Base and Superstructure Definition of Marxs Terms

Base and Superstructure Definition of Marxs Terms Base and superstructure are two linked theoretical concepts developed by Karl Marx, one of the founders of sociology. Simply put, base refers to the forces and relations of production- to all the people, relationships between them, the roles that they play, and the materials and resources involved in producing the things needed by society. Thomas Lohnes / Getty Images Superstructure Superstructure, quite simply and expansively, refers to all other aspects of society. It includes culture, ideology (world views, ideas, values, and beliefs), norms and expectations, identities that people inhabit, social institutions (education, religion, media, family, among others), the political structure, and the state (the political apparatus that governs society). Marx argued that the superstructure grows out of the base, and reflects the interests of the ruling class that controls it. As such, the superstructure justifies how the base operates, and in doing so, justifies the power of the ruling class. From a sociological standpoint, it’s important to recognize that neither the base nor the superstructure is naturally occurring, nor are they static. They are both social creations (created by people in a society), and both are the accumulation of social processes and interactions between people that are constantly playing out, shifting, and evolving. Extended Definition Marx theorized that the superstructure effectively grows out of the base and that it reflects the interests of the ruling class that controls the base (called the â€Å"bourgeoisie† in Marx’s time). In The German Ideology, written with Friedrich Engels, Marx offered a critique of Hegel’s theory of how society operates, which was based on principles of Idealism. Hegel asserted that ideology determines social lifethat the reality of the world around us is determined by our mind, by our thoughts. Historical Shifts to a Capitalist Mode of Production Considering historical shifts in relations of production, most importantly, the shift from feudalist to capitalist production, Marx was not content with Hegel’s theory. He believed that the shift to a capitalist mode of production had sweeping implications for the social structure, culture, institutions, and ideology of society- that it reconfigured the superstructure in drastic ways. He posed instead a â€Å"materialist† way of understanding history (â€Å"historical materialism†), which is the idea that the material conditions of our existence, what we produce in order to live and how we go about doing so, determines all else in society. Building on this idea, Marx posed a new way of thinking about the relationship between thought and lived reality with his theory of the relationship between base and superstructure. Importantly, Marx argued that this is not a neutral relationship. There is a lot at stake in the way the superstructure emerges out of the base, because as the place where norms, values, beliefs, and ideology reside, the superstructure serves to legitimate the base. The superstructure creates the conditions in which the relations of production seem right, just, or even natural, though, in reality, they may be deeply unjust, and designed to benefit only the minority ruling class, rather than the majority working class. Marx argued that religious ideology that urged people to obey authority and work hard for salvation in the afterlife was a way in which superstructure justifies the base because it generates an acceptance of one’s conditions as they are. Following Marx, Antonio Gramsci elaborated on the role of education in training people to obediently serve in their designated roles in the division of labor, depending upon into which class they were born. Marx and Gramsci also wrote about the role of the state- the political apparatus- in protecting the interests of the ruling class. In recent history, state bailouts of collapsing private banks is an example of this. Early Writing In his early writing, Marx was very committed to the principles of historical materialism, and the related one-way causal relationship between base and superstructure. However, as his theory evolved and grew more complex over time, Marx reframed the relationship between base and superstructure as dialectical, meaning that each influences what happens in the other. Thus, if something changes in the base, it causes changes in the superstructure, and vice versa. Marx believed in the possibility of a revolution among the working class because he thought that once workers realized the extent to which they were exploited and harmed for the benefit of the ruling class, then they would decide to change things, and a significant change in the base, in terms of how goods are produced, by whom, and on what terms, would follow.

How to Study for a Multiple Choice Exam

How to Study for a Multiple Choice Exam Studying for a multiple choice exam is a skill that you can learn, hone, and perfect. These steps for studying for a multiple choice exam will improve your chances of getting the grade you want. Start Studying The First Day of School That sounds crazy, but its true. Your exam prep starts on the first day. Nothing beats time and repetition when it comes to learning. The best way to learn anything is to participate in class, take careful notes during lectures, study for your quizzes, and learn as you go. Then, when its a multiple choice test day, you will just be reviewing the information instead of learning it all for the first time.   Ask for the Multiple Choice Test Content Before you begin officially studying for your exam, ask your teacher or professor for information about the test content with questions like these: Are you providing a study guide?  This should be the first question out of your mouth. You will save yourself a ton of time scavenging through your book and old quizzes if your teacher or professor gives you one of these.  Will vocabulary from this chapter/unit be tested?  If so, how?  If you memorize all the vocabulary with their definitions, but you cant use the words appropriately, then you may have wasted your time. Many teachers will ask for a textbook definition of a vocabulary word, but there are a bunch of teachers who dont care if you know the definition word for word, as long as you can use it or apply it.  Will we need to apply the information weve learned or simply memorize it? This is an important question. A simple knowledge-based multiple choice exam, one where you have to know names, dates, and other detailed info, is pretty easy to study for. Just memorize and go. However, if youre going to need to be able to synthesize, apply, or evaluate the information y ouve learned, that requires a much deeper understanding and more time.   Create a Study Schedule Establish a study schedule at least two weeks before your test day. Using this schedule, you can determine exactly when you have a few extra hours available, then make the most of that study time, rather than cramming minutes before the exam. To study for a multiple choice exam, its best to start several weeks in advance, studying in short bursts until test day. Organize Your Chapter Notes Your teacher has probably already given you much of the test content in your notes, quizzes, and former assignments. So, go back through the material. Rewrite your notes or type them up so theyre legible. Find the answers to incorrect quiz questions or problems you missed on your assignments. Organize everything so its ready to be studied. Set a Timer Dont spend three hours studying for a test in a row. Instead, select a chunk of material to master and set a timer for 45 minutes. Study with focused attention for all 45 minutes, then take a 5-10 minute break when the timer goes off. Once the break is over, repeat: set the timer for another 45 minutes, study, and take a break. Continue this process until youre confident in your knowledge of the material. Master the Material Youre going to have choices on this multiple choice exam (thats why its called multiple choice, after all). As long you can differentiate between the right and kinda right answers, youre likely to succeed. Remember, you dont have to recite any details- rather, youll just need to recognize correct information. For memorizing facts, use mnemonic devices like singing a song or drawing pictures to help you memorize the information. Use flashcards to memorize vocabulary.   When studying complex concepts or ideas, explain the idea out loud to yourself as if youre teaching it to someone else. Alternatively, explain the idea to a study partner, or write a paragraph about it in simple language. If youre a visual learner, draw a Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting the concept with an idea that you already know well. Ask Someone to Quiz You To test your knowledge, ask a study partner to quiz you on the material. The best type of study partner will also ask you to explain your answer to see if you  really  know what youre talking about rather than just reciting the content.

In what ways and why did the character of the nineteenthcentury Essay

In what ways and why did the character of the nineteenthcentury Scottish economy and society differ from that of the rest of Britain - Essay Example "Treaty of England" held a year earlier, and was put into action by the "Acts of Union", which was passed by the Parliaments of both of the kingdoms. Scotland witnessed a lot of pretest across the country, due to this union1. After the union, Scotland maintained to have their separate legal system, from England, Wales and Northern Island. Not just legal system, Scotland kept its education system, and Church of Scotland separate and it is the reason that Scotland maintained its uniqueness in all these times. It helped in keeping the Scottish culture and Scottish national identity since the union2. Though, it is not a separate country now, but still they tried to maintain their national identity. Scotland has a large abundance of natural resources from fertile land, and this land is suitable and considered best for the cultivation. Other than cultivated land, it also produces minerals and there are resources of different minerals in Scotland, such as coal, zinc, iron and oil shale etc. and the reservoirs of coal seams beneath central Scotland, and in the areas of Ayrshire and Fife. These reservoirs of coal contributed a great share in the industrialization of Scotland, during the 19th century. The mining of coal was a huge employment generator in the 19th century, though it declined now, due to the cheap coal, which is imported from the other countries. The Industrial Revolution was witnessed heavily in Scotland, as the Scottish Economy is well known for its heavy industries in 19th century. The heavy industry includes the shipbuilding, coal mining and steel industries, these industries attracted a lot of people from the neighboring states and countries, who came in search of jobs and finally settled here. The growth of Scottish economy is also due to the fact that British Empire had allowed Scottish economy, to export their goods throughout the world and it was due to the presence and participation of Scottish people in the British Empire. No doubt, Scotland left behind the England and the other states at that time. The Scotland witnessed a great political and industrial change during the nineteenth century. Industrial revolution was the talk of town and Scotland was taking full advantage of it, and heavy industries were making their way not only in the country but also in the world, as the Scottish products were being exported throughout the world. These industries generated a lot of employment opportunities and hence many poor people from the neighboring countries, such as Ireland, came in search of jobs and in the same way, labour movements begin to form. This development lead the Scotland to improve the living standard of their citizens and like this, proper measures were taken, which made a base to improve the situation of poor people in the country and also few new laws were introduced, such as poor laws. Laws were passed in the parliament, which demands the betterment of the poor people in the country and they were approved by the parliament and like this, the living standard of the poor was improved, and they started living a better and safe life. Laws introduced at that era were, poor laws, sanitation and education. Though, these changes were

HW 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

HW 3 - Essay Example Terrorism is the offspring of religious radicalization. Terrorist seem to base their heinous activity on the teachings of prophet and that of the holy book of Quran. The justification, according to the teachings of the holy book is in complete contrast, the holy book asserts saving one life is similar to saving the whole humanity. Osama Bin Laden, the slain doyen of terror group, Al-Qaida, was thought of a man who was constantly on the book could not have not ignored this piece in the book. Terror acts against western countries by Islamic fundamental terror groups has in the past been blamed on the United States occupation if Muslim lands and the United States supposed support to Israel’s occupation of (Palestine Katz, p 18). However, most people feel astounded to link several innocent deaths that are usually lost as a result of those terror attacks. Violence as propagated by the holy Quran is different from the violence meted on innocent life as propagated by the terrorists. The Quran asserts that Jihad must be the war which is waged in the cause and struggle for Allah through a number verses, in fact, the rationale for Jihad was built on the war the Holy prophet waged on his fellow tribe people, the Quaresh who were polytheist and were resisting the influence of the prophets new religious ideologies. In fact, according to one of the revelations the prophet received from Allah he was instructed to inform the masses that violence should only be done as defense and not in offence. It is therefore not in doubt that terrorist are fulfilling other obligations that those were instructed by the holy prophet and the holy book. Terrorism as a current world issue is not synonymous to Jihad propagated by the holy book. The terror groups butchering innocent civilians often used the book teachings to justify such heinous acts. Islam preaches peace

Social grade Essay Example for Free

Social grade Essay After analysing my market research, I have concluded that the social grade of the local area is (B) Lower Management, and the average pay is between   25000 and 35000. The majority of the people do shop locally, the main reason being that the local shops cater for their needs. This shows that there would be a place for me in this local area because there arent any specialised Internet cafes, aimed at social group B. The majority of people surveyed fit into this group, so it makes sense to primarily aim for them, and then the skilled non-manual workers. Planning restrictions Planning restrictions are used to restrict where a business can build or start up. If the government rejects then it would be against the law for the company to build there. Planning restrictions help to protect beautiful nature from being destroyed. They also stop factories from opening near homes. Planning restrictions also help bring businesses into areas where there is high unemployment. From research into local planning restrictions, I have found out that I must get permission for any ballads placed by me near my shop, shutters, extra building at the rear of shop and any structural work. I do not need to worry about the replacement of doors and windows, as my business is a non-listed building. Social effects of my shop Social costs are the costs that the rest of the area must pay because of where a business or factory is situated. There can also be social benefits which means what is gained by the local area from placing a business there. The social costs as a result of where I place my business are increase in litter and my result in local competition closing down. The social benefits from placing my business are that people shop locally, creates one or two extra jobs and helps the local economy. Evaluation The place that I have chosen has more advantages than disadvantages. This is because my shop will be right next to a main road which will allow people to see any promotions, and they will be drawn to the area by a Sainsburys Local. There is also a bus stop a few metres away from my shop which will make it easy to get to my shop. Another major advantage is that there is a bank nearby that has a cash point meaning it is easy to withdraw cash. There is also a college very near to my internet so there is a good chance students will come and chat with friends etc. However, the disadvantage is that there are likely to be computers in the college so it would be more likely they would use it rather than paying for the use of a computer and internet. There are some disadvantages; primarily, there is no dedicated car park, and there are parking restrictions. The main parking restrictions are that there is no parking on certain points between 6pm and 8pm Monday-Friday. The planning restrictions in the local area are not very strict so this will help if I want to make changes to my, business. There are more benefits than costs, the only ones being litter and closing of competition. The major benefit of me placing my shop in the chosen area is that there would be a good chance of more people coming into the local area that would help other local shops. How will I set the price? The price must be right, as people will have to buy large numbers to make profit. The price you charge depends on what you are trying to do. I am selling pastries, tea, coffee etc as well as providing an internet service so I will have a low prices in order to attract a lot of customers and to see if my business will succeed. It is different for me as I dont sell things (apart from pastries, coffee, tea etc) to make a profit; I provide a computer service as my main way of making a profit. My price My price will be as low as possible, so that I can attract the largest amount of customers. I will also have some goods such as pastries, coffee; tea etc at is at high prices because they are unique. I am aiming at social group B. How to price? This is very important, as I must decide how to price the use of the Internet and how to price the food and drinks. Hour based pricing will be the most suitable way to charge the use of the computer and the Internet. The food and drinks will be charged at high price seeing that the social grade of this local area is group B and most of the local area earn i 25000+ so they will be more likely to spend more money. From my first plan, I know my place, my pricing structure and what group I am targeting. After evaluating my first action plan, I have found that I need to cover areas that I missed in my previous plan. . I will be selling food and drink, so each and every product must have a good strong brand that makes it recognisable to people. A very strong brand is Coke a Cola brand, As the colours, shape of cans, and lettering tell the buyer what the product is. The characteristics of the brand come from the products physical features of the product. This means the taste and the shape of the product. The manufacturer through adverts and packaging creates these. What is the aim of advertising? The aims of advertising are to inform people about the Internet cafi , create an image, increase sales, compete with other shops and introduce new products into the market. The aims of my advertising will be to increase sales, compete with other shops and to create an image. Informative advertising Currently, the biggest spender on this form of advertising is the government. This advertising is used to pass on information to the public. The passing on of this information is very important in any advert. Persuasive advertising Their adverts try to persuade the viewer that their products are much better then the competition. Their goal is to attract people to buy their products. There are different types of pervasive advertising. They could be adverts that show a famous person using the product or adverts that compare one product with another. Public relations Public relations are the department that tries to promote the company and shows the good side of the company to the public. Advertising agencies Advertising is a very expensive business; to make sure that the money is well spent they will hire a company to do it right. For an advertising campaign to be successful it must reach the right audience, be attractive and appealing and make the money that the audience cost back in sales. Control over advertising In an advert you cant just put anything in it, there are certain rules. There is a code of practice inside the advertising industry that you must obey. The trade description act, which means that the advert must mean what it, says. I plan to use informative advertising, as I want to inform people of the benefits of buying from my shop. What types of media are there for advertising? There are many different types of advertising, each has advantages, and disadvantages: Television This is a very powerful media to use to get your message across. The advert that is produced will be seen by millions. The time at which your advert is shown effects who see it. If your product is for children then you would show your advert during childrens programmes. You must also take into account the number of people watching, as this will effect the cost. To produce an advert you must take into consideration how many adverts can you afford, as there would be no point in only being able to run your advert once and when will it be shown and is the advert its self correct? The advantages are that television reaches a large audience throughout the country and the adverts can make the product look much better than in print. The disadvantages are that it is extremely expensive. Radio This method of advertising is very similar as television adverting, but it is cheaper and sound is used instead of visual images. In a radio advert a theme tune is used. The disadvantages are that people may switch station when the advert comes on, if there is poor reception then the listener may miss the advert. The advantages are cheaper than television, large audiences can be reached, this type of advertising is very good for local shops and the advert can be repeated many times.

Why Female Youths Join Gangs :: Youth Gangs Essays

Why Female Youths Join Gangs Female youths join street gangs on the basis of gender conflict, lack of family support and violence in their lives. Through adolescence young females have a much harder time than young males dealing with family, sexuality and the harsh reality of living in the urban ghetto. Young females who must endure these facets of life have little opportunity to succeed. Consequently, these young women turn to a replacement family, a place where they feel they are needed and loved and can escape reality, even if momentarily. This type of place is in the common street gang. Presently, inner city minorities are hopelessly discriminated and isolated from economic opportunity. Young females see society as having nothing to offer young minority women. Neglected communities with high crime and a lack of resources force young females to turn to others in the same situation for support. Thus, they develop an exaggerated sense of belonging and gain excitement lacking in their lives (Chesney-Lind 53). According to Thornberry there are three types of models that account for gang membership: selection model, social facilitation model and enhancement model. Female membership seems to fall into the selection model. The selection model states that gangs only recruit or associate with already delinquent persons (Dukes, Martinez, Stein 143). In 1994 â€Å"females accounted for 24% of all juvenile arrests† (Chesney-Lind 11). Also, female gang members show higher levels of delinquency than non gang members (Curry 12). However, they do not necessarily influence members once in the gang. Such as many researchers have found; once in a gang, female members are not expected to involve themselves in delinquency. Recent estimates of female gang involvement have shown a tremendous increase in female membership. These increases have become great enough to turn researchers attention to female gang members. Studies have shown that ten to thirty eight percent of gang members are female (qtd. in Miller 431). Miller has recognized two different types of female gangs. First, the independent female gang. The independent female gang is completely separate of the male gang. The females make their own set of rules and have decision making powers. Miller’s studies have shown that less than ten percent of female gangs are independent (qtd. in Chesney-Lind 46). Second, the auxiliary gang (qtd. in Curry 105). The auxiliary female gang is the most common and one in which the females are separate from the males in the gang, but are still apart of the whole gang. The males make all the decisions and essentially control the females. These type of female gang groups are, â€Å"an expression of the gender relations and boundaries of society† (qtd.

African American in 19th Century Essay

The Civil war after effects; set the scene for what would become a long road of discovery, hardship, violence, and freedom however, during this process of transition the American people went through emotional as well economical changes which added additional stress to an already stressed nation where many groups became fearful and were subjected to racism which crossed over the boundary of liberty and Justice for all. Equality had become an endangered liberty guaranteed by a country build upon democracy, regrettably the African American people were not the only ones to suffer many vast groups faced hard days in America at the turn of the century several violent attacks were specifically carried out on the African American men and women even though, the civil war brought a lot of changes it produced little or no results for African American men; however, it did bring harsher persecution all over the country, whereas mass numbers of black men were lynched in the lower southern states in a show of defiance. â€Å"The Emancipation Act† did nothing for the white man but still provided less for the African black man who were still unable to vote in addition to having descent jobs with adequate pay many were forced back to the farm as sharecropper’s despite the set backs they percervered through the racial remarks and slanders. Black men and women were segragated from the start and separate waiting rooms bathrooms and dinning facilities openly poject the sentiments of the American people of the era,within the State of Mississippi; In Plessy vs. Ferguson (1896), The Supreme Court reinforced that â€Å"Blacks and Whites should be separate, but equal. † The statement SEPERATE but EQUAL! thosewords only produced Segregation on a bias legal system of fairness and equality in which a country struggling already became the fuel on a fire already burning and would later divided the country in later years sparking new violence and refocused hatred. More over the Men and women of that time were forced to swear on separate bibles, they couldn’t vote in the election in the country in which they were guaranteed equal rights because they were under disfranchisement, and the racism was developing more and more is some southern locations, for an example many southern states legislated that if your grandfather had cast a ballot then you are allowed to vote and this law supported that nearly all southern white mean were permitted to vote and excluded all African Americans in most situations men whose grandparents had most likely been slaves never voted. Booker T. Washington’s submitted a lot for the African Americans in turn of the century, after his famous speech in Atlanta 1895 (Atlanta Compromise) in about one year the African Americans got more rights, they began to use separated but equal facilities, it was stupid to say the least but it provided a line of truths temporarily and unfourantely included racist ideas inside but it was better than it had been before. Booker T. Washington’s met the American president Theodore Roosevelt at the white house in 1901 and that was a good step towards get the African American and their rights another great pioneer of that time was Du Boise who supported the right for equality and the strive to have equal opportunities within society however Booker T. Washington’s did a lot more for the African American rights, Washington became the Founder of the Niagara movement in 1905. † In 1909 the Niagara movement efforts led to foundation of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) which now is the enforcing representation of the African American whereas Booker T. Washington’s inspiration became a door way to freedom and allowed the African American man to have a voice in society. Finally, if I was African American living at that time, I will say that Booker T. Washington’s and Du Bois were the best representatives of the African Americans all over the country, and Booker T. Washington’s started the movement of the African Americans civil rights, while Du Bois came later to continue and support his efforts, they were great team and deserve the respect.

Puck: Character Analysis Essay

Puck One of the most interesting characters in Shakespeare’s play, Midsummer Night’s Dream, is Puck. Puck’s whimsical spirit, magical fancy, fun-loving humor, and lovely, evocative language permeate the atmosphere of the play. Being brought to the audience’s attention when carrying out Oberon’s orders, Puck is often overlooked in relation to the attention given to other events occurring in each plot. Puck is servant and jester to the Fairy King Oberon and it is his charm and enchantment that serves useful to him and also Oberon. He is poised but not as sugary as the other fairies; as Oberon’s jester, he is given to a certain roughness, which leads him to transform Bottom’s head into that of an ass merely for the sake of enjoyment. Being a fairy of a mischievous nature is what leads Puck into triggering many of the memorable moments in the play. It is because of Puck’s many different character tendencies, along with his ever present m ischievous nature that it is possible to analyze his character in three different ways. The first way to analyze Puck is through his own eyes. A fairy many be the simplest way to describe Puck but he knows he is seen well as a goblin, or a creature of chaos. Agreeing that the previous would more accurately fit his description, Puck knows that he is prone to misadventure and cruel but good-hearted tricks. Knowing that Puck is a mischief maker and creator of chaos, Oberon still relies on him to carry out his orders that way he intends for them to happen. To puck chaos is correct, and it is that chaos that Oberon secretly relies on. When Oberon sends Puck to Titania and her lover, Bottom, it easily foreseen before Puck even arrives that something unfortunate would soon spoil Titania’s evening. Here Puck’s lighthearted, yet cruel trickery gets the best of him where he could not but help himself in turning Bottom’s head into that of an ass. Also, without his wit, creativity, and trickery, Puck would not have been able to trick the mortal men into chasing him. Puck is able only then to lead the mortal men far into the forest where eventually they both tire and fall asleep. Puck knows that his mischievous nature is more than just his entertainment, but that it is also his greatest strength that proves to be useful to his master, Oberon, himself, and also the audience. A second way to view Puck is as a bringer of love, a Cupid of some sort. Although the concept of the love spell was Oberon’s, he delegates the task to Puck. The mortals are not important enough for him to take care of himself and so he delegates this responsibility to puck, acting almost as Hermes to Zeus. As previously stated, Puck is fun-loving and prone to unfortunate mistakes and with this in Oberon’s full knowledge Puck is still given the flower with the power of love. After receiving the flower Puck sets off with the best of intention but his personality wins out. Upon seeing the mortals lying sleeping, Puck confuses which mortal man he is to put the spell on and chooses the wrong one. Creating havoc rather than love, when the mortals wake up Puck realizes what he has done and amused and to some degree pleased, he does not get in any hurry to fix the mistake. He is not sorry, nor does he panic at the thought of Oberon finding out his mistake. Puck instead, blames the misfortune on the lover’s own foolishness. Not having done the work himself the first time, Oberon once again must entrust Puck to undo his mistake. Even after turning the young lover’s world upside down, it is Puck who is sent to restore order and set things right between the lovers, ensuring the play’s happy ending. In many of Shakespeare’s play there is a character whose main purpose is informing the audience of the important aspects of the past, the present, and the future action of the play. These characters are known as the chorus and are prevalent in many of Shakespeare’s dramas. This is third way to view Puck’s character. Sometimes the events taking place are only discussed by the chorus, and other times the chorus seems to make predictions that lead the audience to expect the event. More often than not though, a twist ending is what the audience usually comes to accept. As the chorus, Puck not only directs the drama of A Midsummer Night’s Dream but brings the audience along with him. He keeps them updated on what has happened and what is happening throughout the play. Given that there are two plots, Puck pulls off the task of narrator and fairy guide effortlessly as he ensures that no one gets lost as the two plots continuously weave in and out of each other. To decide between these three different personalities as to which Puck would more closely fit would be interesting and yet near impossible. It is only  when the three personalities are combined that the real exploration and analysis of Puck’s true character can begin. Chaos is usually looked at as a derogatory term, but there can be good and bad chaos. Puck is exactly that, good and bad chaos. In fact, one could say Puck almost perfectly straddles the line between tranquility and chaos in that when it comes to his many unfortunate events, one gets fixed usually before more situations arise. Depending on the recipient of his work, Puck is not evil, just playful enough to cause problems and also smart enough to go back and help undo or fix the multitude of problems he causes throughout the play. Shakespeare’s inclusion of Puck as the form of knowledge shows that there is more to Puck’s character than just a mischievous hobgoblin you see at first glance. His chara cter plays an important, if not major, role in the process of telling the story of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Puck is not to be undermined as just a jokster fairy, but understood in his own right.

Biography of Plato

Biography of Plato Free Online Research Papers Although both Plato and Aristotle had a similar childhood and upraising and followed some of the same footprints both Aristotle and Plato share both many different moral and beliefs on certain issues such as epistemology, cosmology and body and soul theory. In Plato’s republic, Plato shows in the allegory of the cave many things that of which his beliefs on epistemology as he uses the cave to show the peoples shadows cast on the walls as a comparison as that’s all they can see so in turn the shadows are what the people see in our world. Plato also shows the chains to the stereotypical customs and norms, and because people are so busy with the shadows they ignore what is real. On the other hand Aristotle based things on what he could see and what had been shown. In his time Aristotle never met a purely just man, and there had been no sign of a purely justice man in history so he does not exist. Another topic Aristotle and Plato differ is in cosmology or the study of the physical universe as a phenomenon. Plato as many in his time believed in many gods’, of which one created the cosmos but he believes that the god did not make it out of nothing but things were already there because world was in the same of a sphere so in some sense was always perfect. On the other hand Aristotle states that the world did not come to be at one point but rather was already there to some degree for all eternity. Finally Plato and Aristotle contrast in the body and soul theory as Plato saw the body and soul as two different things. Plato believed there were two different worlds, a unreal world of the senses(where we live now) and the real world of ideal forms(where the soul originated) While Aristotle’s theory was based on the ideas of the relation of body and soul and how it was more generally a relation to form and matter. In Plato’s rebublic he discusses many things one of the main ideas was the idea of justice and what is juicte? At the begging of the first chapter Plato with a group of men poses the question of jusice and discusses what it truly means. Although Plato himself never gives jis actual definition of justice rather he has each man give their own definition and he points out the flaws of each. The first man to speak was Cephalus a respect wealthy gentleman, he dines justice as a attempt to to articulate the basic Hesiodic conception: that justice means living up to your legal obligations and being honest. Plato disproves this idea by giving the example of the mad man where in a sense it is the right thing to return a weapon to a madman because he owns the weapon and to some sense it belongs to him legally even though you know that by giving him the weapon beack is unjust because it threatns the life of others. In doing so Plato proves jusice cannot be nothing more than fol lowing the rules obligations and being honoset. The next man to speak was the first mans son and he explains justice, justice means that you owe friends help, and you owe enemies harm. Once again Plato disproves this idea by saying that in everyday life people do not always aaociate themselves with the best of people or friends and in this idea of justice sometimes people would be helping the bad and hurting the good time tpo time because sometimes yor enemeies are not the worst of people and your friends are not the best. Finally having become fed up of the arugument Thrasymachus inturpts and gives his definition as Justice is nothing more than the advantage of the stronger. He believes that it does not pay to be just. And he only thing that happens by being just is the benefit of other people and not yourself Lastly . Thrasymachus assumes here that justice is the unnatural and goes against our natural desire to have more. And the best thing to do is to ignore it because it does not in a ny way benit us to follow it. Once again rather than giving his own defntion of justice tells why Thrasymachus is wrong by givng three reasons. First he says that his idea make the idea of injustice a virtue and in some ways he glorifies it. And that by promting it its giving people the idea that its how has the most is the most virtuiest and trt to get as much property or money that you cn while here on earth. Second Plato explains jutice as to following some sort of rules which allow the groip to function so in doing so the only wat to reach the ultimate goal is to follow some sort of rules. Lastly he argues that it was said justie is a vitue of the ssoul, and by being virtuiols the soul was healthy and this is most diseable by the soul so by behaving badly the soul will in turn suffer. Finally after the conversation wraps up one of Plato’s young companions says states that all goods can be divided into three classes: things that we desire only for their consequences, such as physical training and medical treatment; things that we desire only for their own sake, such as joy; and things we desire both for their own sake and for what we get from them, such as knowledge, sight, and health. Glaucon proves his point by sharing the story of Gyges Ring, the story went a man is given a ring which makes him invisible, so once than man is givne the ring he can act unjustly and gain all he ateralsticy item he could pocess without getting in trouble. This tale he said proves that people are only just because they fear only the punishment by being unjust not by being unjust as there is nothing disearble by being just. Glaucon concludes by saying people prefer to be unjust, but its just not rational to do so, and he argues a unjust life is more pleasant then a just life. Plato believed that every human being on earth processed three souls, that of which correspond to the three classes of citizens within the state. The rational soul which is the mind, where it serves as the thinking part of each of us and distinguishes between what is real and what is not. The next is the spirted soul or free will to carry out everyday life and where it is there to carry out what the mind thinks is best. Lastly is the appetitive soul which is the emoinal part where each of us wants and feels things. And plato argues that it is only when the three souls are functioning as one in harmony is the human being just. One of Plato’s most regoncible example of his views can be sen in the â€Å"Allegory of the cave† which served as a metaphor to contrast the way in which we perceive and believe in what is reality. Plato used the cave as much more than just a cave but a symbol life and his basic background of what he believes in. Plato showed his ideas as humans inside the cave where in some ways they were imprisoned by their bodies and saw only what they could perceive by sight only, and due to the fact they are chained and can only see so far they are basically controlled, and Plato basically says that because of the situation the prisoners are mistaken to what is reality really is. Another topic Plato discussed was the simile of the divided line. Plato divides reality into two major groups, the Intelligible Realm and the Visible Rhealm. The Intelligible Realm is accessible through the mind and contain idas and concepts known as forms such as forms of good and forms of mathmetics and science. Next is the Visible Rhealm which is seen through the fiver senses and contains all phycisal matter and objects such as nature , animals and objecys as well as shadows, reflections and images. Another topic Plato discussed in the Rebblic was the noble lie of men. In this Plato describes a city where the people where organized into categories such as rulers, auxillaries or famers. The rulers or Guardians would be chosen from the military elite becuae they were good at looing at the best intrrst of the city. The auxillaries would then become guardians in traing. At this time the rulers must then tell the city the noble lie for there best intrest. The noble lie was what was told to the people of the city as they were not put into the social classes because of their own control but by what god wanted for them. The lie was hat as children god put either gold, silver or iron in the persons soul as those metals determin their class in society. The rulers told the familes wheater there childenr contained bronze or iron and if so they would drop drastically in ranks and if they told them there was gold they would become guardians instantly. Plato believed the lie was nessiary beca use it kept the social structure stable as the people believed god choice theiur destiny as so they were happy in their situation. And because there wer not many people cabable of looking after the cities best intrst the noble lie had to continue. Both the education and lifestyle of the Guardians is like that unlike anything seen today according to plato the guardians must have some sort of physical education In this phyical triand the guardians would get an idea of the nesseities of war rather than just sport. It is greatly emphized the idea of blance in music and poerty along side phyical traing as to much phycial traing will make the guardians beast while to much music and art will make them unfit or too soft. Another sort of traing the guardians are required in medical traing where doctors are trrained to cure the healthy and curable not the uncurable. And those who are dealthly ill must be left to wait and die. As for the lifestyle Male amd femlaes were both trained along side and got the same education and prepared for the same roles ven though plato agreed man and woman are two completely different natures. For the guardians sexual intercorse was only allowes to be taken place in certin times throughout the year at what they called festiviles where male and females were put together and made husabnd and wifes only for the festitles designed to conceieve a child, once born the childen are taken away so now one ones there real parents at any time two individuals have a child not in the festile times the child would be killed. In order to make sure that the community of guardians did not have incest every child born within seven and ten months must consume their own. Plato argued this was the only way to ensure the city to run smoothly where loyalty would not be dived and everyone in a sense is a family where everyone is equal and share all the same common outlook and concerns To conclude his argument that about justice and how a just life is more favorable he shares the myth of Er. Where a fallen solider in war named Er where he will receive reward in after life. According to the myth Er really did not die but instead is sent to heaven to watch all that happens and observe virtue. In this myth people are either rewarded in heaven or punished in hell for the choices in their life for 1000 years and then are given the choice to become a human or animal in their next life and depending how their past life was that life will determine whether it will be a good or bad next life Aristotle was a great philosopher that believed many things some of which are closely related to Plato but mostly in a sense greatly different. In arguably Aristoile’s greatest work Aristole’s Politics he outlines his basic beliefs and principles in both contrast and comparssion to plato. Aristolte believed many was by nature a poltical animal and that man can only be happy and achieve the good life by living in harmony as citizens within a state. Aristole defined a community as a collection of parts having some functions in common such as households, or economic classes or plotical units and within the city it is composed of indivdual citizens and with them and the natural resources or material things that makes up the state. Aristolte was also a great believer that the body and soul were two completely different things because the body is matter while the soul is form. Aristole believed that everything not just people were made up of both matter and form and that he did not favor either way that the soul is better and the body is almost trapt. Aristole believed everything is something and was orgaized in a certin way, and he believed the soul without the body of vise versa is irational. Aristolte believed the orgin of the state as a poltical community aimed at acheving the highest good. As to the relation of the family and village with the state aristole believed tht different kind of associations xist are founded becuae of different relationships. The basic assocation is the household, the village and finally the most important is the city where people who want to gain the the best life go. Aristole believed it was only within the city people could relize their true nture and outside of it there could be considerd worse than animas. Within the houise hold aristole believes there are three kind of relationships the master to slave, husband to wife and parent to child. Although aristole did nto himself believe in slavary he did in a sense that some people were slaves by nature and it was ok to be ruled, and this relates to the body and soul as the ,master pocesses powers as the slave lacks all of those and is left to perfom his duties. Regarding th houshold make up Aristole believe than women were ranked higher than slaves but not as much as men That the husband and wife share some of the same basic free’s but the male by naure is more fit to run and lead the family then the wife so that is why the husband not the wife who leads the household. Aristole believed greatly that friends were a big component of the good ife and regarded it as a vital part of human mortality. He believed justice was concerned with smooth running and fairnss of personal relations. Aristole claimed justice in the exchange of property requires careful understading in order to preserve equity. Arisole believed that there were six kinds of constitutions, three that were just and three that were unjust. He belived that a city is just when it bemefits eberytone in it but uinjust when it only benefits those who have power. Aristole states when a single person rules a consution it is a monachry if they are good and they are a tyranny is they are bad. When a small group rules it is a aristocracy and a oligarchy if they rule badly. And when a mass rule a constition it is a polity if they rule well and a democracy is they rule badly. Aristole belioevd that a polity is the least susepile to corruption as it gives the laws to higher authority then the governing body while giving the power to the governing body it gives more room abuse and corruption. Aristole purposed a distributive justice that benefirs should be advised differenlt to different citizens depending on the make up and well being of the sate. As much as they might share in common at times Aristole many different views on issues and one of those is Plato’s ideal state in the Rebublic.Plato believde that people should share as much as possible including wives, children and even property and the goal of the city is to achieve as much unity as possible. Aristole believed that it was very dangerous to leave the city in the hands of one class. And that in platos ideal state it deprives the guardians and by doing so the whole rebublicis deprived of happiness and goes against the idea of asssocation Arisole also believd that thi system was bad because people must have different roles within the city and contribute different hings in order for the city to run at its best and remain self sufficient. Aristole finds for major flaws in Palto’s ideas one Plato’s city required a huge amount of land but in no way planned to insure safety with his neighboirrs, two generocity should be the main principle of gaing wea lth, third plato conrxts himself by saying land should be divided into even spaces and distbuted between the people but made no plans on population growth and lastly plato aimed at a balnced government but inturn ends up with a oligracy. Aristole on the the other hand believed the ideal city should be made in order to insure the happiness of all the citizens with in the community. In his city Aristole would make sure it was large enough to insure it would remian self sfficent but still small enough to ensure fellow feeling. Aristole though that the ideal city should be located by water to allow easier sea commerece. He believed young me should serve in the military while middle aged men govern the city and the older men take care of all the relgious affiars and the bad jobs remain for the non citizens where they take cvare of farming and crafts. In his ideal state Aristole believed education was very important insuring a well run city, and he peferd a public program to private turoting. Aristole beliebvd care should be taken from the time they are in the womb through cildhood to be taught the right way and to be a better contrubtor in society. And finally Arsitole was a big bievler in reading in writing as well as physical educaton and art and drwaling. He believed this kind of educatrion was benefical to make the best out of each person and make the best out of their time of both work andd play to insure the good life. Aristole believd that the city varied greatly depending on the wealth, population and mau others. Aristole founf that the major downfall in any city is the tension between the rich and the poor, and that it is the middle class that keeps the cityu in equlabrium and helps fight agains coruption and opression. There are three branches of government the civic government are the deliberative, which makes most of the the major political decisions of the state; the executive, which help to run the day-to-day business with in the state; and the judicial, which delas with the legal affairs of the state. Aristole believd that It was not smart to disclude any one from public office because those are the peopl most of the time that rise against the government. So Aristoles recomfation was moderati, education and inclusiveness and that evertoyn the rich the poor and minortiy can be balanced by equal amount of power. So everyone is in a sense equal but balancwed with one in another Although both Plato’s Rebublic and Aristolte’s Poltics differ in many ways and share drastic view points and ideas they both In a sense share some of the same common grounds such as both looked to improving society although plato was more concerned with finding the perfect utopian socity and aristole knew there was no such thing and the best you can do is look to improve wjay is already there they both produced blueprints and showed what need to be done In order to have the society run and interact best. They both looked in the best interests of the citizens and wanted the city to run and its best and reach maximum happiness for the inhabitanyts. Both Plato and Aristole believd greatly in the idea of justice and allow thry both do not give a official defntion for them selves they both share the idea that justice exists in a objective sense and that it is there to insure the good life of all individuals no matter the class they are in wheather it is rich or poor. And no matter their viewpoint on the idea of justice for both it is used to insure equality. Even though Aristole found many flaws in P;ato’s idea of the perfect state it can be said that both aristole and plato shared the common ground in finding ways to best build a better socirty t live in and ry to insure a better future and both had a major impact on poltical scienstis as well as manuy individuals and still remain today two of the most inflnetial physphers of all time and both Aristole’s Poltics and Plato’s Rebublic have stood the test of time and each have many good tid bits to share and still relate to the world today. For my evualtion of both Aristole (Aristole’s Poltics) and Plato (Plato’s Rebublic) I would say in this ssesmster I learned many new things and ways of thinking that I was not normally use to see things in, but overall all I would saw in some sense I really like what both have to say but in some cases I still feel thayt they were truly dead wrong on the issue. What I really found myself asking as I wrote on both Plato and Aristole where still around today during modern times if today that they would change some of their outlooks and viewpoints. But overall im really glad I took this class because it really opened my mind to a new way of thinking if other wise I never would of gotten and taught me to think of things not just of normal thinking but in some cases out od the box. Research Papers on Biography of PlatoCapital PunishmentEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseMind TravelBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite ReligionHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 Europe

Ivy League MOOCs - Free Online Classes from the Ivies

Ivy League MOOCs - Free Online Classes from the Ivies Most of the eight ivy league universities are now offering some form of publicly available free online classes. MOOCs (massively open online classes) offer learners everywhere the opportunity to learn from ivy league instructors and interact with other students while completing their coursework. Some MOOCs even provide students the opportunity to earn a certificate that can be listed on a resume or used to demonstrate ongoing learning. See how you can take advantage of no-cost, instructor-led courses from Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, UPenn, or Yale. Keep in mind that free MOOCs are different from registering as a student at a university. If you would prefer to earn an official degree or graduate certificate from an ivy league online, check out the article on How to Earn an Online Degree from an Ivy League University. Brown Brown offers several no-cost MOOCs to the public through Coursera. Options include courses like â€Å"Coding the Matrix: Linear Algebra Through Computer Science Applications,† â€Å"Archeology’s Dirty Secrets† and â€Å"The Fiction of Relationship.† Columbia Also through Coursea, Columbia offers a number of instructor-led MOOCs. These online courses include â€Å"Economics of Money and Banking,† â€Å"How Viruses Cause Disease,† â€Å"Big Data in Education,† â€Å"Introduction to Sustainable Development,† and more. Cornell Cornell instructors offer MOOCs on a wide variety of subjects through CornellX - a part of edX. Courses include topics such as â€Å"The Ethics of Eating,† â€Å"Civic Ecology: Reclaiming Broken Places,† â€Å"American Capitalism: A History,† and â€Å"Relativity and Astrophysics.† Students can audit the courses for free or earn a verified certificate by paying a small fee. Dartmouth Dartmouth is still working on building its presence on edX. It currently offers a single course: â€Å"Introduction to Environmental Science.† The school also offers the Trustees of Dartmouth College seminar series, featuring livestream seminars for health care professionals every other Wednesday. Past seminars have included: â€Å"Behavioral Economics and Health,† â€Å"Letting Patients Help Heal Health Care: Extents and Limits of Patient Contributions,† and â€Å"Characteristics and Consequences of Hospital Closures.† Harvard Amongst the ivies, Harvard has led the way toward greater open learning. HarvardX, a part of edX, offers over fifty instructor-led MOOCs on a wide variety of subjects. Notable courses include: â€Å"Saving Schools: History, Politics, and Policy in U.S. Education,† â€Å"Poetry in America: Whitman,† â€Å"Copyright,† â€Å"The Einstein Revolution,† and â€Å"Introduction to Bioconductor.† Students may choose to audit courses or complete all coursework for a verified edX certificate. Harvard also provides a searchable database of their online courses, both current and archived. Finally, through their Open Learning Initiative, Harvard offers dozens of video lectures in Quicktime, Flash, and mp3 formats. These recorded lectures were created from actual Harvard courses. Although the recordings are not complete courses with assignments, many lecture series provide a semester’s worth of instruction. Video series include â€Å"Intensive Introduction to Computer Science,† â€Å"Abstract Algebra,† â€Å"Shakespeare After All: The Later Plays,† and more. Students can view or listen to the courses through the Open Learning Initiative site or subscribe through iTunes. Princeton Princeton provides a number of MOOCs through the Coursera platform. Options include â€Å"Analysis of Algorithms,† â€Å"Fog Networks and the Internet of Things,† â€Å"Imagining Other Earths,† and â€Å"Introduction to Sociology.† UPenn The University of Pennsylvania offers a few MOOCs via Coursera. Notable options include: â€Å"Design: Creation of Artifacts in Society,† â€Å"Principles of Microeconomics,† â€Å"Designing Cities,† and â€Å"Gamification.† UPenn also offers their own database of current and upcoming online courses, searchable by date. Yale Open Yale offers learners the opportunity to review video / audio lectures and assignments from previous Yale courses. As courses are not led by an instructor, students may access the material at any time. Currently available courses include subjects such as â€Å"Foundations of a Modern Social Theory,† â€Å"Roman Architecture,† â€Å"Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Faulkner,† and â€Å"Frontiers and Controversies in Astrophysics.† No discussion boards or opportunities for student interaction are provided. Jamie Littlefield is a writer and instructional designer. She can be reached on Twitter or through her educational coaching website: jamielittlefield.com.

Task 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Task 2 - Essay Example One of which could be the rampant issue of deceptive advertising where people nowadays are being shown half truths reflected in any kind of advertisement, from print, radio, to television. Consumer protection laws are indeed very important to have because of the fact that when it comes to any kind of commercial dealings, we would realize that private or publicly owned companies would have greater knowledge about their products or services offered, thus, gaining them a stronger bargaining power while individual consumers would just have to take that risk to spend money over something that they hope would be worth it and at the same time beneficial for a specific need. That is why regulators have mandated that to be able to achieve total transparency between the two parties involved, having protection laws starting from the formation of one’s product by conducting cost-benefit studies to its marketing strategies, whatever it would cost. Applying this knowledge to the situation presented in the film â€Å"Class Action†, there really are a lot of ethical and legal issues that would surround it. To give you an idea of what the movie centered on, it was actually about a lawsuit concerning the damages caused by a faulty automobile that caused death and at the same time a permanent damage to other people’s lives as well (Class Action, 1991). Relating this situation to the facts stated in â€Å"Relationship with Consumers† chapter 8, one would clearly see the need to be able to consider doing a cost-benefit analysis on any kind of product one is about to sell to consumers even if it means that one would have to spend more than the predicted damage cost by an unsure product. Though it is legal for companies to not pursue the changes reflected in any kind of cost benefit study on a certain product if the cost of perhaps using a certain kind of