Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Machiavelli was not very ncie
One of the most outrageous things Machiavelli wrote was that it is better to be loved than feared. He said that it's easier to keep be loyal to you if they are afraid of you, and that people will not be nearly as hesitant to betray or hurt you if they are your friend or loved one. I completely disagree. People will do amazing and wonderful things for love, but they will only do so much for fear. I believe that men can only handle living in fear and being downtrodden for a limited amount of time, and that there comes a point where they will not tolerate it any longer. Men will cross oceans and die for love, it is a much stronger motivator than fear. Why would you be willing to go through pain and suffering for someone who not only doesn't appreciate your work, but doesn't even like or respect you? I have always found that I work harder for teachers I like, I put up with much more crap from my family than I do from people I don't respect, and I will sacrifice much more for the friends I love than the people who have hurt or frightened me in the past.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Blog 5 Part 2: Roman Issues
I was unable to find good similarities and passages for all the issues I discussed in my previous blog, but found plenty to discuss with the following two!
Major debt and financial crisis, Roman style
"But now the holy fount and grove and shrine are let out to Jews, who possess a basket and a truss of hay for all their furnishings. For as every tree nowadays has to pay toll to the people, the Muses have been ejected, and the wood has to go a-begging."
"In Rome, every one dresses smartly, above his means, and sometimes something more than what is enough is taken out of another man's pocket. This failing is universal here: we all live in a state of pretentious poverty."
I love the way he describes it as 'pretentious poverty,' I feel like that is so similar to what is happening in our society today. People go into obscene amounts of debt to buy the newest cars and the biggest houses possible, but then they can't afford anything else. Or they find other ways to go into more debt to buy those other things, when in reality they own nothing. All of their belongings are basically on loan to them until someone calls in their debt, at which point they realize just how little they have.
Under Funded Schools
I felt like it was appropriate that when bewailing the evils of the Roman society, the only mention of education and schooling was dismissive; "And now that I am speaking of the Greeks, pass over the schools, and hear of a crime of a larger philosophical cloak." It's as though the Romans too felt that schools were not important enough to be bothered about. There were more obvious issues that were easier to complain about than the education system, so whenever it was brought up people quickly changed the subject to something that was easier to get mad about without feeling bad themselves.
Major debt and financial crisis, Roman style
"But now the holy fount and grove and shrine are let out to Jews, who possess a basket and a truss of hay for all their furnishings. For as every tree nowadays has to pay toll to the people, the Muses have been ejected, and the wood has to go a-begging."
"In Rome, every one dresses smartly, above his means, and sometimes something more than what is enough is taken out of another man's pocket. This failing is universal here: we all live in a state of pretentious poverty."
I love the way he describes it as 'pretentious poverty,' I feel like that is so similar to what is happening in our society today. People go into obscene amounts of debt to buy the newest cars and the biggest houses possible, but then they can't afford anything else. Or they find other ways to go into more debt to buy those other things, when in reality they own nothing. All of their belongings are basically on loan to them until someone calls in their debt, at which point they realize just how little they have.
Under Funded Schools
I felt like it was appropriate that when bewailing the evils of the Roman society, the only mention of education and schooling was dismissive; "And now that I am speaking of the Greeks, pass over the schools, and hear of a crime of a larger philosophical cloak." It's as though the Romans too felt that schools were not important enough to be bothered about. There were more obvious issues that were easier to complain about than the education system, so whenever it was brought up people quickly changed the subject to something that was easier to get mad about without feeling bad themselves.
Current Issues
Top Social Issues in the US today
We have been relying on money that we don’t actually have
for too long, and instead of being in control of our spending, our spending habits
and subsequent debt often end up controlling us. Irresponsible spending habits
are catching up with us, leaving some people planning to pass away before they
finish repaying their debt.
There is a frightening trend in my own age group of either
feigned or real apathy towards current events. There are young people who keep
up with the news and are aware of what’s going on in the world of course, but
they are usually their own subgroup. It’s much cooler to know about a band
before the rest of your friends than it is to know about a piece of legislation
or a foreign conflict incident before them.
Major Debt
We have been relying on money that we don’t actually have
for too long, and instead of being in control of our spending, our spending habits
and subsequent debt often end up controlling us. Irresponsible spending habits
are catching up with us, leaving some people planning to pass away before they
finish repaying their debt.
Lack of Funding for Schools
In high school I had classes every day where at least two or
three students had to sit on the floor or in a chair in the corner because
there was literally not enough space or desks. If we expect students to learn enough
to compete in a global job market and their teachers to be able to constantly
raise their standardized testing scores, it’s only fair that we provide them with
the resources they need to do it.
Apathy
The Impossibly Perfect Women
"Now every girl is expected to have Caucasian
blue eyes, full Spanish lips, a classic button nose, hairless Asian skin with a
California tan, a Jamaican dance hall [butt], long Swedish legs, small Japanese
feet, the abs of a lesbian gym owner, the hips of a nine-year-old boy, the arms
of Michelle Obama, and doll [boobs]. The person closest to actually achieving
this look is Kim Kardashian, who, as we know, was made by Russian scientists to
sabotage our athletes.” –Tina Fey,
Bossy Pants
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Solon the Sad and Dreary
I am drawing inspiration from Herodotus' imagined debate between Solon and Croesus when I assert the opinion that Solon was a pessimist. His statement that "how much better a thing for man is death than life," belies his belief that true happiness isn't even worth striving for. He believes that the only truly happy man is a dead man, because up until a man's death there is always a good chance that his fortunes will change and he'll be miserable. I feel that he ignores that joy and happiness that can come from every day circumstances.
He believes that happiness comes from one's end being " surpassingly glorious . . . [receiving] the highest honors," while I believe that happiness comes from doing one's best to enjoy life regardless of the circumstances you may be in at the present. If a man cannot find something to make him happy while he is living an ordinary life, he will most likely not be able to find happiness if he receives glory and riches for his amazing deeds. Herodotus' negative outlook would make it very difficult to find happiness in ordinary life, and I shudder to imagine what he thinks a woman would have to do to find happiness. Since women are usually not a part of fighting and battle in ancient Greek civilization, except on rare occasions, I do not imagine he would suggest dying in battle as a great way for them to go. Or perhaps he believed women would only attain happiness through their husbands, so perhaps once their husbands were dead they could just assume that the rest of their lives would be happy. Whether he had different ideas about women and happiness or not, I am glad that I do not have to rely on Herodotus' philosophies to find happiness in this life and the next.
He believes that happiness comes from one's end being " surpassingly glorious . . . [receiving] the highest honors," while I believe that happiness comes from doing one's best to enjoy life regardless of the circumstances you may be in at the present. If a man cannot find something to make him happy while he is living an ordinary life, he will most likely not be able to find happiness if he receives glory and riches for his amazing deeds. Herodotus' negative outlook would make it very difficult to find happiness in ordinary life, and I shudder to imagine what he thinks a woman would have to do to find happiness. Since women are usually not a part of fighting and battle in ancient Greek civilization, except on rare occasions, I do not imagine he would suggest dying in battle as a great way for them to go. Or perhaps he believed women would only attain happiness through their husbands, so perhaps once their husbands were dead they could just assume that the rest of their lives would be happy. Whether he had different ideas about women and happiness or not, I am glad that I do not have to rely on Herodotus' philosophies to find happiness in this life and the next.
Monday, July 2, 2012
The Role of Law
Using specific examples from what you read in Sophocles, Thucydides, and Plato determine what the role of law is in a free society. Is that role the same today?
I felt that Thucydides and Socrates, as voiced by Plato, had very different ideas of what justice really was, but both emphasized the importance of it as the basis of law in a free society. Thucydides voiced the opinion that bad laws are better than no laws, and expressed a rather pessimistic view of men and their innate nature. He believed that "unlearned loyalty is more serviceable than quick-witted insubordination," thereby implying that it didn't really matter why men followed laws as long as they followed them. He believed that ", fear is our chief safeguard, teaching us to obey the magistrates and the laws." He saw the role of law as that of a defense against the naturally evil tendencies of the common man, something to safeguard idiots from destroying each other in fits of passion.
Socrates, on the other hand, had a more noble view of man; he saw him as a being of reason and understanding, who follows laws not out of fear but rather because he sees it as the right thing to do. Men will follow the laws of their city or state not because they wish to avoid punishment, but because they believe those laws to be just and true. My favorite part of all of the readings for this class session was Plato's discussion of the consent a free man gives to be ruled by his society when he neither attempts to logically persuade the government to change, nor leaves the city in favor of a different state and government. According to Socrates, a man who disobeys the laws of the society where he was born and raised is guilty three times over, " first, because in disobeying us he is disobeying his parents; secondly, because we are the authors of his education; thirdly, because he has made an agreement with us that he will duly obey our commands." People who live in a free society are given the choice to agree with and follow its laws, to disagree with those laws and either do something about it or leave. There is no need for a man to fear his government, or to fight against its laws, if he has willingly entered into an agreement to follow those laws.
In a free society such as ours, I believe Plato's arguments to be entirely correct. It is not right for people to live their lives not participating in or even just agreeing with everything their society does until one day it is no longer convenient. And yes, in Socrates' case his death was a bit more than an inconvenience, but he still believed in the laws of his society. It is a shallow belief that only exists when it is convenient for the believer, and disappears at the first sign of trouble. I agree that laws are important to keep society functioning well, but unlike Thucydides I believe that laws are upheld in free societies by consent more than fear.
I felt that Thucydides and Socrates, as voiced by Plato, had very different ideas of what justice really was, but both emphasized the importance of it as the basis of law in a free society. Thucydides voiced the opinion that bad laws are better than no laws, and expressed a rather pessimistic view of men and their innate nature. He believed that "unlearned loyalty is more serviceable than quick-witted insubordination," thereby implying that it didn't really matter why men followed laws as long as they followed them. He believed that ", fear is our chief safeguard, teaching us to obey the magistrates and the laws." He saw the role of law as that of a defense against the naturally evil tendencies of the common man, something to safeguard idiots from destroying each other in fits of passion.
Socrates, on the other hand, had a more noble view of man; he saw him as a being of reason and understanding, who follows laws not out of fear but rather because he sees it as the right thing to do. Men will follow the laws of their city or state not because they wish to avoid punishment, but because they believe those laws to be just and true. My favorite part of all of the readings for this class session was Plato's discussion of the consent a free man gives to be ruled by his society when he neither attempts to logically persuade the government to change, nor leaves the city in favor of a different state and government. According to Socrates, a man who disobeys the laws of the society where he was born and raised is guilty three times over, " first, because in disobeying us he is disobeying his parents; secondly, because we are the authors of his education; thirdly, because he has made an agreement with us that he will duly obey our commands." People who live in a free society are given the choice to agree with and follow its laws, to disagree with those laws and either do something about it or leave. There is no need for a man to fear his government, or to fight against its laws, if he has willingly entered into an agreement to follow those laws.
In a free society such as ours, I believe Plato's arguments to be entirely correct. It is not right for people to live their lives not participating in or even just agreeing with everything their society does until one day it is no longer convenient. And yes, in Socrates' case his death was a bit more than an inconvenience, but he still believed in the laws of his society. It is a shallow belief that only exists when it is convenient for the believer, and disappears at the first sign of trouble. I agree that laws are important to keep society functioning well, but unlike Thucydides I believe that laws are upheld in free societies by consent more than fear.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Homer, Sort Of
I was rather disappointed with the translation of the Iliad that we were assigned, because I felt like it lost a lot of it's epic nature in an effort to become easier to read. Other translations I have read are able to keep the reader well informed about what's happening while still managing to stay true to the poetic roots of the original story.
The translation by William Cowperce refers to the scene in which Agamemnon refuses to return Chryses' daughter to him thus, "I will not loose thy daughter, till old age steal on her. From her native country far, in Argos, in my palace, she shall ply the loom, and be partner of my bed. Move me no more. Begone; hence while thou may'st." I'd like to then compare the same part of the story from the translation by Stanley Lombardo that we read, "The girl is mine, and she'll be an old woman in Argos before I let her go, working the loom in my house and coming to my bed, far from her homeland. Now clear out of here before you make me angry!" To me, the two passages tell the same story. Except that the first tells it well, and the second tells it in a way that makes me think the translator thinks I might be an idiot.
It is a distinct possibility that I am being a snob about this and that it's more important that more people can know the basic story than it is that most people read a more authentic version of the text. I was raised in a family where we argued over our favorite Charles Dickens novels at dinner and were read Tolkein books at bedtime, so maybe I'm just used to the kind of older, more flowery, writing that the other translators offer. But to me, part of what makes the Iliad and the Odyssey such epic poems, is the grandeur of their language. Is it worth it to people to sacrifice the beauty and integrity of the poem to be able to read it faster and not have to spend as much time thinking about what it is saying? To me, the trade off is not worth it.
The translation by William Cowperce refers to the scene in which Agamemnon refuses to return Chryses' daughter to him thus, "I will not loose thy daughter, till old age steal on her. From her native country far, in Argos, in my palace, she shall ply the loom, and be partner of my bed. Move me no more. Begone; hence while thou may'st." I'd like to then compare the same part of the story from the translation by Stanley Lombardo that we read, "The girl is mine, and she'll be an old woman in Argos before I let her go, working the loom in my house and coming to my bed, far from her homeland. Now clear out of here before you make me angry!" To me, the two passages tell the same story. Except that the first tells it well, and the second tells it in a way that makes me think the translator thinks I might be an idiot.
It is a distinct possibility that I am being a snob about this and that it's more important that more people can know the basic story than it is that most people read a more authentic version of the text. I was raised in a family where we argued over our favorite Charles Dickens novels at dinner and were read Tolkein books at bedtime, so maybe I'm just used to the kind of older, more flowery, writing that the other translators offer. But to me, part of what makes the Iliad and the Odyssey such epic poems, is the grandeur of their language. Is it worth it to people to sacrifice the beauty and integrity of the poem to be able to read it faster and not have to spend as much time thinking about what it is saying? To me, the trade off is not worth it.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Epithets
Devourer of Words
I am an avid reader, and I will frequently choose to finish a book instead of going to sleep at night. I am not selective about what I read once, but I am very picky about the books I purchase or reread.
Domestic Artisan
I find great joy in creating things that make my home life happier and more beautiful. I love cooking for my friends, playing with my sewing machine, and making new things to put on my walls.
Flower Child
I grew up working in my parents' orchards every weekend and all summer long, and have loved playing in the dirt and the garden for as long as I can remember. I love seeing things that I planted as seeds blossom into something big and beautiful.
Peace Keeper
Few things upset me more than the people around me being upset. I have been trying to resolve conflict and bring comfort and happiness to the people I love since I was a child, and it is a character trait I work hard to nourish and hold on to, regardless of what's going on in my own life.
I am an avid reader, and I will frequently choose to finish a book instead of going to sleep at night. I am not selective about what I read once, but I am very picky about the books I purchase or reread.
Domestic Artisan
I find great joy in creating things that make my home life happier and more beautiful. I love cooking for my friends, playing with my sewing machine, and making new things to put on my walls.
Flower Child
I grew up working in my parents' orchards every weekend and all summer long, and have loved playing in the dirt and the garden for as long as I can remember. I love seeing things that I planted as seeds blossom into something big and beautiful.
Peace Keeper
Few things upset me more than the people around me being upset. I have been trying to resolve conflict and bring comfort and happiness to the people I love since I was a child, and it is a character trait I work hard to nourish and hold on to, regardless of what's going on in my own life.
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