The Virtuous Beings Essay Example for Free

The Virtuous Beings Essay Modern society glorifies people for much pettier accomplishments when compared to that of the ancient times. During the twenty-first century, a convicted felon may come back after serving a prison sentence and present himself as a figure of perfection. Less than five years ago, a football player, named Michael Vick was arrested and convicted of illegal actions involving the maltreatment of domesticated animals. Shortly after serving his sentence, he was once again beloved by his fans and rewarded with a phenomenal contract which would be worth wild in any corresponding lifetime. Looking at these examples, it’s easy to see how corrupted society is today. In the ancient world, their society was very more virtuous. Because of the different virtues of the time, it took a great deal more to become a public idol to the people. Virtuous figures from the ancient world are Gilgamesh, Abraham, Moses, and Odysseus. Gilgamesh, a seemingly corrupt leader, later embarks on a humbling journey which helps him to discover the true meaning of life; Moses, an honest and patient man, has his true values highlighted as God chooses him to lead his people out of captivity; Abraham, an apparent commonplace man, is presented as a bold individual who is not afraid to prove his allegiance to God; and Odysseus is a prime example of a hero in the ancient world who has his own ups and downs during a dangerous and eventful journey back home to the people he has always loved. When connecting Ma 2 a figure like Gilgamesh to the likes of a movie actor of modern society, it is impossible to ignore the contrast in inherent virtues of the people of the time. As Gilgamesh begins, Gilgamesh is actually quite the opposite of virtuous – he is a lust-driven, oppressive ruler who exercises harsh and immoral will upon his people. However, Gilgamesh’s progression towards becoming a virtuous individual is evident almost immediately as he becomes a companion of his ex-adversary, Enkidu. In fact, Gilgamesh and Enkidu go on to complete several tasks together; tasks that neither of them would have accomplished without one another. Similarly, Gilgamesh again proves his drastic change in character as he rejects Ishtar, a longing prostitute. Although Ishtar promises Gilgamesh a life of pleasure and riches, he responds by asking Ishtar â€Å"†¦how would it go for me? † (Gilgamesh, 24). Gilgamesh is reminding Ishtar that her past lovers had found her â€Å"like a brazier which smoulders in the cold, a backlight which keeps out neither squall of wind nor storm† (Gilgamesh, 24), emphasizing that Ishtar’s previous husbands had all received poor treatment from her. This signifies how much Gilgamesh’s character has changed. If he held the same ethics as before, he would have accepted Ishtar’s offer without hesitation. However, he is becoming a much more virtuous individual with greater concerns than mere self-gratification. Soon, Gilgamesh has even built a nice city for his people, abandoning his glory, wealth, and power to become a better individual. He is no longer self-indulged, and the death of his close friend Enkidu has truly humbled him. On a quest to find the secret to immortality, Gilgamesh realizes that what he should actually be seeking is to become a better king to his people and a more virtuous individual in general. Gilgamesh uses his new wisdom to create a legacy for himself, serving as a prime example that the ancient times required much more from an individual to be certified as virtuous. Ma 3 Similarly, the Bible presents a series of examples which emphasize the difference in modern virtues from the virtues of the ancient world. Specifically, in the book of Genesis, God tells Abraham to â€Å"take his only son, and offer him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains† (Genesis 22. 2:3). Proving his undeniable allegiance to God, Abraham leads his only son to the mountain and builds an altar for sacrifice. Right before Abraham was going to strike his son, an angel of the Lord interrupted, telling him not to lay his hands on his son, and then added â€Å"because you have done this, I will indeed bless you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Genesis 22. 16). Because of Abraham’s blatant devotion to the Lord, he is rewarded with a blessing and a promise to make his offspring â€Å"as numerous of the stars of heaven† (Genesis 22. 17). Abraham’s display of loyalty is significant as anyone who would do this in the modern world would certainly be deemed insane rather than allegiant, further emphasizing the difference in virtues today to that of the ancient world. Another example in the Bible may be seen as Moses is chosen by God to lead the Israelites out of virtue. The fact that God chose Moses, an unassuming and ordinary figure of the time, proves that the leaders of the ancient times were not famous, good looking, or wealthy like the leaders of today. In fact, Moses is even described as having a speech impediment. Despite his uncertainty, Moses put everything aside and did what God told him to do and fulfilled his calling to lead the Israelites out of captivity. After Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, a close-knit community was formed, and the people and God would agree on a covenant. This covenant was very closely followed and viewed as a necessity to live a virtuous life. Although Christians still live the same covenant with God today, it is much less closely followed than it was during the ancient times. Ma 4 Finally, The Odyssey is another telling example which helps to differentiate the virtues of the ancient times to today. In The Odyssey, Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, has been trying to find his way home for twenty years. Ever since the beginning of his trip, Odysseus is introduced as a strong and authoritative figure. However, his journey is filled with temptation, and Odysseus does give in at times. This may be seen when Odysseus chooses to sleep with Circe, despite his yearning to return home to his wife Penelope. This is the complete opposite of a virtuous deed, and it does not go unnoticed. Calypso, a nymph who falls in love with Odysseus, takes note of the disparity among the gods. She is fairly irritated by the fact that male gods may sleep with mortal lovers, while the affairs of the female gods are considered unacceptable, as Calypso describes by saying, â€Å"you hate it when we choose to lie with men† (Odyssey, 281). This emphasizes the double standard among the gods – even in the ancient times, outsiders could see how wrong it was to have a love affair; Calypso is helping to point out the prevalent awareness of equality of the time. Although Odysseus is looked upon as a heroic figure, his immoral actions are highlighted and criticized. In modern society, many public figures would instead have their abrasive actions swept under the rug. After reflecting upon the examples of the ancient world, it becomes clear that there is a wide division between ancient and modern views of what to expect from a human being. In the modern world, simply being wealthy or famous would allow a person to share in the immunity of a God in the ancient world. Today, greed plays a large part in the outcome of everything. Unlike in Gilgamesh, mortality does not change people for the better; instead, people become more self-centered. As a result, today’s society has become just as savage as students read about in books Ma 5 about prehistoric times. Modern life may be compared to a popularity contest, whereas in the ancient world, individuals were required to make names for themselves. It’s no wonder why the people we read about such as Gilgamesh and Moses are viewed as fables or myths; nowadays, only a handful of people may be classified as anything close to their status. In the modern world, these people are praised and worshiped because there are no others quite like them. It should be made a point to try to work toward having a community full of people like Gandhi and Gilgamesh instead of having a society which only looks up to them. This way, society would be able to present a more accurate depiction of a community which aspires to be virtuous.

Melvilles Moby Dick :: Essays Papers

Melvilles Moby Dick Melville was born in a time of American history where inspiring works of American literature began to emerge. It was also a time when America had not completely separated its literary heritage from Europe, partly because there were successful literary genius’ flourishing there. Melville proved to be a genius of his own, with his many works such as Moby Dick, Billy Bud, and Bartleby. Three distinct themes could be seen throughout most of his literature; whales and the whaling industry, commentary on the universe and human destiny, and ideas about God and nature. Moby Dick is an incredible work by Melville most often referred to as an epic, a tragedy, a novel, an exposition on the whaling, and a spiritual autobiography. It is often overlooked that a deeper, more symbolic, meaning may have been the driving force behind Moby Dick. Herman Melville was born on August 1, 1819, to Allan and Maria Melville. He was the third of eight children in the Melville family. He was generally described as silent and slow; his mother thought him to be a very dull child. In 1832 Melville suffered tragedy when his father died. Finishing school when he was fifteen, Melville took service as cabin boy aboard the St. Lawrence. After returning to his home in New York for some time after serving as cabin boy, Melville took berth as an ordinary seaman aboard a whaling ship called the Acushnet. After approximately four and a half years as a seaman on various ships, he set down, again in New York, to write of his experiences. Within six years he had published five books. Shortly thereafter Melville was married and moved his family to a farm near Pittsfield, Massachusetts. It was at this location where Moby Dick was written. Moby Dick was first published in 1851. Melville continued to write, both poetry and stories, until three months before his death in 1891. Melville’s perspective on life was that God created the universe with an infinite number of meanings and man is always trying to determine one specific meaning (Robertson-Lorant 65). It is possible that Melville, through writing, was seeking out some of his many destinies bestowed upon him by God. The basis of the name Moby Dick can be traced back to an article in the New York Knickerbocker Magazine in May of 1839 (Madden).

Education system between Romania and UK Essay

Nowadays an important and discussed issue by all countries is the education system. In many countries from year to year politician try to make changes in order to improve it. However, it happens that instead of improve it the system become more complicated and corrupted. In some countries is believed that is better to learn everything by heart but in others the practical part and students opinion is more important. Hence this essay is going to discuss the main differences and similarities between Romanian and United Kingdom education system. Although Romania and the UK have very different education systems there can be found some similarities. The age required to attend school is similar; in Romania six or seven and in UK six years old. In both countries primary and secondary schools are compulsory. Furthermore, in Romania as in the UK at the age of five-teen pupils have to pass an exam in order to follow further education, preparing them for university. The age required to enter the university in Romania is exactly the same as the one in UK, eight-teen or over. UK has the same three years of study in higher-education, just like Romania. In Romania as in the UK, in higher education, students have a number of credits they have to achieve along the academic year and there are also examinations periods: one in semester one and one in semester two. Both countries offer students the chance to choose from a variety of courses. Some of the courses are compulsory and vary from school to school while others optional and each student can choose which ones to take. (http://www.edu.ro, http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/educationoverview/uksystem/structure/) Important differences can be noticed between this two countries education system. In the UK is applied an interactive and efficient method of teaching, that is not applied in Romania, which encourages students to express themselves freely and participate to courses. The compulsory education of these two countries is different. The Romanian compulsory education last for ten years while the one from the UK for eleven years.  Children start school at the age of six or seven and follow the primary school, eight years. They have to take an examination at the end of primary school called the National Exam, based on assessments throughout the last four years. Based on their results they go to secondary school (high school) which last four years but first two are compulsory. However, students have to complete all four year in order to apply for higher education. At the end of secondary school students must submit the Romanian Baccalaureate exam form by an oral and written examination. Compared to Romania where the statutory schooling age is from six to eight-teen (if you want to follow a university after the secondary education) in the UK is from five to six-teen. The UK education system is divided in four Key Stages and pupils are assessed at the end of each stage. At the end of Key Stage Four pupils have to achieve General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) in order to continue with further education. If they decide to follow a higher education they have to follow a further course at the end of which they have to achieve the GCE A-level (General Certificate of Education Advanced Level). From the financial point of view the education in the UK is far more expensive than in Romania. For example one year of university in UK is 3,075 £ whereas in Romania is only 420 £. The length of a master degree is of two years in Romania while in the UK it takes only one year. Moreover, UK students are encouraged to follow further education, although is expensive, because the government supports the students (for example students can apply for a student loan). By contrast, in Romania there are governmental funded universities, where students are admitted if they pass the admission exam with a high grade. The government funded slots are limited and are allocated to students according to their results. Furthermore another difference can be easily noticed in the marking system. In Romania compared to the UK, where the marking system is formed by letters (A* to G) or percentages, the grades are numbers and are from one to ten. Ten is the equivalent for A* or 100%. Moreover, Romania and the UK differ with regard to the policy of plagiarism. The rate of plagiarism is very high in Romania even among higher-education institutions because of the corrupted educational system. A considerable number of educational staff accept bribe because they are unsatisfied by their wages and work condition. (http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/index.htm,http://www.edu.ro, http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/educationoverview/uksystem/structure/ ) To summarize, the major similarities and differences between Romanian and United Kingdom education systems are the one regarding compulsory education, marking system, qualification, structure of schooling year, the cost of studying, plagiarism and courses in higher-education. Many Romanians say that Romanian education system is better than others countries because students learn more things at a higher level. But what matters the most: the quantity or the quality? Is it better to learn more and forget everything in two days or is better to learn useful things for everyday life and forever? The answer of these questions depends from person to person, and only those we studied in both system can realize the advantages and disadvantages of these two education systems. BIBLIOGRAPHY http://www.edu.ro/, (2006), Official Website for the Romanian Educational System, (Accessed: 28 December 2007 ) http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/index.htm, (2005), Official Website of UK Government, Education and Learning Section, (Accessed: 28 December 2007 ) http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/educationoverview/uksystem/structure/, (2007), TeacherNET, (Accessed: 28 December 2007 )

Gender Inequality In Law School Case Study - 1933 Words

In this paper, I focus on women’s experiences in law school and law firms, and how these two institutions impact the role of gender within the professional partner track. I examine whether this disparity in the legal profession is just a reflection of society’s views on gender or if this disparity is caused by the structure of law school classes or law firms and what could aide this inequality. As a female student with an interest in becoming a lawyer it is important to address and fix the strong gender inequality within the legal profession. In order to analyze this topic, I related the experiences of a female partner to research on the ranking of law schools, the hemisphere of law firms, and discrimination within these two areas. With†¦show more content†¦Like subsections of the conservative right in Southworth’s books, Lawyer X agrees that the role of lawyers should be to serve their client’s needs and supports the idea the lawyers are supposed to fight and stick up for their clients in ways that their clients cannot stick up for themselves within the world of law. Although family law is gendered, I wanted to analyze how deeply gendered the legal profession is and whether the law school attended or law firm practice plays a role in this disparity. To do this I will apply Lawyer X’s experiences to research on women in the legal profession, women owned law firms and discrimination within these two areas. Studies like Sterling and Reichman’s (2016) show us that women are significantly underrepresented in partnership and ownership within the legal profession (Sterling Reichman, 2016). The growth of women owned law firms will hopefully aid the disproportion of the genders wi thin the legal profession. 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