American Dream Essay Example for Free

American Dream Essay Ever since America has been explored and colonized. The conception of an ideological dream has been at the forefront. America has continually provided an arena for those in individuals seeking economic, governmental and religious growth. The concept of American dream starts as European in a nature. Italian explorer Christopher Columbus and his voyage, as well as John Smith and his voyage were a recognizable spark that reinforced the concept of American Dream. Columbus set the sail for a passage to the east by sailing to the west and ended up in the rich, wealthy new world. According to Christopher Columbus first impressions from Letter to Louis de Santangel regarding the first Voyage the new land was everything they were looking for. The island and all the others are very fertile to a limitless degree, and this island is extremely so. They came in this new land and saw the opportunities it gave them. All the threes, plants, animals and fruits they can collect and trade. In it are marvelous pine groves, and there are very large tracks of cultivable lands, and there is honey, and there are birds of many kinds and fruits in great diversity. These islands were fertile to a limitless degree. It had many harbors and rivers, high lands, sierras and lofty mountains. Columbus saw the opportunity for himself and his country to profit economically through spices, gold and trade. This land gave a promise of a better, easier, and more prosperous life, which in a way is an American dream. When people heard about this new land they wanted to be a part of it. Since this new land was almost uninhabited, it was open for  the European people. And from that point I sent two men inland to learn if there was a king or great cities. They traveled three days journey and found infinity of small hamlets and people without number, hut nothing of importance. This new land was clean and unpopulated and ready for Europeans to use its prosperity. Columbus was not the only one praising this new land. According to John Smith, an English soldier, explorer and author, this place was full with opportunities and great for entrepreneurs. His Description of New England describes the fishing, soils, inhabitants, fauna, flora, and climate of the coastal region from Cape Cod to Penobscot. Smith saw New England as a place where English life could be transplanted to America, and this work is an extended advertisement and prospectus for investors and settlers, with Smith to provide the expertise and leadership. Smith starts by describing the pleasure and content that risking your life for getting your own piece of land brings to men. How building your own house; planting your own crops, and having a ; Gods blessing industry; would be easy to have without having any prejudice. Smith talks about fishing with only a stick and a hook and you will catch excellent fish; also that if you planted crops you could get as much as 50 shillings yearly, use this money for meat and beer, and still afford to become rich.For laborers, if those that sow hemp, rape, turnips, parsnips, carrots, cabbage, and such like give twenty, thirty, forty, fifty shillings yearly for an acre of ground, and meat, drink, and wages to use it, and yet grow rich, when better, or at least as good ground, may be had, and cost nothing but labor; it seems strange to me, any such should there grow poor. He is encouraging people to come to this country and start their new, better lives, their American dream. The conception of an ideological dream has been at the forefront and has stayed pretty much the same throughout the years. American dream is the better life that gives you wealth, freedom and opportunities. As for myself, American dream has always been more like a clichà ©, a beautiful white house with a porch, high paying 9-5 job, loving family with two kids and a golden retriever, that does bring the ball back to you.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome :: essays research papers

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What is Fetal alcohol syndrome? Exposure to alcohol before birth can cause a variety of different problems. One of the most severe effects of drinking during pregnancy is fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). FAS is known as one of the leading preventable causes of mental retardation and birth defects. If a woman drinks alcohol during her pregnancy the baby can be born with FAS, which is a lifelong, physically and mentally disabling condition. FAS is characterized by distinctly abnormal facial features, a growth problem, and central nervous system problems (brain problems). People who suffer from FAS may either have problems with learning, memory, attention span, communication with others, vision, and/or hearing. These problems often lead to trouble in school or social problems and getting along with others. FAS is a permanent condition is already born babies who have it. It affects every aspect of an individual’s life and the lives of the people around them. Howev er FAS is one hundred percent preventable if a woman does not drink alcohol while she is pregnant.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many people do not think that Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is common. This statistic however is widely varied. Studies show that FAS rates range from 0.2-1.5 per 1,000 births in different areas of the United States. I think that the odds of a child suffering from FAS is low because most mothers that have children are smart about their choices, if you know you’re having a child then you must give up the alcohol. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is only based on the mothers care of herself and if she chooses to endanger the life and well being of her children.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many signs of which may be able to tell you if you or your child suffer from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. They may have the following characteristics or exhibit the following behaviors; small in height or weight in comparison to others of the same age, abnormal facial features such as small eye openings, poor coordination, hyperactive behavior, learning disabilities, developmental disabilities (i.e., speech and language problems), mental retardation or low IQ, problems with daily living, poor reasoning and judgment skills, and sleep and sucking disturbances in infancy. Children with who suffer from FAS are also said to be at risk for psychiatric problems, criminal behavior, unemployment, and incomplete education. These are known as â€Å"secondary conditions† which are problems that children are not born with and may acquire throughout life but do not necessarily have to.

Philosophy of Plato Essay

?By studying Plato’s views on the soul, virtues, and forms, one can understand his outlooks on the individual and natural purpose, or telos. Plato had a teleological worldview, so he believed everything in nature had an end, or purpose. In his famous Allegory of the Cave, along with the Sun and Line analogies, Plato outlines the spiritual and intellectual journey of a human from ignorance into goodness and knowledge, which symbolizes a human reaching his or her purpose. This essay will evaluate Plato’s teleological view regarding humans by analyzing his Allegory of the Cave with relation to his views of the tripartite soul, virtues, and forms; in addition, I will determine if Plato’s views of virtue and happiness are feasible or not. Plato had an interesting view on the soul and its relation to the body. He believed that the soul had three parts: the appetitive, spirited, and rational. In his famous work the Republic, Plato argued that the soul must be tripartite because â€Å"the same thing cannot at the same time with the same part of itself act in contrary ways about the same† (Republic, IV, 1). This argument makes sense, for if the soul was just one part, it would contradict itself when it desires a thing at one time but does not desire it at another time. Plato related the soul to virtue by comparing the tripartite soul to the ideal city-state. He emphasized that, in order for one’s soul to remain good and orderly, its parts must not â€Å"interfere with one another [and not] do the work of others† (Republic IV, 5). This is what Plato calls justice, and it relates to an individual in one class not doing the business of another in another class. Accordingly, wisdom is the virtue of the rational part of the soul, relating to teachers, and courage is the virtue of the spirited part, correlating with soldiers. Finally, moderation occurs when the parts of the soul work together cooperatively, making the soul unified and complete, similar to a unified and flourishing city-state. Plato claimed that the natural purpose of humans is to reason well, and in order to fulfill this, humans must have these virtues of their soul. Plato, like many other ancient philosophers, thought of virtue as excellence. In the Republic, Plato regarded the virtues of justice, moderation, courage, and wisdom as the most important virtues, which is clear since he included them in his account of the soul. For our souls to reach their purpose, which is ultimately happiness, we must understand and live out these virtues in our lives. For example, according to Plato, one can master the virtue of justice by performing one’s work, or function, well, without interfering with someone else’s business. Also, in book IV of the Republic, Socrates attempts to convince Glaucon and Adeimantus that living the virtuous life is the best, happiest life. Plato, through Socrates, argued, â€Å"virtue is the health and beauty and well-being of the soul† (Republic IV, 6). Therefore, for humans to reach our end and find happiness, we must live a virtuous life. Plato had a very unique view on forms. He believed forms, as metaphysical entities, exist in a separate universe from the material world and that this universe of forms is absolutely perfect. Things in the material world that relate to forms are independent of the forms themselves. For example, a knife is sharp, but Plato believed it was separate from the form of sharpness. Plato believed virtues were forms, and notably that the â€Å"form of the good is the most important thing to learn about† (Republic, VI, 1). Like the virtues, the most important forms include justice, moderation, and courage, but the highest form of all is the form of the good. Plato believed that understanding these forms, especially the form of the good, is crucial to one’s purpose and happiness. Plato said, â€Å"Every soul pursues the good and does whatever it does for its sake† (Republic, VI, 2). Plato’s teleological view is shown here; the soul’s ultimate purpose is to find the good (and happiness), and if it does this, it will understand everything else. This idea is further explained in the Allegory of the Cave, which I will discuss in the next paragraph. The Allegory of the Cave describes a person on an intellectual journey from ignorance to reason. Most humans are like the prisoners in the cave; they are ignorant and fail to learn new things because they are comfortable with what they already know, despite the lack of reason. Plato said that humans must free themselves from their previous thoughts and see that these thoughts lacked reason, just like the prisoner who saw that the shadows were actually produced from objects and were not â€Å"real† themselves. Once outside the cave, humans can learn about virtues and forms, similar to the prisoner who sees natural objects and not human-made copies of them. Ultimately, at the end of their intellectual journey, humans will see that every form is derived from the form of the good, which is denoted by the sun in the story. Plato’s sun analogy is essentially within the Allegory of the Cave. The sun provides light, allowing us to see things for what they truly are; similarly, the form of the good allows us to understand other forms and therefore gives us knowledge. His line analogy is important in linking the visible and intelligible realms as well as metaphysics and epistemology. The lowest part of the visible realm includes images and pictures and is linked with imagination. The next part includes the material objects themselves and compares to belief. Entering the intelligible realm, there are numbers and shapes, associated with thought. Finally, the highest area involves forms and is linked, accordingly, with knowledge and understanding. In the throne of the highest area sits the form of the good, which is key to understanding everything else. Plato believed that virtuous people would do virtuous things. Initially, this seems to make perfect sense; a just person will do just things and an unjust person will do unjust things. Plato believed people are motivated by desire when making decisions, whether we choose the morally right or wrong option. He does not take into account, however, that a virtuous person might have to perform some immoral acts in order to produce a virtuous end. If a good man kills a murderer because he is a murderer, this is clearly an immoral act, but his intention is good and it is virtuous that he saved future victims of the murderer. The action is important in developing virtue as seen by others, but it does not necessarily improve one’s virtue because only the individual knows if he or she is actually being virtuous or not. Therefore, I believe Plato’s account of virtue is ultimately inadequate. Regarding Plato’s view on forms and the Allegory of the Cave, is it every individual’s purpose to find the good? Certainly everyone would desire to understand the form of the good, but Plato seems to reserve this for philosopher-kings, the wisest people destined to rule over others. This is a major problem in Plato’s philosophy, as he said everyone desires the good, but since only a few seem to have the intellectual capability to reach it, only these few should pursue it in a just city-state. It is, therefore, the job of these philosopher-kings to teach about the good, but as shown in the Allegory of the Cave, people who are not enlightened have a very difficult time understanding it and may reject it altogether. Since Plato believed that understanding the form of the good leads to happiness, he must have believed that only those with the intellectual capability to understand it are truly able to be happy. I think this is a major hole in Plato’s view of happiness, because people can definitely be happy without this knowledge of the good. Plato’s philosophy outlines a very ordered society and soul. His strong belief that everything in nature has a purpose appears in all his philosophy. His account of the soul is relatively complex due to his tripartite view, and his view of forms is also complex and unlikely, as Aristotle and other philosophers later rejected it. As shown in the previous paragraphs, his accounts of virtue and happiness are also insufficient. Despite this, Plato was an incredibly influential and important philosopher, and he is still effective in describing the individual and natural purpose through his philosophic beliefs.

The Odyssey Quotes Explained

The Odyssey, an epic poem by Homer, tells the tale of war hero Odysseus and his long journey home to Ithaca after the Trojan War. Odysseus is known for his wit, craft, and cunning, traits he uses to escape danger and eventually return to Ithaca. The quotes that follow contain some of the most important examples of Odysseus cunning, as well as the importance of other key characters and the significance of poetry and storytelling throughout the text. â€Å"Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turnsdriven time and again off course, once he had plunderedthe hallowed heights of Troy.Many cities of men he saw and learned their minds,many pains he suffered, heartsick on the open sea,fighting to save his life and bring his comrades home.But he could not save them from disaster, hard as he strove  Ã¢â‚¬â€the recklessness of their own ways destroyed them all,the blind fools, they devoured the cattle of the Sunand the Sungod wiped from sight the day of their return.Launch out on his story, Muse, daughter of Zeus,start from where you will  Ã¢â‚¬â€sing for our time too.†(1.1-12) These opening lines provide a brief synopsis of the plot of the poem. The passage begins with an invocation of the muse and a request for the story of the man of twists and turns. As readers, we learn that we are about to hear the tale of Odysseus—â€Å"the man of twists and turns—who went on a long, difficult journey and attempted (but failed) to bring his comrades home.   The unidentified narrator then requests, â€Å"Launch out on his story, Muse, daughter of Zeus, / start from where you will.† Indeed, The Odyssey starts not at the beginning of Odysseus journey but in the middle of the action: 20 years after his initial departure from Ithaca. By jumping forward and backward in time, Homer provides important details at crucial moments without interrupting the narrative flow. â€Å"Odysseus, master of many exploits, praised the singer:I respect you, Demodocus, more than any man alive —surely the Muse has taught you, Zeus’s daughter,or god Apollo himself. How true to life,all too true . . . you sing the Achaeans’ fate,all they did and suffered, all they soldiered through,as if you were there yourself or heard from one who was.But come now, shift your ground. Sing of the wooden horse.Epeus built with Athena’s help, the cunning trap thatgood Odysseus brought one day to the heights of Troy,filled with fighting men who laid the city waste.Sing that for me —true to life as it deserves —and I will tell the world at once how freelythe Muse gave you the gods’ own gift of song.†(8.544-558) In these lines, Odysseus asks the blind bard Demodocus to regale him with his own story—the story of the Trojan War. Odysseus praises Demodocus for his skill as a storyteller, which surely the Muse has taught [him], and his ability to express powerful, true to life emotions and experiences. Later on in this scene, Odysseus himself weeps as he listens to the tale Demodocus tells. This scene offers insight into the performance of epic poems during Homers era. Poetry was considered a divine gift, bestowed upon storytellers by the muses and capable of inspiring powerful emotions. At the same time, poetic activity was also considered a type of rote work, as storytellers had vast repertories of tales that listeners could request. These lines convey the power and importance of storytelling in the world of The Odyssey, which is itself one of the most famous epic poems in world literature. â€Å"So, you ask me the name I’m known by, Cyclops?I will tell you. But you must give me a guest-giftas you’ve promised. Nobody  Ã¢â‚¬â€that’s my name. Nobody  Ã¢â‚¬â€so my mother and father call me, all my friends.But he boomed back at me from his ruthless heart,‘Nobody? I’ll eat Nobody last of all his friends  Ã¢â‚¬â€I’ll eat the others first! That’s my gift to you!†(9.408-14) In this scene, Odysseus uses his wit to escape death by telling the cyclops Polyphemus that his name is â€Å"nobody. After Polyphemus falls asleep, Odysseus and his comrades stab and blind him. Polyphemus cries for help, shouting that Nobodys killing me now by fraud and not by force, but the other Cyclopes misunderstand the statement, believing that Polyphemus is not being killed at all. This scene is representative of Odysseus characteristic trickery. Unlike other classical heroes who overpower their antagonists through brute force, Odysseus uses wordplay and clever schemes to escape danger. The scene is also significant because it provokes the wrath of Polyphemus father Poseidon, who serves as Odysseus primary antagonist for the remainder of his journey. â€Å"Any man —any god who met you —would have to besome champion lying cheat to get past youfor all-round craft and guile! You terrible man,foxy, ingenious, never tired of twists and tricks —so, not even here, on native soil, would you give upthose wily tales that warm the cockles of your heart!Come, enough of this now. We’re both old handsat the arts of intrigue. Here among mortal menyou’re far the best at tactics, spinning yarns,and I am famous among the gods for wisdom,cunning wiles, too.Ah, but you never recognized me, did you?Pallas Athena, daughter of Zeus —who alwaysstands beside you, shields you in every exploit:thanks to me the Phaeacians all embraced you warmly.And now I am here once more, to weave a scheme with youand to hide the treasure-trove Phaeacia’s nobleslavished on you then —I willed it, planned it sowhen you set out for home —and to tell you allthe trials you must suffer in your palace...†(13.3 29-48) Athena speaks these lines, revealing her identity, after Odysseus has finally returned to the shores of Ithaca. Athena defines herself as Odysseus helper, ally, and protector; as the goddess presiding over intelligent warfare and the crafts, she is eager to â€Å"weave a scheme† in order to get rid of the suitors threatening Odysseus domain over Ithaca. During the reunion, Athena is full of admiration, categorizing both herself and the cunning Odysseus as â€Å"old hands at the arts of intrigue. â€Å"Give the boy the name I tell you now. Just as Ihave come from afar, creating pain for many —men and women across the good green earth —so let his name be Odysseus...the Son of Pain, a name he’ll earn in full.†(19.460-464) These lines, spoken by Odysseus grandfather Autolycus, offer insight into the origins of Odysseus name. We learn that Autolycus named Odysseus when the hero was an infant. The passage includes another example of word play: the name â€Å"Odysseus† is associated with the Greek verb odussomai—to feel anger toward, to rage or hate. True to his own name, Odysseus both causes and experiences pain throughout his travels. Strange man,wary Penelope said. â€Å"I’m not so proud, so scornful,nor am I overwhelmed by your quick change...You look —how well I know —the way he looked,setting sail from Ithaca years agoaboard the long-oared ship.Come, Eurycleia,move the sturdy bedstead out of our bridal chamber —that room the master built with his own hands,Take it out now, sturdy bed that it is,and spread it deep with fleece,blankets and lustrous throws to keep him warm.(23.192-202) At this point in the poem, Penelope has already tricked the suitors by weaving and unweaving Laertes’ funeral shroud, as well as by making them compete in a rigged game of bow and arrows that only Odysseus could win. Now, in these lines, Penelope tests her very own husband. Odysseus has returned to Ithaca, but Penelope does not yet believe that its really him. As a test, she slyly asks the housekeeper Eurycleia to move their marital bed from her chambers. This is an impossible task, as the bed is built out of an olive tree and cannot be moved, and Odysseus immediate reaction confirms to Penelope that he is indeed her husband. This final trial proves not only that Odysseus has returned at last, but also that Penelopes cunning equals that of her husband.