Platos Laches Essays

Platos Laches Essays Platos Laches Essay Platos Laches Essay During his lifetime Socrates’ various interactions with his fellow Athenians left his intentions debatable. Popular belief in Athens seemed to be that, â€Å"he [Socrates] was an evildoer, and a curious person, who searches into things under the earth and in heaven? and makes the worse appear the better cause† (Plato, pg. 5) as stated by the unofficial charges against him in The Apology. After discussions, his interlocutor’s were left confused in a state of aporia, with no conclusion. And so while negative views of Socrates became increasing popular in Athens right up until his death, Socrates was, on the contrary, serving as Athens’s benefactor, opening up their eyes to the truth of world in which they lived in. In Plato’s Laches, Socrates does in fact tear down his interlocutors’ claims but only to prove to them that they don’t know what they claim to know by exposing holes in their fundamental thoughts and to redirect them on a path to finding true knowledge. Through a method of elenchus, Socrates aimed to prove to his interlocutor that the ideas they held about certain topics were in fact false. When a person would come to him with a question, as Laches and Nicias do in Laches, Socrates would first direct the conversation in such a way that the question lying before the men is a foundational one, and not necessarily the original question. In his explanation of this Socrates states, â€Å"So, in a word, whenever a man considers a thing for the sake of another thing, he is taking counsel about that thing for the sake of which he was considering, and not about what he was investigating for the sake of something else† (Plato 185D) and redirects the question of whether or not young boys should learn the art of fighting in armor to how to care for the souls of young men. By doing this Socrates is able to expose the very source of his interlocutors’ belief system and demonstrate that if the basis of the system isn’t true nothing built on it can be true. Socrates goes on to have the men discus virtue, because they are trying to discover what virtue could be added to their sons’ souls to make them better men and because virtues are the basis for the moral ethics by which they live.. He then invites them to define a virtue: courage. When Laches gives a less than sufficient answer, Socrates rephrases his question and asks for a true definition of courage, one that would encompass every sort of courageous act. Eventually Laches gets to a point where he is unsure of how to proceed, saying, â€Å"I am really getting annoyed at being unable to express what I think in this ashion. I still think I know what courage is, but I can’t understand how it has escaped me just now so that I can’t pin it down in words and say what it is† (Plato 194B). By admitting that he is unable to concisely express the definition of something he considered himself knowledgeable about, Laches allowed Socrates’ method to have a refl ective effect on him. The dialogue ends in an aporia, or a state of unknowing, leaving Laches and Nicias still without an answer to whether or not young men should learn the art of fighting in armor and more importantly without what a proper definition of courage. They leave the conversation confused, realizing, that they don’t know what they thought they knew, which is what Socrates had originally intended for them to eventually understand. Coming out of a Socratic dialogue usually left the interlocutor feeling one of two ways. Laches, after conversing with Socrates and Nicias, is aware that he isn’t as informed on the idea of courage as he would have like to think, but still agrees to go Lysimachus’ house the next day to continue the discussion in hopes of revealing an answer. Being made aware of his shortcoming, instilled in him a desire to further explore it. Leaving the Socratic dialogue left Laches wanted more; because it ended in aporia, the only piece of knowledge he got of the conversation was that his definitions were wrong. Instead of giving Laches the answer, and having him just accept it as true, Socrates invited him to search for it, because in searching for an answer to the definition of courage, Laches would gradually begin to question and search for other pieces of knowledge relevant to his life, and it would become an ongoing process. However, other Athenians eventually grew tired of Socrates’ extensive questioning and can be seen in The Apology putting Socrates on trial for it. Instead of taking Socrates’ conversations for what they were worth, they labeled him as argumentative and a man who was corrupting the youth of the city. By breaking down his interlocutors’ various thoughts, ideas, and theses, Socrates was trying to reveal to them that they were not in fact wise and that the knowledge they thought they possessed was not true knowledge. Socrates himself was only considered wiser than his fellow Athenians because he considered his one piece of knowledge to be that he didn’t know anything. By breaking down, piece by piece, the arguments of those he conversed with, he intended for them to realize that their knowledge was relative and therefore meaningless in the grander scheme of things. By recognizing this, only then could they begin living a life in search of finding true meaning. In searching for meaningful things they would have to learn to question things. While he is on trial in The Apology, Socrates tells the jury that, â€Å"The unexamined life is not worth living† (Plato pg. 24) Living life without asking questions, and without inquiry, is not living life at all, and is therefore worthless. As an Athenian himself, Socrates wants to help the fellow men of his city led â€Å"examined† lives and is quick to let them know, if they do away with him, there might never be someone else who does for them what he is attempting to do. In conclusion, Socrates is

Combining Academic Knowledge and Practicality

Combining Academic Knowledge and Practicality The idea of social responsibility came from Adolph Ochs pledge when he bought the New York Times in 1896. It was a promise to â€Å"give the news impartially, without fear or favor, regardless of party, sect or interest involved†. The educational requirement of press and broadcasting profession in Europe in the 1930s was only high school degrees. The absence of formal education for journalist let to the creation of different schools for journalism such as the establishment of Turkey Two-Year Institute of Journalism in 1949. However, although there were about 500 students enrolled in the program, the initiative failed due to the lack of qualified lecturers. In 1965, UNESCO supported the establishment of Journalism and Communications Higher School in Ankara and gave French journalist Georges Pitoleff and four other students scholarships abroad. Since journalism involves giving importance to public interest and being aware of social problems, human rights, equality, and cultural diversity, the mission of ILEF is to combine knowledge with practical lives. This in practice is providing core and basic skills and developing students public interest and desire to make a better world. Journalism’s relationship with social structures and institutions made it a public interest in terms of ethics and social responsibility. For instance, investigative journalists were questioned regarding the ethical implications of their expose on people’s privacy. Journalists’ strong emphasis on freedom of the press and social responsibility often result to media framing, an enduring practice affecting people’s attitudes towards social issues such as crime, internet safety, and others. The Bright Sides of Academic Intellectuals We Call Nerds Public Interest and Press Freedom Public interest and limitations of press freedom are the practical aspects of journalism education. In reality, journalists are often interested in socially relevant issues transpiring in different sectors. Their work normally involves choosing between professional interest and social responsibility and therefore requires a morally sound journalist. Journalism is often praised when it is fair and socially responsible thus a good journalist follows the rules of their work and aware of society’s demands of journalism. The idea of social responsibility came from Adolph Ochs pledge when he bought the New York Times in 1896. It was a promise to â€Å"give the news impartially, without fear or favor, regardless of party, sect or interest involved†. The pledge was later on adopted by the journalism community that later developed the idea of â€Å"journalistic independence†. However, great responsibilities are often hard to fulfill, as journalism in practice is historically associated with horrifying practices such as fabrication in news stories, publishing of fake photographs, impersonation, racism, and others. Higher education help journalism students developed academic and practical skills necessary in professional and social responsible journalist. However, since journalism, in reality, involves professional interest, the practical aspects of journalism education should be given more emphasis particularly in the area of public interest and human dignity and privacy.

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

English 3 literature - Essay Example This proverb has a close resemblance to Franklin’s proverb; a penny saved is a penny earned. The proverb means that if persons refrain from spending the little things they have, their small savings may add up to big things in the future. The proverb is applicable in numerous business situations whereby it emphasizes on the need to save little proceeds to amass a massive capital. Both of these proverbs are emphasizing on the need to save. They discourage unplanned expenditure for little possessions that a person may have, placing in focus the future goals. Expenditure without savings can lead to bankruptcy and eventually poverty. Nevertheless, if a person denies himself or herself a chance to spend today on unnecessary things, he or she may have greater benefits in the future. The proverbs reinforce the understanding that an investment starts with saving. A wise entrepreneur saves the little he or she possesses until there is a substantial capital to start a big

Explain links between economic development and destruction of forests Essay

Explain links between economic development and destruction of forests in the Third World. Explain how development can be designed to protect forests. Describe - Essay Example The research on the ecological situation of the world clearly shows that the largest and most significant causes of pollution are the industrial and commercial activities of humans. These activities are taking place at an accelerating rate in countries which are seeking to develop themselves into economic powers such as India and China. Whenever fossil fuels are used to drive automobiles, run industries or provide energy to offices and homes, a significant amount of harmful gasses are created which are released into the atmosphere. While a certain amount of atmospheric pollution can be controlled and nature has the magnificent ability to manage excess carbon dioxide (CO2), the present rate of creation of these compounds in developing countries is simply too much for nature to handle (Quammen, 1998). The deforestation of the world is certainly adding to the problem since different locations around the world in LDCs and MDCs are suffering from humans encroaching on forest regions. As India develops into the back office of the world, its Gir forest is being destroyed to make room for mango farms, peanut groves and lime quarries for the cement that is to be used in multistory offices in Mumbai and Bangalore. The UN reports that the rate of deforestation has only increased in the world since 15.4 million hectares per annum are being taken away from our forests. In South America alone, every year 6.2 million hectares of forest land is destroyed to make room for the population (Quammen, 1998). The situation has come to a point where 95% of the forest land of Brazil is gone and 92% of the forests of the Philippines are gone. Costa Rica was a country known for its biodiversity but she has also lost more than 90% of her forests. If the situation continues as it has in the past, by the middle of the present century, there would be no forests left in these developing countries except in

The Media :: essays research papers

The Media   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The media has been causing problems and clashes in opinions probably ever since the television was invented. The media probably started out OK, but after a while, they started twisting opinions and stories, and taking sides. I think that the media is going to twist a story to make it more interesting once too many times, and someone is going to sue them badly for it. I would like to prove that the media sometimes messes up the truth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The media sometimes finds a certain person and makes his/her story sound worse and sadder so that they can get sympathy for that person and then asks people to send money to help the person out. Not that that is a bad intention, but it is none of our business. I think that the media should just publish pictures, and then let you choose who you want to feed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There is also the possibility that the only reason that big news companies just need filler for their network, so they go to another country to find some story on miserable people. If I was in some tribe in Africa or something I would not want anyone bothering me by putting a camera in my face. I would want the money to buy food, but if someone over in America just needed my story for filler, I wouldn't be too happy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It should be the tribe's leader that should have to get the tribe out of trouble in any way that he could. It is not our business to send them our money to get food for the people that got themselves into trouble, but I think it makes people feel good to donate things to needy people. I just think that the media isn't telling people the whole story. Maybe the starving people spent all their money on drugs? I doubt that many people would send their hard earned cash if they knew that the person was just going to buy more drugs with it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I think that the media has been messing up stories and opinions, but I'm sure that they did some good work also. It would be pretty hard to get

Native Americans of Chesapeake Bay

The Native American group in the Chesapeake Bay region was known collectively as the Powhatan Federation of Indians. Powhatan also refers to the Algonquin Indian chief that lived and ruled in the region around the early 17th century. The Algonquians were a deeply religious group of people subsisted primarily through agriculture. The natives referred to the area as Tsenacommacah. Powhatan was the weroance, or chief ruler of Tsenacommacah and 25 other Algonquin villages. Powhatan would play a significant role with the 104 men from the Virginia company that made up the settlement of Jamestown.Powhatan agreed to an alliance with the settlers, Powhatan would provide the colonists with foodstuffs in exchange for guns, hatchets, and swords. Powhatan hoped this alliance would make him technologically superior over his people’s enemies. The following is a quote from Powhatan recorded by John smith in 1609; â€Å"I am not so simple as not to know it is better to eat good meat, sleep co mfortably, live quietly with my women and children, laugh and be merry with the English, and being their friend, trade for their copper and hatchets, than to run away from them. (Smithsonian source, 2012) Joint stock companies were business corporations that amassed capital through sales of stock to investors. Joint stock companies were the forerunners for modern day corporations. The Virginia Company was a joint stock venture that funded the settlement at Jamestown. Colonies required ongoing capital investments and the lack of immediate returns created tensions between stockholders and the colonists. Although investors were expecting great returns, there was great risk and start up costs, and could take years to recoup their money.With an excess landless population to serve as workers, and motivated, adventurous, or devout investors, the joint-stock company became the vehicle by which England finally settled the Western Hemisphere. The first joint stock company to launch its ventur e in the new world was The Virginia Company of London. In 1607 The Virginia Company established the first colony along the Chesapeake bay in what is now modern day Virginia. The new colony was called Jamestown, named after King James I. The colonists arrived in the midst of the worse drought in 1,700 years, and life in the new world was hard from the get go.The settlement at Jamestown was on a swampy peninsula located in the middle of a river. The colonists proved to be ill equipped for survival, and many fell victim to starvation and disease. In attempts to ease the colonists struggle for food ,Captain John Smith made a deal with the weroance. The Powhatan would help the colonists acquire food in exchange for weaponry. This deal was short lasting, as mutual mistrust built on both sides. The weroance relocated his primary village to an area not easily accessible to the colonists. The colonists struggled greatly without Powhatan’s help, and soon were driven to starvation.This time of hardship for the colonists was referred to as the â€Å"starving time. † The situation was very bleak for the colonists, and the starving time lasted from 1609-1610. Throughout the colonists year long struggle for survival many died, and one colonist resorted to cannibalism. This was the beginning of a bloody history that ensued between the colonists and the Powhatan people. In the spring of 1610 a new wave of settlers came to Jamestown, and brought with them more supplies. Around 1613, and in attempts to gain the upper hand , the colonists kidnapped Powhatan’s daughter Pocahontas.During her captivity she was converted to Christianity and married settler John Rolfe. This event helped to further sour the relationship between the two groups. The two also could not come to terms on each others ideas of property rights, gender roles, and religion. The colonists thought the Powhatan were lazy because they did not cultivate crops, conversely the Powhatan thought the colonists effeminate for doing so. Perhaps the biggest cause for dispute was the colonists superiority complex, in which they expected full cooperation from the native people to convert to Christianity and adopt English customs.Around 1620 Jamestown finally began to prosper through tobacco cultivation and exportation. Opechancanough, Powhatan’s brother, and successor, watched as the colonists expanded and attempted to convert the natives to Christianity. This angered Opechancanough, and in March of 1622 he attacked, killing 347 colonists. The Powhatans indiscriminately attacked, men, women, and children, mutilating many of their corpses. Although the colonists were surprised at the treachery of the Powhatans, a decade and a half of hatred fueled the natives call for vengeance.The massacre was a terrible loss to the settlers, but still they persevered. A short time had passed until the settlers inflicted massive retaliation on the Powhatans. One of the colonists wrote, â€Å" Now we have just cause to destroy them by all means possible, it is more easy to civilize them by conquest than faire meanest. † (Schwarz,1997) The two sides continued their brutal onslaught for the next ten years, and in 1632 an ill advised cease-fire was agreed upon. However, in 1644 the Powhatans attacked one last time, killing several more hundred settlers.In 1646 the Powhatans surrendered for good, but the bloody history and interaction of the two will never be forgotten. Norton, M. B. , Sheriff, C. , Blight, D. W. , Chudacoff, H. P. , Logevall, F. , Bailey, B. (2012), A people & a nation, a history of the united states (Vol. 1) Ninth edition. Boston, MA, Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. Schwarz, Frederic D. â€Å" Massacre. † American Heritage Feb. -Mar. 1997 US History Collection. Web. 1 Apr. 2012Smith, John. (nd). Smithsonian Source. In Resources for teaching American History. Retrieved April 1, 2012, from http://www. smithsoniansource. org/.

Abortion Is A Medical Procedure Essay - 1522 Words

Abortion is a medical procedure done to terminate a human pregnancy and is performed, generally, within the first 28 weeks of conception (WebMD, n.d.). In America, abortion is a hot button topic for debate. Many laws have been enacted and changed over the years to control who can or cannot have this procedure done throughout the states. Abortion has a vast history, variety of procedures, and some interesting data specific to the state of Arkansas. Even before Roe VS. Wade, women had been terminating unwanted pregnancies for thousands of years (Alexander, LaRosa, Bader, Garfield, Alexander, 2014). The important information to note about this, is that these abortions were not medically safe or legal even though they were occurring. This is one of the factors that may have led to the Roe Vs. Wade decision. The method previously used were dangerous and even could result in death for the woman having it performed. A few of these methods were prescriptions of mercury, herbal abortifacient s, girdle constriction, foreign objects inserted into the uterus, externally applied heat, strenuous physical activity, and starvation (Alexander, LaRosa, Bader, Garfield, Alexander, 2014). During the nineteenth century, is when physicians began calling for a ban on abortions. In the U.S., most states had passed law banning abortion with the exception of if the mother’s life was at risk by 1910. Despite the passing of these laws and the further movements to ban abortion, the rates of whichShow MoreRelatedIs Abortion A Medical Procedure?966 Words   |  4 Pages Abortion is the name given to a medical procedure, which involves the killing of a foetus, which is a baby. You are one in 250 million sperm cells that made it to the egg to create you surroundings Even at the 6th day you are special, around 2/3rd of embryos fail at this stage, but you made it. 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