Plato-Machiavelli Comparison

Danielle Butler October 16, 2011 English 101/ O. C #2-Machiavelli Though often presented as two ideological opposites, personally I find there to be a lot more similarities between Plato and Machiavelli than usually acknowledged. Obviously there are some sharp contrasts. If one examines the excerpts from Machiavelli’s â€Å"The Prince† and Plato’s â€Å"The Republic†, it’s easy to conclude that Plato believed it to be essential for a government leader to be just, good, and free from corruption. Whereas Machiavelli’s ideal ruler is less concerned about morality, and more about shrewdness, awareness, and pragmatism.. That being said, ultimately both men arrive to the same conclusion all be it through different means; that a ruler’s primary objective is to create and maintain a unified, orderly, and controlled state, with a content population. When it comes to humanity, Machiavelli is considered pessimistic, due to his less than glowing expectations for the nature of man, as he clearly states â€Å" For one can generally say this about men: that they are ungrateful, fickle, simulators and deceivers, avoiders of danger, greedy for gain.. † (46). While Machiavelli’s opinion of men in general leaves little to be questioned, I find Plato’s generalized idealism to be far more dubious. In the Republic, it appears that Plato’s optimisms about human nature, and capability does not extend to everyone, asserting that many people are better off being ruled by â€Å"better men†. In book 9 Socrate’s states to Glaucon â€Å"Tharsymacus did in the case of subjects, that the slave should be governed by his own harm, but on the ground that it is better to be governed by the divine and the intelligent preferably indwelling and his own, but in default of that imposed from without, in order that we all so far as possible may be akin and friendly because our governance and guidance are the same? † (Plat. Rep. 9. 590d) Both Machiavelli and Plato also recognize that generally, most people of the populace are easily manipulated by their senses. Plato illustrates that in his â€Å"allegory of the cave†. Machiavelli makes it clear that he feels this shortcoming to be advantageous for the â€Å"prince†, and it should be exploited when need be, as he states â€Å" he (the prince) should appear, upon seeing him and hearing him, to be all mercy, all faithfulness , all integrity, all kindness, all religion. And there is nothing more necessary than to seem to possess this last quality. And men in general judge more by their eyes than their hands; for everyone can see but few can feel. † (49). While many may chide Machiavelli’s approach as disingenuous and manipulative, which it plainly is, how much does this tactic differ from Plato’s suggestions? In the Republic, Plato suggests that society must be persuaded by a â€Å"noble lie† to unify the citizens and deepen their allegiance to their community as Socrates states â€Å"How, then, said I, â€Å"might we contrive  one of those opportune falsehoods  of which we were just now speaking, â€Å"so as by one noble lie to persuade if possible the rulers themselves, but failing that the rest of the city? â€Å"What kind of a fiction do you mean? † said he. â€Å"Nothing unprecedented,† said I, â€Å"but a sort of Phoenician tale,something that has happened ere now in many parts of the world, as the poets aver and have induced men to believe, but that has not happened and perhaps would not be likely to happen in our day  and demanding no little persuasion to make it believable. †

Way down east essays

Way down east essays D.W. Griffiths great film, Way Down East, is a silent melodramatic film with many different stories within one great plot. The movie opens with a mother and a daughter sitting at their quiet countryside house laughing and talking. The daughter is Anna Moore, the main character of the film, who must leave to see her cousins in the city. The movie tells of her travels from her cousins house in the city to almost losing her life on the icy river running away from her past. In the first scene of the movie, Anna is seen with shorter, darker hair that is almost always pulled up. By the end of the movie, she has lighter and longer hair that is almost always down and waving around. I found this symbolic because it seems as if she becomes happier but more aged by the end of the film because she has been through so many experiences trying to run away from her past and make a better future for herself. She has had so many people in her life that have caused her to run away or hide. Some of these people are her husband Lennox Sanderson, who lied to her about their marriage; they were never married in the first place. When Anna had Sandersons baby, Maria Poole, the lady that was there during the delivery, was ashamed of Anna and spread the word that she was an unmarried mother, just before Annas baby passed away. Martha Perkins is another character that likes to spread gossip about people. She heard from Maria Poole that Anna was an unmarried mother a nd told Annas boss on the homestead so she would have to leave and start a whole new life. There seems to be the theme of people rooting for Anna to fail throughout the movie. While the movie was pretty self-explanatory in the basic events of the characters, it was sometimes hard to follow without conversation between the people in the film and all of the music in the background. The scenes move very quickly and it was sometim ...

How Teachers Can Create a Great Lesson Students Love

How Teachers Can Create a Great Lesson Students Love The best teachers can captivate their students’ attention day in and day out. Their students not only enjoy being in their class, but they look forward to the next day’s lesson because they want to see what is going to happen. Creating a great lesson together takes a lot of creativity, time, and effort. It is something that is well thought out with lots of planning. Though each lesson is unique, they all have similar components that make them exceptional. Every teacher has the ability to create engaging lessons that will mesmerize their students and keep them wanting to come back for more. A great lesson engages every student, ensures that every student is meeting the learning objectives, and motivates even the most reluctant learner. Characteristics of a Great Lesson A great lesson...is well planned. Planning starts with a simple idea and then slowly evolves into a tremendous lesson that will resonate with every student. A terrific plan ensures that all materials are ready to go before the lesson begins, is anticipatory of potential issues or problems, and takes advantage of opportunities to extend the lesson beyond its core concepts. Planning a great lesson takes time and effort. Careful planning gives each lesson a better chance to be a hit, to captivate each student, and to provide your students with meaningful learning opportunities. A great lesson†¦grabs students’ attention. The first few minutes of a lesson may be the most critical. Students will quickly decide whether or not they should devote their full attention to what is being taught. Every lesson should have a â€Å"hook† or â€Å"attention grabber† built into the first five minutes of the lesson. Attention grabbers come in many forms including demonstrations, skits, videos, jokes, songs, etc. Be willing to embarrass yourself a little bit if it will motivate your students to learn. Ultimately, you want to create an entire lesson that is memorable, but failing to grab their attention early on will likely keep that from happening. A great lesson†¦maintains students’ attention. Lessons should be outrageous and unpredictable throughout captivating each student’s attention. They should be fast-paced, loaded with quality content, and engaging. Time in class should fly by so quickly that you hear students grumbling when the class period is over each day. You should never see students drifting off to sleep, engaged in conversation about other topics, or expressing general disinterest in a lesson. As the teacher, your approach to every lesson must be passionate and enthusiastic. You must be willing to be a salesman, comedian, content expert, and magician all rolled into one. A great lesson†¦builds on previously learned concepts. There is a flow from one standard to the next. The teacher ties previously learned concepts into each lesson. This shows the students that various concepts are meaningful and connected. It is a natural progression of old into new. Each lesson increases in rigor and difficulty without losing students along the way. Each new lesson should be focused on extending learning from the previous day. By the end of the year, students should be able to make connections quickly as to how your first lesson ties into your last lesson. A great lesson  Ã¢â‚¬ ¦is content driven. It has to have a connected purpose, meaning that all aspects of the lesson are built around critical concepts that students at a particular age should be learning. Content is typically driven by standards such as the Common Core State Standards that serve as a guide for what students are supposed to learn in each grade. A lesson that does not have relevant, meaningful content at its core is senseless and a waste of time. Effective teachers are able to build upon the content from lesson to lesson continuously throughout the year. They take a simple concept early on continuing to build upon it until it becomes something complex yet understood by their students because of the process. A great lesson†¦ establishes real-life connections. Everyone loves a good story. The best teachers are those who can incorporate vivid stories that tie in key concepts within the lesson helping students to make connections to real life. New concepts are typically abstract to students of any age. They rarely see how it is applicable to real life. A great story can make these real-life connections and often helps students remember concepts because they remember the story. Some subjects are easier to make these connections than others, but a creative teacher can find an interesting backstory to share on just about any concept. A great lesson†¦provides students with active learning opportunities. A majority of students are kinesthetic learners. They simply learn best when they are actively engaged in hands-on learning activities. Active learning is fun. Students not only have fun through hands-on learning, they often retain more information from this process. Students do not have to be active throughout an entire lesson, but having active components mixed in sporadically at appropriate times throughout the lesson will keep them interested and engaged. A great lesson†¦Ã¢â‚¬â€¹builds critical thinking skills. Students must develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills at an early age. If these skills are not developed early on, they will be almost impossible to acquire later on. Older students who have not been taught this skill may become discouraged and frustrated. Students must be taught to extend their answers beyond the ability to provide the correct answer alone. They also should develop the ability to explain how they arrived at that answer. Each lesson should have at least one critical thinking activity built into it forcing students to go beyond the typically straightforward answer. A great lesson†¦is talked about and remembered. It takes time, but the best teachers build a legacy. Students coming up look forward to being in their class. They hear all the crazy stories and cannot wait to experience it themselves. The hard part for the teacher is living up to those expectations. You have to bring your â€Å"A† game every single day, and this can become a challenge. Creating enough great lessons for each day is exhausting. It is not impossible; it just takes a lot of extra effort. Ultimately it is worth it when your students consistently perform well and even more importantly express how much they learned by being in your class. A great lesson†¦is continuously tweaked. It is always evolving. Good teachers are never satisfied. They understand that everything can be improved. They approach each lesson as an experiment, soliciting feedback from their students both directly and indirectly. They look at nonverbal cues such as body language. They look at overall engagement and participation. They look at diagnostic feedback to determine if students are retaining the concepts introduced in the lesson. Teachers use this feedback as a guide to what aspects should be tweaked and each year they make adjustments and then conduct the experiment again.

Equity and trusts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Equity and trusts - Essay Example If each of these elements can be ascertained by reference to Sadhia’s will and trust instrument, the trustees will be bound by her dispositions. However, the emphasis is on certainty of intention. It was held in Tana & Anor V Tana & Anor, that â€Å"certainty of intention is in many ways the most important† certainty.2 Therefore, in a typical case, once the court is satisfied that the â€Å"declarant had the requisite intention it will strive to validate it.†3 It is against this background that the trustees of Sadhia’s estate should proceed. Bearing in mind that certainty of intention is the most important element for determining whether or not each of Sahdia’s gifts form valid declarations of trusts, the trustees are advised to proceed with this mindset. The gift of the cottage to Sadhia’s husband appears at first glance to be a discretionary trust in that the declaration assumes that her husband will do what is necessary to benefit the children of the marriage. In other words Sadhia has left the question of their children’s benefit up to her husband’s broad discretion. Certainty of subject matter is unambiguously Sadhia’s cottage and that is assuming Sadhia only has one cottage capable of being distinguished from any other realty she leaves behind. The objects of the trust are also unambiguously stated and are the children that Sadhia shares with her husband. The difficulty however, involves certainty of intention. It was held in Wright v Atkyns Turn & R 143 it is possible to descern whether or not there was an intention to create a trust by the words used. However those words must be clear and imperative4 although he failure to use specific words will not render the creation of a trust invalid.5 That said, the use of the words â€Å"in full confidence that he will do what is necessary to benefit our

Classic style posits a symmetry between writer and reader Essay

Classic style posits a symmetry between writer and reader - Essay Example The major components, which surrounded the classic style rests on the pillar of clarity along with simplicity (Thomas and Turner 7-16). Moreover, the prose was pure, daring, relentless and cool. The presentation through the classic style was transparent as well. The classic style was governed with a clear direction as well as goal, which enabled readers to understand that goal coherently. The style was based on fundamental decisions. Classic style incorporated not only the aspect of truth, but it also comprised anything that would seek not merely the orthodox knowledge. However, it also embraced the judgment capacity. Correspondingly, a twenty-first-century college student style can be firmly identified to embrace the element of clarity, transparency as well as style that expands beyond the truth to exploring new ideas. Similar to that of the classical style, a twenty-first-century college students style also does not rest on the single point. In addition, certain commonality amid these categories of people can be identified, which include the element of authenticity, self-sufficient and competent (Thomas and Turner

Client and Policy Failure Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Client and Policy Failure - Assignment Example By doing so; I will able to cater for the interests of my clients who are affected negatively by the policy on basements and city building codes. My responsibility is to assist clients obtain affordable housing that are safe and habitable, as opposed to expensive houses that lead to people living in the streets. Thus, the clients’ get affordable housing and the city remain free of homeless people. The action-forcing event that triggered the study was the numerous complaints made by New York residents, demanding that action to be taken concerning illegal and unsafe apartments. These individuals are taxpayers being forced out of their homes, and owners of basement apartments being asked to dismantle their rental units, as in the case of Rakha and Mahbub who were asked to pay a penalty of $1,200, after spending more than $4,000 upgrading a cellar apartment of their home in Queens. In addition, the supporters of legalization of basement apartments such as Jerilyn Perine, a former city housing commissioner, and current Executive Director of the research group Citizens Housing and Planning Council claim that the issue of basement housing and other illegal houses has to be dealt with, as well as the allowance of a better city planning strategies. This is in relation to the words uttered by the City Councilman Brad Lander who said he was outlining legislation in favor of the â€Å"a ccessory† housing units, and building code standards for them. The actual policy targeted for reform is the New York City Building or the Housing Maintenance Code, (ARTICLE 5- Occupancy of Cellars and Basements). That states that basements, cellars, and â€Å"granny flats,† should not be rented or occupied due to health and safety measures. What policy options exist for Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Janice L. Jacobs to decrease employment visa fraud committed by U.S. based high-tech companies in response to the recent discovery of visa fraud committed by

A Theme Analysis Essay Example for Free

A Theme Analysis Essay Poet Robert Lee Frost powerfully depicts a boy’s transition from adolescence to early adulthood in his poem, Birches. The poem begins in the first person point of view, luring the reader to take a close glimpse at nature, specifically birch trees bent from ice-storms and the passage of the years. After a few lines, though, Frost shifts to the second person point of view, stating , for example, â€Å"You may see their trunks arching in the woods† (Frost line17). Here, he directly addresses the reader, making the latter part of the experience of witnessing something simple and majestic like nature. It is clear that the author is making an attempt to immerse that reader’s consciousness in his musings about a part of nature, which is actually a metaphor for something more profound. In the poem, birch trees serve as a metaphor for life itself. Most literary selections discuss the weariness or relentless toiling that adults experience as they journey through life. From the outset, it may seem like the birch tree is used to symbolize a person who is advancing in years and weary from years of toiling and withstanding the elements. Upon reading the rest of the poem, however, the reader gleans that the hardships of life being depicted are that of a young boy who, in grappling with the pains and difficulties he encounters in his childhood, both as part of the natural course of events – or sexual awakening – and as wrought by external factors and events, he gains a semblance of maturity. In the poem, the boy’s sexual awakening is depicted in the line that likens the falling leaves of the birch trees to â€Å"girls on hands and knees that throw their hair†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Frost line19). The other symbolisms, like the boy who climbs the top branches of the tree and makes his way back to the ground, signifies how a youth develops his own distinct identity and molds his character by exploring all that life has to offer, whether they are part of the natural order of things, or challenges inflicted by unfortunate circumstances. The discerning reader is able to sense from the masterfully written poem that the main character – a boy – is entwined between trying to discover intimacy and enjoying isolation. All the pieces of the poem may be tied together after reading it in its entirety. The poet’s musings about how hard life can get, as symbolized by birches all bent but not broken, easily strikes a chord in the heart of a reader who has known the joys of a carefree childhood but is thrust into the challenges and vicissitudes of life. Frost alludes to the possibility that â€Å"some boy’s swinging them† (Frost line3) but immediately detracts, ascertaining that this could not have been the cause on why the trees have become permanently bent. It is midway through the poem, from the author’s own revelation, which states, â€Å"So was I once myself a swinger of birches† (Frost line42) that the reader gathers that the author was recalling his own boyhood. This was not immediately discernible, as the reader may have conjectured that the author may be relating his observation of some other boy or childhood friend. The average reader is also bound to be taken in or entranced more by the imagery depicted by the poem than to ascertaining if the author was talking from experience. In any case, some knowledge about Frost’s life proves that he was, in fact, making references to his own childhood years. Learning about Frost’s family background and upbringing sheds greater light on the many sentiments he expressed in his poem. â€Å"Frost’s parents were poor†¦ Robert was only eleven years old when his father died, leaving the family virtually penniless† (Nikita par. 3). Knowing this, the reader is ale to understand better Frost’s use of birches as a metaphor for life. The reader is able to surmise that Frost has had little time to enjoy his childhood, as life dealt a heavy blow with the death of a parent and foisted a man’s responsibilities on him. In the poem, this is expressed in the line â€Å"One by one he subdued his father’s trees† (Frost 29). Frost expresses his angst and sentiments about finding solace in nature and the countryside in the lines: â€Å"I’d like to get away from earth awhile / And then come back to it and begin over† (Frost lines49-50). This is one of the most stirring lines in the poem which a reader can easily identify with. When the author underscores birch trees as a metaphor for life which has seen ups and downs and now appears to have been weighed down by the onslaught of the years and of external elements, he presents a universal subject matter in a highly creative way. Frost employs literary devices like figures of speech, notably similes, personification to lend visual impact to his key message, successfully bringing to the reader’s consciousness all the important sentiments he wishes to convey. Frost’s brilliant poetic style is also thought-provoking. The reader is led to make inferences or interpretations when Frost, for instance, sprinkles his poem with similes, like â€Å"life is too much like a pathless wood† (Frost line45), or when he expands the idea by using personification in the lines â€Å"When your face burns and tickles with the cobwebs / Broken across it, and one eye is weeping†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Frost lines46-47). Frost’s trademark style of moving â€Å"in a smooth uninterrupted flow from an event or object, through a metaphor, to an idea† (Roberts Jacobs 1103) is indeed impeccable. Overall, Birches is a beautiful poem that offers a soothing balm to world-weary individuals who yearn to go back to their roots, especially if these roots bring them back to places and experiences that in some ways renew the spirit. Nature, a favorite subject matter of Frost, is used to present in full impact how an individual grapples with life’s difficulties that weigh him down at some point, and make him yearn to take a respite. The main character reminisces about his boyhood and carefree romp with nature, but realizes in the end that he must continue to face the responsibilities and the realities of life as any adult should. Work Cited Nikita, Rochelle. The Life and Poetry of Robert Frost. † Associated Content. 25 November 2008. 28 May 2009. http://www. oxfordtoday. ox. ac. uk/2007-08/v20n1/08. shtml. Roberts, E. , and Henry Jacobs. Literature – An Introduction to Reading and Writing. 6th ed. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc.. , 2001.