"How does Friedrich Gentz distinguish between the American and French Revolutions? Do you see the influence of Edmund Burke in his thinking?
Friedrich Gentz distinguishes very particular differences in the American and French Revolutions. He saw the American Revolution as a defensive measure to uphold the rights that they had for over a century. He sees the French Revolution as an offensive measure which tried to pull down French society's fabric and reupholster it.
To answer the question about whether or not I see Edmund Burke's influence in the thinking of Gentz, ultimately yes. I believe that I do see this influence, or at least, I see extreme similarities between these two people's thinking patterns. Burke and Gentz both thought that society is built over time and not simply ripped apart and put together again in a mismatching puzzle piece fashion. Burke had a very conservative thinking process. As stated before, he didn't believe it correct to put together a completely new society in a heartbeat, so to speak. He saw long-standing institutions as being there for a reason. If one existed, for let's say, a thousand years, it's probably a good assumption that there's a reason for this institution being around.
There you have it. Friedrich Gentz, Edmund Burke, the American Revolution, and the French Revolution–distinguished, explained, and pieced together in blog/essay like proportions.
"What points is Mary Wollstonecraft making in the excerpts you read from the beginning of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman? What would she like to see changed in European society?"
In the excerpts I read I found that Mary Wollstonecraft had a deep yearning to see girls educated and given deserving rights of the human species. She likewise thought that women ought to be treated as rational individuals and not simply like alluring objects for a man's short-term fancy.
Allow me to include this excerpt by Mary Wollstonecraft in which she is speaking to the female gender:
"My own sex, I hope, will excuse me, if I treat them like rational creatures, instead of flattering their fascinating graces, and viewing them as if they were in a state of perpetual childhood, unable to stand alone."
Simply stated, she didn't particularly enjoy women acting like they had no real intelligence.
I conclude then that Mary Wollstonecraft wished to see women educated, respected even of themselves, and being able to stand on their own two feet in a male-dominated European society.
Thanks for reading!
Showing posts with label society. Show all posts
Showing posts with label society. Show all posts
Monday, January 25, 2016
Thursday, January 30, 2014
The Monks and Christian Writers of Old
"What kinds of contributions did the monks make to European society?"
The kinds of contributions that the monks made were quite vast indeed! The monks did everything from beer brewing, to copying manuscripts, and even spent time participating in agriculture!
I would like to mention that the monks didn't only copy manuscripts of religious significance, but also some of the great writings pertaining to things outside of their religion.
They also served as innkeepers for those who had been shipwrecked or were lost, and some monks were teachers as well. Among these things, their monasteries would sometimes serve as hospitals for the sick.
I have to say that the monks certainly made some fantastic contributions to European society! Who knows where we would be had it not been for the monks!
"What was the attitude of most Christian writers toward the philosophers of ancient Greece?"
The attitude of most Christian writers toward the philosophers of ancient Greece is probably not what you would expect. The attitude of most Christian writers was actually quite welcoming toward them! The Christian writers saw many of the philosophers as hinting at the existence of the one true God of whom they believed. They thought that the teachings of the ancient Greek philosophers should therefore be preserved for others to learn. Of course there was a small minority that didn't believe this. The minority thought that anything other than the teachings of the Gospel were not necessary to the Christian religion. But this was certainly not the wide-held view!
Thank you so much for reading this essay, and please let me know what you think! I would love to hear from you!
The kinds of contributions that the monks made were quite vast indeed! The monks did everything from beer brewing, to copying manuscripts, and even spent time participating in agriculture!
I would like to mention that the monks didn't only copy manuscripts of religious significance, but also some of the great writings pertaining to things outside of their religion.
They also served as innkeepers for those who had been shipwrecked or were lost, and some monks were teachers as well. Among these things, their monasteries would sometimes serve as hospitals for the sick.
I have to say that the monks certainly made some fantastic contributions to European society! Who knows where we would be had it not been for the monks!
"What was the attitude of most Christian writers toward the philosophers of ancient Greece?"
The attitude of most Christian writers toward the philosophers of ancient Greece is probably not what you would expect. The attitude of most Christian writers was actually quite welcoming toward them! The Christian writers saw many of the philosophers as hinting at the existence of the one true God of whom they believed. They thought that the teachings of the ancient Greek philosophers should therefore be preserved for others to learn. Of course there was a small minority that didn't believe this. The minority thought that anything other than the teachings of the Gospel were not necessary to the Christian religion. But this was certainly not the wide-held view!
Thank you so much for reading this essay, and please let me know what you think! I would love to hear from you!
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Tiberius Gracchus and the Struggle of the Orders
"Why did Tiberius Gracchus attract so much suspicion from the Roman Senate?"
To some, Tiberius Gracchus was a visionary. To others, he was a poisonous spider that must be stomped on before it bites. Needles to say, the people who looked down at him with a negative reaction would in the end, cause some disastrous consequences.
He was a politician that did things that simply weren't done. This is why I believe that he received so much suspicion from the Roman Senate. For instance, he ran for re-election as tribune which was not customary. He also wanted to give back land to those who had fought by using tax revenues from one of the new kingdoms of Rome. This was also not a customary practice.
In the future, Tiberius is brutally killed over what we are told, was a misunderstanding.
Later on, his idea of land commission ends up having some success. This makes you wonder if perhaps the Roman Senate was more afraid of Tiberius' leaving of tradition, rather than his ideas.
"What specific changes occurred in Roman society as a result of the Struggle of the Orders?"
First of all, let me give you some background information on what exactly the Struggle of the Orders was.
The Struggle of the Orders was just that, a Struggle of the Orders. These two orders, the Plebeians and the Patricians, were in a dispute over weather or not the Plebeians should have as much freedom as the Patricians did.
In Roman society, if you were born a Plebeian, then you stayed a Plebeian no matter what. Likewise, if you were born a Patrician, then you stayed a Patrician. In this case, it did not matter how hard a Plebeian would try to gain as much freedom as a Patrician. It was all about what class you were born into.
After awhile, the Plebeians got sick and tired of being treated like second-class citizens, and rebelled. They did this by leaving. Since they greatly outnumbered the Patricians, this worked out rather well.
Gradually, they started coming back. Once they were back, they began to increase in freedom, but the Patricians did still have certain benefits that the Plebeians didn't.
The Plebeians were getting the freedom that they had hoped for. Intermarriage between the two classes was made legal, you couldn't be enslaved for debts you owed, and by 342 BC, one consul actually had to be a Plebeian!
These were some of the changes that occurred in Roman Society as a result of the Struggle of the Orders.
I hope that you have enjoyed this essay, and please let me know what you think!
To some, Tiberius Gracchus was a visionary. To others, he was a poisonous spider that must be stomped on before it bites. Needles to say, the people who looked down at him with a negative reaction would in the end, cause some disastrous consequences.
He was a politician that did things that simply weren't done. This is why I believe that he received so much suspicion from the Roman Senate. For instance, he ran for re-election as tribune which was not customary. He also wanted to give back land to those who had fought by using tax revenues from one of the new kingdoms of Rome. This was also not a customary practice.
In the future, Tiberius is brutally killed over what we are told, was a misunderstanding.
Later on, his idea of land commission ends up having some success. This makes you wonder if perhaps the Roman Senate was more afraid of Tiberius' leaving of tradition, rather than his ideas.
"What specific changes occurred in Roman society as a result of the Struggle of the Orders?"
First of all, let me give you some background information on what exactly the Struggle of the Orders was.
The Struggle of the Orders was just that, a Struggle of the Orders. These two orders, the Plebeians and the Patricians, were in a dispute over weather or not the Plebeians should have as much freedom as the Patricians did.
In Roman society, if you were born a Plebeian, then you stayed a Plebeian no matter what. Likewise, if you were born a Patrician, then you stayed a Patrician. In this case, it did not matter how hard a Plebeian would try to gain as much freedom as a Patrician. It was all about what class you were born into.
After awhile, the Plebeians got sick and tired of being treated like second-class citizens, and rebelled. They did this by leaving. Since they greatly outnumbered the Patricians, this worked out rather well.
Gradually, they started coming back. Once they were back, they began to increase in freedom, but the Patricians did still have certain benefits that the Plebeians didn't.
The Plebeians were getting the freedom that they had hoped for. Intermarriage between the two classes was made legal, you couldn't be enslaved for debts you owed, and by 342 BC, one consul actually had to be a Plebeian!
These were some of the changes that occurred in Roman Society as a result of the Struggle of the Orders.
I hope that you have enjoyed this essay, and please let me know what you think!
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Medea (Thoughts)
"What does the fate of Medea and those who mistreat her and oppress her say about it's own time?"
The play Medea is about a woman who has been left by her husband for a princess. Obviously, she is upset about this. (Wouldn't you be too?) She was in despair and she decided to commit a series of brutal murders in order to avenge the misfortune that her husband had brought upon her.
In her doing this, we can see very clearly the affects that the Peloponessian War had caused. (the play and the war were about the same time)
This work of Greek drama has a mix of grief, anger, and love all wrapped up into one. This being the case, I can see the same thing in war.
War is typically brought on by grief (and or) anger just as the murders that Medea committed were brought on by these.
In war we also see love. Men leaving their friends and families can be tragic. It tears the people affected apart. It can be the making or unmaking of a person, and in Medea's case, it was her unmaking.
It was tragic, just as the time of the Peloponessian War was tragic. These are the things that I see reflected in the play Medea.
"Can we learn anything from Medea about the Greek's attitude towards foreigners and women?"
Yes, I believe that we can. In Medea we see both a mix of those that don't care what your gender is or about where you come from, and then again, we see those who do. (Sounds a bit like society today don't you think?)
We see some, (her husband, Jason for example) that can be sexist. He seems to see Medea as no more than a play thing. Something that he can leave and not reap the consequences of doing so. And then we see others such as the king. He seems less opposed to the opposite gender than did Jason. We see this when his daughter is killed by Medea. He is heart-broken by the loss of his dear daughter. In this seen, we can tell that he really did care for his daughter. It certainly didn't seem like he thought of her as no more than a play thing.
Now I will do my best to answer the question concerning the view of foreigners.
Medea was a foreigner and it appears that although she was respected by some, she was also mistreated by others. (Again, I am using Jason as an example). He left her for a woman of his own city. Not that of another which Medea was. And then again, we see the man who agreed to offer Medea safety in his land if she could get there. It doesn't seem like he was very opposed to foreigners.
Yes, I think that there where certain wide-held views of women and foreigners, but also that there were some who didn't have those views. I believe that just like with anything in the world, it was a mixed lot.
Thank you so much for reading, and please let me know what you think!
The play Medea is about a woman who has been left by her husband for a princess. Obviously, she is upset about this. (Wouldn't you be too?) She was in despair and she decided to commit a series of brutal murders in order to avenge the misfortune that her husband had brought upon her.
In her doing this, we can see very clearly the affects that the Peloponessian War had caused. (the play and the war were about the same time)
This work of Greek drama has a mix of grief, anger, and love all wrapped up into one. This being the case, I can see the same thing in war.
War is typically brought on by grief (and or) anger just as the murders that Medea committed were brought on by these.
In war we also see love. Men leaving their friends and families can be tragic. It tears the people affected apart. It can be the making or unmaking of a person, and in Medea's case, it was her unmaking.
It was tragic, just as the time of the Peloponessian War was tragic. These are the things that I see reflected in the play Medea.
"Can we learn anything from Medea about the Greek's attitude towards foreigners and women?"
Yes, I believe that we can. In Medea we see both a mix of those that don't care what your gender is or about where you come from, and then again, we see those who do. (Sounds a bit like society today don't you think?)
We see some, (her husband, Jason for example) that can be sexist. He seems to see Medea as no more than a play thing. Something that he can leave and not reap the consequences of doing so. And then we see others such as the king. He seems less opposed to the opposite gender than did Jason. We see this when his daughter is killed by Medea. He is heart-broken by the loss of his dear daughter. In this seen, we can tell that he really did care for his daughter. It certainly didn't seem like he thought of her as no more than a play thing.
Now I will do my best to answer the question concerning the view of foreigners.
Medea was a foreigner and it appears that although she was respected by some, she was also mistreated by others. (Again, I am using Jason as an example). He left her for a woman of his own city. Not that of another which Medea was. And then again, we see the man who agreed to offer Medea safety in his land if she could get there. It doesn't seem like he was very opposed to foreigners.
Yes, I think that there where certain wide-held views of women and foreigners, but also that there were some who didn't have those views. I believe that just like with anything in the world, it was a mixed lot.
Thank you so much for reading, and please let me know what you think!
Friday, November 1, 2013
The Peloponnesian War and Pericles' Funeral Oration
"What points is Pericles trying to make about Athens in his Funeral Oration?"
Pericles was trying to get across how wonderful Athens was, praise the people, and honor the dead at the same time.
He talked about all the advantages that Athenian citizens had, he tried to motivate the living during a time of war, and as stated earlier, honor the dead.
He wanted to help the people to keep going by telling them about what they had to live up to (The dead soldiers). He also tried to give them a reason(s)to keep fighting by telling them about all that they had to lose. He told them about all of the amazing advantages that Athens had to offer like its freedom in government and ordinary life.
These were the points that Pericles was trying to make in his Funeral Oration.
"Why was the Peloponnesian War fought? What was its long-term significance?"
The Peloponnesian War was fought for these reasons.
1. Athens appeared to be using the Delian League's ship-building funds to help beautify itself instead of to build ships for the protection of those in the Delian League.
2. Sparta was afraid that Athens was becoming too powerful.
Here is the war's long-term significance.
1. Athens would lose its dominance of the other members of the Delian League.
2. Sparta would take control of things.
3. In the end, this war between the Greeks would ultimately weaken them and spell out some serious consequences.
Well, That's all for this week. I hope that you have enjoyed this essay on "The Peloponnesian War and Pericles' Funeral Oration". See you next Friday, and please let me know what you think!
Pericles was trying to get across how wonderful Athens was, praise the people, and honor the dead at the same time.
He talked about all the advantages that Athenian citizens had, he tried to motivate the living during a time of war, and as stated earlier, honor the dead.
He wanted to help the people to keep going by telling them about what they had to live up to (The dead soldiers). He also tried to give them a reason(s)to keep fighting by telling them about all that they had to lose. He told them about all of the amazing advantages that Athens had to offer like its freedom in government and ordinary life.
These were the points that Pericles was trying to make in his Funeral Oration.
"Why was the Peloponnesian War fought? What was its long-term significance?"
The Peloponnesian War was fought for these reasons.
1. Athens appeared to be using the Delian League's ship-building funds to help beautify itself instead of to build ships for the protection of those in the Delian League.
2. Sparta was afraid that Athens was becoming too powerful.
Here is the war's long-term significance.
1. Athens would lose its dominance of the other members of the Delian League.
2. Sparta would take control of things.
3. In the end, this war between the Greeks would ultimately weaken them and spell out some serious consequences.
Well, That's all for this week. I hope that you have enjoyed this essay on "The Peloponnesian War and Pericles' Funeral Oration". See you next Friday, and please let me know what you think!
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Aristotle and Sparta
"Why was Aristotle a significant figure?"
Well...This is a tricky subject. I mean, what makes anyone a significant person in history? The person was born, raised, the person had a brain, a heart, and I'm sure that they had a favorite food, but obviously these facts aren't what makes a person significant. Considering all of the people in the world it's a strange wonder how anyone makes it to the top.
Alright,so let's just try and figure out what the significant figures all have in common. They all have that strange, magical, mystifying, and very rare ability to pull people in to what they are saying. There could be the person who is the key to every question that the human race have ever asked living on this planet right now and we wouldn't even know who that person was if he had no means of telling us. If he didn't have the talent or resources to tell us, then how would he? Well, he wouldn't because he couldn't. That's it then, we have found the reason that Aristotle was significant! No no no, remove that ridiculous idea from your mind! We still have quite a ways to go in figuring out why this man was significant. What is another thing that all significant people have in common? That's right, all significant people have a message that they think is important to the world that they would like to share. Do we have the answer yet? No, I'm afraid not. We know that he had some way of drawing attention to himself and that he had a message to give, but what was that message and why was it important? Then and only then, will we know what was so significant about Aristotle.
(Caution! You are now entering into a different time in history! You may experience the feeling that only comes from the sheer perfection of learning about the past.)
"Excuse me, but you seem to be a little lost. Is there anything that I can help you with?" The stranger looks at you calmly and sincerely. "Yes, indeed you can. I am looking for Aristotle the philosopher. Do you know where I can find him?" "Surely, I believe that he is with young Alexander right about now." You give the stranger a nod of gratitude and hurry down the road till you find the place where the future Alexander the Great and the philosopher Aristotle were studying. "Excuse me sirs, but I am in need of both your assistance. You see, I need to know what makes Aristotle here a significant figure! I have searched high and low but I cannot seem to find the answer. I thought that if I spoke to you directly, then I might understand it more clearly." Aristotle and young Alexander look at you in amazement. "I do not know what makes you think that you can just barge into the lesson I am teaching, but because you seem so genuinely confused, you are welcome to sit in and listen to what I have to say for the time being. You thank the man for allowing you this great honor and sit quietly while him and Alexander go through that day's lesson.
Through sitting here, you learn many things about this person that you have only read and heard about through your life. You learn that he thought that we should not simply ignore the world in which we live, but rather, we should study it. You hear him talk about his findings in science as well as his moral beliefs. You come to see that he is a very logical person and it is no wonder to you now why he was so significant in history.
When the lesson is finished, you thank the two and go back to your world. When you arrive you quickly write down your findings on why this man was so significant. Here is what you wrote. "Aristotle was a man with a mind of his own. He did not just accept the findings of others to be true. He wanted to know for himself. This was what made him a philosopher. He was not simply a philosopher though, he was a philosopher who wanted to know many things. He thought about science, politics, logic, etc. He made us use our minds. His ideas intrigued us, He made us think logically through questions that we have asked ourselves, and he tried his very best to leave us with some idea of our world. He was "the philosopher." This is why he was and still is, a significant figure.
"What was Spartan society like?"
Spartan society was a very strange place to say the least. Once Sparta had conquered Messenia, they enslaved the conquered people. It turned out that the slaves or helots as they called them, ended up greatly outnumbering Sparta. Because they were afraid of a helot revolt, they decided to turn Sparta into a military state.
They took the Spartan boys at age 7 and forced them to commit horrible acts, eat only a small amount of food, took away their shoes, and they only gave them one cloak. The boys would be in the military training for 13 years. Once they reached the age of twenty, the boys would join into the citizen army and be allowed to marry.
The girls were not taken from home but did have to participate in sports such as running. This was so that they would be fit bearers of children.
Finally, after all of that time away from home, at age 30, the Spartan men could go back to their families! Even though they were allowed to live at home, they still had to eat at a public mess hall.
Now I will tell you about the government of Sparta. Sparta had two kings, a council of elders, an executive board of five ephors, and an assembly of citizens which consisted of every Spartan male who was over the age of 30.
Well, now you know a little bit about Sparta. Shout it from the roof tops, tell it to all of your friends, send out Sparta information packets in the mail! (Please don't actually do that.)
I hope that you have enjoyed this essay, and please let me know what you think!
(Caution! You are now entering into a different time in history! You may experience the feeling that only comes from the sheer perfection of learning about the past.)
"Excuse me, but you seem to be a little lost. Is there anything that I can help you with?" The stranger looks at you calmly and sincerely. "Yes, indeed you can. I am looking for Aristotle the philosopher. Do you know where I can find him?" "Surely, I believe that he is with young Alexander right about now." You give the stranger a nod of gratitude and hurry down the road till you find the place where the future Alexander the Great and the philosopher Aristotle were studying. "Excuse me sirs, but I am in need of both your assistance. You see, I need to know what makes Aristotle here a significant figure! I have searched high and low but I cannot seem to find the answer. I thought that if I spoke to you directly, then I might understand it more clearly." Aristotle and young Alexander look at you in amazement. "I do not know what makes you think that you can just barge into the lesson I am teaching, but because you seem so genuinely confused, you are welcome to sit in and listen to what I have to say for the time being. You thank the man for allowing you this great honor and sit quietly while him and Alexander go through that day's lesson.
Through sitting here, you learn many things about this person that you have only read and heard about through your life. You learn that he thought that we should not simply ignore the world in which we live, but rather, we should study it. You hear him talk about his findings in science as well as his moral beliefs. You come to see that he is a very logical person and it is no wonder to you now why he was so significant in history.
When the lesson is finished, you thank the two and go back to your world. When you arrive you quickly write down your findings on why this man was so significant. Here is what you wrote. "Aristotle was a man with a mind of his own. He did not just accept the findings of others to be true. He wanted to know for himself. This was what made him a philosopher. He was not simply a philosopher though, he was a philosopher who wanted to know many things. He thought about science, politics, logic, etc. He made us use our minds. His ideas intrigued us, He made us think logically through questions that we have asked ourselves, and he tried his very best to leave us with some idea of our world. He was "the philosopher." This is why he was and still is, a significant figure.
"What was Spartan society like?"
Spartan society was a very strange place to say the least. Once Sparta had conquered Messenia, they enslaved the conquered people. It turned out that the slaves or helots as they called them, ended up greatly outnumbering Sparta. Because they were afraid of a helot revolt, they decided to turn Sparta into a military state.
They took the Spartan boys at age 7 and forced them to commit horrible acts, eat only a small amount of food, took away their shoes, and they only gave them one cloak. The boys would be in the military training for 13 years. Once they reached the age of twenty, the boys would join into the citizen army and be allowed to marry.
The girls were not taken from home but did have to participate in sports such as running. This was so that they would be fit bearers of children.
Finally, after all of that time away from home, at age 30, the Spartan men could go back to their families! Even though they were allowed to live at home, they still had to eat at a public mess hall.
Now I will tell you about the government of Sparta. Sparta had two kings, a council of elders, an executive board of five ephors, and an assembly of citizens which consisted of every Spartan male who was over the age of 30.
Well, now you know a little bit about Sparta. Shout it from the roof tops, tell it to all of your friends, send out Sparta information packets in the mail! (Please don't actually do that.)
I hope that you have enjoyed this essay, and please let me know what you think!
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