Changing Views of Family in Society Essays -- Family

A Family Portrait: How the Picture Keeps Changing Growing up I believed that the three bears in the tale of Goldilocks were a family because they lived under the same roof and ate at the same table. I also believed that Barbie and her little sister, Skipper, were family because they looked alike, and that Mr. Potato Head and Mrs. Potato Head were family because they were married. Now that I am grown, my understanding of family has matured, and many sources have helped shape my belief. Carol Shields points out in her article, â€Å"Family Is One of the Few Certainties We Will Take with Us Far into the Future,† that all around us there are different definitions and symbols of family (Shields 558). In short, a family does not have to conform to a set mold to be considered a family. For example, a small family, such as Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head’s, still qualifies as a family. On the contrary, Webster supports a more traditional view that defines â€Å"family† as a household consisting of parents and their children. R elatives and those who share a mutual ancestor are also included in this definition (â€Å"Family† 215). Our culture’s interpretation of family is constantly changing, and an amendment to the definition should be allowed for. History tells us that a family consists of a man, a woman, and their children, but I believe that today, that definition should branch out to include non-traditional families, which in some cases could even include, pets and close friends. Thousands of years ago, a family consisted of a man, a woman, their children, their servant, and any children the man had with the servant. King Solomon from the Bible is said to have had seven-hundred wives and three-hundred concubines. His family was quite literally the siz... ...rom whether biological relatives or best of friends. Circumstances may alter the traditional sense of the word family, but human nature allows us to adapt and form our lives accordingly. With our ever changing society, maybe Hasbro Toys will someday have Mr. Potato Head leave the Missus for a certain lusty Radish and her two children. Works Cited Shields, Carol. â€Å"Family Is One of the Few Certainties We Will Take with Us Far into the Future.† Wall Street Journal, 1 Jan 2000. Elements of Argument. Eds. John E. Sullivan III and Deborah Baker. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2006. 558-563. Smiley, Jane. â€Å"Why Do We Marry?† Utne Reader, Sep/Oct 2000. Elements of Argument. Eds. John E. Sullivan III and Deborah Baker. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2006. 563-564. â€Å"Family.† Webster's New World Dictionary. Ed. Victoria Neufeldt. New York City: Pocket Books, 1995. 215.

Compares Adolf Hitler to Machiavelli’s “The Prince” Essay

Adolf Hitler, the self-proclaimed â€Å"savior† of the German people. He was an insecure, egotistical man, who ominously controlled the German people. Hitler thought that he could change things with force, which soon got him into trouble, and landed him in jail. During his time in jail, Hitler had turned over direction of the Nazi party to Alfred Rosenberg. Rosenberg edited the party’s newspaper, the Và ¶lkischer Beobacter (Popular Observer), but had no administrative ability. As a result, Hitler easily resumed complete control of the party upon his release in December 1924.In the years from 1925 to 1930; Hitler built up a network of local party organizations over most of Germany, and reorganized the SA. At the same time he organized the SS, to protect him, supervise and control the party, and perform police tasks. Hitler’s mass of followers began to grow, and soon those who didn’t follow him soon became the minority. Hitler gained political power soon af ter and his reign of terror began, ending with the deaths of over 6 million Jews that were persecuted by the Nazis, because they were supposedly the problem in Germany. Hitler indiscriminately followed some of Machiavelli’s principles as described in â€Å"The Prince†. Whereas he embraced Machiavelli’s ideas concerning human nature, and separation of politics and morality, he ignored Machiavelli’s concept of military power, which led to his ultimate downfall. As described in Niccolo Machiavelli’s â€Å"The Prince†, to be a successful ruler, you must incorporate the principles or guidelines he sets in this pamphlet, three of the most important being, his concepts of human nature, his ideas about separation of politics and morality, and the reality of military power In chapters XV, XVI, XVII Machiavelli devotes a long time describing aspects of human nature that a prince must understand. Machiavelli says it is human nature to praise certain qualities and blame others. According to human nature certain qualities are considered worth of praise, for example: generosity, courage, and mercy. Other qualities would be considered worthy of blame: miserly, cowardly, and treacherous. But according to Machiavelli: â€Å"†¦ And I know that everyone will admit, that it would be a very praise  worthy thing to find in a prince, the qualities mentioned above, those that are held to be good; but since it is neither possible to have them or to observe them all completely, because the human condition does not permit it, a prince must be prudent enough to know how to escape the bad reputation of those vices that would loose the state for him, and must protect himself from those that will not use it for him† (Machiavelli, 52). In other words Machiavelli says that human nature praises certain qualities and blame others, but he says there is no way that human can do all the good things and avoid, and that a prince must figure out how to not take so much blame when he does wrong, and try to do as many good things as he can. For example regarding generosity and miserliness, Machiavelli says to be truly generous, one must be miserly at times. â€Å"A prince, therefore, being unable to use his virtue of generosity in a manner which will not harm himself†¦ should, if he is wise, not worry about being called a miser; for with time, he will come to be considered more generous†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (53) In one finally contrast, according to Machiavelli in regards to courage and cowardice, mercy and treachery he says † That every prince must desire to be considered merciful and not cruel; never the less, he must take care not to misuse this mercy†¦Therefore, a prince must not worry about the reproach of cruelty, when it is a matter of keeping his subjects united and loyal† (55). According to Machiavelli, there are times when you don’t worry about doing the right thing, if it leads to the end you are seeking. This kind of thinking is the basis for his ideas concerning the separation of politics and morality. In essence, Machiavelli’s philosophy concerning politics and morality is this: In order to achieve political prowess (i.e. power, glory, fame) you may need to break the rules, or be immoral. In chapter VIII and IX, Machiavelli describes the ways a man can become a prince. In addition to gaining a fortune, and political prowess, criminal acts and popularity contests can help a man’s rise to power. Machiavelli uses King Agathocles of Syracuse as an example of a man who rose to power through crime (30). King Agathocles rose to power through cruelty, and didn’t care about what was  right or wrong (morality). As described in Chapter IX, another means of achieving your political goals is † When a private citizen, not through wickedness or any other intolerable violence, but with the favour of his fellow citizens, becomes prince†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (33) He goes on to say † I maintain that one reaches this princedom either with the favour of he common people or with that of the nobility† (33). Machiavelli’s idea was that a prince needs to please both sides, the rich and the poor, by any means possible. Even if that means telling them what they want to hear, lying, doing whatever is necessary. Machiavelli suggests that it is acceptable to be immoral, if it gets someone what he or she wants. This appears on the surface to be very harsh and cruel, but he tempers his position by saying the one who gains power by treacherous means, may not gain as much glory as the one who gains power by virtuous means. Understanding human nature, and manipulating politics and morality are fine, but the true measure of a prince, is in his ability to wage war. Machiavelli measured the success of all principalities on their ability to gather an army. Machiavelli judged a prince on whether he could protect himself, or needed the protection of others. † I say that I judge those princes self-sufficient who, either through abundance of troops or of money, are able to gather together a suitable army and fight a good battle, against whoever should attack them† (37). A strong prince must build strong armies, and there are three types of armies. The princes own troops, mercenaries, and auxiliary troops. â€Å"Mercenaries and auxiliaries are useless and dangerous† (42). According to Machiavelli, these troops are undisciplined and disloyal. Machiavelli concludes that the only good army is one that is made up of your own countrymen (48). So important is the waging of war, and the building of a fearful army, Machiavelli suggests that this is the only thing a prince should think about. † A prince, therefore, must not have any other object nor any other thought, nor must he take anything as his profession, but war, its institutions, and its discipline†¦it is evident that when princes have given more thought to personal luxuries than to arms, they have lost their state.† (49) For Machiavelli a prince must devote a considerable amount of time in developing an army by use of any means possible, (once again playing on human nature) training in war time, and in peace time. The true measure of a successful prince as seen by Machiavelli, is in his ability to manipulate human nature, which involves a balance of contradiction and hypocrisy, achieving your political means morally or immorally, and securing your success by the establishment of a strong army. And if anything you must build a strong army first, in order to use the other two concepts to your advantage. Perhaps if Hitler had adhered to these principles in the correct measure, he too would be seen as a successful â€Å"prince.†

Compare Tom Regan, Carl Cohen and Peter Singer in Terms of Animal Rights

Animal rights are one of the most controversial issues today. There has been endless debate about whether or not animals have rights. Philosophers attempt to come up with the moral conclusions by taking in account the many different standpoints and presenting their related arguments. In his essay â€Å"The case of animal rights†, Tom Regan, a professor of philosophy at North Carolina State University, defends his view that the center of our moral concern should not bring the suffering on animal as well as treating animals in a certain way. In other words, we should treat animals as if they are our property. We should only use them to benefit us and hurting them is an action that is not morally justifiable. In addition, in his article â€Å"All Animal Are Equal†, Peter Singer, an Australian philosopher, has many points which show us that we have responsibilities to protect animal rights. Singer’s argument in his essay gives us a great support to the argument that Reagan trying to discuss in terms of morally equal. In contrast, â€Å"The case of the use of animals in biomedical research† by Carl Cohen, a philosophy professor at University of Michigan Medical School, although he agrees with Regan’s idea in terms of moral rights as well as practices that essentially involve harming animals are morally unjustified, he strongly supports for the use of animal in medical research, and scientific experiments to avoid risking human lives. â€Å"The case of animal rights†, â€Å"all animal are equal† and â€Å"The case of the use of animals in biomedical research† introduce to us a new thinking about treating animals. In his essay, Tom Regan points out theories are deficient in animals. The author discusses â€Å"Indirect duty view† which humans should recognize that animals should have the same rights as humans and they have the duty to uphold these rights. Besides that, Regan states in the â€Å"Contractarianism† that humans have rights and can protect their rights under the terms of the contract they signed. However, he indicated that animals have no rights because they cannot sign the contract. We humans should have direct duties to all animals. Even the views including â€Å"Indirect duty view,† â€Å"Cruelty-kindness view,† and â€Å"Utilitarian view† fail to protect animal rights, he promotes the right view, which is the inherent value view. The author states that all individuals, including human and nonhuman animals, who are experienced the subject of life, should have equal inherent values and equal rights while being treated with respect. In addition, Peter Singer agrees with Regan that all animals are morally equal, at least with regard to their suffering. Peter Singer argues the point that animals and humans should be granted â€Å"equal consideration. Granting equal consideration means that humans and animals do not need to be treated exactly the same way, but that they need to be treated in an appropriate manner. Singer believes that suffering is â€Å"the vital characteristic that gives a being the right to equal consideration†. If all beings are able to suffer, animals should be treat ed with consideration equal to humans in most circumstances. Moreover, in his essay â€Å"All animals are equal,† Peter Singer points out the case for women's rights and refers to similar arguments of animal’s rights. Since animal’s rights were absurd, the argument for women's rights must be mistaken. In contrast with both Regan and Singer’s views, Carl Cohen gives us strong evidences to demonstrate his standpoints why animals have no rights. He claims rights only exists within a community of moral agents who can make moral claims against each other and just human can exercise moral judgment. He thinks we must at least treat animals humanely, but this does not mean we need to treat them as if they have rights. He also compared the differences between animals with brain damaged persons, senile or young in terms of the ability to make claim which is essential to being a person. That’s why these people are still part of our moral community, but animals are not. Moreover, he strongly supports to the increasing in the use of animals for medical experiments. He agrees that we actually need to increase the number experiments to avoid risking human lives because the increase in longevity , decrease in pain , the significant numbers of lives saved , the quality of human life all depends on such those research or experiments.

Battle of Pydna in the Third Macedonian War

Battle of Pydna in the Third Macedonian War Battle of Pydna - Conflict Date: The Battle of Pydna is believed to have been fought on June 22, 168 BC and was part of the Third Macedonian War. Armies Commanders: Romans Lucius Aemilius Paullus Macedonicus38,000 men Macedonians Perseus of Macedon44,000 men Battle of Pydna - Background: In 171 BC, after several inflammatory acts on the part of King Perseus of Macedon, the Roman Republic declared war. During the conflicts opening days, Rome won a series of minor victories as Perseus refused to commit the bulk of his forces in battle. Later that year, he reversed this trend and defeated the Romans at the Battle of Callicinus. After the Romans refused a peace initiative from Perseus, the war settled into a stalemate as they were unable to find an effective way to invade Macedon. Establishing himself in a strong position near the River Elpeus, Perseus awaited the Romans next move. Battle of Pydna - The Romans Move: In 168 BC, Lucius Aemilius Paullus began moving against Perseus. Recognizing the strength of the Macedonian position, he dispatched 8,350 men under Publius Cornelius Scipio Nasica with orders to march towards the coast. A feint intended to mislead Perseus, Scipios men turned south and crossed the mountains in an effort to attack the Macedonian rear. Alerted to this by a Roman deserter, Perseus sent a 12,000-man blocking force under Milo to oppose Scipio. In the battle that followed, Milo was defeated and Perseus was forced to move his army north to the village of Katerini, just south of Pydna. Battle of Pydna - The Armies Form: Reuniting, the Romans pursued the enemy and found them on June 21 formed for battle on a plain near the village. With his men tired from the march, Paullus declined to give battle and made camp in the nearby foothills of Mount Olocrus. The next morning Paullus deployed his men with his two legions in the center and other allied infantry on the flanks. His cavalry was posted on the wings at each end of the line. Perseus formed his men in a similar fashion with his phalanx in the center, light infantry on the flanks, and cavalry on the wings. Perseus personally commanded the cavalry on the right. Battle of Pydna - Perseus Beaten: Around 3:00 PM, the Macedonians advanced. The Romans, unable to cut through the long spears and tight formation of the phalanx, were pushed back. As the battle moved into the uneven terrain of the foothills, the Macedonian formation began to break down allowing the Roman legionaries to exploit the gaps. Surging into the Macedonian lines and fighting at close quarters, the Romans swords proved devastating against the lightly armed phalangites. As the Macedonian formation began to collapse, the Romans pressed their advantage. Paullus center was soon reinforced by troops from the Roman right which had successfully driven off the Macedonian left. Striking hard, the Romans soon put Perseus center to rout. With his men breaking, Perseus elected to flee the field having not committed the bulk of his cavalry. He was later accused of cowardice by those Macedonians who survived the battle. On the field, his elite 3,000-strong Guard fought to the death. All told, the battle lasted less than an hour. Having achieved victory, Roman forces pursued the retreating enemy until nightfall. Battle of Pydna - Aftermath: Like many battles from this period, exact casualties for the Battle of Pydna are not known. Sources indicate that the Macedonians lost around 25,000, while Roman casualties were over 1,000.  The battle is also seen as a triumph of the legions tactical flexibility over the more rigid phalanx. While the Battle of Pydna did not end the Third Macedonian War, it effectively broke the back of Macedonian power. Shortly after the battle, Perseus surrendered to Paulus and was taken to Rome where he was paraded during a triumph before being imprisoned. Following the war, Macedon effectively ceased to exist as an independent nation and the kingdom was dissolved.   It was replaced by four republics which were effectively client states of Rome.   Less than twenty years later, the region would formally become a province of Rome following the Fourth Macedonian War. Selected Sources Third Macedonian WarBattle of PydnaHistory of War: Battle of Pydna

Tips for Finding Your Memoir’s Theme

Tips for Finding Your Memoir’s Theme Writing memoir: Tips for Finding Your Memoir’s Theme - By Julia Scheeres Julia ScheeresA few months ago, we had an interesting piece on our blog from our Reedsy editor and advisor Rebecca Heyman  on why authors should think twice before writing a "memoir". We believe that in a subjective industry like this one, it's important to showcase a variety of opinions. So when we interviewed narrative non-fiction author Julia Scheeres a few weeks ago, we asked her if she would contribute a blog post on writing memoir.  Julia is the bestselling author of Jesus Land  and one of our best memoir editors on Reedsy.  She luckily  accepted our  offer, and  leaves  us with some great nuggets of wisdom on finding your memoir's theme. Memoir authors, this is for you.My students often look stricken when I ask them this question:â€Å"What’s your memoir about?†I don’t blame them – I also struggled with this question, even after my memoir was published. During dozens of radio interviews about Jesus Land, the host - who frequently di dn’t have time to read my book – would bluntly ask: â€Å"So, what’s your book about?† and expect a zippy answer. I so dreaded that question. How was I supposed to reduce a 350-page book down to a single sentence or word?â€Å"What’s your memoir about?† is also a confusing question because it can be answered two ways. The asker may merely want to know the general plot, or story arc, of your book, which you probably had figured out a long time ago. But she’s also usually curious about something deeper - the emotional story you’re trying to convey. Not just the what, but the why.It was only in honing my sound bytes for radio interviews that I understood what my theme was. â€Å"Jesus Land is about the unbreakable bond between a brother and sister.† That’s the emotional story. The longer version hints at the plot: â€Å"Jesus Land is about the unbreakable bond between a brother and a sister raised in a hostile envi ronment.†Like me, you may not be able to put your theme into words until after several drafts of your book. But if you’re able to sort it out beforehand, you’ll waste a lot less time with superfluous events and characters. Most memoirs are essentially survival stories. The author survives an ordeal - a harsh childhood, cancer, alcoholism, divorce, a loved one’s death, kidnapping, a plane crash - and lives to tell the tale. The theme therefore conveys something the author learned by enduring the experience: inner peace, resilience, empathy.Examples of famous memoirs' themes:Some memoirs are easier to categorize than others.Mary Karr’s third memoir, Lit, for example, is about battling alcoholism with prayer;Wasted is about Marya Hornbacher’s struggle to overcome a nearly-fatal eating disorder;Tracy Ross sums up the theme in The Source of All Things, which details her painful relationship with her stepfather, in a single word: forgiveness.Having an identifiable theme gives your memoir universal appeal. Readers who’ve likewise struggled to overcome a hardship will relate to your book and want to read it, feeling they share a commonality with you and may learn something about c oping from your experience. And readers who’ve had the Hallmark card version of life will also read it to broaden their worldview and experience some vicarious drama.Writing memoirs: tips for finding your memoir’s theme:Tell someone your story. Note which parts arouse their curiosity and the questions they ask. The more you talk about your memoir, the clearer your theme will become in your mind.Think about how you were changed by your experiences. You start your memoir at point A and end up at point Z. What did you learn between those two points?Ask yourself, â€Å"why am I writing this book?† or â€Å"what do I want to say?† Lodge these queries in the back of your mind. The answers may come when you least expect them, such as at 5 a.m. or when you’re doing laps in the pool - moments when you’re relaxed and undistracted.Consult someone who knows your story well. Ask them what they think are the most moving/ dramatic parts of your experience and why. As memoirists, sometimes we can be so close to our material that we become myopic - we can’t see the bigger picture or recurring threads that weave through our work. You may hear them say something like, â€Å"how did you survive xyz?† or â€Å"you were really abandoned as a child† - comments that could help you articulate your theme.Write down the major events of your life and see if there is some connection between them. In doing so, you may well find the beats of your story. You may find it takes several drafts before your true theme emerges. (Hint: it’s hidden in the events that you find yourself obsessing over the most, or that place where your deepest shame resides). When you figure it out, you’ll be able to slice off the flab – all the digressions and superfluous material that bogs your narrative down.For me, it took several rewrites to figure out what Jesus Land was really about. I narrowed down my material to my dramatic teenage years. But I didn’t know which aspects of those years to focus on - moving to the countryside, my strict Christian household, the seething racism of rural Indiana, trying to fit in at a new school or being sent to a reformatory with my brother David. As I wrote, I kept coming back to David - my adopted black brother. My parents adopted David when he was 3 and I was a few months older. I gradually realized my relationship with David should be my â€Å"through line,† or the one constant ag ainst which all the other elements (racism, religion, abuse) unfolded.Once this became clear, I was able to go through my pages and cut out the extraneous details that watered down the book’s central focus (such a long sections involving my high school boyfriend or various cliques). The result, I believe, is a more powerful and poignant book.Narrative nonfiction must have a focused, deliberate arc and structure. As a memoirist, it’s your job to impose order and meaning on the chaos of life. That’s the art of writing memoir.

Lasting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Lasting - Essay Example â€Å"Lost Your Head Blues† is a blues song popularized by Bessie Smith in 1926. It is composed in an AAB format, characteristic for blues songs. This song is written based on a â€Å"vaudeville† or solo stage performance, which is very common during the 1920s. The songs talks about painful relationships and difficult circumstances. The song reflects the typical musical taste and genre of the African American population and heritage. â€Å"Lost Your Head Blues† uses only three instruments: piano, vocals, and trumpet. Most blues songs are composed or played using these musical instruments because during the vaudeville times or stage style blues period, these instruments are nearly ubiquitous because of the rise of the ragtime music in the 1920s. The song starts with an introduction of a trumpet with an accompanying piano that combines with the singer’s voice. The trumpet makes some bending of tones and melodic layback. On the other hand, â€Å"Erlkonig† is typically sung or played using vocals or piano or both as it was originally adapted, particularly by Franz Schubert. Nevertheless, nowadays, this song is performed in a concerto-style performance with a soloist, usually a soprano, accompanied by a symphony

Business Entities, Laws, and Regulations Research Paper - 1

Business Entities, Laws, and Regulations - Research Paper Example Lou and Jose have planned to open a sports bar and restaurant, but they seem to have insufficient funds to support their business plan. Miriam, an investor, wants to provide capital to start the business on a partnership basis but has no time to participate in the day to day affairs of business. Lou and Jose have the option of either to accept the proposal of Miriam or to take loans from other institutions as they are short of fund. It can be stated in this respect that it will be profitable for Lou and Jose to accept the proposal of Miriam which would facilitate the sufficiency of the fund in return of a certain percentage of ownership, thus reducing the debt as well as interest rate risks. However, it is worth mentioning that prior to launching a business as a partnership concern, legal agreements should be signed explicitly documenting the rights and liabilities of each member. The other most important criteria in the bar and restaurant business are to acquire the license to serve alcoholic beverages to the customers. In addition to the alcohol supplying license, the entity should also acquire entertainment license from the local government which includes the permit to broadcast sporting shows on large television screens along with facilitating live amusement activities and dance performances. Since the business requires heavy investment in furniture, dà ©cors, and other types of equipment, necessary investments should be made in terms of insurances so as to avoid any risk related to these factors.