Platos Phaedo Essays - Socratic Dialogues, Dialogues Of Plato

Plato's Phaedo Essays - Socratic Dialogues, Dialogues Of Plato Plato's Phaedo In Plato's Phaedo, Socrates is explaining to his friends that the acquiring knowledge comes from a recollection of things from a previous life. Socrates uses this as a way to comfort his friends. Based on this, according to Socrates, if a human being can learn anything, they must have known something about what it is they are learning about. If a human being has known something without having been taught it (in this life), they must have learned it before their birth. If the soul existed prior to birth it stands to reason that it survives death, and thus Socrates' friends have no cause for grief. This prior knowledge is triggered into consciousness by sensory input. Plato is trying to work beyond a two-fold paradox. Namely, if a human being does not know something, they cannot learn it since they know nothing about it. If, on the other hand, a person knows it, they do not need to learn it. When Crito asks Socrates how he wishes to be buried when he dies, this is a mistake because it shows his lack of understanding. Crito's lack of understanding lies in the fact the he doesn't understand how the soul survives the body at death, and in fact Socrates will still in actuality be alive. By making this mistake, according to Socrates, he Crito is harming the soul. If Crito were in understanding of this, he would not have asked Socrates about burying his body, because Socrates is not merely a body, but rather the body is a casing for the spirit and who he is. Socrates does not take Crito's question seriously because to Socrates the body is not the basis of who he is. To Socrates, the fact that his body is going to die does not mean he will be dead. In fact, his soul will go on, be born in a different body, and go back to learning what the soul seeks to know. Socrates wants Crito to know that he will not be burying him, but instead just his body. Socrates is justified in his response to Crito's question because Crito's question goes against everything that Socrates says and stands for. I think that Socrates is upset with Crito for being so ignorant. He shows this by laughing at Crito for his question. He also shows this by telling the others that Crito only sees him as the body he will be burying, rather that the person talking to them. When it came time for Socrates to drink the poison, Crito again shows his lack of understanding by asking Socrates to wait awhile before taking it. Crito wants Socrates to try and enjoy the last bit of life that he can enjoy. Socrates again puts Crito in his place by saying that any human being would do this, but it is not right for Socrates. Socrates does not want to appear ridiculous for clinging to life when there is none left. Overall Socrates is trying to tell human beings that life is nothing more than an opportunity for the soul to learn what it is in search for. The human body is nothing more than an instrument for the soul to use. A person should not fear or run from death, but rather look at it as a chance for the soul to move on to something else and to another chance to learn more based on what was already learned

The eNotes Blog Charles Dickens GhostHunter

Charles Dickens GhostHunter Victorians were big on clubs.   Gentlemens Clubs.   No, the Brontes were not wearing pasties and stripping to Oh, Mother Take the Wheel Away! These were exclusive gatherings of writers and artists who came together to chill, drink, and probably scratch-and-spit.   No damned scribbling women allowed.   (Such a fun guy, that Hawthorne) . ANYWAY, Charles Dickens was one of those writers who was a high-profile member of a hoity-toity club called The Garrick Club until he got into a fight with William Makepeace Thackery.   Apparently a journalist was talking smack about Thackery, and what he knew could have only been found out through club connections.   (First Rule of Garrick Club:   Dont Talk About Garrick Club.) SO, Dickens says, basically, Screw you, Thackery. Im the biggest star youve got and Im taking my fame elsewhere. Plus, the journalist, Edward Yates, was a very close friend and the godfather of Dickens children. Dickens would eventually join the still-in-existence Arts Club (actress Gwyneth Paltrow is now its Creative Director). But before that, in 1862, Dickens became one of the founding members of The Ghost Club.   Until he joined and brought some legitimacy to the off-beat club, the press was not very complimentary, but his presence gave the organization a modicum of credibility. Its not much of a stretch to say Victorians were obsessed with ghosts.   In 1848, the Spiritualist movement was founded.   Believers postulat[ed] the belief that  spirits  of the dead residing in the  spirit world  have both the ability aspind the inclination to communicate with the living.   After two sisters, Margaret and Kate Fox of Hydesville, New York, reported receiving messages from a spirit haunting their cottage, this movement gained may adherents throughout the English-speaking world. The sà ©ance became a familiar family ritual in the last half of the 19th century. Notable figures such as the British writer Arthur Conan Doyle and the American psychologist William James became involved in psychical research, trying to judge the truthfulness of spiritualists beliefs. Dickens was intrigued and his club sought to try to get to the bottom of these stories.   For the next eight years, the Ghost Club investigated paranormal phenomena.   One of its earliest cases was of a pair of brothers who claimed to have a haunted cabinet and an ability to contact the dead.   The Ghost Club proved the haunting to be a hoax.   After Dickens’ death in 1870, the club activity sputtered, but by 1882, enjoyed a †¦ reincarnation, steadily gaining new members.   In 1911,  W.B. Yeats  became a member, and the club continues to exist today.   Every November 2, the names of deceased former members are read aloud.   And it is said that â€Å"deceased members were believed to have made their presence felt.† WHO YA GONNA CALL?   I wish I could photoshop a picture of Dickens and Yates in Ghostbuster garb

Modern Design Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Modern Design - Assignment Example It is important to explain that during this period, United States was experiencing an element of consumerism. This is whereby the society is characterized by the consumption of products and goods. There was the emergence of the new media and advertisement in this period. This is because companies were seeking to promote their products, just after the Second World War. The use of radio remained as a major method that companies could advertise their products; this is in the 1940s. This was able to promote a luxurious lifestyle, majorly because people could become aware of the emergence of new products that could be used to promote their personal well-being (Raizman, p. 267). By the end of the 1940s, the television emerged as one of the important modes or channels of communication and advertisements. The acquisitions of TV sets began in 1946, and by 1952, more than a third of the citizens of United States were able to own and operate TV sets. Companies that were constantly advertising through the use of the television include Esso, Firestone Tires, and Pan American Airways. These were companies that were promoting luxurious living. Take for example Firestone Tires. This company was promoting tires that could be used in automobiles, and this is an aspect of comfortable living. The development of the FM broadcasting also played a significant role in p romoting comfortable living in America, Italy, Scandinavia and Britain. This is because they were able to promote the products of various companies. This period also saw the emergence of Sunday Magazine, an affiliate of New York Times. This was a major tool that enabled companies to advertise their products. This was specifically in the fashion industry, where fashion companies were seeking to promote the development their new brands. For instance, this type of modernism played a great role in the promotion and rise of American and European designs. For

Math Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 14

Math - Speech or Presentation Example recommended’ puts the public under the impression that the moisturizing lotion must have undergone extensive tests and use by a collective group of skin specialists when no actual number of professionals is stated. On the assumption that people are generally aware that dermatologists constitute a credible skincare authority, the ad necessitates no more of essential statistical details to support the claim. ‘Dermatologist’ is taken to mean a group, especially an adequate number of skincare experts though the ad does not specify whether it is singular or plural so that a critical consumer may ask ‘what if only one dermatologist had the opportunity to test the lotion?’ or if there were several others, ‘why are such facts excluded where at least mentioning a ratio x number out of y number will do?’. So then it appears as if the insufficient information is intended for a strategic marketing to catch the public’s interest toward buying t he product immediately. Explanation: Apparently, the use of double negatives in this case makes the question itself biased in a way that it directs the public to understand that tutoring services are not only meant for students who fail in class. This could result to a range of interpretations where some may readily be swayed to consider that it is important for being an ‘extra’ rather than a ‘mandatory’ task so that because of this loose sense of obligation, people take chances of closing agreement to that option. On another occasion, the query may not be a good measure of obtaining reliable survey outcomes since its statement is more imperative than interrogative, as in demanding to be understood in the light of its implied position. Furthermore, instead of taking one’s original stand on the matter, the person might be misled to an ambiguous thought about ‘extra tutoring’ where it is possible to think that students who pass may need tutoring for an additional activity or it is also possible to assume

Response Essays Essay Example for Free

Response Essays Essay Response to: Foul Shots In Foul Shots, Rogelio R. Gomez writes about his Chicano background and the neighborhood he grew up in. Furthermore, he describes himself being stereotyped as one of the â€Å"barrio boys† basically meaning that he is considered inferior to the Anglos. In high school, the writer states that he was on a basketball team and that there was one day when his coach announced that his team was to â€Å"buddy up† with the opposite team. The opposite team was all White and therefore had a big conflict with the â€Å"barrio boys† due to racism. One of the Anglos threw a bag of Fritos to the â€Å"barrio boys† as an insult because of the â€Å"Frito Bandito† commercial which was, at its time, very popular and involved a stereotyped â€Å"Mexican bandit† from the Western movies who would steal Fritos. Gomez states in his essay that this insult still persists in his mind after â€Å"more than 20 years† have passed because he still wonders what he should have done in the situation and always comes to a though in where he is crushing â€Å"a silly bag of Fritos. The title seems to go well with the whole theme of this essay and has two meanings on being that since they are on a basketball team and a â€Å"foul† in basketball is an illegal move and also using the meaning of the word â€Å"foul† as unfair; they are being compared in a sense. The Anglos in the essay are very stereotypical due to the fact that they threw a bag of Fritos at the â€Å"barrio boys† and treated them very rudely; they basically thought of them as â€Å"inferior† as stated in by the author. Something that can also be said in this situation; however, is that the stereotypical thoughts could be turned towards the Anglos implying that the Mexican-Americans discriminate towards them too. The reason why is because, in the essay, it says that the â€Å"barrio boys† tried to act like they were superior because of their â€Å"toughness† and how they played basketball much better than the Anglos, beating them at every game. This whole problem could have probably been prevented if the coaches took a different approach towards the conflicts between the two teams. Rather than having the two teams get together, which obviously magnified the problem, the coach should have talked to the students about the different ethnic backgrounds and how to deal with racism and stereotypes. Response to: The Happiest Day of My Life In the essay, The Happiest Day of My Life, a man by the name of Michael T. Smith worked in an office with large windows that were facing a busy overpass. One day, Smith decided to start waving at the people that would pass by. Smith started these â€Å"window antics† to bring joy and relieve the stress during work. Smith kept on waving to these people to the point where it became a daily routine. Eventually, his co-workers began to notice this and share the laughs he would get from waving at these people. Around Christmas time, it began to get stressful because of all of the job cuts and to help cheer everyone up, Smith decided to dress up as Santa Claus during work. When his supervisor found out about this, he called Smith into his office which made Smith become very nervous, especially during this time, but to his surprise, his supervisor couldn’t help but laugh and thanked him for what he had done to cheer everyone up. I personally thought that Smith was going to get warned not to do something like this again or he would lose his job because of the reaction given in which it says that his supervisor â€Å"†¦turned and left. † After a while, Smith began to see a bond growing between the people he would wave to, especially the bus riders, but didn’t realize how strong it was until the day when his daughter was born and they held up a sign saying â€Å"congratulations! †

Selling the Fantasy :: Shopping Retail Essays

Selling the Fantasy I slow my step to a stroll as I approach the doors to the Staten Island Mall. I am finally back in New York, and, of course, the first thing I am going to do is shop. I am going to make the most of this little excursion. Abercrombie and Fitch, Gap, Express, here I come. Accompanying me on this venture are my trusty friends, Andrea and Jennifer, both also back home for a weekend break from college. As we walk past the sliding doors, we enter what we've been conditioned to think is every woman's paradise. Huge elevators to the left and right, eye-catching signs, beautifully ornate displays. Perhaps more an advertiser's paradise, now that I think about it. Walking along the first floor we come across an Abercrombie and Fitch store. Nothing like images of half-dressed beautiful people to start off my day. Why do we always come here? Every time, the same thing happens. I slow my step and look over at my friends. "Andi, not Abercrombie again," I whine. "Do you remember what happened last time we came here? You bought a tank top for $20 and only wore it once!" Andrea shoots me a bemused look and continues walking into the store. In a few minutes, I reluctantly follow her in. Yay, I think to myself, my voice dripping with sarcasm, prepare to be sold some overpriced beautiful people. Walking into the store, I am immediately confronted by attractive salespeople trying to sell us trendy clothes and huge images on the walls of a gorgeous woman (dressed in Abercrombie and Fitch, of course) in the arms of a handsome man. This is why I hate coming here. That image on the wall. I mean, who doesn't want to be that woman? Every woman does, no o ne can deny it; the countless advertising campaigns have managed to convince us that by dressing like her we could become her. Highly unlikely I know, but that is exactly what advertisers are so good at selling. That particular image. That identity. The "who you are" defined by the "what you wear." The beautiful woman who wears Abercrombie and Fitch. And by the time I realize that I'm not the beautiful woman who wears Abercrombie, but rather the poor college student who can't afford Abercrombie, I've already been convinced to buy just one more shirt.

Cultivating an Affirmation of the Past in the Poem “Digging”

The significance of the past is given an affirmation in the poem, â€Å"Digging,† written by Nobel Prize awardee Seamus Heaney. The persona in the poem takes a nostalgic trip into his past, reminiscing about the old days when he watched and participated in potato farming with his father and grandfather. Both men handle toil and hard work with excellence; this is emphasized when the persona states his admiration for the grace and competence exhibited by the men: â€Å"By God, the old man could handle a spade/Just like his old man. † (15-16) However, the demarcation line between the persona and his earlier generation is clearly defined early on.In the first two lines of the poem, he establishes the idea that he is a writer; a man who prefers handling a pen, symbolizing academic and artistic profession, over a handling a spade, symbolizing hard labor, â€Å"Between my finger and my thumb/The squat pen rests; snug as a gun. † (lines 1-2) Nevertheless, the value and p ride of each separate work is equally praised by the persona. He conveys the idea that there is no difference if one uses a pen, or a spade in work, no difference when one plows a field or scribbles on paper. The only important thing is the love and passion one dedicates to one’s profession or work.