The Sixties Cultural Movement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Sixties Cultural Movement - Essay Example The 1960s was a significant period within modern history. It could be said that it was when society as a whole began to realize that there was individual freedom within humanity, that life need not be dictated by those who controlled us that life is a personal choice. It was also a time when America began seeing itself for what it is, their government policies especially their foreign policy was always based on profit and the American people understood that they needed to be more sympathetic to other people. It was a reawakening because previously during history the population could be recruited for whatever means to serve the government especially during times of war however, during the sixties many people fought and protested against war recruitment. It was a moment when humanity could re-examine themselves and their lives that society could be changed just like the efforts of the African-American people as a segregated minority. It was a time of possibility. In the 1950s America h ad great faith in their political system, America went to war with Korea and not many protested, McCarthyism was rampant and the people were led to believe in rampant anticommunism. From these roots of an anticommunist stance did the 1960s take place and the war against Vietnam was built on these reasons. Even within literature did the American beliefs penetrate there was a naà ¯ve impression of American anticommunism.... dictator, General The. Aside from the war policy of America against Vietnam there were other important events that took place in the 1960s that affected the world and America was at the center where there were many movements and protests against the formal government. Science & Religion in the Sixties There was an expansive surge on science during the sixties and if the details could be believed, man has landed on the moon. Neil Armstrong, an astronaut landed on the moon in 1969 after President Kennedy launched a space race between America and Russia. Earlier on in the fifties the USSR have managed to send several dogs in orbit in space to test whether it was feasible for man to travel there. Before Armstrong was able to reach the moon the Russians in 1961 was already orbiting space3. It could be said that the science of astrology and space travel during this time was reaching its all-new high. Satellites were being sent to orbit the earth and these weren't minor achievements. Satellites are what we use today to receive signals for our televisions, our wireless internet, our mobile phones, we use satellite technology today almost everyday. Science also reached its fictitious zenith where it came to the point that it could create its own religion. The Church of Scientology was founded in 1955 by a fiction writer named L. Ron Hubbard. In the 1960s, as all counter-cultural movement goes, it developed its own stances to living daily life and cultures and created their own basic principles. Today, Scientology is no longer a completely 'New-Age' phenomenon as many people and celebrities begin to embrace its practices. Sixties and Politics When the settlers came to America they fought for a

Gothic Cathedral Essay Example for Free

Gothic Cathedral Essay Gothic architecture was developed from a Christian perspective, and therefore attained its most meaningful expression in churches. Clerics began to demand taller churches with more windows than had been present in the dark, but sturdy Romanesque churches. This desire was derived from new intellectual and spiritual concepts that took a more rational view of God, and saw God encompassed many things, such as light, reason and proportion. The Gothic church displayed a visual attempt to leave behind the mysterious world of the Romanesque, and create a setting that was drawn toward light and purity that could be an image of heaven. The middle class also had a great influence on the Gothic style as they desired churches that could reflect their economic power and social status. The most magnificent characteristics of Gothic style were the use of light and relationship between structure and appearance. Other defining characteristics were that the massive thickness of the walls from Romanesque architecture were replaced with membrane-thin frameworks used for enclosure which could support nothing but their own weight. Ribbed vaults were used to allow lighter materials to be placed between stone ribs, thus reducing weight. The weight of the walls and roof were no longer supported by columns, but by external flying buttresses. They also used pointed arches and slender columns to lift the ceiling, which created an overwhelming height. Wall paintings, which had been common in the Romanesque, were now replaced with beautiful and enormous stained glass windows that allowed more light into the structures, imbuing all with a sense of warmth and color. Chartres Cathedral-Interior Chartres CathedralInterior The cathedral at Chartres was built during the Gothic period, and it showed an ideal of harmony within its structure and contents. Work on the cathedral started in 1194, and was mostly completed in 1220. It emphasizes strong vertical lines in its structure. The stained glass windows that are used in this cathedral, (it has 176), are recognized as the finest example from the gothic style. Today, 94% of the stained glass is original, and it is the largest, most extensive collection of medieval glass in the world. Rose windows were used. The primary subject of the great roses is the Virgin and the Child. The rose windows created wholeness and completeness. Indeed, it  has a special relationship to the Virgin Mary in that it portrayed more realistic and humane qualities of the Virgin Mary. The cathedral reflects the strong influence that God held over the people at that time. It shows an expression of piety and local identity to those that were proud to live in the vicinity of the cathedral itself. It enhanced civic pride, and was the focus of the town itself.

Platos Allegory Of The Cave: Importance Today

Platos Allegory Of The Cave: Importance Today Our society so values education that sociologists have recognized the problem of over-education (Hadjicostandi). Many people are spending years pursuing degrees which they simply do not need for the jobs they perform. It is therefore prudent for students to question whether pursuing a liberal education is really as important as our society believes. What is the point of a college education? Does it have any purpose beyond its material benefits. Are these benefits worth their cost? These are important questions that need answering. In the end, we may see that there is far more to this debate than simple accounting. Perhaps what makes education worth pursuing is that it gives us the freedom to makes these kinds of decisions about what is best for us. In many ways, this debate over education has its roots in the writings of Plato (Jowett). In Book VII of The Republic, Plato discusses such topics as enlightenment, epistemology, forms, and the duties of philosophers Allegory of the Cave vs The Matrix: Imagine living through life completely bound and facing a reality that doesnt even exist. The prisoners in Platos Allegory of the Cave are blind from true reality as well as the people in the movie The Matrix written and directed by the Wachowski brothers. They are given false images and they accept what their senses are telling them, and they believe what they are experiencing is all that really exists. Plato the ancient Greek philosopher wrote The Allegory of the Cave, to explain the process of enlightenment and what true reality may be. In the movie The Matrix, Neo (the main character) was born into a world of illusions called the matrix. His true reality is being controlled by the puppet- handlers called the machines who use the human body as a source of energy. In the movie, Neo, finds and alternate reality and he has to go on a journey to discover himself and what is around him. Much like The Allegory of the Cave the prisoners in a dark underground cave, who are chained to the wall, have a view of reality solely based upon this limited view of the cave which is but a poor copy of the real world. Both the prisoners of the cave, and Neo from the Matrix, have to transcend on the path of enlightenment to know the truth of their own worlds. The Allegory of the Cave in Different Perspectives The Allegory of the Cave, written by Plato, is an interpretation of a conversation between Socrates, Platos mentor, and Glaucon, one of Socrates students.  ¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ §The Allegory of the Cave ¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¨ can be interpreted several different ways. Imagine men in a cave chained up by their necks and legs, forcing them to only look forward at a wall. An opening behind them lets the light in. Above the burning fire and chains, there is a road. Have these chained men ever seen anything else of themselves or others beyond the cave ¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦s shadows made by the fire? Some people would say the truth is only perceived by the shadows seen on the walls of the cave. What if one of these men ¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦s chains were taken off and he was free to leave? Would the man feel pain when seeing the real world? Would he be confused on believing what is real? Would it make a difference if the chained man was briefly educated about what he was going to see first? Perhaps he would understand and not be confused about what is real. Will the man think what he saw before was much more real than what he sees now? Questions like these will bring different opinions and meaning to The Allegory of the Cave. ¨ Whose interpretation, if any, is correct when explaining the meaning of The Allegory of the Cave? Does it have mathematical meaning, explain a vision of the whole world, or is it just a comparison to the field of social work? Similarities between Platos and Descartes Epistemologies Summary Philosophy is a subject that can take many twists and turns before it finds an answer to a general question. Sometimes, an answer is still left unfound. Philosophy, in its broadest terms, can be described as the systematic pursuit of knowledge and human excellence. What we are concerned with is knowledge. Many people have theories of knowledge. Amongst them, there are two we will be looking at, Descartes and Plato. We will examine Descartes epistemology in Meditations on First Philosophy and Platos in The Republic. Descartes epistemology is known as foundationalism. In the Meditations, Descartes doubts everything he was taught to believe because it is human tendency to believe what is false. In the first, he claims that most of what he believes is from his senses and that those senses are sometimes deceived. His solution to doubting everything is compared to a basket of apples. You fear that some apples have gone bad and you dont want the others to rot, so you throw all the apples out of the basket. Once this is done, you examine each one and return the good apples to the basket. This is what he does with his beliefs. He keeps only those he is certain of. We must discard our beliefs as a whole and then examine each one individually. We must build on the good beliefs. Descartes, however, does realize we cant throw every belief out because they are a part of us, unlike the apples. We would have no basis for recovering any of our beliefs. We would be unable to justify anything. No belief based on sense-perception is free from doubt. He said it is possible that his life is all a dream and he is being deceived into thinking it is reality. He also holds false anything that is physical exists, including his own body. The only things we should trust are those beliefs that are subject to rational scrutiny. We must also declare our mathematical judgments to be false also because an evil demon might be deceiving us. Now, Descartes has cast doubt on all his beliefs about everything but himself. He cannot be deceived about himself. It is on himself that he will be able to rebuild his knowledge of other things. If he had no knowledge of himself, then nothing can be certain. If he doubts, he must be an existing self which is engaged in doubting. If he doubts, he must also be thinking and Descartes said I think, therefore I am. He must also exist so that he can be deceived. If he is dreaming, then he is also thinking, thus he still exists. This is the first step to acquiring knowledge, to Descartes. You must build on what you know is certain, starting with yourself as the foundation. In the second meditation, Descartes tries to show we know bodies through reason and not through senses. He uses a piece of wax to demonstrate. Over a period of time, a freshly produced piece of wax placed by the fire loses or changes all its specific properties, yet it is known to be the same object. Its taste and odor disappear. Its color, size, and shape are completely transformed. It loses its hardness and coldness to liquidity and warmth. To know the wax, you must be able to anticipate its changes. Descartes argues, though, that the imagination could not possibly figure out all conditions, for they are infinite. One can only know an object through understanding, rather than through images, sensation or imagination. He now has knowledge about himself and any object that he has thought about through reason. We are now moving along nicely in rebuilding our house of knowledge. In the third meditation, we move into another building block of knowledge, God. We look at the example of two plus three equaling five. We see this to be clear and distinct, but it is possible that we are being deceived. He tries to dispel the doubt about propositions of mathematics by claiming that God exists and would not allow such a deception. He makes an argument for Gods existence. Premise one states that we have an idea of God. Premise two states that the only way to have an idea of God is if God exists. Therefore, the conclusion is that God exists. Us having an idea of God means us having an understanding of the infinite. We cant understand the infinite through the finite, but only through the infinite, thus God must also be the cause of the idea of God. We as finite substances cannot cause the existence of an infinite substance. The idea is also an objective reality, thus it can be held as true. God is not deceiving us and now we have added the final building block to our ho use of knowledge. In The Republic, Plato has his own epistemology. His is more along the lines of idealism. The ascent to knowledge is not based upon understanding an object, but understanding the idea of that object. The highest idea or form is the idea of the Good itself. Socrates is the main character of this section of The Republic. He engages in a conversation with Glaucon about knowledge. Socrates gives two images of the ascent from chaotic opinion to orderly knowledge, the image of the divided line and of the Cave. Knowledge is what is certain and true and opinion is what is fallible. This is where we may see a connection between Plato and Descartes. They both agree that knowledge must be certain and all other things false. Plato held that all knowledge can be derived from a single set of principles. Knowledge rests on the Good as its foundation, unlike Descartes, where ones self is the foundation. Plato compares the power of the Good to the power of the sun. The sun illuminates things and makes them visible to the eye. The absolute good illuminates things of the mind and makes them intelligible. According to Plato, the idea of the Good is too much for humans to understand, but can be thought of as the idea of absolute order. The sun is the cause of generation, nourishment, growth, and visibility. The Good is the cause of essences, structures, forms, and knowledge. This is somewhat similar to Descartes because God is the cause of the idea of Himself, thus the cause of everything else also. There are four levels of knowledge. First, there are two ruling powers though. The good is set over the intellectual world and the sun over the visible world. We start with two lines, one for knowledge and one for opinion. Now we cut them once more and now there are four sections, two belonging to the intelligible world and two belonging to the visible world, two belonging to knowledge and two belonging to opinion. The first section is that of images such as shadows and reflections. The second deals with us seeing actual things, sense-perception. Unlike Descartes, we will not discard this, but use it to build on our knowledge. Descartes believes sense-perception to be false, but Plato uses it as a stepping stone towards knowledge. Now we have the two subdivisions of the intellectual. The third section is where the soul has understanding through its assumptions based on images. The fourth section is where the soul moves past the use of any images and strictly reasons things out. One d oes not use objects, but ideas to reason. Next is the Allegory of the Cave. Platos allegory is a copy of the reality of the divided line. Plato realizes people can think and speak without being aware of the Forms. Plato treats these people as prisoners chained in a cave, unable to turn their heads. All they are able to see is the wall of the cave and a fire burns behind them. There is a place to walk between the prisoners and the fire. There are others in that place that hold up objects to cast shadows on the wall of the cave. The prisoners are unable to see these objects behind them. They see and hear only the shadows and echoes cast by these objects. Prisoners like these would mistake appearance for reality. They would think the shadows are real, but would be unaware of the causes. Plato points out that they would refer to the shadow rather than the real object. The only way for the prisoner to see what he is talking about is to turn his head around. We actually name things we can not see, but things that we can only grasp in the mind. When the prisoners are released, they can see the real objects and realize their error. The way we can see the causes of our shadows is by grasping the Forms with our minds. The prisoners now ascend upwards out of the cave( into the intellectual world). When they first leave the cave, their eyes feel pain the same way the jury that convicted Socrates felt pain. They were not used to the light just like the jury was not used to Socrates manner of speaking. The prisoners would, at first, react violently as the jury did and try to descend back into the cave. This is similar to when the jury sentenced Socrates to death. But the prisoners must go on. Once they adjust, they are able to see the objects and what they must possess in itself. This takes us back to Descartes again. Descartes also believed we must look for an objects uniqueness without relying on sense-perception. The light shows them what the external conditions must be and then they finally see the sun, the sour ce of the external condition. Plato and Descartes have their own epistemologies. Platos is that of Idealism and Descartes is Foundationalism. They differ somewhat while they also share similarities. Plato says what we see are shadows, not the real objects. A philosopher is one who strives to see the object and what makes the object unique. Finally, the philosopher will be able to see the idea of the object. Descartes also aims to find the uniqueness of an object and the idea of it through reason, but his approach differs. He casts doubt on what he feels isnt certain and starts to rebuild his house of knowledge on what is, himself being the foundation. Plato is not necessarily looking to cast doubts on ones beliefs, but is trying to expand ones knowledge of it. Their ends are the same, try to reach the Good or God, but their means are different.

English :: English Literature

English A Summer’s Reading Respect is a very dominant and important factor in the story of Bernard Malamud, â€Å"A Summer’s Reading.† The reach for respect from the people around him causes a lot of dilemma within the main character, George Stoyonovic. And those dilemmas led to consequences that George hated. George, a high school drop out, can not get any job during one summer. He decides to read the magazines found at home. But when he met Mr. Cattanzara, he immediately lies about the hundred books he is reading, in order for Mr. Cattanzara to respect him as well as to be proud of him. Respect is a form of acknowledgement of one’s existence. Respect is very important to everybody. Respect also gives a person a sense of confidence that he is not a failure and contradicts the idea that he is not good enough. People want respect because they want others to know how good they are. Though everybody wants it, most people often take it for granted. The irony of it all is that people wants it so much that they would do anything just to get it. In the story, the theme Respect is very important for everybody was shown a couple of times. An example of these scenes is when George was contemplating whether or not he should attend the night classes. â€Å"He has considered registering in a night high school, only he did not like the idea of teachers always telling him what to do. He felt that they had not respected him.† He decides that since he has nothing to do at home, attending night-class would be great and it would help him catch up on the lessons he has missed. But that the idea of teachers telling him what to do causes George to think twice. He thinks that when his teachers tell him what to do or should not do it shows a lack of respect on the teachers’ part. He then feels that he is not good enough and loses confidence in himself. But in reality, when people tell you what to do, it means that they are concerned about you and that they know that you can do better but it does not really mean that you are not good enough as a person. They are actually acknowledging your abilities and your capabilities which also acknowledge your existence. George searches for respect because it is where he gets the confidence that will enable him to move on forward with his life. Another instance in the story where it shows respect is very important is when George tells Mr.

Dimmesdale the Lying Coward

Cooper Chisum Dimmesdale the Lying Coward In the book The Scarlet Letter, a character named Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale was considered to be, by most people in the Puritan community, a hero. Dimmesdale was an extremely religious man with great morals and values. Many people in the community looked up to him for his passion and truth about his religious beliefs. Dimmesdale was a very reserved man, and was thought to be an angel of God. People worshiped him, believed what he said, and looked at him as hero.Unfortunately the community was left completely devastated and confused, because Dimmesdale was a lying coward that didn’t find the strength to admit his sin. Dimmesdale knew how the community saw him and could not face the truth, so he hid it. Dimmesdale lived two different lives, one was the religious face that everyone loved and looked up too. On the other hand, when he was alone all he did was beat himself up mentally and physically.Soon the guilt made Dimmesdale weaker and weaker and he wanted to tell the truth, and tried multiple times, but he never found the courage. He allowed the guilt of lying and manipulating the people to eventually kill him all because he couldn’t deal with what the community might think. Nobody in the town imagined him committing of sin of any kind, especially one that was a huge wrong doing in the Puritan community. Dimmesdale hid a secret behind the mask he wore for the community. He had courage to commit the sin but he did not have the courage to admit it.He committed adultery with a woman, she got pregnant, caught and punished by public humiliation because of him, but he couldn’t accept the consequences. On the other hand, he was tortured not only by his conscience; he was beat down by Roger Chillingworth. Eventually Dimmesdale was destined to die because he could not survive the guilt. Surprisingly in a last show of strength, Dimmesdale admits to his sin, but dies soon after. He died and left the community , his people with no explanation.In the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathanial Hawthorne, Dimmesdale proves that he is a coward by not being able to do the right thing and tell the truth. He lived a double life. He was a hero to so many people and all he did was let them down. He lost their trust and honor towards him, all because he could face the consequenses. Arthur Dimmesdale is a pathetic lying coward that didn’t have the confidence or power to make things right and follow what he preached to people of the Puritan community. He didn’t have the courage to live by everything he made other people believe in.

A Village Singer

â€Å"A village singer† portrays the internal conflict, the bitterness and responses of Candace when she was dismissed from the choir that served for forty years. The story partially points out the social norm that set down for women. In this community, women are not considered equal and have the same feelings as men which represent through Reverend Pollard and Williams Emmons. Williams Emmons is three years older than Candace, but he still holds his choir leader position. If they complain that her voice has worsened, Williams's voice logically must have the same situation as her. However, Emmons is not dismissed and remain his choirmaster position. The minister just like Candace also serves at the church for forty years. He hesitates of his speech and could not keep the freshness for his sermons. He still can stay in the church and continue his duties since nobody asks him to leave his position and gives him a photograph album. Candace indicates that all of them have the same position in the church and change according to age, but the congregation chooses to dismiss her as she is a woman. Candace's bitterness, pain, and conflict become more intense due to the betrayal of people around her. A betrayal of Emmons who had sung duets and had walked Candace home after rehearsals in Saturday night when he said â€Å"a most outrageous proceeding† for Candace action. He critics her voice with Alma and supports the dismissal. Even Candace's nephew, Wilson Ford, threats to throw her organ out of the window if she continues to disturb Alma's solo. He does not express any sympathy or even gently discuss her grief. She also feels hurt and betrayed by members of the choir since they celebrate a surprise party for her and leave a photograph album with the letter informing her dismissal from the choir. However, the way that Candace responses and against to conflict is full of anger, foolishness, disregard, and arrogance. She says that the member of the church pretends to be a Christian; however, she also goes against what the church teaches. She uses photograph album as a footstool, disturbs Alma's solo, refuses to pray â€Å"‘I don't see any use prayin' about it,' said she. ‘I don't think the Lord's got much to do with it, anyhow'† and challenge other people to stop her † I'd like to see anybody stop me.† Besides that, the story carries the message of kindness and forgiveness. At the end of the story, Candace forgives to all people who have wronged her and also ask for the forgiveness from those people. She apologizes to the minister, reconciles with Alma, and forgive Wilson.