Socratic Worldview Essays - Socratic Dialogues, Dialogues Of Plato

Socratic Worldview Of the philosophers I have studied, Socrates stands out to me from all the rest. Although I would be the first to confess that I have never put forth the time nor the effort necessary to consider myself a philosopher (at least not in the sense that I imagine most would consider to be the credentials of a philosopher), my philosophy about life is most closely aligned with what I understand Socrates philosophical beliefs to be. Although there are some distinct differences in what I believe to be the ultimate meaning behind life, which I will later address, I believe his thoughts on how one should live their life to be the wisest of any philosopher we have studied. First, let me relate what I understand Socrates philosophy to be. Socrates believed that we all have a soul. He believed that we are to live our life by principles, and that these principles should be what is considered to be good. He was convinced that there were moral absolutes, a right and a wrong, his reason being that if there weren't everything would just be relative. This seems most logical. Also, according to Socrates, in order to find which standards we should live by we should test these standards in real life situation to see if they are right or wrong. From what I understand, we are to live our lives according to rights and wrongs - in our dealings with others, and our private life as well. And, this is all in order to be living according to the dictates of the soul, if you will, and not by the desires of the flesh. One of the most interesting ideas Socrates had, I believe, were his thoughts regarding the "true philosopher." He said that the true philosopher is often misunderstood by other men, that they do not understand that his whole life is the pursuit of death. And, that when death finally comes he does not meet it with dread, but with the acceptance of understanding that the soul is finally to be unencumbered of the body and all its evils. The soul will finally meet truth away from the constraints of an imperfect body. He believed that the soul is immortal and imperishable. He believed that "good souls" departed to an invisible world where happiness is secured and they are free of human folly and error, and of all the problems that normally plague us. Evil souls, on the other hand will wander about in misery paying their penalty until they are reincarnated to a form fitting of their former evil ways in life. And, although I do not believe this view, I appreciate it for the thought and logic behind it. I am intrigued with the way Socrates can look beyond the physical, and make reality of the spiritual aspect while holding no allegiance to any certain god or gods. I can agree with his philosophy regarding living our lives in an effort to be good, and cherishing the soul above the body, and placing all emphasis on the soul and not on the body. Although we cannot scientifically prove that the soul is imperishable - or beyond that, if we even have a soul, but we do know that the body is only temporary, so it seems logical to place importance on something beyond the physical. I think Socrates reasoning behind the evidence of our souls, is brilliant even if incorrect - which I am in no means implying. His idea of anamnesis/recollect intrigues me. Where would we have any idea of perfection, if not from our souls? Certainly anything from the body or physical has yet to show us any form of perfection. For the sake of relating to the reader why I think Socrates philosophy could contribute much to human well being, let me take a moment to relay my thoughts or "philosophy" on life. I agree with Socrates on the stand he makes that nothing good or perfect can ever come from the physical. Pleasing the desires of the flesh always results in only temporary happiness, and even then it is questionable if it is a real happiness, or just a temporary source of satisfaction. Socrates said that the soul is where we can know perfection, and that the important things of this life lie in living for the development or realization of the soul, and that through proper development of the mind in its pursuit of truth, beauty and goodness that the goal and purpose of

How to Graduate With Little Or No Debt [Guest Post]

How to Graduate With Little Or No Debt [Guest Post] Money is one of the biggest problems students come across. It is important that when you get out of college, you are not left with repaying your loans back for years. You need to start your own life professionally and personally and paying off your debts for a long time is going to be distracting. Here are some tips for you to follow so when you finally graduate, there is little or no debt waiting for you. 1 Start Early There is no such thing as early to start saving for your future. If you know that you are going to have financial problems, you have to start thinking like an adult. Instead of spending your school life partying and wasting money, you can start saving. In the last years of your school, you can take some part-time job. It is far better than having to ask for loans or your family to provide you with financial aid. The sooner you get responsible, the easier it will be down the road. A pro tip: If you take a full load of Advanced Placement courses in high school, it can give you the college credits which can eliminate your freshman year and give you a sophomore standing. 2 Community If you take courses at your local community college, you will also be able to eliminate the need for general college courses. Make use of the early AP gains and attend a local community college for the first two years and not spend huge amounts of money on some of those Ivy League school. Spend the initial years at college by saving money at home and pay cheaper rates, and you can get transferred to the college of your choice. 3 Save Living Cost Not many students will like the idea of living at home, but it can save you a major amount of money in hindsight. Even if you do not want to spend your entire time at the college from home, you can spend the first few semesters and save some money. Most of the community colleges are non-residential. If you live far from your parents, then you can rent an apartment and share it with someone else, so the expenses are distributed. You can save your travel cost as well if you minimize your trips to your parents. 4 Make the Wise Choice Sometimes high school students do not realize how important it is to get into a college that they can afford. Most of them are so obsessed with getting to the best college that they forget to consider their financial standing. You should go to a college that offers a great education, but you should also consider if you will be able to cope up in a way that your studies are not affected. The debt that can pile up at the end of your college can be overwhelming. Choose an institution that provides good education and also doesn’t leave you in an incredible amount of debts. 5 Financial Aid and Scholarships Another way to get into the college you want and not to beg for money is to apply for scholarships or financial aids. There are a number of grants that you can qualify for, and they will help pay for your education. You will have to study hard enough to get the grades that can get you a good scholarship. Applying and researching for scholarships takes time and energy but it is worth all the effort. Try applying as early as the sophomore year in your school, so your chances are better. 6 Make a Budget If you have not made a budget for yourself yet, it is never too late to do so. Having a budget is helpful whether you are at any stage of your life. It keeps you in check, and you are more careful with your spending; otherwise, you will just waste it away without even realizing. Find ways you can spend lesser money in college. Try avoiding expensive utility items or spending on notes that you can easily get online. Do not spend an extra amount of money on clothes and bring lunch with you instead of getting it from school. Make a budget right now. When you figure out ways to spend less in college, you will begin to require fewer student loans. 7 Tuition Assistance Program Did you know you can get your Master’s degrees through your employers? Many employers in the U.S. have tuition assistance programs. What you just need to do is ask your Human Resources department to set up a tuition assistance plan. 8 Graduate on Time Less than 40 percent of college students graduate on time, and most of the students always have some courses left. When you spend more time in college, your expenses will be more, and you will have to take more loans. Graduating when you are supposed to will minimize your expenses and give you the opportunity to get a job as soon as you need. Plan the schedule of your courses in each semester and stay on track. Author: Taylor Hill Taylor Hill works for a financial technology company Stilt located in San Francisco which is revolutionizing the way individuals with limited or zero credit history get loans in the U.S.

5 Types of Parallel-Structure Errors

5 Types of Parallel-Structure Errors 5 Types of Parallel-Structure Errors 5 Types of Parallel-Structure Errors By Mark Nichol Writers often have difficulty constructing sentences so that comparisons, contrasts, and lists, as well as parenthetical elements, are logically arranged. The following five sentences demonstrate various syntactical miscalculations; discussions and revisions follow each example. 1. Technology is transforming virtually every industry, changing not only how firms operate internally and engage their customers, but also challenging the underlying business models of entire industries. When a single verb applies to both elements in a statement that employs a â€Å"not only . . . but also† construction, it must precede â€Å"not only.† Here, however, technology changes one thing and challenges another, so the two verbs are parceled out individually to â€Å"not only† and â€Å"but also† and must therefore follow those respective phrases: â€Å"Technology is transforming virtually every industry, not only changing how firms operate internally and engage their customers but also challenging the underlying business models of entire industries.† 2. He wasn’t aiming for realism but drama. Here, a similar construction is necessary to convey a contrast. The conclusion in this sentence of â€Å"but drama† is an awkward, incomplete addition, and to be parallel, the negating adverb not must follow the verb phrase â€Å"was aiming† and the for preceding one noun must be matched by a duplicate before the other noun: â€Å"He was aiming not for realism but for drama.† 3. Like other social media companies, it uses a variety of tools, including spam-fighting technology, automatic identification as well as reports from users, to help combat abuse. â€Å"As well as† is not a substitute for and as a link between the penultimate and final items in a list; it signals a transition from a list to a dependent clause (or, in this case, opens a parenthetical phrase, which is merely an interruptive dependent clause): â€Å"Like other social media companies, it uses a variety of tools, including spam-fighting technology and automatic identification, as well as reports from users, to help combat abuse.† 4. He made his mark both as a professional athlete and also as a philanthropist. In this sentence (and in any sentence), and and also are redundant: â€Å"He made his mark both as a professional athlete and as a philanthropist.† (Both is not necessarily required, but it emphasizes the juxtaposition of a professional athlete also being a philanthropist.) 5. He’s kidnapped by a masked stranger, drugged, and awakes in an unknown facility. For this sentence’s structure to be parallel, the matching verbs kidnapped and drugged must each have a helping verb (a form of â€Å"to be†- in this case, the contracted form of is), or and must replace the comma preceding drugged to indicate that it shares the helping verb with kidnapped: â€Å"He’s kidnapped by a masked stranger and drugged and awakes in an unknown facility.† Note that the second comma has also been omitted; the phrase that begins with awakes- which, because it is in present tense, needs no helping verb- has no subject and is therefore not an independent clause, so no punctuation is required. (The grammatical rule against punctuating in such cases could be relaxed to imply a pause.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Using "a" and "an" Before WordsAt Your DisposalContinue and "Continue on"

Contrasts on the Topic of Eros Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Contrasts on the Topic of Eros - Essay Example In a discussion of eros through the insights of Socrates and Phaedrus, the nature of the quest and the object of those desires are discovered in relationship to the framework of Plato. Within the speech that Socrates made in Phaedrus, he defined the meaning of the term eros as â€Å"a certain desire† (Rhodes 3). In this, it is suggested that the desire is without hesitation, a feeling in which the individual is driven towards the object of the desire without deviation. The desire is certain, it is clear with purpose of connectivity, both physical and mental. However, in the second speech, he begins to call it a yearning, which suggests that it is a pull towards something, a feeling based on the envy of want and without that same certainty that he has suggested in his first description. Eros, through its certainty or its capacity of yearning, is manifested in passion. If desire is the look towards fulfillment, then passion is the fulfillment of that anticipatory event of desire . The nature of eros, as it is associated with the god from whom it was given its context, eros is a potential that was placed within the human frame of emotions. It is the potential of developing feelings for others, the potential for the experience of connection. The placing of eros within the human framework was the work of the god Eros, but he use of it was left to the discretion of the individual. Therefore, an important part of the concept of eros is that it is potential, a intent that is defined by its affect on what will be, rather than what is (Phillips 21). Socrates describes the nature of the god Eros as the child of Poverty and Plenty, a descendent of extremes, and born with wisdom and a love of beauty. However, human beings do not have the innate benefit of wisdom, therefore it is the seeking of the object of desire that the gift of Eros exists. As a human being, love is not given automatically, but is the eventual outcome of the pursuit of love (Phillips 21). This also places eros as an intention, an outcome that is the event of hope in which within that hope is placed a pursuit that will end in love. It is the quest that each human being attends towards finding a way to be consumed in the human experience of extension into partnership with another human being, which then spreads to interconnections of family and procreation of life. Socrates also connects eros to the love of wisdom. Phillips quotes Socrates for having said â€Å"wisdom is a most beautiful thing, and love is of the beautiful† (21). Phillips states â€Å"The most beautiful thing one can love, according to Socrates, is wisdom. We demonstrate this most beautiful love in our striving to become wise† (21). This leads to the quest for the human excellence in the form of arete. While some definitions of arete are centered on the notion of being an expert and highly skilled in a vocation, it can also define attaining a level of excellence as a human being (Dominik 206). The refore, eros can be seen outside of the realm of the erotic, as a pursuit of wisdom and within the pursuit of the nature of the self. However, eros more often involves an object of the pursuit, as eros is the quest, the object is the target of that quest. Once again, the definition of the object becomes the subject of concern. It would be considered most obvious to place the concept of the object on a person

Porter's 5 Forces Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Porter's 5 Forces - Essay Example The robotics industry is experiencing growth year after year and the industrial robot application has become more demanding and complicated due to modernization and automation of the manufacturing processes. I will analyze each of the forces and the impact that may be experienced in regards to profitability of the robotics industry. Existing Competitors: Within an industry, the rivalry among the competitors is countered through use new products, marketing and price discounting to be competitive. The robotic industry tends to be an oligopoly since it has a lot of rivals. The potential for product differentiation is high with much difference in power, size, quality, service and features of the products. The Power of Buyers: Consumers can capture more value by ensuring that they force the prices down and demand better quality at the industry’s profitability expenses. The top buyer from the robotic industry is the automobile industry. Literally, the number of auto firms is small but they buy in large quantities. In contrast to the automotive buyers, other buyers in other industries are moderate in power. They are smaller, many and buy in smaller volumes The Power of Suppliers: Suppliers have great influence in an industry by changing higher prices, limiting the quality of services and shifting costs. The products provided do not usually have substitution, but some tend to come up with techniques to realize differentiation of the products. The overall power of suppliers in the robotic industry tends to be weak. Threat to Entry: New entrants into the market pose a threat to the profit potential of an industry. According to Porter, the threat of entry in an industry is dependent on the height of entry barriers. In addition, it is dependent on the reaction of the incumbents expected by the newcomers. When there are few entry barriers and little or no retaliation from the competing

Racial Inequalities and Tension Essay -- Article Review

After centuries of fighting, protesting, and labor, the fight for equality seemed to reach a conclusion. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 brought an end to segregation and promoted full equal opportunities for not only African Americans but other ethnicities as well. America elected Barack Obama as its president, allowed certain months to represent cultural awareness, and immigration numbers augmented. However, regardless of the fact that the country becomes increasingly diverse by the day and heavy, racial social boundaries no longer exist, racism, prejudice, and stereotypes still exist. â€Å"The problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color-line† (McQuade 391) says it the best; racial and ethnicity still remain underlying causes for conflicts and many other national issues as said in the text. Supporting its own claim, the text refers to the essay â€Å"This is how we lost to the white man† by Ta-Nehisi Coates to reemphasize the racial tensions and differe nces existing in today’s society. Combining researched articles and the text resources, strong evidence of racial inequality and tension still exists to this day. Coates’ article â€Å"This is how we lost to the white man† provides Bill Cosby’s viewpoint on the subordinate order of blacks to whites. Coates attended one of Cosby’s speeches at a small Detroit church and listened as he preached to the audience. More specifically, Cosby targeted African American males in his speech, due to the fact that a substantial amount of them abandoned their responsibilities as fathers. Cosby starts the speech by ensuring African American equality; he attempts to convince they crowd that â€Å"We are not a pitiful race of people† (447) and he spent the entirety of the speech convincing change. Cosb... ...cial motive in Tulsa killings - CNN.com." CNN.com - Breaking News, U.S., World, Weather, Entertainment & Video News. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 May 2012. . H. Ted Denney, et al. "White Privilege Awareness And Efficacy To Reduce Racial Inequality Improve White Americans' Attitudes Toward African Americans." Journal Of Social Issues 68.1 (2012): 11-27. Academic Search Premier. Web. 4 May 2012. McQuade, Donald, and Christine McQuade. Seeing & writing 4. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2010. Print. Takeuchi, Craig. "Reported hate crimes decline in Canada while studies explore roots of homophobia, racism." Straight.com: Vancouver's Online Source . N.p., n.d. Web. 4 May 2012. . Racial Inequalities and Tension Essay -- Article Review After centuries of fighting, protesting, and labor, the fight for equality seemed to reach a conclusion. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 brought an end to segregation and promoted full equal opportunities for not only African Americans but other ethnicities as well. America elected Barack Obama as its president, allowed certain months to represent cultural awareness, and immigration numbers augmented. However, regardless of the fact that the country becomes increasingly diverse by the day and heavy, racial social boundaries no longer exist, racism, prejudice, and stereotypes still exist. â€Å"The problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color-line† (McQuade 391) says it the best; racial and ethnicity still remain underlying causes for conflicts and many other national issues as said in the text. Supporting its own claim, the text refers to the essay â€Å"This is how we lost to the white man† by Ta-Nehisi Coates to reemphasize the racial tensions and differe nces existing in today’s society. Combining researched articles and the text resources, strong evidence of racial inequality and tension still exists to this day. Coates’ article â€Å"This is how we lost to the white man† provides Bill Cosby’s viewpoint on the subordinate order of blacks to whites. Coates attended one of Cosby’s speeches at a small Detroit church and listened as he preached to the audience. More specifically, Cosby targeted African American males in his speech, due to the fact that a substantial amount of them abandoned their responsibilities as fathers. Cosby starts the speech by ensuring African American equality; he attempts to convince they crowd that â€Å"We are not a pitiful race of people† (447) and he spent the entirety of the speech convincing change. Cosb... ...cial motive in Tulsa killings - CNN.com." CNN.com - Breaking News, U.S., World, Weather, Entertainment & Video News. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 May 2012. . H. Ted Denney, et al. "White Privilege Awareness And Efficacy To Reduce Racial Inequality Improve White Americans' Attitudes Toward African Americans." Journal Of Social Issues 68.1 (2012): 11-27. Academic Search Premier. Web. 4 May 2012. McQuade, Donald, and Christine McQuade. Seeing & writing 4. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2010. Print. Takeuchi, Craig. "Reported hate crimes decline in Canada while studies explore roots of homophobia, racism." Straight.com: Vancouver's Online Source . N.p., n.d. Web. 4 May 2012. .

Reflective Paper “Faith Like Potatoes”

Faith Like Potatoes Angus Buchan was a person who did not believe in God, did not trust others and did not accept help from others because he wanted to do everything by himself. He had emptiness in his heart; he was always stressed, angry, mad and rude to others. The life of Angus was a big mess. But one day the miracle has happened when he went to the church and heard one man sharing his life story. From that point, his life has turned upside down. Angus built relationship with God, invited God into his life, gave God his life and let Him do changes.Angus personality has changed drastically for the better, and most importantly he had a strong faith in everything what he did and he believed that God would help him. God helped him to over come all the struggles and problems that pressed his shoulders, as well as made him many miracles. Praying was one of the religious expressions in the workplace showed in the movie. Angus was praying God for help while he was working. He was encourag ing others to pray and they prayed all together to God: for the rain they needed, deliverance from the violence and murders, peace in the land and hearts and blessing.People, as one big family, were praying before seeding the potatoes, during four months while they were growing and before harvest. Moreover, at the end of the movie another religious expression was introduced. Angus was teaching kids about the faith and trust in God: â€Å"Your faith in God must be like that (big potatoes) – it must be real†. After watching this movie, it gets hard to name one importance of work. From my point of view, there is no only one importance of work – there are many of them. Work gives us money and food, which are vital for human’s well-being and life.Work gives us friends and team to work with, in such way work becomes easier and more pleasant. For example, in the beginning of the movie it was shown how Angus was struggling with the stump and that he was cursing t he stump because he was not able to root it out by himself. But after he invited God into his life he looked at work from different perspective; as a result, he accomplished the same task easier with the help of his friends and in a great working environment. Also, work provides us with inner joy, creativity and happiness.Work brings the meaning into the life because it motivates us to work hard and it greatly increases the chances of fulfillment and success in reaching the dreams. Work does not allow us to become lazy or bored individuals. Finally work brings us a great sense of achievement and encourages us to move forward. It is very inspirational:† The condition for the miracle is difficulty; for a great miracle – impossibility†. Great movie based on true-life story teaches us that with strong faith and trust in God the impossible becomes possible.