Friedrich Gentz, Edmund Burke, and Mary Wollstonecraft

"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!    

Optimism in Livy and Ovid

"Was there any basis for an optimistic view of Rome in Livy and Ovid?"


     Can we find any basis for an optimistic view of Rome?  I think that we absolutely can!  For instance, In Livy, when the Sabine women are kidnapped, they end up giving in after a while and their children became Rome's first offspring.  I suppose that there is reason for optimism there.  

     In Ovid we see that two people did survive the flood of Jupiter.  They were even allowed to continue the human race.  So, was there any basis for an optimistic view?  Yes, I believe that there was.

Thank you for reading, and please let me know what you think!

 

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 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! 

     

Colorblindness

       Why are men more likely than women to be colorblind?              
     
     First of all, I would like to tell you a bit about what colorblindness is.  It is usually a sex-linked trait that makes it so that some people can't see certain colors.  (Rarely, for us humans of Earth, no colors at all!)

     Now I will give the answer to why men are more likely than women to be colorblind.   
     Well, colorblindness is carried by the X chromosome and not the Y chromosome.  Women have two X chromosomes (XX) whereas men only have one X chromosome and one Y chromosome (XY).  This means that a woman can be a carrier and not actually get colorblindness because the other X chromosome can "mask" the colorblindness from the other X chromosome.  Since men have one X and one Y chromosome, they don't have another X chromosome to "mask" the colorblindness.  
     
     In order for a woman to inherit colorblindness she would have to get it from both of the two parents.  For a man, he would only need to inherit it from one parent.
    
     These are the interesting reasons why men are more likely than women to be colorblind.
     
     Thank you very much for taking the time to read this, and please let me know what you think!