Sophies World Philosophical Question

Sophies World Philosophical Question All he knew was that he knew nothing and it troubled him (70). Socrates once proclaimed that he himself had very little knowledge. The statement is ironic and yet it became the foundation for Socrates and, in fact, the philosophers pursuit for wisdom. In truth, Socrates did know something, and that is he knew very little. For him, it was not how a person knows; thats merely knowledge. Instead, wisdom is the realization of how much one still doesnt know; its the realization of the range of ones own ignorance. Socrates interpretation of wisdom is one of the fundamental first steps on the path to philosophical understanding; uncertainty was what made him inquire and contemplate to achieve a fuller understanding of the truth. Human knowledge has rapidly advanced during past centuries and yet there are still questions left unanswered. Over time, a great multitude of people have assumed that they have found meaning and wisdom, but in reality they have simply accepted norms and knowledge handed down to them by society itself. Human wisdom has been dangerously close to stagnation and it would be a tragedy if one would cease to ponder the questions of life due to the perceive notion that the questions of life have been answered. Yes, science has presented the theorems to explain the processes of life and the inanimate, on the other hand theology has illuminated the path with countless parables, and nevertheless they cannot be accepted as the one truth, one must still question beyond the explanations, beyond the parables the true nature of Socratic wisdom lies in the never-ending quest for truth. Socrates himself was troubled that he knew so little (69), and that became the drive to know and understand more not to surrender or blindly submit to other ideas. Socrates questioned many people thought to be wise, and time after time, he discovered the fallacies in their logic, thus exposing their true lack of understanding. Socrates determined that the only reason he was wiser than anyone else was because, unlike all the other wise people he questioned, he didnt lay claim to knowledge he didnt actually possess. He recognized his ignorance while the rest did not; therefore, he assumed the path to wisdom by attaining the process to achieve it not necessarily having all the answers in the world. In retrospect humanity has lost the drive to accept its true lack of knowledge and has failed to rise above the uncertainties and pursue the truth. For centuries science and theology have fulfilled the basic needs of the human curiosity and yet man himself has turned a blind eye to inquire beyond the explanations of theorems, beyond the ancient scrolls of holy books and most importantly beyond ones own curiosity. The sense of satisfaction has been one of mans flaws; mankind has become comfortable in its place in knowledge and has slowed his desire for the truth. Like Socrates shouldnt mankind be troubled for knowing so little and at the same time overlook the pursuit for true wisdom? The beginning of wisdom and true knowledge is to admit ignorance. Humanitys stubborn way of obsessing with knowledge that they thought they fully grasp, has led them into thinking they have mastered every field, when in fact, the most knowledge that someone had acquired was usually only in one thing, not many things, or not any true knowledge about ones place in the world, and of the true meaning of life.

Dialogue and Monologue in the 1798 Lyrical Ballads :: 1798 Lyrical Ballads Bicentennial Essays

Dialogue and Monologue in the 1798 Lyrical Ballads Commemorating the bicentennial of the 1798 Lyrical Ballads implies something about the volume's innovations as well as its continuity. It is no longer possible to believe that 'Romanticism' started here (as I at least was taught in school). Even if we cannot claim 1798 as a hinge in literary history, though, there is something appealing about celebrating the volume's attitude to newness, as well as the less contentious fact of its enduring importance to readers of Romantic-period poetry. What one risks, of course, is the currently ubiquitous accusation that one is repeating the self-representations of an inappropriately authoritative version of Romanticism, as my school-teacher certainly was (though none of us knew it at the time). There is indeed something innately Wordsworthian about the bicentennial, with its celebration of the endurance of a single past event. We recognise this rhetoric of revisitation and futurity: it is the language spoken by the affirming voice of 'Lines writt en above Tintern Abbey', the concluding statement of the 1798 volume. The poem reads rather like the recitation of a liturgy. Wordsworth recollects his own faith by restating it, and in doing so he discovers its truth and its guarantee of continuity: "in this moment there is life and food / For future years" (ll. 65-6). However sceptical readers have become about the Wordsworthian-Coleridgean creed, the monumental quality of the volume is not entirely a figment of a literary history in search of Great Traditions; 'Tintern Abbey' writes its own future—and the future of Lyrical Ballads 1798 as a whole—as well as writing Wordsworth's (and Dorothy's). We may no longer assent to the idea of 1798 as a new beginning, but we still have to accommodate the volume's own assertions about continuity and change. Perhaps the temptation to go on marking the date arises from the presence of these assertions. Even without the extended prefaces of the later editions, the 1798 Lyrical Ballads is a strikingly self-conscious collection. It opens and closes with a pair of manifestos. The 'Advertisement' announces a new poetic practice; 'Tintern Abbey' bears witness to the final achievement of imaginative, moral and domestic security. Together, these two documents act like a set of quotation marks. They frame the stylistic and rhetorical character of the volume as a whole within another kind of voice, instructing, guiding, and (re)assuring. However we choose to take the grand Romantic

Rhetorical Analysis Franklin Delano Roosevelt Essay

â€Å"Yesterday, December 7th, 1941, a date which will live in infamy.† Those are the words of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Those words will be eternally repeated when discussing the topic of Pearl Harbor. The words contained in this speech show his utter disdain pertaining to the attack on Pearl Harbor. The purpose of President Roosevelt’s â€Å"Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation† was to educate the nation on what had happened on December 7th. He also wanted to justify his reasons for needing to go to war with the Empire of Japan. Each and every word in this distinguished speech played on the emotions of the american people, and it provided significant support for his purpose. The powerful words Roosevelt used in the address gave strong support that grabbed the American peoples’ attention, and. One convincing statement he makes was when he said, â€Å"The United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.† Roosevelt wanted to be sure that the congress and the nation knew the facts behind the tragedy. In that short statement he informs the people that he had no idea that the attack was coming, in his words the attack came suddenly. He also tries to explain Americas relationship with Japan before the attack in this section, â€Å"The United States was at peace with that nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its government and its emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific.† That showed the American people what events had taken place prior to the disaster at Pearl Harbor. He wanted the people to know that he was under the impression that the two nations were at peace, and that they were nowhere near a state of war. Another purpose for the address was that Roosevelt wanted to justify going to war with the Empire of Japan. One such section of the speech was when Roosevelt said, â€Å"The distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time, the Japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued  peace†. Roosevelt tried to make his audience feel appalled by the actions of Japan in that excerpt. He wanted to show the audience that Japan was deliberately misleading the American People into having them believe that all they wanted was to make an effort for peace, when at the same time they were preparing for war. In the speech addressing the nation he stated that after the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor they did not stop their. They continued on to attack neighboring countries and city-states. He tried to convince the audience that not only the lives of the American people were at stake but the lives of surrounding countries that may not be able to defend themselves. â€Å"No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory†, through this passage the president wanted to reassure his audience that if they did in fact go to war the end result would be that America will obtain absolute victory. The President not only wanted to educate the American people on the events that occurred, but he also wanted to reassure them if they did in fact go to war, they would come out victorious. Roosevelt’s striking words helped a nation recover from one of the greatest tragedies in the nation’s history. Roosevelt believed that through his words the nation would hold their ground and beat back any enemy that would come their way.

Industry and Agriculture History in Europe