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Democracy Debate in Herodotus

Democracy Debate in Herodotus Herodotus, the Greek historian known as the Father of History, describes a debate on the three government types  (Herodotus III.80-82), in which proponents of each type tell whats wrong or right with democracy. 1. The monarchist  (supporter of rule by one person, be it a king, tyrant, dictator, or emperor) says freedom, one component of what we today think of as a democracy, can be given just as well by monarchs. 2. The oligarch  (supporter of rule by a few, especially the aristocracy but could also be the best educated) points out the inherent danger of democracy mob rule. 3. The pro-democracy speaker (supporter of rule by the citizens who in a direct democracy all vote on all issues) says in democracy magistrates are held accountable and are selected by lot; deliberation is made by the entire citizen body (optimally, according to Plato, 5040 adult males). Equality is the guiding principle of democracy. Read the three positions: Book III 80. When the tumult had subsided and more than five days had elapsed, those who had risen against the Magians began to take counsel about the general state, and there were spoken speeches which some of the  Hellenes  do not believe were really uttered, but spoken they were nevertheless. On the one hand Otanes urged that they should resign the government into the hands of the whole body of the Persians, and his words were as follows: To me, it seems best that no single one of us should henceforth be ruler, for that is neither pleasant nor profitable. Ye saw the insolent temper of Cambyses, to what lengths it went, and ye have had experience also of the insolence of the Magian: and how should the rule of one alone be a well-ordered thing, seeing that the monarch may do what he desires without rendering any account of his acts? Even the best of all men, if he were placed in this disposition, would be caused by it to change from his wonted disposition: for insolence is engendered in him by the good things which he possesses, and envy is implanted in man from the beginning; and having these two things, he has all vice: for he does many deeds of reckless wrong, partly moved by insolence proceeding from satiety, and partly by envy. And yet a despot at least ought to have been free from envy, seeing that he has all manner of good things. He is however naturally in just the opposite temper towards his subjects; for he grudges to the nobles that they should survive and live, but delights in the basest of citizens, and he is more ready than any other man to receive calumnies. Then of all things he is the most inconsistent; for if you express admiration of him moderately, he is offended that no very great court is paid to him, whereas if you pay court to him extravagantly, he is offended with you for being a flatterer. And the most important matter of all is that which I am about to say:he disturbs the customs handed down from our fathers, he is a ravisher of women, and he puts men to death without trial. On the other hand the rule of many has first a name attaching to it which is the fairest of all names, that is to say Equality; next, the multitude does none of those things which the monarch does: offices of stat e are exercised by lot, and the magistrates are compelled to render account of their action: and finally all matters of deliberation are referred to the public assembly. I therefore give as my opinion that we let monarchy go and increase the power of the multitude; for in the many is contained everything. 81. This was the opinion expressed by Otanes; but Megabyzos urged that they should entrust matters to the rule of a few, saying these words: That which Otanes said in opposition to a tyranny, let it be counted as said for me also, but in that which he said urging that we should make over the power to the multitude, he has missed the best counsel: for nothing is more senseless or insolent than a worthless crowd; and for men flying from the insolence of a despot to fall into that of unrestrained popular power, is by no means to be endured: for he, if he does anything, does it knowing what he does, but the people cannot even know; for how can that know which has neither been taught anything noble by others nor perceived anything of itself, but pushes on matters with violent impulse and without understanding, like a torrent stream? Rule of the people then let them adopt who are foes to the Persians; but let us choose a company of the best men, and to them attach the chief power; for in t he number of these we shall ourselves also be, and it is likely that the resolutions taken by the best men will be the best. 82. This was the opinion expressed by Megabyzos; and thirdly Dareios proceeded to declare his opinion, saying: To me it seems that in those things which Megabyzos said with regard to the multitude he spoke rightly, but in those which he said with regard to the rule of a few, not rightly: for whereas there are three things set before us, and each is supposed to be the best in its own kind, that is to say a good popular government, and the rule of a few, and thirdly the rule of one, I say that this last is by far superior to the others; for nothing better can be found than the rule of an individual man of the best kind; seeing that using the best judgment he would be guardian of the multitude without reproach; and resolutions directed against enemies would so best be kept secret. In an oligarchy however it happens often that many, while practising virtue with regard to the commonwealth, have strong private enmities arising among themselves; for as each man desires to be himself the lea der and to prevail in counsels, they come to great enmities with one another, whence arise factions among them, and out of the factions comes murder, and from murder results the rule of one man; and thus it is shown in this instance by how much that is the best. Again, when the people rules, it is impossible that corruption should not arise, and when corruption arises in the commonwealth, there arise among the corrupt men not enmities but strong ties of friendship: for they who are acting corruptly to the injury of the commonwealth put their heads together secretly to do so. And this continues so until at last some one takes the leadership of the people and stops the course of such men. By reason of this the man of whom I speak is admired by the people, and being so admired he suddenly appears as monarch. Thus he too furnishes herein an example to prove that the rule of one is the best thing. Finally, to sum up all in a single word, whence arose the liberty which we possess, and who gave it to us? Was it a gift of the people or of an oligarchy or of a monarch? I therefore am of opinion that we, having been set free by one man, should preserve that form of rule, and in other respects also that we should not annul the customs of our fathers w hich are ordered well; for that is not the better way. Source: Herodotus Book III

Steinbeck's depiction of the struggle of Agricultural workers during Essay

Steinbeck's depiction of the struggle of Agricultural workers during the Depression, his role as a social commentator, and its impact upon his work - Essay Example The novels also serve the purpose of a social documentary and present a picture of the prevailing systemic injustices in the United States. It is fashionable with the new breed of novelists to separate politics from art. But in the case of John Steinbeck, this distinction is not evident. The author, in the process of creating a work of art had also taken upon himself to ask questions of social injustices in general and economic disparities in particular. Hence, Steinbeck’s body of work are in essence are full of his own perspective on the state of rural American society; the medium of the novel have given Steinbeck the requisite scope and opportunity to fulfill his role as a social commentator. The rest of the essay will cite instances from the two novels as well as foray into the biographical aspects of the author himself to support this assertion. To understand this social activist trait in Steinbeck’s character one has to look at the experiences and circumstances that shaped his vision of America. Firstly, his years as an adolescent in Salinas, where he got a first hand experience of his parents’ struggle for survival is a formative influence. It is the next phase of his life however, that will prove more important – his long-time relationship with the radical social worker Carol Henning. The influence of Carol Henning cannot be underestimated, for her socialist views on life had clearly rubbed off on Steinbeck, which is evident from the earliest journalistic assignments that Steinbeck undertook. His years as a novice journalist also had a key role in the shaping of his character, for these early writing assignments were the foundations for his later literary pursuits. In both the works in discussion – The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men, the influences of these formative stages of his early l ife are quite obvious. While Steinbeck never really espoused a

Introduction to criminal justice system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Introduction to criminal justice system - Essay Example nal Justice Act of 2003, Section 148, a Crown court is not to pass a community sentence except as a last resort, if the seriousness of the crime merits it3. The Magistrate Court and Crown Court are both courts of first instance and deal with criminal law offences. All criminal offences initially come to the magistrate Court, however the summary offences are dealt with here while offences that are classed as triable are sent up to the crown Court. Offences fall into two primary categories – summary offences where a defendant may not be entitled to a trial by jury and indictable offences which include serious charges such as murder and manslaughter4. Summary offences dealt with at the Magistrate Court include less serious ones such as traffic offences or failure to pay taxes and will generally include all cases, including triable offences, where the defendant has opted for a summary trial. However, the Crown Court hears those cases involving indictable offences which include the category of serious offences such as rape or murder. Approximately ninety six percent of criminal cases are dealt with summarily at a magistrates Court.â⠂¬ 5 The legal system is essentially an adversarial one and thus expensive; for example studies conducted on divorce have revealed that adversarial litigation costs 66 percent more than mediation.6 In the conventional legal environment, lawyers are trained to adopt an adversarial position in regard to the opposite party and the formal, court based, procedural environment that is laden with codes and rules of conduct. In a criminal trial, one of the most important rights that will accrue to any person accused of a crime is the constitutional right to every aspect of the due process of law that will ensure that his or her guilt is established by proof beyond a reasonable doubt.7 The due process of law is the right accorded to every person alleged to have committed a crime to be treated fairly when involved in a legal action. The notion that

Words and actions Essay Example for Free

Words and actions Essay Hal and Hotspur have what is probably the strongest rivalry in this play. The word attractive can have many meanings but I will interpret it as being the person who comes across as being the one who really appeals to the audience through their strong and weak points. In real life Hal and Hotspur were not even of the same generation, let alone the same age. Shakespeare has changed the age of Hotspur to make him the same age as Hal. This allows him to compare the two characters and to build up a strong rivalry between them. Shakespeare also uses Hotspur to make Hals character appear more attractive and to show that he is actually very suited to the throne. Prince Hal is a character who, at the start of the play, appears to be riotous and disobedient. However, Hal does possess many appealing qualities and as the play goes on, we start to see that the time Hal spends in the tavern is part of his learning experience and he is learning to be able to function at any level to help him become an effective and successful king. We learn this from Hals soliloquy when he says, He may be more wondered at, by breaking through the foul and ugly mists (by which he means the world of the tavern and in particular, Falstaff). By this Hal means that when he decides to throw off Falstaff and Poins and become a righteous Prince, it will be a shock to people and he will look like a much better person. Another strong quality that Hals soliloquy shows us he has is that he has a plan to his life and he knows what he is going to do and when he is going to do it. This is shown by Hals statement of how he is going to be Redeeming time when men think least I will and also by the level of planning that has gone into his soliloquy. It is obvious that he hasnt just thought it up on the spot but that he has thought it all through previously. Hal appears in both the tavern and the court but it is when he is in the world of the tavern that he really emerges as a humorous character and he uses his intelligence to mock Falstaff through puns like, come, roundly, roundly amongst others. This humor makes Hal an attractive character because audiences like comics and humor and will always like a humorous character even if one of his jokes seems to be cruel and pointless (shown when Hal mocks Francis who has done him no wrong). Prince Hal also has unattractive qualities which make him less of an attractive character. In one instance he uses his royalty and status to ridicule a simple person in what appears to be a pointless and un-humorous joke. He carries the joke out on a bartender, Francis, who doesnt have any way of mocking him back, which puts Hals sense of humor in question. This is shown when Poins says, What cunning match have you made with this jest of the drawer? Another of Hals weaknesses is the fact that he actually leads such a criminal lifestyle. He steals from people and even the fact that he is planning to reform cannot hide this fact. He give his family a bad name through being involved in the criminal underworld and neglecting his princely duties. When he says Where shall we take a purse tomorrow, Jack? he shows that he isnt just being led into crime by Falstaff but he is actually wanting to be involved. Some qualities which Hal has are seen as unattractive but are actually necessary for him to become a successful king. One example of this is Hals hard headedness when it comes to politics. Hal appears to be using Falstaff for his own gain and even though he seems to enjoy having a laugh with him, when it comes to throwing him off he doesnt show any remorse. It is possible that Hal didnt like Falstaff in the first place but this seems to be unlikely due to the amount of time he spends joking with him. The way in which Hal discards Falstaff doesnt reflect well on his personality but it is necessary if he is to become successful in his kingship. Hotspur also has attractive and unattractive qualities. The first we hear of him in the play is when he is being praised by the king. The king even goes so far as to say That some night-tripping fairy had exchanged in cradle clothes our children meaning that he wishes that he could prove that a fairy had exchanged his son with Hotspur when they were babies. This makes us think that if the king wishes Hotspur was his son then he must be a much better person than Hal and thus be the obvious choice for the most attractive character. The king says that Hotspur is The theme of honours tongue which is obviously a very high title to be given and Hotspur probably does deserve this mention for his skill as a warrior. Hotspur is a very brave character whose main aim in life is to gain honour for himself and Without corrival or without having to share it with others. A suitable example of Hotspurs search for honour is when he says O the blood more stirs, to rouse a lion than to start a hare! meaning that you will look a lot braver if you attack a lion than you will if you attack a hare. When Hotspur mentions the lion here he could be referring to the king as at another point in the play Falstaff compares the king to being a lion. Although wanting to gain honour is a clever and acceptable thing the lengths that Hotspur is willing to go to to gain honour is too extreme. When he finds out that his fathers army wont be present at the battle his reaction is very rash. He says that with the scales tipped against them winning the battle would be a larger dare to our great enterprise meaning that their smaller army will gain more honour if they defeat the kings army. It is with this attitude that Hotspur goes into battle and eventually gets defeated and killed. Hotspur gets his nickname from his hot headedness and from not being able to control his temper which is obviously an unattractive quality. We see this quite early on in the play when Hotspur loses his temper in front of the king and shouts Revolted Mortimer! when the king is accusing Mortimer of joining forces with Glendower and he refuses to pay the ransom for Mortimer. This hot headedness makes Hotspur look less attractive as he cannot properly control his temper but at the same time standing up to the king could be seen as an attractive point. As well as being hot headed, Hotspur is also forgetful. When the rebels hold an important meeting Hotspur is given the job of bringing the map be he manages to forget this simple task as the line A plague upon it! I have forgot the map! shows. As Hotspur is supposed to have a claim to being future king even a small problem like this could prove fatal should he become king and forget something important. When these two very important characters are being compared together we can get a clearer idea as to who stands out as being the most attractive character. Hotspurs greatest attribute is his skill in battle and he often shows off how good a warrior he is but when they actually meet in battle Hal comes out on top and he kills Hotspur. At the start of the play Henry IV says that he wishes Hotspur was prince instead of Hal but as the play does on we start to see Hotspurs less attractive qualities come to light as we see Hals attractive qualities. Then, by the end of the play we discover that actually Hal will be a better prince than Hotspur could be. Although, at the start of the play it is Hotspur who comes across as being the most attractive character, a combination of strong and weak qualities which both Hal and Hotspur possess make us change our minds as the play goes on and at the end of the play it is Hal who stands out as being the most attractive character.

Feelings of Incompetency :: Personal Narrative Writing

Feelings of Incompetency In my experiences at the Writing Resource Center, I have found that the biggest area of concern that I have run into is the feeling that I am an ineffective tutor as far as tutoring the students that come in search of writing assistance. I feel that I am a very inadequate means of relief for these people, yet they still come to me for help. In this paper, I will explore these thoughts and try to find out what it is that makes me feel so ineffective. In recent discussions with my peers at the Writing Resource Center, I have found that, though these feelings of inadequacy are somewhat consistent throughout the center, I feel that my feelings are a bit more strong when it comes to that of helping the student. I feel that what I am doing in helping the student is exactly what we're taught not to do, as far as assisting. The most glaring thing that I feel that I am doing wrong is that when I read a paper that is loaded with commas, I tend to point them out without much help from the tutee. Take the following paragraph, for example (which is a rough copy from a tutee of mine - who wasn't a foreigner to our country): Snowmobiles, on the other hand, are, for example, a very effective, yet costly, means of transportation. They are, as said before, expensive, but, the fact that they're worth it only enhances their, let's say, worthiness. I mean, you can buy one, for cheap, but, on the other hand, why buy a cheap one when spending a little bit more would mean fewer problems down the road. Now, after reading this paragraph, I read it aloud to him exaggerating the pauses wherever the commas were placed. Next, I asked him to tell me if the whole paragraph sounded strange to him or not. He promptly replied that it sounded perfectly fine. Upon hearing this, I tried a different approach: I had him paraphrase, or restate, what he was trying to say in the paragraph while I wrote it down. I then had him read what I had just written down and asked him what he felt about that for his paragraph instead of the one that he had on his paper. He abruptly said "no" and looked at me defiantly. Next, after trying to tell him how commas were supposed to function in a sentence, I asked him again if he felt that there were any places in his paragraph that seemed awkward and/or over "comma-ized.

A Farewell to Arms †Existentialism Essay

Ernest Hemingway’s ‘A Farewell to Arms’ explores notions surrounding both love and war. However it is not a love story, and nor is it a war story. It is a combination of both that allows for Hemingway to discuss what he is truly interested in: Existentialism. Existentialism is a philosophy that developed from the concept that there is no inherent meaning in life. However, we can create meaning. A Farewell to Arms is an exploration of this, but more than that, it’s an exploration of the reality of this in that; meaning in life doesn’t last forever, and when it’s gone, it leaves us with no logic and no hope, just nothingness. Hemingway uses his protagonist Frederic Henry to support his existentialist views. He does this, firstly by creating meaning in Frederic’s life. Hemingway creates Catherine for him. Their love is only a game at first, Frederic admits â€Å"God knows [he] had not wanted to fall in love with anyone. † However, it becomes so much more than that. Towards the end of the novel, if Catherine isn’t with him he â€Å"[hasn’t] a thing in the world†. Hemingway makes a point of foreshadowing this inevitable fact early on, when we are privy to Frederick’s thoughts as he contemplates that â€Å"It was a long time since [he] had written to the States and [he] knew [he] should write but [he] had let it go so long that it was almost impossible to write now. † Throughout the book, the people he associates with; Rinaldi, the men in his regiment, everyone, they all disappear. Finally, he’s left with Catherine, and their unborn baby. Other than them, he has no one. If they were to leave, he would be left alienated. Hemingway was not interested in the love story, or the war story. He was merely interested in communicating his views on the world to his readers. Predominantly, he was interested in communicating his views on existentialism. He was interested in what he considered to be reality. In reality, people die. In reality, our loved ones leave us, and in reality, when that happens there is no meaning, no logic and no hope. Hemingway demonstrates this through the climactic, yet painfully dismal ending to his piece. In bringing about the possibility that Catherine, Frederic’s only meaning in life, could die, he creates a springboard for discussing his philosophical views through Frederic. This forces us, as an audience, to contemplate upon his contention; â€Å"That was what you did. You died. You did not know what it was about. You never had time to learn. They threw you in and told you the rules and the first time they caught you off base they killed you†¦ they killed you in the end. You could count on that. † Hemingway uses his protagonist to establish this, and through Frederic’s reaction to Catherine’s death, he reveals to us the truth within his philosophy. It’s a point that is slowly built up to within A Farewell to Arms, but it’s one that hits Hemingway’s audience with a sounding resonance. The last line to his novel conveys the perfect, dismal imagery of a man with nothing left; a man who has â€Å"left the hospital and walked back to the hotel in the rain†. Throughout the whole novel ‘rain’ has symbolised loss and grief. It leaves a strong impression, making it the final last word of the novel, Frederic having now lost the last thing that made his life worthwhile. Hemingway’s entire novel is a lead up to this one point on existentialism. The world has no inherent meaning. We can create meaning within it, and any meaning that is within it has been created by us. However on the flip side of that, when the meaning that we have created is gone, there is nothing left for us to fall back on. When that meaning is gone, we’re left staring into an abyss. A Farewell to Arms is not a love story, and it’s not a war story either. It’s a comment upon the actuality of, and the nature of, existentialism as a prevailing philosophy. By creating Frederic and the characters around him, Hemingway demonstrates the logic of this theory, and he shows how when a man loses everything that he has created himself, in his life, in the end there is no more meaning, there is no logic, no hope. In the end, there is really nothing left, but the rain. Kaitlin Cushing.