toward play was ambivalent. Inclined to consider play an unworthy activity for adults, he seemed to suggest that intellectual play in some form, as demonstrated in the dialectical banter of Socrates, could provide a stimulus to understanding. Key words: education in ancient Greece; play and child development; play and education; play and Plato; Socratic dialectic Among various plausible misquotations that surface from time to time is a piece of popular wisdom attributed to Plato to the effect that “you can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.” It was quoted by Alaska Governor...
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...disagree with this statement. Introduction: Alexander McQueen (17 March 1969 – 11 February 2010) was a British designer and couturier, best known for his in-depth knowledge of British tailoring and his ability to both shock his audience with raw presentations often depicting bleak history and anarchic politics. McQueen was openly gay and said he realised his sexual orientation when very young. He told his family when he was 18 and, after a rocky period, they accepted his sexuality. He described coming out at a young age by saying, "I was sure of myself and my sexuality and I've got nothing to hide. I went straight from my mother's womb onto the gay parade"(Wikipedia, online) During his career he earned 4 British designer of the year awards in 1996, 1997, 2001 and 2003. The garment I am discussing is the Armadillo shoe; a 10 inch heeled shoe designed by McQueen for his spring/ summer 2009 collection ‘Plato's Atlantis’. The collection was inspired by Charles Darwin's theory on the ‘Origin of Species’. “The world needs fantasy, not reality. We have enough reality today,’ McQueen shared with The New York Times. The quote above sums up exactly what McQueen...
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...1. Question : For John Dewey, open-minded inquiry is: Student Answer: The virtue that prevents habit from making us unwilling to hear other ideas Something only a child can do For people who are weak in their beliefs Reinforcing our own beliefs by talking with people who share those beliefs The childlike wonder and interest in new ideas Instructor Explanation: The answer can be found from the “Open-Minded Inquiry” page found here:http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/open-minded-inquiry/579 Points Received: 1 of 1 Comments: Question 2. Question : This is the term for presentation of an idea through one-sided and emotional rhetoric: Student Answer: Tolerance Relativism Propaganda Television Open-mindedness Instructor Explanation: The answer can be found from the “Open-Minded Inquiry” page found here:http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/open-minded-inquiry/579 Points Received: 1 of 1 Comments: Question 3. Question : When making inferences, it is important to: Student Answer: Infer things that extend beyond experience and evidence Rationalize inferences that contradict one another Identify assumptions that lead to the inferences All of the above None of the above Instructor Explanation: The answer can be found in “The Analysis and Assessment of Thinking” [Paul and Elder Website] http://www.criticalthinking...
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...comes from the greek word ‘ethikos’ which relates to the customary way to behave in society. Ethics is a branch of philosophy dates back to before 367 b.c. Famously in the history of ethics and philosophy were ‘’The Three Wise Greek Men’’ Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. Socrates was a teacher of philosophy and Plato was Socrates student for approximately ten years, and when Socrates died, Aristophanes became Plato's student. Aristotle views were that ‘’ethics is a virtue of happiness, and that the pursuit of virtue is the highest and noblest aim for a human being’’ . Aristotle can be seen as saying ‘’ Nobody would choose to live without friends even if they had everything else they desired ‘’ (quoted from The Puzzle of Ethics- Peter Vardy pg 31). Socrates took a practical view on ethics, he was concerned with ‘’how an individual would live in order to achieve happiness’’. Socrates can be seem as saying; ‘’Think hard enough and you will always find that doing the right thing is best for you ‘’ ( quoted in Peter singers A companion to Ethics, Blackwell p. 125 ). Plato's view was much more in depth and most famously contradicts Socrates work. Plato believes ethics is ‘’ knowledge is the virtue of happiness ‘’ . Plato can be seen as saying ‘’ If you believe something is right than its right, but if you believe something is wrong but still go ahead , this is unethical’’ . ‘’An individual human being is the measure of all things’’ (quoted from The puzzle of ethics-pg 9 Peter...
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...CRIMINALIZATION OF HOMOSEXUALITY: A GRAVE VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS -****** ******* With the guidance of Professor ****** ****** Post-graduate Diploma in Human Rights Department of Civics and Politics University of ******i 2013-2014 Declaration The work I have submitted is my own effort. I certify that all materials in the Dissertation which is not my own work, has been identified and acknowledged. This project has been submitted for the partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of the post-graduate diploma in Human Rights. The results embodied in this thesis have not been submitted to any other University or Institute for the award of any degree or diploma. Signature of Guide Signature of Student Date: 26/04/2014 Acknowledgement First and foremost, I would like to thank my supervisor Professor ******* ****** for his guidance when I was writing this dissertation. Secondly, I would like to extend my gratitude to all my classmates in the Human Rights Diploma programme for helping me in many ways. Lastly, I would like to thank ******** ********, ******* ******** and ****** ****** for their emotional support. Content Declaration 02 Acknowledgement 03 Content 04 Introduction 05 Homosexuality in India 1 Section 377 20 Discrimination faced by LGBT 30 Conclusion 46 Bibliography 51 Articles 54 1. INTRODUCTION Across the...
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...fourth). Scientific and medical understanding is that sexual orientation is not a choice, but rather a complex interplay of biological and environmental factors,[1][3] especially with regard to early uterine environment. While there are those who still hold the view that homosexual activity is "unnatural" or "dysfunctional", research has shown that homosexuality is an example of natural variation in human sexuality and is not in and of itself a source of negative psychological effects. Prejudice and discrimination against homosexual and bisexual people, however, have been shown to cause psychological harm. The most common terms for homosexual people are lesbian for females and gay for males, though gay is also used to refer generally to both homosexual males and females. The number of people who identify as gay or lesbian—and the proportion of people who have same-sex sexual experiences—are difficult for researchers to estimate reliably...
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...animals. Sexual orientation Male and female symbols overlaid Sexual orientations Asexual Bisexual Heterosexual Homosexual Non-binary categories Androphilia and gynephilia Non-heterosexual Pansexuality Polysexuality Queer Research Biological Human female sexuality Human male sexuality Demographics Environment Hetero/homosexual continuum Kinsey scale Klein Grid Neuroscientific Queer studies Sexology Timeline of sexual orientation and medicine Non-human animals Animal sexual behaviour Non-reproductive sexual behavior in animals Homosexual behavior in animals (list) Category Category v t e Part of a series on Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people LGBT flag Sexual orientation Homosexuality Demographics Biology Environment History LGBT history Timeline Social movements Culture LGBT community Coming out Pride Slang Symbols Gay village Rights Laws around the world Marriage Union Adoption LGBT parenting Military service Legal aspects of transgenderism Intersex human rights Social attitudes Heteronormativity LGBT stereotypes Queer Religion and homosexuality Religion and transgender Prejudice / Violence AIDS stigma Anti-intersex Biphobia Genderism Heterosexism Homophobia Lesbophobia Binarism Sexualism Suicide among LGBT youth Transphobia Violence against LGBT people LGBT trafficking Academic fields and discourse LGBT/Queer studies Lesbian feminism Queer theory Transfeminism Lavender linguistics Portal LGBT.svg LGBT portal v t e Celebrating...
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...Phil 1010 – 930a Prof. Michele C. Evans Final Exam Essay Barry Bishop II Nietzsche's assertion that 'God is dead' is not simply a theological statement. Nietzsche hasn't come up with the definitive argument to prove beyond all reasonable doubt that God could not possibly exist-except in the minds of men. This statement, although it certainly does have its theological aspect, is essentially a statement proclaiming the plight of modern Western culture. Succinctly stated, the 'Death of God' refers to the complete loss of belief in the accepted religious and metaphysical world-view along with the system of values it upholds, in particular its moral values. The 'Death of God' announces the advent of the age of nihilism, an age of cultural barrenness arising from this loss of belief, and which may well end in catastrophe as far as any truly human existence is concerned. Yet, to Nietzsche, this demise of God, this loss of belief in all that we esteemed as the highest and most valuable, is simply the natural and logical outcome, within the history of Western culture, of the accepted religious and metaphysical world-view. It all begins with the original premise of the framework of Platonism, which, according to Nietzsche, became the ground of all subsequent metaphysical, religious, moral, historical and political views on man and his place in the universe. Broadly, that original Platonic or Socratic premise claimed that existence is bifurcated into two separate asymmetrical...
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...The Decline and Fall of Literature November 4, 1999 ANDREW DELBANCO E-mail Print [pic]Share [pic] [pic]In Plato’s Cave[pic] by Alvin Kernan A couple of years ago, in an article explaining how funds for faculty positions are allocated in American universities, the provost of the University of California at Berkeley offered some frank advice to department chairs, whose job partly consists of lobbying for a share of the budget. “On every campus,” she wrote, “there is one department whose name need only be mentioned to make people laugh; you don’t want that department to be yours.”1 The provost, Carol Christ (who retains her faculty position as a literature professor), does not name the offender—but everyone knows that if you want to locate the laughingstock on your local campus these days, your best bet is to stop by the English department. The laughter, moreover, is not confined to campuses. It has become a holiday ritual for The New York Times to run a derisory article in deadpan Times style about the annual convention of the Modern Language Association, where thousands of English professors assemble just before the new year. Lately it has become impossible to say with confidence whether such topics as “Eat Me; Captain Cook and the Ingestion of the Other” or “The Semiotics of Sinatra” are parodies of what goes on there or serious presentations by credentialed scholars.2 At one recent English lecture, the speaker discussed a pornographic “performance artist”...
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...critical theory today critical theory today A Us e r - F r i e n d l y G u i d e S E C O N D E D I T I O N L O I S T Y S O N New York London Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business Routledge Taylor & Francis Group 270 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10016 Routledge Taylor & Francis Group 2 Park Square Milton Park, Abingdon Oxon OX14 4RN © 2006 by Lois Tyson Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business Printed in the United States of America on acid‑free paper 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 International Standard Book Number‑10: 0‑415‑97410‑0 (Softcover) 0‑415‑97409‑7 (Hardcover) International Standard Book Number‑13: 978‑0‑415‑97410‑3 (Softcover) 978‑0‑415‑97409‑7 (Hardcover) No part of this book may be reprinted, reproduced, transmitted, or utilized in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying, microfilming, and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publishers. Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Library of Congress Cataloging‑in‑Publication Data Tyson, Lois, 1950‑ Critical theory today : a user‑friendly guide / Lois Tyson.‑‑ 2nd ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0‑415‑97409‑7 (hb) ‑‑ ISBN 0‑415‑97410‑0 (pb) 1. Criticism...
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...Literary Theory and Schools of Criticism Introduction A very basic way of thinking about literary theory is that these ideas act as different lenses critics use to view and talk about art, literature, and even culture. These different lenses allow critics to consider works of art based on certain assumptions within that school of theory. The different lenses also allow critics to focus on particular aspects of a work they consider important. For example, if a critic is working with certain Marxist theories, s/he might focus on how the characters in a story interact based on their economic situation. If a critic is working with post-colonial theories, s/he might consider the same story but look at how characters from colonial powers (Britain, France, and even America) treat characters from, say, Africa or the Caribbean. Hopefully, after reading through and working with the resources in this area of the OWL, literary theory will become a little easier to understand and use. Disclaimer Please note that the schools of literary criticism and their explanations included here are by no means the only ways of distinguishing these separate areas of theory. Indeed, many critics use tools from two or more schools in their work. Some would define differently or greatly expand the (very) general statements given here. Our explanations are meant only as starting places for your own investigation into literary theory. We encourage you to use the list of scholars and works provided for each...
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