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The relationship between nature and nurture
The relationship between nature and nurture
The relationship between nature and nurture
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Comparing Song of Roland, The Life Story of Pavlichenko, and The Prince
Abstract: By evaluating different approaches of rulers to their vassals, in The
Song of Roland and The Life Story of Pavlichenko, Matvey Rodionych, it
is shown that Machiavelli made a mistake when he came up with his
general rule: “It is much safer to be feared than loved, if hi is to fail in
one of the two.” (Machiavelli, 54). Darwin explained in his theory of
natural selection, which primarily explains evolution, however also can be
applied to any other situation in which sustainability is the primary
concern as in ruler – vassal relationships, that only the strongest survived.
Disregarding this fact Machiavelli came up with a false theory.
Charlemagne is loved and succeeds, and only when hated he gets in
danger. Nikitinsky is feared and dies. Both stories suit the condition of
Machiavelli’s rule, and still it fails.
When Darwin came up with his theory of natural selection, he explained
why rulers, once they have acquired power, behave in a certain way that, to
their belief, sustains their position. 1
Approximately 350 years earlier, Niccolò Machiavelli formulated a set of rules which was supposed to support rulers, in
his case the prince of Milan, in doing so. One of his rules is: “It is much safer
for a ruler to be feared than loved, if he is to fail in one of the
two”(Machiavelli, 54). Juxtaposing The Song of Roland and The Life Story of
Pavlichenko, Matvey Rodionych, two stories written on the bases of Ruler –
Vassal relations, it becomes doubtful whether Machiavelli’s theory can be
taken as cornerstone for any ruler’s principles.
The theory of natural selection is widely accepted and will therefore be
taken as fact in this argument. Darwin states in his theory that only the
strongest survive. That suggests that a ruler’s position is only sustainable if he
is stronger than his subjects and adversaries. Stronger in this case can be both,
physically for example through armed forces or even physical strength, and
psychologically for example through the use of superior rhetoric or wit. In
most cases however, a combination of both will be necessary. In examining the
relation of the ruler to his vassals, it is just as important to take into account
other goals the ruler might have besides sustaining his position. His priority
might also be the general well-being and the continuous development of his
1. Why does Marx argue that religion acts as a drug (“opium”)? What drug-like qualities does it contain? What are the effects of this drug?
Huston, Kristin N. "Percy Shelley and Lord Byron." UMKC Campus, Kansas City. 20 Sept. 2010. Lecture.
Machiavelli’s views were drastically different from other humanists at his time. He strongly promoted a secular society and felt morality was not necessary but stood in the way of a successfully governed state. He stated that people generally tended to work for their own best interests and gave little thought to the well being of the state. He distrusted citizens saying, “In time of adversity, when a state is in need of its citizens, there are few to be found.” In his writings in The Prince, he constantly questioned the citizens’ loyalty and warned for the leaders to be wary in trusting citizens. His radical and distrusting thoughts on human nature were derived out of concern for Italy’s then unstable government. Machiavelli also had a s...
Machiavelli believes that a government should be very structured, controlled, and powerful. He makes it known that the only priorities of a prince are war, the institutions, and discipline. His writings describes how it is more important for a prince to be practical than moral. This is shown where he writes, "in order to maintain the state he is often obliged to act against his promise, against charity, against humanity, and against religion" (47). In addition, Machiavelli argues that a prince may have to be cunning and deceitful in order to maintain political power. He takes the stance that it is better for the prince to be feared than loved. His view of how a government should run and his unethical conduct are both early signs of dictatorship.
Noumena are the things themselves, which compose reality. Kant argues that objects conform to the mind rather than the mind conforms to objects. The fundamental laws of nature, “are knowable precisely because they make no effort to describe the world as it really is but rather prescribe the structure of the world as we experience it” (“Kant: Experience and Reality”). This was a breakthrough in the field of epistemology. We can understand the view of the phenomenal realm by applying intuition and understanding. However, it is challenging to fully understand the noumenal realm because human knowledge is fundamentally limited in its ability to understand external
Percy Bysshe Shelley began life in Horsham, Sussex, England as the oldest child out of seven children. Shelley faced much hardship throughout his life for his controversial views and philosophies. Percy's life however got better after he married Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin, his second wife, as they were intellectually equal and both wrote.
“Percy Shelley Bysshe a young poet went to a respectable university. The year after his enrollment he and a friend were expelled for the suspected writing of a pamphlet named the need for atheism. Then after a complicated love life he wrote a poem, Alastor, which brought him to fame. Then once again Percy had problems with love and married another.” (the biography of percy bysshe shelley)
For practically all of her life, powerful and knowledgeable figures surrounded Shelley. William Godwin, Shelley’s father, made a name for himself with his political and moral ramblings, however the passion he found in academic pursuits lacked in other areas, such as raising his own children. In her introduction to the novel, Maurice Hindle noted that Godwin preferred to provide “life proposals and solutions in the abstract” rather than actual hands on experience with the children (xv). Despite this, Shelley still held her father on a pedestal, even going so far as to write to friends and admit that Godwin “was her God” until she met her husband, Percy (xvi). In addition to his brilliant philosophical mind, which was not unlike Godwin’s, Percy also thrived in the field of science, particularly fascinated with experimenting with electric currents (xxv). Shelley goes on to say that although her father held high expectations for her to “be something great and good” when she was younger, Percy reiterated this decree after she met him (xvi). In a cruel bit of irony, Percy died while sailing his boat during a storm; essentially losing his life to the power of nature well beyond man’s control. Between these two men, Shelley had the perfect inspiration for both Walton and Victor’s defining characteristic: a desire to become legends, no matter what the
On of the most influential romantic English poets of the 19th century was Percy Bysshe Shelley. He was born August 4th 1792 to Sir Timothy and Elizabeth Pilford Shelley in Field Place, Horsham, Sussex, England. (Crook) Shelley was the oldest of six children. He had one brother, John and four sisters, Mary, Elizabeth, Hellen, and Margaret. His family lived a very comfortable lifestyle, especially his dad’s father, Bysshe Shelley whom owned quite a few estates. Shelley’s father was also a member of parliament.
Welcome to CHSBS! | Central Michigan University. Karl Marx. Retrieved January 27, 2014, from http://www.chsbs.cmich.edu/fattah/COURSES/modernthought/marx.htm
A leader who is feared does not have a sincere relationship with people unlike love enables a mutual relationship between the people and their leader. When you are feared, people will avoid any negative consequences. Nevertheless, when you are loved, people will adore your loyalty
For clients who express their experiences for the first time in counseling, it can be a powerful force to help them heal. It is important for the counselor to pay close attention to the person’s body language, affect and tone. The counselor must consider the possible scenarios that may occur in the first session. Cultural aspects of the client must be considered. From the client’s perspective, the first session is an important session, even if the first session is mostly an information gathering session. The client may have experiences much trauma in their life, never being able to trust a person with their closest feelings. This is why it is very important to establish rapport and trust in...
Marx views religion as a drug that gives the people temporary relief from their unhappiness, which inhibits them from conducting social change. To better understand Marx’ view of religion one must question, why is it so important that human beings stop looking to a metaphysical world for happiness? What is real happiness? And why does social change depend upon abandoning religion?
Following the Industrial Revolution in 19th century Europe, change was in full swing and religion began to have different meanings for different people. The upper-class citizens used Religion, namely Christianity, and the power that it possessed in an attempt to keep their high status in society, while the lower class turned to faith so that their lives could possibly improve. Instead of religion being the cornerstone of faith and worship amongst all people, it was being used for power and money by the upper class. Even worse, religious leaders were using the upper class people as well, gaining money and authority from their endorsement. A man by the name of Karl Marx saw what was happening and thus spoke out about it, declaring religion as “the opium of the people.”[1] He had a vision for equality, and wrote it down in the form of the Communist Manifesto; however nowhere in this document were aspirations of religious harmony. Religion was becoming the catalyst for class separation and social mayhem in 19th century Europe, and according to Karl Marx, equality was only possible with the abolition of it as a whole.
Remarkable in many ways, a great in his own time, Percy Bysshe Shelley was a man amongst men, a poet among poets, and an educator of life amongst all. His great poetry tells stories of life's lessons that you would never ever think about. He's educated people of many ages with his great poetry, telling them about his life, the good, the bad, and the simple. His works will be treated as a great reference for many years as great poets emerge from our peers.