How far was Platos Essay Example for Free

How far was Platos Essay With this end in mind, it seems that he can set about the task by whichever means he likes, so long as it will achieve the end. By telling the creation myth, it is his intention to promote the tripartite theory of society, which will, in turn, promote the ideal balance and justice. For justice to be maintained among the people, the Philosopher kings must hold absolute power. Justice is only possible when each class of the society stays in its own place and does that which is its duty. The Philosopher Kings are the rational element, and, according to Plato, the golden part of society. The silver auxiliaries provide the spirited element, and the workers are the base metal, the appetite element. If appetite should begin to rule over reason, then the body is out of balance, and so cannot function correctly. The same is true of society. If the Philosopher Kings were to be ruled over by the workers in society, balance would no longer be maintained. However, even in the reverse direction, should the Philosopher kings try their hand at farming, they are unlikely to have the specialised knowledge to do so, and so society again cannot function correctly. After all, the city cannot have wisdom and judgement because of the knowledge of its carpenters21, as this would simply make it good at carpentry22. The quality of good judgement is clearly a form of knowledge, as it is because of knowledge and not because of ignorance that we judge well. 23. The society must necessarily, then, be hierarchical, where those who know, rule. They are masters of all the others, and perhaps with an eye on Protagoras, Plato says Master of oneself is an absurd phrase. For if youre master of yourself youre presumably also subject to yourself, and so both master and subject24. The rhetorician places the just society in jeopardy. They are capable of influencing the people and so upsetting the balance between the classes of society and between the elements of the soul. They would be capable of over-egging the spirit of the auxiliaries to such an extent that they might overthrow the guardians, or behave in a way which is reckless rather than brave and jeopardise the protection of the state. As he says, we are left with two qualities to look for in our state Self discipline, and the real object of our whole enquiry, justice25. The base metal, or appetite, could be influenced to feed itself to too great an extent, and so cause the state to cease to flourish. Just as in the context of the human body, appetite must be encouraged to sustain balance and life, but if it is over-excited it causes greed and disharmony. Emotion and appetite must remain in the correct balance to allow normally functioning life. Reason must have ultimate control over the system. Therefore, by analogy, Philosopher kings should have power over the people. On the face of it, the picture emerging is a chilling one, similar to the situation in George Orwells 1984. Whilst it may at first seem that it is this sort of world towards which Plato is leading, the Philosopher Kings have access to the world of forms, and most importantly, the form of the good. For Plato, knowing the Good is both a necessary and sufficient condition for doing the Good, and therefore, once the philosopher kings know the good, they will always do the good. If the Philosopher Kings do only what is good for the sake of the state, then Platos creation myth is, in his terms, justified, as the people are being led towards the truth, and to justice. The Philosopher Kings are incorruptible, and as such will only guide the people towards that which is good for them. Having earlier described rhetoric as used by the sophists as flattery26, Plato now presents it as boldness and irresponsibility. 27. Plato believes that it is the popular applause which destroys any good in such people and deceives them into thinking that they really are statesmen28. He knows that, as it stands, they are so sunken into their own rhetoric and lies that they can be easily swayed, in the way that a Philosopher King cannot. The rhetoricians must pander to public opinion to remain powerful. Rhetoric is a dangerous weapon in the hands of people never trained in its use, who are those who do not know the best interests of the state. The implication is that the Philosopher kings, on the other hand, could know how to use rhetoric to the advantage of the community, and so have more than a mind which is good at guessing, some courage, and a natural talent for interacting with people29. As the rhetoricians do not know reality, they are dangerous to the state, and belong to the group in the simile who see only the shadows on the cave wall, and do not see by the light of the sun. However, we are aware that Platos utopia is based on an aristocratic and elitist view. Indeed, Karl Popper, in his Open society and its Enemies holds that, should Platos Republic ever become a reality rather than merely a philosophical exercise, Plato himself, or just such a person, would be the only one with the knowledge, and therefore, the only philosopher king. The people, the silver and most especially the base metal, have no power in this society. In our modern society, we are shocked by dictatorship, associating it with fascism and Communism. In the context of Poppers own experience of twentieth century Europe, his dislike of Platos apparent aspiration is understandable. We cherish what we see as our right to choose between what the politicians have to say. However, if Plato is right, this does not make sense. After all, we would not choose a surgeon simply by virtue of the strength of his rhetoric. If we would not entrust our lives to a doctor on these grounds then we should not entrust our lives to a politician for the same reasons. However, the two would not be comparable if both were not knowable. In his simile of the sea captain, Plato would have us believe that the good for man is just as knowable as the skill of navigation. If we accept that the good is indeed as knowable as navigation, then we are unable to contest Platos ideas. However, I am more convinced by his pupils view. Aristotle states that the science that studies the supreme good for man is politics30 and yet politics is not an exact science31. This is clearly antithetical to Platos form of the good, and in book I, vi, Aristotle says that things are called good in as many senses as they are said to exist Clearly, then, there cannot be a singe universal common to all these cases, because it would be predicated not in all the categories, but in one only32. This appears to confirm my initial response to Platos theory of forms, which does not seem to stand up to scrutiny in the real world, as apart from the evidence given in The Republic 508e, and the images of the sun, and apart from this, which is on no way substantive enough, there is no evidence for the existence of the form of the good. Gorgias argues that the rhetoric can be used like any competitive skill When morally appropriate33. Plato, however maintains that this would lead the general public to believe that he is an expert on morality when he isnt and think hes a moral person when he isnt34. This is odd, as in the Republic, he appears to support the argument made by Gorgias, yet, in the Gorgias, he presents rhetoric as wholly dangerous, and the rhetoricians as dangerous weapons out of control. The Utopia which Plato has created is presented to us largely in terms of metaphors and similes. Some of these are sufficiently outrageous, such as his creation story, that he even apologises. However, Plato, with the subtlety of a true rhetorician, seems to make his similes so close to reality as to make us accept the truth of what he is saying. Many of those in The Republic include references to everyday things such as farming and sailing. In Gorgias, he speaks of cooks and doctors. We are easily led into accepting his ideas through the everyday nature of these discussions. Then suddenly we find that the sun outside the cave is not merely a part of a simile, but is actually being used to describe the source of all reality and truth. There is no doubt as to the existence of the sun in our world, and we are aware that Plato has led us, by clever rhetorical devices, into accepting his similes as reality. However, the evidence that he presents us with is in no way substantive enough to prove the existence of his world of forms, and so we must wonder whether his rhetoric is merely a means to gaining his political ends. If this is the case, then he is going against his professed views of rhetoric, which would indeed be inconstant. However, the only other alternative would be that he truly did wish us to conform to his ideals. Whichever was the case, it seems likely that, ironically, Plato was the greatest rhetorician we have yet experienced. Bibliography Primary Source Aristotle, The Nicomachean Ethics trans. J. A. K. Thomson, Penguin Classics (1976) Plato, Gorgias Worlds Classics (1994) Plato, The Republic Penguin Classics (1987) Popper, Karl, The Open Society and its Enemies: The Spell of Plato Routledge and Kegan Paul (1962) Thucydides, The Peloponnesian War trans. Richard Crawley, Encyclopaedia Britannica: The Great Books (1952) Secondary Source Encyclopaedia Britannica Rhetoric Encyclopaedia Britannica Rhetoric: Importance in Ancient Greek Education www. wikipedia. org: Plato www. wikipedia. org: Rhetoric 1 The Republic, 492b 2 Thucydides, The Peloponnesian war boo.

Treatment of Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction Essay -- Medic

This paper will critique a quantitative research study (Lesnecki, 2010) that examined influences of individuals that delayed seeking treatment during an acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The article examined psychosocial and environmental influences that may have played a role for the period of AMI symptom onset to actually obtaining medical treatment. The research study will be reviewed looking at background, study purpose, design and methodology, data analysis, results, discussion, limitations, and applications for nursing practice. Background Lesnecki (2010) gave a brief literature review and described the magnitude of the problem with treatment delay in patients with AMI. She touched on the prevalence of treatment delay in the United States, â€Å"310,000 people a year die of coronary heart disease in an emergency department or before reaching a hospital† (p. 185). Other research was highlighted that linked the variables of age, gender, and race to a delay in seeking treatment when having an AMI. The author discussed the importance for this type of research and emphasized â€Å"to preserve heart muscle, time is crucial† (p. 185). The author hoped to discover additional variables that could help nurses educate the public to seek prompt medical treatment when having AMI symptoms. Purpose The researcher (Lesnecki, 2010) clearly stated the purpose of the study to â€Å"identify cognitive, social, and emotional influences of individuals delaying treatment when having symptoms of an AMI† (p. 186). Variables proposed to be related to delay in seeking treatment were closely examined and the amount of influence the variables had in relation to that decision, made by the patient, were considered. Method Design ... ...d practice (4th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Saunders. Burns, N. & Groves, S. K. (2009). The practice of nursing research: Appraisal, synthesis, and generation of evidence (6th ed.). St. Louis: Saunders Elsevier. Dracup, K. & Moser, D. K. (1997). Beyond sociodemographics: Factors influencing the decision to seek treatment for symptoms of acute myocardial infarction. Heart & Lung, 26(4), 253-262. du Prel, J. B., Hommel, G., Rohrig, B., & Blettner, M. (2009). Confidence interval or p-value? Deutsches Arzteblatt International, 106(19), 335-339. doi: 10.3238/arztebl.2009.0335 Knapp, T. R. (1998). Quantitative nursing research. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications. Lesnecki, L. (2010, November). Factors influencing treatment delay for patients with acute myocardial infarction. Applied Nursing Research, 23(4), 185-190. doi: 10.1016/j.apnr.2008.09.004

Texts by Peter Skrzynecki

People's perceptions of belonging vary according to the way they see themselves and their world. Individuals feelings of alienation and belonging is perceived by the way they see themselves and their world. As individuals become accepted within their new world, their surrounding forge acceptance, thus alienation becomes less apparent. Individuals foundation of belonging from alienation through the way they see themselves within their world is conveyed within â€Å"The Blind Side†, and â€Å"Felicks Skrzynecki† by Peter Skrzynecki.Within these two texts individuals similarly generate a sense of belonging in despite of cultural differences thus overcoming their struggles to gain a perception of acceptance within their world. Whereas â€Å"10 Mary Street† by Peter Skrzynecki portrays his perception of himself as belonging to his world and within his home. Individuals perceptions of one's self worth within their world effects their sense of belonging. The Blind Sideà ¢â‚¬  is a powerful projection of cultural injustice and the misperceptions of cultural identity that shape an individuals sense of belonging, Michael does not belong within his community. The long shot of Michael sitting in the stands alone projects Michaels isolation from the remainder of his population. This broad shot generates an image which makes Michael seem miniscule within his world and thus his perception of his self worth is conveyed with negative impressions, Michael has no sense of belonging as he sits abounded, alone in a shot which over shadows him. I look and I see white everywhere. White walls, white floors and a lot of white people. † As Michael is being brought into Leanne's family through this dialogue it is conveyed that it is a difficult transition, Michael see's his race as a barrier between the acceptance of his new world, which highlights the void between the rich white population and the less fortunate culture which Michael was born into- Michael doe sn't perceive himself to belong.Through plot development alienation becomes less apparent and Michael is adopted within new culture that he becomes apart of, Michael belongs to his new world. Leigh Anne asked Michael â€Å"You're gonna take care of me right? †, and Michael responds â€Å"I got your back† this conversation highlights the strong bond that has formed between these two individuals, and thus in juxtaposition to the first shot Michael is no longer alone. Leigh Anne is reliant on Michael who has changed her life in a positive way thus Michael's self worth has increased.As Michael is accepted within Leigh Annes family a strong bond is formed within his world. Through his increased self worth Michael feels a sense of belonging brought in spite of his alienation. Through the alienation of cultural barriers individuals sought for other means of belonging. â€Å"Feliks Skrzynecki† explores the hardships of cultural barriers and how these can create alienati on in the failure to belong within his world, similar to Michaels alienation within his world. â€Å"Did your father ever attempt to learn English? , this cruel accusation depicts Australia's unforgiving nature for foreigners failure to adapt to a certain culture. The incapability of Peter's â€Å"gentle father† to change himself to belong to his new world leads to a sense of alienation and an exploration for other means of belonging. Peter writes his father â€Å"Loved his garden like an only child†, and â€Å"He swept its path ten times around the world†, projecting a strong connection that his father has a place that he belongs and is accepted.The symbol that the garden is his child conveys the strong connection that the man and garden have with each other; a child is dependent on its parent to survive and thus this becomes a metaphor for Feliks and the garden- the garden needs Feliks to stay healthy and thus a strong sense of belonging to each other. Feliks continuous sweeping of the path creates a sense of routine which demonstrates a sense of belonging as well as routine the use of a hyperbole emphasizes the amount of time spent in his garden reinforcing the strong sense of belonging experienced by his father.From alienation further means of belonging are sought for as seen through the importance placed on his fathers cultural connective friends to reminisce upon the past, Felicks belongs to the past and places significant importance upon his homeland; where they all feel a greater sense of belonging, â€Å"Talking, they reminisced about farms where paddocks flowered with corn and wheat, horses they bred†. Another connection which generates his fathers sense of belonging is the changing from a farm to a garden where he has always tended to nature and thus this is a place familiarity; a place he feels he belongs.Thus Peter's â€Å"gentle father† is alienated within the Australian culture but has sought for other means o f belonging within himself and his cultural identity, forging happiness and acceptance. Therefore Felicks perception of his own happiness and surrounding have generated a sense of belonging for himself within his garden. Belonging is achieved through an individuals security and belonging to a place as seen within Peter Skryznecki, â€Å"10 Mary Street†. The employment of a personal voice emphasises a sense of authenticity which allows for the theme of belonging to magnified.Skrzynecki's use of first person allows the reader to forge a relationship with the persona thus the composers themes are conveyed with an extension of a sentimental bond. Peter's individual perception that he belongs to his home as well as his parents despite being a migrant disallows for alienation and displays a perception of personal security within his home. â€Å"For nineteen years we departed each morning† like in â€Å"Feliks Skryznecki† a sense of routine provides an impression of a sense of belonging thus bonding the migrants to their new world.Peter presents himself to belong within his world through the perception that he is apart of his home and has been for nineteen years. â€Å"We lived together†¦ With photographs and letters†, â€Å"We became citizens of the soil that was feeding us† Peter uses this metaphor and evaluative comment to acknowledged his heritage but also the link to his new home both providing him with a sense of belonging. Through the individuals perception of security to his home for years a sense of belonging is achieved within his world through his family and home.

Analysis Of The Movie Inside Out - 865 Words

Inside Out is the story of a young girl who is forced to leave her old life in Minnesota behind and to start a new life in San Fransisco all while fighting through her emotions of this big life changing event. Three theories that we have discussed in class that are present in the movie Inside Out are the Memory Consolidation theory, Wish-Fulfillment theory, and the Creativity theory. Another theory not talked about in class but present in the movie is the Cognitive Appraisal theory. Memory Consolation is a sleep theory. According to this theory sleep helps us restore and rebuild our fading memories from the day. In the film Inside Out the moment Riley shuts her eyes symboling that she is asleep her memories from the day start to move down a line. Her memories are being sent to long term where we see them shooting across the sky like shooting starts as they go to different places in her memory. In reality Memory Consolidation is where after a memory has been in short term memory for a bout fifteen to thirty seconds it is than sent to long term memory. In order for memories to form in our long term they must have some connection to each other. The creators of inside out portrayed this by Riley’s core memory islands, these islands all connect with each other and in some way all the rest of her life memories connect with them in some sort of way. The memories are than stored. After the memories are stored in long term memory they are later used and if not used in anyway beganShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Movie Inside Out 1454 Words   |  6 Pages Inside Out is a Disney-Pixar film in which a girl, Riley Anderson has her entire world flipped upside down when her father’s job forces them to relocate from Minnesota to San Francisco. Disney worked with scientists to make this as realistic as possible, it is still readerly. There is no room for interpretation of the movie, even if someone noticed something new about it each time they watched, it would s till be the same. Regardless of it’s readerly nature, I enjoyed this movie more compared toRead MoreMovie Analysis : Inside Out 972 Words   |  4 Pages Emotional Congruence in Inside Out Oftentimes, films intended for children are able to target a secondary audience: children’s parents. Children’s films frequently contain themes and concepts that children themselves cannot fully grasp. Disney Pixar’s 2015 film, Inside Out, is no different. Inside Out serves as an impressively accurate psychological representation of emotions in the preadolescent brain. 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