Friday, April 17, 2020
Sample Essay for Grad School Application
Sample Essay for Grad School ApplicationIf you are a student in graduate school, you may find yourself searching for sample essays or sample letters to use for your application. While this can be a great resource to use, it is also one that you should avoid using. Some of the reasons for this are listed below.First, some people send a letter or essay to schools for them to use. This isn't always the best approach, because sometimes the school will ask for more information. If the school has a list of requirements they have to meet before acceptance, this letter may be turned down.Second, a letter for graduate school can become extremely long. This can be great if you are the type of person who really likes to read so many pages at a time. However, if you are working on your GPA this can end up being much harder than it needs to be.Last, some students find a sample essay or letter to be a great way to practice writing a more traditional letter or essay. The problem with this is that t he writing style does not usually look very professional. Instead of using a sample letter for grad school application, you should be writing a letter for grad school application that makes a strong first impression.One of the main reasons that you should avoid using sample letters for grad school applications is that the letters and essays do not show you are serious about a career. While the school may be looking for information about your skills and achievements, they are not looking for someone who is only out to apply. In fact, in most cases, a grad school admissions officer will want to see that you are serious about your career and the work you put into it.As an example, let's say you graduated from college and decided to start a career in marketing. While you may be confident in your marketing skills, your lack of experience may leave you unprepared for life in the business world. A good way to show that you care about your career and the things you will learn about sales, p lanning, marketing, and business will be to write a letter for graduate school application that shows that you take your job as seriously as you did when you were in college.On the other hand, let's say you are looking to earn a Master's degree in education. Instead of writing a letter for grad school application that claims to know all about education, you should be showing how being an educator will help you become successful. By writing a letter for grad school application that shows that you have studied the areas of education you are interested in and have worked on that study, you will show the admissions officer that you understand the importance of education and how you are passionate about the subject.In summary, don't use a sample essay or letter for grad school application as a way to practice for a job interview. Instead, write a letter for grad school application that shows that you take your job and career seriously. After all, the school is looking for someone who is dedicated and will be a good fit for their school.
Thursday, April 16, 2020
Wuthering Heights6 Essay Example For Students
Wuthering Heights6 Essay Two Halves of a WholeWuthering Heights by Emily Bronte is a novel full of passion, love and betrayal. It explores the love of two individuals and their influence on their surroundings. The story occurs in a small town. In this area are the two homes of Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange. The vast contrasts between these houses symbolizes the people who reside their and how these individuals effect the homes. Wuthering Heights is portrayed as a dark, dismal mausoleum. There are long, narrow hallways with little light. In fact, when Isabella returns from being married, she has trouble finding her way across the house because it is so poorly lit. There is a dark presence about Wuthering Heights. The residence is run down and the walls are fading and peeling. Also it is a cold, drafty place. In fact, Linton always has fires going because it is always so chilly. Wuthering Heights is a gloomy, oppressive place. On the other hand, Thrushcross Grange has a light, joyful presence. At this home, love is bountiful and its occupants are happy. It is the picture of a loving husband and wife with two beautiful children. The kids are seen playing with a dog, laughing, and having fun. In fact, when Catherine, the main character visits them, she stays for months. They treat her well, and she comes home refined and happy. Thrushcross Grange provides a feeling of a house redolent with joy. We will write a custom essay on Wuthering Heights6 specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Just as the homes differ greatly, so do the homeââ¬â¢s inhabitants. Both of these houses symbolize their main occupants. Heathcliff, Hareton, and Linton all live at Wuthering Heights. Heathcliff is the dark, brooding character. He is mean, angry, and full of revenge. He viciously beats his own son and niece. Then Heathcliff forces them to marry each other, so that he can have control over Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange when his son dies. Heathcliff also marries Isabella, a women he hates. He does this to get revenge on her and her brother for having commented unfavorably about him. She is treated so atrociously that she runs away while pregnant. Yet, Heathcliff does not care and does not bother going after her. These are only a few of the actions of Heathcliff, yet they show his cruel nature and dark personality. Heathcliff also treats Hareton abdominally and thus Hareton becomes a younger version of Heathcliff. Hareton, too, is mean and vengeful. He never says anything nice to anyone and shuts himself away from others. Linton is Heathcliffââ¬â¢s son, and is a manipulative scoundrel. He uses his illness to coerce his cousin Cathy to visit him. Linton knows his father will force Cathy to marry him, but afraid of a beating, he still asks Cathy to come. Linton then allows Cathy to be held hostage in his home. He could obtain the key to let her out, but he is too scared for himself to rescue his cousin. Apparent is the selfish and cruel characteristics of these individuals. There is no joy in their lives, but they are filled with bitter anger. These feelings are transferred to Wuthering Heights and thus both the house and its occupants seem dismal and sinister. Residing at Thrushcross Grange are Edgar, Catherine, and Cathy. They epitomize good people who are kind and not drawn to violence. Edgar never raises his hand to anyone. He shows a sweet, gentle love to Catherine. He worries about her and take cares of her when she is ill. Edgar never becomes mad when she spends time with Heathcliff. He gives her anything she wants and is always kind to her. Although Catherine is not perfect, she is basically a kind individual. She cares about Edgar and never yells at him or harms him. Yet, it is really Catherineââ¬â¢s outer beauty that is representative of Thrushcross Grange. Catherine is fair and beautiful. She appears angelic and thus this beauty is translated to her home. Cathy is a fine, young lady. She loves her father and stays at his side constantly when he is ill. She even consents to marry Linton, so she can see her father. Cathy is even kind to Linton who is a whining brat. Cathy is young, spirited, and happy. These same traits are found at Thrushcross Grange. There is a impression of peace that is felt by all. .uc36fccdca01719395b09f5612c9527b7 , .uc36fccdca01719395b09f5612c9527b7 .postImageUrl , .uc36fccdca01719395b09f5612c9527b7 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uc36fccdca01719395b09f5612c9527b7 , .uc36fccdca01719395b09f5612c9527b7:hover , .uc36fccdca01719395b09f5612c9527b7:visited , .uc36fccdca01719395b09f5612c9527b7:active { border:0!important; } .uc36fccdca01719395b09f5612c9527b7 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uc36fccdca01719395b09f5612c9527b7 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uc36fccdca01719395b09f5612c9527b7:active , .uc36fccdca01719395b09f5612c9527b7:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uc36fccdca01719395b09f5612c9527b7 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uc36fccdca01719395b09f5612c9527b7 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uc36fccdca01719395b09f5612c9527b7 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uc36fccdca01719395b09f5612c9527b7 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uc36fccdca01719395b09f5612c9527b7:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uc36fccdca01719395b09f5612c9527b7 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uc36fccdca01719395b09f5612c9527b7 .uc36fccdca01719395b09f5612c9527b7-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uc36fccdca01719395b09f5612c9527b7:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Cultural Diversity in Business EssayAlthough it may seem that the homes control its occupants, it is actually the other way around. As the inhabitants change, so do the homes. In the end, Wuthering Heights becomes a happy, joyful place. It is surrounded by flowers and is a warm, safe haven. Much of this change is due to the people living there. Heathcliff is no longer present and his negative presence has disappeared.Hareton sheds his pessimistic demeanor and becomes a good person. Cathy also comes to reside at Wuthering Heights and adds here positive attributes. When the individuals are pleased, the houses seem like a happy place. Yet, when the dwellers are mean and pessi mistic, the homes seem dull and dreary.Thus it is obvious that the residences alter to fit its inhabitants. Bibliography:
Friday, March 13, 2020
The New SAT Writing Whats Changing
The New SAT Writing What's Changing SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips March 5, 2016 shall be a monumental day in SAT history. The format of the SAT will officially change for the first time since 2005. Each section of the test, including SAT Writing, will undergo significant changes. In this article, I'll explain the content and format changes to SAT Writing and provide guidance for how to prepare for the SAT Writing and Language section. If you follow the advice in this guide, you'll be prepared to get an amazing score on the SAT Writing in2016 and beyond. Big Overall Changes SAT Writing will now be known as SAT Writing and Language. Furthermore,SAT Writing and Language and SAT Reading will be combined to give you one section score out of 800, and the maximum score on the new SAT is 1600. Youââ¬â¢ll receive an SAT Reading and Writing score out of 800 and an SAT Math score out of 800. On the new SAT Writing, you'll have 35 minutes to complete 44 questions, and Writing and Language will always be the second section of the test. Also, the essay is no longer part of SAT Writing. The essay is separate, and itââ¬â¢s optional for test-takers. However, keep in mind that some of the colleges you apply to may require you to do the essay. Sorry. milena mihaylova/Flickr 4 KeyChanges to Format and Content In addition to the significant overall changes to SAT Writing, the content and look of the SAT Writing section will be dramatically different. #1: All Questions Will Be Passage-Based On the new SAT Writing, none of the questions will be based on individual sentences in isolation. There won't be anysentence improvement or identify the errorquestions. All of the questions will come from 4 passages, and the presentation of the questions will look almost identical to that on the ACT English section.This is what the SAT Writing questions will look like: The questions will ask you to edit an underlined portion of the passage, direct you to a specific location in the passage, or have you think about the passage as a whole. You'll be tested on your knowledge of grammar, writing style, and the content of the passages. #2: There Are Fewer Grammar Questions and More Style Questions The old SAT Writing emphasized specific grammatical rules like subject-verb agreement, parallel structure, and equivalent comparisons. The questions testing your knowledge of these grammar rules could be tricky because these rules are often violated, and the grammatical errors were presented in ways that made them difficult to spot. The old SAT was notorious for using tricks to disguise common grammar errors. On the new SAT, there are far fewer questions testing your knowledge of these rules, and there are more writing style questions. The new SAT emphasizes writing style topics like wordiness and redundancy, word choice, and macro logic. Instead of focusing on specific grammar rules, the new SAT focuses on testing your knowledge of clear, concise, and logical writing. #3: It TestsPunctuation On the old SAT, punctuation was only really tested on questions having to do with run-on sentences. However, on the new SAT, youââ¬â¢ll have to know when and how to use commas, semicolons, and colons. Don't be too scared, though; the punctuation rules for the new SAT aren't that complicated if you take the time to learn them. Hereââ¬â¢s an example punctuation question from one of the College Boardââ¬â¢s practice tests. Check out #4: This type of question didnââ¬â¢t appear on the old SAT. For this question, you need to know that commas separate items in a list. The comma after ââ¬Å"yogurt manufacturersâ⬠indicates that you shouldnââ¬â¢t use a semicolon or colon after ââ¬Å"food scientists.â⬠In answer choice D, the comma after ââ¬Å"andâ⬠is unnecessary. The correct answer is C. #4: You'll See Graphs and Charts Additionally, on the redesignedSAT Writing, there will be data interpretation questions on which you'll have to determine how and if the data from a graph or chart fits in the passage. On the old SAT Writing, there were no graphs or charts, so this is a significant change. Take a look at this example question: Weââ¬â¢re looking for the lowest temperature; therefore, we need to find the lowest average daily low in the winter, which is 12 degrees. The correct answer is B. How to Prepare for the New SAT Writing Now that we know the major changes to the redesignedWriting section, let's discuss how to study for SAT Writing and Language. #1: Focus on Writing Style On the old SAT Writing, memorizing and understanding a handful of grammatical rules would enable you to get a good score.Now, because writing style is emphasized, you should pay more attention to word choice, sentence construction, and paragraph construction. There is more reading comprehension incorporated into the redesignedSAT Writing. You need to understand why certain words or sentences are used in a given passage, or if they should be replaced with other words or sentences. On the old SAT Writing, improving paragraphs was the smallest subsection. On the new version, those types of questions have become more important. I recommend reviewing the content-based style questions on the improving paragraphs subsection because there are more content-based style questions on the new SAT. What are content-based style questions? Basically, they're the questions that require reading comprehension. On the old SAT Writing, on the improving paragraphs subsection, there were grammar questions asking how to revise or combine sentences. Additionally, there were style questions that asked whether to add or delete sentences from the passage and where to place certain sentences within a passage. These questions testyour reading comprehension and understanding of the passage, and you'll see a lot of themon the new Writing section. Here's an example of a content-based style question from the old SAT Writing improving paragraphs subsection: The correct answer has to logically follow sentence 7 and connect to sentence 8. It's essential that you understand the content and purpose of these sentences to determine the right answer. These types of questions rely on your reading comprehension, and they play a larger role on the new SAT Writing. You can use these types of questions from the old SAT Writing to help prepare for the new test. There are more reading comprehension questions on the new SAT Writing. (cheerfulmonk/Flickr) #2: Study ACT English The new SAT Writing is strikingly similar to ACT English, and even though there is limited information about the new SAT, there is a wealth of information about the ACT. Undoubtedly, studying for ACT English will help you get ready for the new SAT Writing. Many of our previous articles on ACT English will help you prepare for the new SAT Writing. You should review these articles: The Best Way to Approach ACT English Passages Everything You Need to Know About Commas for the ACT Punctuation on ACT English Wordiness and Redundancy in ACT English Macro Logic in ACT English Transition Questions on ACT English Add and Delete Questions on ACT English Relevance Questions on ACT English Formality on ACT English Furthermore, even though there are no graphs or charts on ACT English, there are on the ACT Science section.If you need more practice interpreting data from graphs or charts, you can practice with questions from ACT Science. Keep in mind that most of the ACT Science questions aremore complexthan the data interpretation questions on the new SAT Writing. #3: Donââ¬â¢t Completely Neglect Studying Grammar There are still grammar questions on the redesignedSAT Writing, even though knowing grammar rules isnââ¬â¢t as important on the new SAT. Check out this grammar question from one of the new SAT practice tests: This question tests two grammar rules that were often tested on the old SAT: subject-verb agreement and pronoun agreement. The subject of the sentence is Harvey Houses, which is plural; therefore, you must use a plural verb. Furthermore, because the pronoun ââ¬Å"itsâ⬠refers to the Harvey Houses, you must use the plural pronoun "their." The correct answer is B. Here are some of our grammar articles that are relevant for the new SAT. The links are for ourACT English grammar articles because the presentation of the questions is basically the same as that of the new SAT: Verb Tenses and Forms Pronoun Agreement Subject-Verb Agreement Run-on Sentences and Fragments Idioms Make sure that you know and understand each of the grammar rules that is tested on the new SAT Writing. Also, you should be able to correctly answer practice questions related to each rule. Grammar nerds like me can still have fun on the SAT!(George Williams/Flickr) #4: Review the New SAT Practice Tests The College Board released four SAT practice tests.You should practice the SAT Writing questions and review the answers and explanations.From my experience with the old SAT and the ACT, the best way to prepare is by practicing with real or realistic questions. Khan Academyalso has practice questions and videos explaining examples from the new SAT. Use these free resources available to you to get ready to get a wonderful SAT Writing score. #5: Get Your Read On As I've mentioned, on the new SAT Writing, reading comprehension is more important than on the old SAT Writing. Additionally, theredesignedWriting section more strongly emphasizes knowledge of vocabulary and an intuitive grasp of English. The more you read, the more youââ¬â¢ll strengthen these skills that are necessary to do well on the redesignedSAT Writing.High-level reading willbe especially helpful. If you can do college-level academic reading or read articles from The New Yorker or The Atlantic, youââ¬â¢ll be preparing yourself to excel on the new version of the test. Do You Even Have to Take the New SAT? If youââ¬â¢ve already taken the old SAT and youââ¬â¢re in the class of 2017 or 2018, you may not not need to take the new SAT.However, if youââ¬â¢re not happy with your score on the old SAT, you should take the new SAT or the ACT. Find out if you got a good score on the old SAT. Also, read our guide on the new SAT vs. the ACT to help decide which test is best for you.For current high school juniors, we generally recommend taking the ACT because there is much more available material to prepare for the ACT vs. the new SAT. However, you should still take a look at the new SAT practice tests to determine if the new SAT may be a better fit for you and your skill set. What's Next? Because the maximum score will be different on the new SAT, find out what a good score is for your target school on the new SAT. There are only 4 new SAT practice tests, solearn more about smart alternatives for SAT practice tests to be able to better prepare yourself. Finally, if you plan to do the essay, make sure you familiarize yourself with the new essay prompts. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? Check out our best-in-class online SAT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your SAT score by 160 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Writing and grammar lesson, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands ofpractice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:
Tuesday, February 25, 2020
Employability and Professional Development Essay
Employability and Professional Development - Essay Example My main focus was to improve my skills in report writing, because as a spinal research coordinator, I am required to write various projects and business cases. In addition, my skills in budgeting, assertiveness, leadership, team working and knowing how to deal with difficult situations in line with HR policies are all important skills. 2.0 Evaluation of my Employability Skills Evaluation is an important stage in the self-reflection as it helps me to focus on my career goals and those of the organization (Pedler, 2001). In my role as a spinal research coordinator I am required to liaise and coordinate with different levels of staff - medical and non-medical - within the spinal deformity unit and across the hospital. The coordination of various research projects, managing elements of operational delivery of the spinal deformity unit, and resource planning and assessment, are all requirements of my role. These requirements are in line with my plan to become more conversant with HR polic ies. Thus I have developed team building skills since this role involved ffamiliarizing myself with HR policies and regulations would enable me to work with human resource activities which require management. This plan has helped to improve my service delivery in the field of human resources and use my time more effectively to fulfil my potential and further my career. My personal development plan was to improve my report-writing skills which seem to meet the requirements of my organisation. The role of a spinal research coordinator in my organisation requires someone with knowledge of writing various reports and working on business cases. Since at the moment I have little skills in regard to report writing, developing these skills shall be of paramount importance in attaining my organisationââ¬â¢s requirements in this area (Schon, 1991). Other requirements of my organisation, such as assisting the human resources department in recruitment and resource planning, are tasks that a resource manager should be accountable for. These are skills I planned to achieve but I have not yet achieved them since my writing skills are still low. I have not achieved them but I hope to apply my strengths to report-writing to be able deliver reports quickly and on time, so I am confident I can develop in this area. My career objective is to one day work as a service manager. However, being a manager requires the ability to perform a lot of tasks and use problem solving skills in various situations. In my plan I wanted to develop team-working skills and decisions making. Having to deal with the problem of team working and knowing how to make decisions in difficult situations might be important in the realization of my dream of becoming a service manager, as I can apply my problem-solving skills to improve in these areas. Public speaking is an important skill in management (Pedler, 2001). I realized after my SWOT analysis that I have a fear of public speaking which I needed to develop. Since I want to be the service manager of my organisation I need to work on being confident at public speaking as during the course of my role as a service manager I might be required to represent my organisation at meetings or give speeches regarding the vision and mission of my organisation. 3.0 A Review of Theoretical Principles I have developed leadership skills that would enable me in
Sunday, February 9, 2020
Napoleon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words
Napoleon - Essay Example He rose to prominence under French First Republic during which time he led the France through a series of successive victories against the enemies of the French revolution. In 1799, he orchestrated a coup and he made himself the First Consul. In 1804, he made himself the emperor of the French people. Afterwards, he fought a series of complex wars across Europe which were both for and against him2. During these wars, Napoleon was able to make France a military superpower in continental Europe. Napoleon also forged several alliances in Europe that gave France a lot of influence all over continental Europe3. He elevated his friends and family members to become rulers over other European countries. Although napoleon died almost two centuries ago, many scholars are still fascinated by his personality. There are many questions regarding why Napoleon left Corsica and decided to become the emperor of France. There is also the question of his relentless pursuit of power even when he failed. Many people who met Napoleon could not find the right words to describe his character. Germaine de Stael described Napoleonââ¬â¢s character as contradictory. She described him as a person who was neither gentle nor cruel, neither good nor violent. She concludes that such a person could not feel any sympathy. However, there are other scholars who differ with Germaine like Stendhal who described Napoleon as a man who had amazing abilities and a dangerous ambition. Sigmund Freud attributed Napoleonââ¬â¢s aggression to the aggression he harbored against his elder brother Joseph at a younger age. Napoleon was said to be a dreamer when he was in school. It is therefore possible that his desire t o conquer all of Europe was derived from his desire of portraying himself as great leader4. Napoleon gained a reputation as an intelligent and a determined kid at school. This is in contrary to other leaders like Hitler who have
Thursday, January 30, 2020
Iraq War Was Wrong Essay Example for Free
Iraq War Was Wrong Essay The Iraq war was a horrible thing. It caused many things to happen. Iââ¬â¢m against going to war with them because there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq as the US government claimed. One of the main reasons listed by George W Bush for the war was to secure Iraqs chemical and biological weapons, which did not even exist. Secondly, there were no terrorists in Iraq, and Iraq had no connection to Sept. 11. We should have focused our resources in Afghanistan where the real terrorists were. Thirdly, we were underprepared for the occupation of Iraq and couldnt deal with the insurgency that followed. And lastly, the war was a huge waste of resources which the US gained nothing from. The United States lost over 1,040 American soldiers fighting in this war that we got nothing from. The war has hurt our country economically greatly. Over $151.1 Billion has been out towards the war. I feel since from this outcome that we shouldnââ¬â¢t have gone to war with them. Itââ¬â¢s a hard thing to put our country through. Iraq was attacked by the United States in the year of 2003. The US went to war with Iraq, because on either the administration or disinformation, and the started reason have changed over the time. The main reason given by the administration of George W. Bush was that Saddam Hussein the leader of Iraq was engaged in having nuclear weapons. Many thought that Hussein might use these weapons to attack against The United States. One of the main reasons for the attacks on Iraq was to disarm them of any weapons of mass destruction that they have. This makes sense to prevent future terrorist attacks, but no weapons of mass destruction were in Iraq. Iraq did use weapons of mass destruction in the 1980ââ¬â¢s but not since then. Almost all of Iraqs weapons of mass destruction were destroyed or otherwise made unusable in the 1990s. Also, Saddam wanted to stay in power. Using weapons of mass destruction would mean a sure end to his power. This calls into question whether or not invading Iraq was justified because the Bush administration should have known that weapons of mass destruction in Iraq were effectively contained. Because Iraq is effectively contained, it was no longer an imminent threat to the United States or any other countries anymore. Saddam Hussein had never threatened to attack the United States or to use weapons of mass destruction offensively. Sure, Iraqs surrounding countries such as Kuwait and Iran hated Saddam Hussein, but they were not afraid of him. They knew that Iraq was the weakest country in the region. Iraq had been weak and under control since the Gulf War and has not troubled its neighbors. If Iraq is not a threat, there was no reason to be attacking them. Iraq was not involved in the September 11th attacks. So why did we go to war with them? Since, the war had continued, because the forces of the US were attacked by Iraqi guerillas. The US supported a new democratic government within Iraq, which was opposed by various Islamic groups that held power in the country. The US attempted to control the flow of oil from Iraq, one of the largest petroleum producers in the Middle East.
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
Plato: Patriot Or Dissident :: essays research papers
Plato, the Greek philosopher is considered to be one of the greatest thinkers in history and is called by one scholar ââ¬Å"the fountainhead through which all western thought flows.â⬠In his book The Republic he outlines what the perfect city-state would look like and how it would operate. Along his path of reason he makes no attempt to hide his disdain for other political systems. That includes democracy, a system he does not seem to agree with. In fact, from what I read, Plato obviously disagrees with democracy and its principals. Plato ranks democracy fourth out of what he considers to be the five major constitutions. Just barely ahead of tyranny! He even ranks it behind oligarchy; a constitution that he himself states in 552a of The Republic is the first kind of city to admit the greatest of all evils! Why does he believe this? Are all the freedom loving Americans with red, white, and blue bumper stickers on their gas guzzling cars wrong? If so, what are they missing? To understand Platoââ¬â¢s claim that democracy is nothing but a stopgap on the way to tyranny one must first understand Platoââ¬â¢s viewpoint. Plato is credited with developing a school of thought called Platonic Idealism. Platonic Idealism is based upon the assumption that the essence of the qualities you predicate to things is eternal. Examples of that are ideas such as justice, piety or equality. While we may not be able to readily define them we all know what they are and can identify them when seen. Plato contends that only through philosophy can we express those essences in language. Plato translates his assumption to mean there is something inside each and every person that is the same, it comes inborn, and contains those eternal principals. That inborn intellectual part of every person is what Plato calls the soul. Souls are like those ideas or essences they are eternal. However, if everybody has this greatest truth that is called a soul inside them, why do people do stupid selfish things or even make mistakes at all? Platoââ¬â¢s explanation is that the material part of us, the body stops the intellectual part from exercising the knowledge it has. The analogy that Plato uses is that of a clouded eye. It goes that the soul is like an eye that can see those eternal ideas and truths but the body and its desires cloud the view.
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