Alexander the Great - A Leader essays

Alexander the Great - A Leader essays Alexander "The Great" (356 - 323 B. C.) Alexander was born in 356 B.C. His father was, Philip, the King of Macedonia and his mother was Olympias, daughter of King Neoptolemus I of Epirus (Albania). Philip was very proud of his son Alexander, but they had a very stormy relationship. Philips multiple marriages took a toll on Alexander. Olympias was very jealous and spiteful towards Philip's "lesser" wives. Alexander had a half-sister named Cleopatra (not the famous Egyptian Queen) and a half-brother named Arrhidaeus. Arrhidaeus was brain-damaged, it was rumored that Olympias had given the boy drugs in vengeance and fear for Alexander's inheritance. Philip made sure that Alexander was well educated. He sent for Aristotle to be one of his tutors. Alexander became friends with a boy named Hephaestion, they would remain loyal to each other for life. h He had a thirst for knowledge Philip often left Alexander in charge when he was taken away from Macedonia on business. At the age of sixteen, during one of his father's absences, Alexander led an army to subdue the rebellious "barbarians" (Maedi). He managed to move the Maedi out and renamed the city Alexandropolis, after himself. After this, he became the general of his father's army. During the celebrations for Philip's marriage to his final wife, a falling out occurred between Alexander and his father. The bride's uncle toasted the couple, saying that he hoped that a legitimate heir to the throne would result from the marriage. Alexander became enraged shouting "What about me? Am I a bastard?" and threw a goblet at the uncle. Philip, who was intoxicated, drew his sword and lunged at Alexander. He lost his balance and fell on the floor. ...

The Factors of Poverty essays

The Factors of Poverty essays What is poverty? Every day we are exposed to some nature of poverty. There is no one definition to define poverty because poverty can be in reference to anything. Generally, poverty is referenced to being extremely poor or lacking general necessities required to live each day. Examples may include water, food, and shelter. Each view of poverty has its own opinion and explanation. Poverty affects all aspects of life, even the ones who are fortunate to have everything they need. Poverty is either blamed on the individual or the system, which we refer to as the government. A couple of things one should take into consideration when referring to poverty is the causes and effects of poverty, the types of poverty, and the people mostly affected by poverty. Although poverty is well overlooked, the less fortunate should be taken into consideration rather than overlooked or set apart as an outcast to society. There are two categories of poverty. The first category of poverty is case poverty. Case poverty is defined as something an individual does or lacks which causes them to be poor. For example, drug addicts and alcoholics who are living in poverty are in that state because of the habit they would rather support. On the other hand, those living in poverty due to a handicap or mental problem are in that state because that disables their ability to work. The second category is insular poverty. This is brought about to a particular group living in a particular area and is solely based upon environmental factors. Insular poverty could exist in the slums of the city, and this result from lack of attention and maintenance from the city. There is a major difference between the two cases of poverty, solely based on who is effected and how. John Kenneth Gilbraith expressed his forethought about these cases of poverty and suggested, The cure of poverty is possible but is not sure that the peop le along with the government see it as an important...

THE FOUR RIGHTEOUS CALIPHS Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

THE FOUR RIGHTEOUS CALIPHS - Assignment Example The second caliph, Umar, continued the expansion of the Muslim state. He not only defeated the Persians but also secured Egypt from the Byzantines. Umars reign is one of the reasons the Muslim empire was so successful: he allowed people to retain their own religious beliefs. This greatly strengthened Islamic control as the increased freedom prompted not only happy citizens but also converts. The caliphates position in religious affairs was strengthened when the third caliph, Uthman b. Affan, was selected to lead the Ottoman empire. He created a governmentally-sanctioned copy of the Quran. This action was incredibly beneficial to both political and religious organization, as it not only united the Islamic empire under one, clear version of the holy scripture, but it also showed the caliphate as capable and spiritually viable. Last of the Four Righteous Caliphs Ali b. Abi Talib faced some of the most difficult challenges. Because he failed to punish Uthmans assassins in a timely manner, many of his former followers deserted him, and he was faced with civil war. He lost most control to Uthmans kinsman, Muawiya. Ultimately, Uthman and Umar are the two more successful caliphs, as they expanded the empire dramatically, gaining new converts and willing citizens. On the other hand, Abu Bakr and Ali served necessary purposes: they dealt with their respective rebellions in a poised manner that ensured the continuation of Islamic rule. Without each, the Ottomans would have undoubtedly

Euthanasia sholud be lgalised in the uk'.discuss this statemnt giving Essay

Euthanasia sholud be lgalised in the uk'.discuss this statemnt giving arguments on both sides of the debeate - Essay Example In the United States, individuals such as Dr. Jack Kevorkian popularized the practice, gaining significant media attention in the process; still, it must be mentioned that even as Kevorkian gained some mainstream acceptance, he was ultimately convicted for his actions. While euthanasia is illegal in all countries of the United Kingdom, there remains considerable controversy over this legal stance. While both the British Medical Association and the Church of England oppose euthanasia, the majority of the British public is in favor of legalization (Whiting 2002, p. 42). Considering the both sides of the debate, this essay examines whether euthanasia should be legalized in the United Kingdom. A variety of medical and legal contexts have also investigated the notion of euthanasia. Originally, the NHS indicates that euthanasia was originally prohibited in the United Kingdom in 1961 (‘Euthanasia and assisted suicide’, 2012). Currently this act makes contributing to suicide pun ishable by up to fourteen years in prison. While euthanasia is outlawed in the United Kingdom there are a variety of grey areas wherein end of life issues come to the foreground. Prominently the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) implemented the Liverpool Care Pathway which allows doctors to place terminally ill patients on pathway towards death. This has engendered controversy from groups indicating it has been implemented too early in life process (Doughty 2012). The United Kingdom has also legally implemented some of these practices through direct patient interaction, as the Mental Capacity Act of 2005 allows individuals to establish advanced directives in the instance they become mentally capacitated (Liddle 2007, p. 94). Additionally, increased attention has been given to euthanasia of premature babies. Otherwise, however, the United Kingdom law still prohibits euthanasia in most circumstances. Within the United Kingdom, some significant medical perspe ctives in favor of euthanasia are emerging, too. For instance, in 2012, in an editorial of one of the British Medical Journal issues, the author urged the British Medical Association to drop their opposition to euthanasia (White 2012). The argument was largely advanced through natural law ethical foundations. Some of the most prominent voices against euthanasia have emerged from the religious strata of society. As Christianity remains the most dominant religion of the United Kingdom and Western society, it has significantly influenced political and legal thought (‘Ethics Guide’ 2012). The Church of England has objected to the practice of euthanasia on a variety of grounds. The Fifth Commandment states, â€Å"You shall not kill† (Catechism of the Catholic Church n.d.). While there is the understanding that committing euthanasia, if considered at an ethical level, is not directly comparable to other acts of killing, from the Christian point of view it still is a ne gative occurrence. The Catholic Catechism states: â€Å"Human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God and it remains forever in a special relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end. God alone is the Lord of life from its beginning until its end: no one can under any circumstance claim for himself the right directly to destroy an innocent human being†

Assess any ONE or TWO modern interpretations of the doctrine of Essay

Assess any ONE or TWO modern interpretations of the doctrine of original sin - Essay Example 3). Modern interpretations of the doctrine of original sin typically come to the conclusion that given the involuntary nature of inherited sin, it is reasonable to conclude that sin is not necessarily an evil or moral wrong, but also an explanation for the correct path to follow (Couehoven, 2009, p. 567). Modern philosophers such as Emmanuel Kant set the stage for later expansions on the interpretations of the doctrine of original sin. Kant argued that sin is connected to an individual’s will. In this regard, an individual sins when the individual acts on impulse as opposed to rational reasoning. The freedom to choose between impulse and rational reasoning is the origins of sin (Hastings & Selbie, 2003, p. 563). Modern philosopher G.W.F. Hegel also argued that the doctrine of original sin merely recognizes that man can only be presumed to have the potential to be good and that man is not naturally good (Hastings & Selbie, 2003, p. 563). Modern interpretations of the doctrine o f original sin have focused on attempts to understand and conceptualize sin. For example Gustafson, in his conceptualization of sin argues that sin is â€Å"an ancient religious symbol†, therefore suggesting that sin is an inherited phenomenon (Gustafson, 1977, p. 156). This conceptualization of sin essentially provides a new understanding and interpretation of original sin. Rather than a literal interpretation suggesting that mankind inherited the actual sins of Adam and Eve, Gustafson’s conceptualization of sin indicates that man is inherently sinful. Gustafson accomplishes this by arguing that man is by nature, culture and society driven by self-interest (Gustafson, 1977, p. 156). According to Gustafson (1977), man’s pursuit of self-interest alone is not a sin. It is the rationale and motivation for pursuing self-interests that is sinful. Man by nature and circumstances in a world with increasing political, natural, scientific and economic complexities grow p articularly anxious. In the absence of â€Å"confidence in an ultimately reliable sovereign power† man copes with anxieties by â€Å"securing† â€Å"narrow self-interests† (Gustafson, 1977, p. 156). In this regard: Sin is a human condition which leads to actions that seek security in the protection of narrow self-interests, actions that thus deny God... (Gustafson, 1977, p. 156). Thus according to Gustafson (1977), the doctrine of original sin must be interpreted by reference to how sin and more especially original sin can be conceptualized. This conceptualization of sin does not focus on the actual sins of Adam and Eve, but rather refers to the activities of Adam and Eve in ways that symbolize human conditions, nature and experiences. Gustafson (1977) argues further that human activities are constrained by the what man has become. Man evolves out of natural capabilities and experiences together with specific conditions in which man is presented with options. Hu man beings are thus agents within the life course and are therefore able to react to specific situations in ways that either maintain those conditions or change them (Gustafson, 1983, p. 167). According to Gustafson (1983), the doctrine of original establishes the origins of human sin and dictates that man has choices in certain situations. The ability to feel guilt and to determine appropriate responses is borne out of human

Conflict In Death Of A Salesman English Literature Essay

Conflict In Death Of A Salesman English Literature Essay Conflict is an essential element in all pieces of literature. In Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman, every character in the play deals with conflict at one point or another. However, Willy Loman is confronted with a large amount of conflicts throughout the play. None of Willys conflicts, Willy versus Biff, Willy versus himself, and Willy versus society, are resolved by the end of the play. Willy faces a father-son conflict with Biff throughout the play. When Biff returns home, Willy senses it as a failure. He returns home to find out who he is. Willy desperately wants Biff to succeed in every way possible. However, Willy and Biff have conflicting views of what the American Dream is. Willy believes that selling is the greatest job a man can have. On the contrary, Biff feels that the best job a man can have is working outdoors with his hands. When these two dreams collide, Willy becomes frustrated because he believes he is correct and his way is the only way. This contrast between their beliefs builds up throughout the play up to their final argument near the close of Act II. Biff is the only Loman that is able to see past Willys illusions about life. Will you take that phony dream and burn it before something happens? (133) He is the only one able to see reality. Willy is in a dream world where he believes he is on the verge of success whereas Biff is able to see the ha rsh reality and recognizes that both he and his father are failures. Young Biff had the same beliefs and views as his father, but after discovering his fathers infidelity, these beliefs changed. He realized he didnt want to become like his father and changed his beliefs. By the end of the play, Willys conflict is not resolved. He had all the wrong dreams. (138) Willy and Biffs beliefs are still opposite of each others. Although Biff has found out who he is, it is not the person his father had hoped for. He is not the leader of men and successful salesman his father wanted him to be, he is an ordinary man who plans to go out West. As Willy faced continuing conflict with his son, he also endured conflicts with himself. Willy faces conflicts with his inner self throughout the play. Willy refuses to accept who he is and his self pride is too important to him. Willy Loman refuses to admit that he is an ordinary man. He must be the successful American businessman that is a leader among men. He is in a dream world where he is on the verge of success. Throughout the play, he is at odds with who he perceives himself to be and who he is in reality. He seems to ignore the talent and appreciation he has for carpentry. He believes that if he purses carpentry, he would be beneath himself. Willy struggles with the fact that he will never be able to achieve his perception of who he wants to be. This conflict goes on until his death. He continues to believe he can be on top of the world, but in reality, he is a normal human being. Willy has a strong sense of self pride in him, one that may be too strong. He is afraid to show a lack of it to Charley or his family. When Willy meets Charley at his office in Act II, he offers him a job to help him. However, Willy is too proud of himself and will not work for Charley. He still believes he can survive without Charleys job offer. He doesnt understand that reality that he is a failure. He also considers himself superior to Charley. He believes Charley is not well-liked and is not the ideal character one should be. He knows that accepting a job offer from someone below him would be an insult to his self pride. Willy is also afraid to admit he is done and can not survive anymore to his family. I cant throw myself on my sons. (84) He is also afraid to show any weakness to his sons. Willy dies a man extremely proud of himself. However, he still has not faced the reality of who he truly is. He did not admit he needed help like an ordinary man would, a man just like him. As Willys conflict with himself grew, so did his conflict with his society. Willy is in conflict with society like the majority of American men in the last century. Willy struggles with his selling as he ages. The young Willy was able to make sales easily, but now he is older, and has more difficulty selling. Willy is constantly trying to find the key to success in selling. He constantly worries about other peoples perception of him and blames his lack of success on his physical traits such as his weight and clothing. Willy believes these are the reasons why he has difficulty selling, while in reality, it is the fact that he does not see himself and the world as they really are. When he first started selling, buyers may have been interested in charismatic salesman. However, as time changed, the business world looked for knowledgeable salesman to promote products. Willy is always worried about his appearance up to his death and still has difficulty understanding why he is never accepted as a talented businessman. When Willy talks to Howard about possibly stay ing in New York to sell, Willy feels like he is being thrown away by society. A man is not a piece of fruit! (82) Willy claims a man is not an orange where you eat the orange and throw away the peal. He is referring to himself when he says this. Willy has worked for this business for 34 years and after all his work for the company, he is worth nothing to it. In society, a man is often measured by his income and skills that can be used in society. However, Willy lacks both of these and society deems him as useless. Therefore, Howard fires him from a business standpoint. Willys conflict with society is not resolved. At his funeral, no one comes except for his family and Charley and Bernard. Society found him useless and threw him away. None of Willy Lomans conflicts with Biff, himself, and society are resolved by the end of the play. In his conflict with Biff, he is never able to nurture Biff into the man he wanted him to become. In his conflict with himself, he is never able to see the reality. Finally, in his conflict with society, he is a victim of Americas capitalistic and materialistic environment. However, the main cause of all his conflicts is his inability to see the reality in life. Perhaps that is why he was unable to solve any of his conflicts. However, Willy Loman was a troubled man from the beginning of the play to his death. He was much more than a man who had plenty of conflicts, he was a man who attempted to live the American Dream, but ultimately, his conflicts stopped him.

Redefining The American Dream :: Philosophy Psychology Essays

Redefining The American Dream Consumption patterns portray the dynamic effect of the American Dream. The American Dream today is significantly different that it was fifty years ago. Today Americans work longer work hours, spend 40% more time watching T.V and 40% less time with their children (AGO 2001). â€Å"The avarice of mankind is insatiable,† claimed Aristotle when describing how the appetite of mankind is never satisfied (Durning). As every desire is satisfied a new one rises up to take its place (Durning). This is true for all people; we want more money, a better job, a new car, better benefits, on and on until suddenly it is clear that we have wasted our lives in search of something that actually never made us happy. A wise woman always told me â€Å"never have any expectations and you will always be pleasantly surprised†, the same holds true for consumption. Imagine a world where consumption was an addiction similar to alcohol or drugs. Over consuming is a crime punishable with jail time and â€Å"Consumer Anonymous† rehabilitation meetings. This was the world we attempted to portray during our brief â€Å"Consumers Anonymous† meeting. The opposite is currently happening, the economy expanded 4% between the first quarter of 1998 and 1999 (Krugman 1999). Consumption grew 5.5% during that period (Krugman 1999) . When the economy toke a down turn after President Bush was elected into office, the federal government urged Americans to â€Å"do their part† by spending. The average savings in the United States during 1970 was 8.5%, which has plummeted to an obscene low of 2.1% in 1997 by 1998 savings dropped even further to less than 0.5% (SLI). The lowest saving rate ever witnessed was in 1933 during the great depression at a –2.1% (SLI). By 1997 the total debt of U.S. households had reached 89% of the total household income (ecocompass 2000). The United States has less than 5% of the world’s population however; Americans consume 24% of the world’s energy, 27% of the world’s aluminum and 21% of the world’s beef (SLI). The big shocker is with all of this consumption the happiness levels are not raising (SLI).