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Sunday, August 23, 2020
Moralitys Biological Nature Essay example -- Biology Essays Research
Profound quality's Biological Nature: Implications for the Attribution of Good and Fiendishness. A man who has no guaranteed and ever present confidence in the presence of an individual God or of a future presence with requital and prize, can have for his standard of life, to the extent I can see, just to follow those driving forces and senses which are the most grounded or which appear to him the best ones. . . . In the event that he represents the benefit of other people, he will get the endorsement of his kindred men and addition the affection for those with whom he lives. - Charles Darwin In my last paper Sequential Killers: Just attempting to feel typical, it's not my deficiency (4) I tended to the inquiry with regards to whether science can make us killers. In my paper I recorded numerous examples in which science appears to reliably vary between 'typical' individuals and people who have been named the most unethical, cruel and detestable predators of society. Despite the fact that I discovered numerous natural contrasts between the ordinary mind and the killer's cerebrum, it was not really clarified that 'profound quality' is a typical, organically based part of human conduct. The idea of my earlier paper was to find out whether there is a distinction in our cerebrum from that of an executioner, however in this paper I investigate the organic capacity of 'profound quality' and its common event in the inventory of human practices. Talking about 'ethical quality' as a marvel that is intrinsic in people will at that point permit the further investigation of the ramifi cations of deviation from this 'standard'. Could these people be named as 'detestable' and be considered responsible for their conduct? As the previous paper presented suggestions relating to the 'responsibility' of a killer, this paper recommends that these people have wandered from the hidden... ...CA/Mail/xmcamail.1997_11.dir/0086.html 3)Brain: The neurobiology of ethics. , A little, pertinent article. http://www.nature.com/news/1999/991021/full/991021-6.html;jsessionid=DC80A23979EBD5D46DCA819DFA12AC26 4)Serial Killers: Just attempting to feel ordinary, it's not my issue, My last paper. http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro01/web2/Solano.html 5) Origins of Human Mind Revisited, A short article that addressed some new thoughts. http://abcnews.go.com/areas/science/DailyNews/brainyapes980511.html 6) To the destinations for Good Natured., Commentary upon de Waal's book from a school class. http://mlabar.swu.edu/Animal%20Behavior/Comments%20on%20Good%20Natured.htm 7) The Impact of Psychological Research on Christian Beliefs and Practices , A wellspring of difficulties, bits of knowledge and updates. http://www.st-edmunds.cam.ac.uk/cis/jeeves/lecture3.html
Friday, August 21, 2020
Baroque and Classical and the modern song Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Ornate and Classical and the cutting edge tune - Essay Example ââ¬Å"Black Star flaunts the numerous aspects of Yngwieââ¬â¢s particular styleâ⬠(Walster 95). Yngwie composes observing the melodic theoryââ¬â¢s rules and the Baroque contradiction. An awesome case of his style of composing is the melody ââ¬Å"Black Starâ⬠from his presentation LP Rising Force, that reflected numerous instances of Baroque and traditional composition. ââ¬Å"Black Starâ⬠has a structure that changes into the A B A C A B A, however the consummation of the melody is extemporized in that the tune doesn't return to An after the subsequent B area. Rather, the tune arrives at the end with the spontaneous creation of C segment. Various features of Yngwieââ¬â¢s guitar playing reflect in the tune ââ¬Å"Black Starâ⬠. The tune begins with an introduction that, as it were, is reminiscent of Bouree of Bach in the E minor. The agreement gets suggestive of the standard bore music when it comes in with guitars, however the way that the tune is played with the electric guitars acquires the distinction. Toward the finish of the section, there is a piece which utilizes the utilization of volume growing alongside a reverberation impact and volume handle that discharges the sound like spiccato that is a strategy of old style violin. The subject tune of the melody ââ¬Å"Black Starâ⬠depends on a method of E symphonious. The melody continues toward the B key that is the predominant, and gives a case of one more motion of the Baroque-traditional symphonious utilized by Yngwie. Yngwie plays the piece evenly that makes him copy the traditional violin. Notwithstanding that, Yngwie played bass line in ââ¬Å"Black Starâ⬠.
Tuesday, July 7, 2020
Fragility of the Intellectual Male Psyche and Permanence of Humanity In The Birth-Mark - Literature Essay Samples
Laden with allegories, dualisms, and symbolism, Hawthorneââ¬â¢s The Birth-Mark makes light of a variety of multi-faceted and complex issues, foremost among them those of sexuality and humanity. While the character of Aylmer seems both emotionally and intellectually secure, his obsession with perfection when applied to the subject of his wife Georgiana reveals deeper, more disconcerting stigmas that reflect the insecurity and fragility of the intellectual male psyche, while simultaneously exposing the inescapable and essential quality of imperfection to the scheme of mankind. The ultimate tragedy of this work is foreshadowed almost immediately from its onset, with the narrator ominously stating how Aylmer had devoted himself, however, too unreservedly to scientific studies, ever to be weaned from them by any second passion. His love for his young wife might prove the stronger of the two; but it could only be by intertwining itself with his love of science, and uniting the strength of the latter to its own (Hawthorne 645). This initial description of Aylmer truly depicts him as the man of science he is said to be. In stating that Aylmer would be unable to be distracted from science by any second passion, Hawthorne reiterates that anything other than his initial passion for natural philosophy would always only be at best of secondary importance. Even when the narrator states that Aylmerââ¬â¢s love for Georgiana may become stronger than his devotion to science, it is concurrently observed that this feat could only be achieved if the two passions joined forces, intertwining and uniting strength. Each of these depictions of Aylmerââ¬â¢s character reinforce the notion that his identity is essentially inseparable from science and the habituations that are associated with it, therefore laying the groundwork for the eventual exposà © of the scientistââ¬â¢s innate insecurities, and subsequently, those of the intellectual population of the male gender. The dualisms of The Birth-Mark reflect a plethora of distinct perspectives on the male psyche, while simultaneously reflecting viewpoints on themes of sexuality. The henchman character of Aminidab serves as the ideal foil to Aylmer, representing all he is not; crude, vapid, and most importantly, masculine. This masculinity allows Aminidab to look past the birth-mark and realize the beauty of Georgiana, stating that If she were my wife, Iââ¬â¢d never part with that birth-mark (Hawthorne 649). Whereas Aylmer is obsessed with the perfection of Georgiana, Aminidab is at peace with the imperfection that the birth-mark represents. This stark dichotomy between Aylmer, the intellectual, and Aminidab, the representative of common man at his most base form, reveals the truly peculiar character that Aylmer is, and provides the basis for the eventual disclosure of his unique sexual predicament. Furthermore, the sharp contrast between the ethereal boudoir and the earthly lab symbolizes multipl e other sexual themes. As shown by Georgianaââ¬â¢s take on the dichotomy between the lab and boudoir, The first thing that struck her eye was the furnace, that hot and feverish worker, with the intense glow of its fire, which by the quantities of soot clustered above it seemed to have been burning for ages The atmosphere felt oppressively close, and was tainted with gaseous odors which had been tormented forth by the processes of science. The severe and homely simplicity of the apartment, with its naked walls and brick pavement, looked strange, accustomed as Georgiana had become to the fantastic elegance of her boudoir, (Hawthorne 653) The potential biblical allusion to heaven and hell becomes clear, with the boudoir, a safe and beatific environment pitted against the oppressive, severe, nature of the lab. Further, the fact that Aylmer primarily works in the lab and Georgiana stays in the boudoir represents the sexual notion that females, the fragileââ¬â¢ gender, can not handle the demands of an environment such as the lab. This supposition furthers the male-dominant ideal that drives the work, and contributes significantly to the central sexual conflict it revolves around. The anti-scientific movement was one of the most prevalent sentiments throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, with Aylmerââ¬â¢s obsession with the removal of Georgianaââ¬â¢s titular birth-mark serving as a mirror image of this attitude. However, rather than merely attacking the scientific school of thought, Hawthorne uses this work as a personal assault on the psyche and character of the scientist himself. Rationalizing any female criticism of Georgianaââ¬â¢s imperfection by implying jealousy, Hawthorne notes, Some fastidious persons but they were exclusively of her her own sex affirmed that the Bloody Hand, as they chose to call it, quite destroyed the effect of Georgianaââ¬â¢s beauty, and rendered her countenance even hideous (Hawthorne 646), and justifying male acceptance of the birth-mark by implying infatuation and the common male obsession with the carnal and erotic, stating that Masculine observers, if the birth-mark did not heighten their admiration, contented themselves with wishing it away, that the world might possess one living specimen of ideal loveliness, without the semblance of a flaw (Hawthorne 646) Hawthorne effectively singles out the character of Aylmer as a male intellectual that is at odds with the birth-mark, a unique, monstrous hybrid of acceptance and disgust that fits no pre-established concept of coping with imperfection. This idiosyncratic characterization of Aylmer, a man who describes the birth-mark as a crimson stain upon stain with almost fearful distinctness (Hawthorne 646), establishes the basis for his depiction as a psychologically and emotionally frail being. In his obsession with the imperfection, and in his dangerously desperate attempt to remove the birth-mark, Aylmer reveals a distinctively Freudian perspective on the subject of sexuality. While indeed Aylmer is a man obsessed with achieving a sense of perfection that perhaps even he himself acknowledges to be unattainable, in the case of Georgiana, this desire for perfection doubles as a defense mechanism for his own sexual insecurity. In wanting to remove the birth-mark, despite the risk, despite the ne ar perfection of Georgiana as she was, Aylmer in reality seeks to eradicate the sexuality of his wife that the Crimson Hand represents. A deep-seated portion of Aylmerââ¬â¢s conscience hopes that Georgiana will return from their endeavor to remove the birth-mark changed completely, no longer a near perfect challenge to his own intellect and worldliness, and since yet another part of Aylmer knows that perfection is in fact unattainable by way of his previous mortifying failures (Hawthorne 650), his sexual confidence is secure in knowing that Georgiana will not, cannot, return flawless. However, while ultimately secure in his dominance of the female sex, Aylmers trifling necessity to himself be superior reveals the concerning nature of his own inherent sexual insecurity. Unable to accept the challenge of a near ideal counterpart, the subconscious of Aylmer must destroy any inkling of a confrontation to his established intellectual male psyche. Ultimately, Georgianaââ¬â¢s destruction plays directly into the machinations of Aylmerââ¬â¢s subconscious, and though her passing may seem to be a tragedy, it is in fact a victory for the scientistââ¬â¢s pathetic, fragile psyche. His intellectual guise as having an obsession with perfectionââ¬â¢ reveals deeper, more disconcerting stigmas that reflect the insecurity and fragility of the intellectual male sexual complex, while simultaneously exposing the inescapable and essential quality of imperfection to the scheme of mankind.
Tuesday, May 19, 2020
Edna Ferber, Jewish American Feminist Essay - 1168 Words
Edna Ferbers childhood and career influences many of her works. She was born in 1885 and died in 1968. Growing up, she was taunted for being Jewish. Her family moved a great deal, so she was able to see a lot of the country. She eventually landed a job as a reporter, but faced a lot of criticism at the workplace for being a woman. When asked about her role model, Edna Ferber said, My mother is of the iron age when things were not handed to people on velvet pads of ease-She had a zest for life and the ability to impart it on others. Her belief in the eternity of life has a nourishing effect on her and all those who come in contact with her. She is a wonderful woman (Shapiro 15). Because of this, she bases most of her heroines on herâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦Since she spent most of her life being taunted for being Jewish, this is to be expected. She frequently shows Jews to be smart, attractive, and/or successful. She mentions the mistreatment of Jews in nearly all of her novels. In Cimarron, the town Jew was running for mayor. But the wife of the other candidate gave a speech about the race where she declared, ?A Jew for mayor of Osage! They?ll be having an Indian mayor next. Mr. Wyatt?s folks are real Americans? (Ferber 218). She writes about the mistreatment of Native Americans to a great extent in Cimarron. Sabra?s son was particularly fond of them and when arguing with his mother?s family said, ?Indians don?t fight white men anymore. They can?t. Their, uh, spirit is broken. they only fought in the first place because the white men took their buff?loes away from them, that they lived on and ate and traded the skins and that was all the had, and their land away from them? (Ferber 150). All of her novels are read as a celebration of Americana, when she is actually writing about unfair treatment of the underdog, such as the Jew, the Negro, the Indian, or the strength of the American woman, who would persevere and survive alone even when the man in her life deserted her. Both themes are deeply rooted in her own life? (Shapiro 9). A more difficult theme to discern in Edna Ferber?s work is her view of love and
Wednesday, May 6, 2020
High Tuition And Higher Education - 1200 Words
High Tuition Costs in Colleges In the past, college education was not important to get jobs, but at present, itââ¬â¢s necessary to have college education, since, employers are demanding employees with higher education to work in their place (Bidwell). However, tuition costs of the colleges are increasing every year. Therefore, tuition of college is so high and many students cannot afford to pay, even after receiving some scholarships from their institution. Consequently, they have to take out loans, which puts them in debt. Debt of graduating college student is high, and some students are really struggling to pay the loans back; since they are not able to find the jobs of their intended career instantly after graduation. If tuition costs of colleges are lower, then the higher rate of students will enter college. Therefore, more people will get an education and improve our country. Horace Mann was a famous educator of the 19th century, who believed that a college education is neede d to prepare people for life. College cost has been increasing steadily for last 20 years; therefore, it makes difficult for students to pay for tuition. Many colleges have extremely high costs compare to others. CMU is one of the institutions that has a higher cost than national average. The national average for ââ¬Å"on-campusâ⬠studentââ¬â¢s cost was ââ¬Å"$19,182,â⬠compare to CMUââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"$21,391â⬠in 2010 (Peck). This shows that CMUââ¬â¢s cost was about $2,200 higher, which is approximately 10%. Also, CMU has higherShow MoreRelatedThe Cost of Tuition Among Colleges and Universities in Highly Diversified and Indefinite926 Words à |à 4 PagesThe cost of tuition among colleges and universities is highly diversified and indefinite. Students shouldnââ¬â¢t be financial problems that are associated with the high tuition cost for their education because it creates unnecessary stress and financial problems. The studentââ¬â¢s primary concern should be their academic performance and learning. The tuition fee includes extracurricular expenses such as lifestyle amenities that may not be essential toward the student education yet they are still being chargedRead MoreHigher Education At The United States Essay1226 Words à |à 5 PagesHigher education in the United States was introduced in 1636 when Harvard University first opened its doors. At the time, college was seen as an exclusive institution, typically reserved for the wealthy elite. In the 1600ââ¬â¢s, a college degree was not necessary to get a decent job and make a living; therefore, there was not a high demand for it. Since then, public opinion and attitudes about higher education have changed significantly. In todayââ¬â¢s job market, a college degree is a requirement for aRead MoreThe Government Should Fund Free Education854 Words à |à 4 PagesIn todayââ¬â¢s economy in order to be successful, a college education is essential. Having an education has become a privilege rather than a right. The government should fund free education as a way of investing in the future generations. Therefore, the first two years of college should be free to every student graduating from high school. Firstly, financing each studentââ¬â¢s education has been a struggle; especially for students that come from low-income families who are living paycheck to paycheck. StudentsRead MoreIs College Still A Good Investment?958 Words à |à 4 PagesPay, Lisa Barrow explores that even though the college tuition costs are increasing rapidly, is college still a good investment. Barrow states that college still worth wild and there is no evidence of a downward trend to students attending college due to increasing college tuition. Barrow also claims that by getting a bachelor s degree today, a college student can expect to regain all of their investments they have put towards their education within 10 years after graduation. Claims similar to theseRead MoreShould Taxpayers Fund College Tuition? No?909 Words à |à 4 PagesFund College Tuition? No Dear Representative John Kline, Executive Summary: In the United States, college should remain an accessible opportunity for Americans. Any one who is willing to put in the hard work and effort to make their future better, should be secured an education. A college education is important to one s future and can make a huge difference in how successful someone can become. There have been multiple presidents and politicians offer a solution to higher education costs beingRead MoreTuition Free Public College Education1677 Words à |à 7 PagesAnd Education for All: Tuition-Free Public College Education Everyone has the right to an education and education should be as accessible as possible to fulfill this need. Without an education, people are rendered powerless. Education gives people the power to go wherever and do whatever they want in life. This is especially true for higher education and a college degree is needed now more than ever. In the United States, in order to get ahead in a career or go up the social ladder, one needs aRead MoreRestricting College Tuition Rates1241 Words à |à 5 Pages Restricting College Tuition Rates Emily A. Fickes Maranatha Baptist University The Government Must Restrict College Tuition Rates In America over the past decade, college tuition prices have gone through the roof. Many Americans today suffer with incredibly high debt, or they fear that they will not be able to pay off their debt, resulting in fewer people wanting to continue their education. Without citizens getting a higher education, America would be uneducated, whichRead MoreEffects of Higher College Tuition on California Students1211 Words à |à 5 PagesOF HIGHER EDUCATION ON CALIFORNIA STUDENTS Effects of Higher College Tuition on California Students Hudson Pacific Ocean University EFFECTS OF HIGHER COLLEGERead MoreCollege Tuition Should Be Granted766 Words à |à 4 PagesA college education has become a necessity in todayââ¬â¢s civilization. Students all over the country are concentrating on their academics and are attempting to receive perfect grades. Many students struggle with tuition fees and are forced to find financial aid. Think of it this way, what if you were working hard to support you and your family and you had to pay for your education, would you want to do it? If studentââ¬â¢s pay for their own education then they have to put more efforts in doing job to payRead MoreShould The Federal Government Should Allow Free College Tuition And The Effects And Consequences Of Doing900 Words à |à 4 Pagespeople in the states pursue higher education, a key component to possess financial security. The task at hand has become a challenging achievement, now more than ever, as a result of skyrocketing tuition cost. It causes students to take out massiv e loans which, at times, cannot be returned and therefore creating billions in debt for the United States. The idea that student loans are putting this country in massive debt motivates our government to consider granting free tuition for public college. Therefore
Influence Starts at the Home free essay sample
Most if not all people have someone in their lives that influence them and their influence can have an impact on their lives. For a high school basketball player they might seek out influence from Michael Jordan, or an aspiring actor might believe that they get great influence from an actor who placed 5th on Entertainment Weeklyââ¬â¢s Most Popular Actors of 2009. I too have a source of influence, but my influential figure doesnââ¬â¢t have the title of being one of the fifty greatest players of all time voted in the year 1996, or isnââ¬â¢t hounded down constantly by paparazzi and adoring fans. My influence is someone Iââ¬â¢ve known for seventeen years, someone who has been living under the same roof with me since before I learned to walk and talk. This person influences me in so many ways and is the person who makes me want to be the very best I can be and work my way up to the top and succeed in what I love to do. That person is my very own dad. Most students will probably tell you that their parents are of influence to them. Their parents helped them with their homework, and made sure they did well in school. Their parents put a roof over their heads and gave them money for lunch that day and some money to go shopping over the weekend with friends. My parents have done that for me too, but my father has influenced me to a deeper level then just academics and materialistic contribution. My fatherââ¬â¢s youth story is what drives me to be the best I can be, to be determined to never say no and strive to reach what I know I have the potential to achieve. My father grew up in a small town called Sucre which is located in Bolivia, South America. Given the size of the city, his graduating class added up to about thirty students, most of which had been going to school together since kindergarten. My father chose to graduate from high school in a nearby city of the country called La Paz. Most of the graduating class chose to then pass on to college in the colleges available in the city; my father chose differently. He decided to take a chance and come to the United States to attend college. With fear in the back of his mind about leaving behind the only home he knew, his friends, and his family, my father took the blind step to come finish his school career in Chicago. Excited to be in a new place that my father only knew through watching movies, his life here was far from easy. He had to work late hours to help pay his way through college. Apart from having the language barrier to deal with, my father learned what itââ¬â¢s like to manage himself on his own and fund his daily life by working hard at his job since his parents could contribute little money each month. At the end of his college career, all the hard work paid off as he is now living the life he always dreamed of, established a great life here in Park Ridge, and has a wife and three children who admires him g reatly. How then does my father and his past influence my current and future life? The things my father has gone through and the lessons he learned the hard way are values that my father tries to instill in me. Heââ¬â¢s had a long tough journey here in America and every day he works hard to try to alleviate the lives that his children will go through. He went from having so little here to working his way up to a steady life in which he is happy living every day. My father has tried to raise me the way he was so that Iââ¬â¢m not just another face amongst a crowd of typical American teenagers. For that reason I believe that Iââ¬â¢m different than many students my age. I may have brains in certain areas and I am a first generation Hispanic, but itââ¬â¢s my views and how I live my life that makes me different than all the rest. Iââ¬â¢ve been taught to always put my family first since eventually they will be all I have. My views on life have changed because my father has a lways taught me to value the important things in life and forget the materialistic aspects of life. Though Iââ¬â¢ve always had a passion for school and learning, my father has worked hard with me to make sure that I work the hardest to achieve my true potential and because of him Iââ¬â¢m determined to work my way through college wherever it may be so I can follow in his footsteps and work my way to the top to make my dreams come true. My father has always been a hard worker and is rewarded for his hard work and he passed that trait on to me. Heââ¬â¢s always encouraged me to follow my dreams and never let anything keep me away from doing something I know I can. Heââ¬â¢s taught me to be optimistic and told me to never falter from trying something new out of fear of the outcome or because I donââ¬â¢t think I can do it. My father grounds me to reality and teaches me to seek out the important things in life and not let the petty bring me down. His optimism on life is refle cted in me as well. Inside each person is something special and my father always makes sure that that special something in me is always shining brightly. My father has really given me the best gift he ever could, he believed in me. Now as the years have gone by and Iââ¬â¢m getting ready to take possibly one of the biggest and most difficult decisions I ever have to do, I cant help but feel like an adult. In less than a year Iââ¬â¢ll finally be on my own going to college and making something of myself. Mommy and Daddy wonââ¬â¢t be there to do my laundry anymore, or tell me to pick up my clothes off my chair in my room. Iââ¬â¢ve started taking baby steps towards growing up and being an adult by taking on a job during my senior year at an ice-cream shop. By picking up a job, especially when no one told me to, has taught me to be more responsible and value how hard my parents work to give me all I have. Its grueling to have to come home at eleven at night with my arms hurti ng from trying to scoop out rock solid birthday cake ice cream, and even though when I drag myself out of bed that following morning and ask myself why Iââ¬â¢m taking on a job while Iââ¬â¢m going through one of the toughest years in my high school career, I realize its worth it. I feel a bit of freedom since Iââ¬â¢m making my own money and its exciting to not have to ask my parents to help me pay for something. Most importantly Iââ¬â¢ve found a stronger respect for my father since Iââ¬â¢m experiencing a small part of what he had to go through for at least four years. Soon Iââ¬â¢m going to be on my own and am going to have to make my own decisions and leave my mark in the world. Some kids my age canââ¬â¢t wait to hear the principal announce their name through the microphone at graduation as they know that in a few weeks they can finally move out and party it out at college. For me Iââ¬â¢m happy to go to college because as I close the chapter on high school, Ià ¢â¬â¢m starting the new chapter for college. But more importantly Iââ¬â¢m happy to go to college because I feel that all my hard work for the past four years is finally going to pay off as Iââ¬â¢m going to go to college and I dedicate myself to something I enjoy and end up doing it for a very long time. Even more so the reason Iââ¬â¢m happy is because I feel that I will be living up to my father and am repaying him for all the hard work he has done so I can live the life I do. Itââ¬â¢s scary to take the next step in life, itââ¬â¢s the same fear my father probably had when he was getting ready to pass on to college and whether I go to college forty minutes by car or four hours by plane, Iââ¬â¢ll never forget all that my father has taught me and hopefully I can turn around and teach it to my kids further along the road because I couldnââ¬â¢t have asked for a greater parent to influence my life. Itââ¬â¢s now my time to make a difference and like my father I ha ve to take my blind step into the world as well and who knows if Iââ¬â¢ll be successful. I may find what I love to do early on, or it may take a few major changes to arrive to, but thereââ¬â¢s only one way to find out; I got to just go out there and do it.
Wednesday, April 22, 2020
Oedipus Rex And Bliss Is Ignorance Essays - Oedipus The King, Operas
Oedipus Rex And Bliss Is Ignorance One of the most memorable and meaningful Socratic quotes applies well when in context of Sophocles' Theban Trilogy. "The unexamined life is not worth living," proclaims Socrates. He could have meant many things by this statement, and in relation to the play, the meaning is found to be even more complex. Indeed, the situation of Oedipus, king of Thebes, the truth of this statement is in question. Would Oedipus have been better off if he was blind to the knowledge of his birthing and the fate which was foretold to someday befall him? Truly though, his life would have been a far better and easier path had he never known about his true origins. His life in Corinth would have been long and prosperous, and Thebes would have lived on under King Laius. In fact, everyone would have been better off in the long run if Oedipus had not ventured out beyond the walls of Corinth. So is it worth living an examined life? Socrates had made this statement long after the creation of the Theban Trilogy. In the context of his own time, this was meant to imply that life must be examined and reflected upon, known and discovered by each individual philosopher to better enrich life for all. Yet in terms of Sophoclean drama, specifically Oedipus Rex, this was meant in a vastly different way. The unexamined life was one that was in the dark, unknown as to what fate lied beyond every turn and irony of living. Oedipus, up to the point in which he heard the comment in the tavern in Corinth, lived an unexamined life. To Socrates, he was an unfulfilled man, one who deserved to know more, one who not complete. However, in a much less metaphysical sense, Oedipus' life was complete, in that he had all that he needed, and was living a happy and fruitful life. As the drama progresses, he finds out more and more, learning exactly what the implications of his birth was, he suffers the fate for examining his life. So what Socrates had meant, that the life which was not rich with self exploration and reflection was not worth living, was indeed different than its application in terms of Oedipus, who's life was unexamined, yet complete. The question arises, what would life have been like, if Oedipus had not discovered his true origins? If he had stayed in Corinth, would this have ever happened? We find that indeed, we would have had no story, if not for that lone comment of a drunkard which sparked the fire of rebellion in the young prince Oedipus. He ventured out to Delphi, to pry knowledge of his background out of it, and to discover if this was indeed the truth, despite the fact that his adopted parents of Corinth had assured him of it falseness. Oedipus leaves Corinth, fulfilling the Socratic idea of the unexamined life. However, we must evaluate the eventual consequences of his actions and the implications which they possess. What becomes of his fateful journey out of Corinth leads to the downfall of an entire city and family line. If he had not murdered King Laius, the Sphinx would have never descended upon Thebes, he would have never fulfilled the prophecy, and all would have lived on in a relative peace and tranquillity. Once examining these aspects of the relationship between the quote and Oedipus Rex, we can come to a final examination of its implications. The question which was addressed, that of the value of the examined life, can be answered. Indeed, if Oedipus had not ventured beyond the protective walls of his adopted home, would anything such as what occurred in the play ever have transpired? If Oedipus had not pursued that answers to the mysteries that plagued him, despite the pleading warnings of I?casta, in fact his life would have been contented and happy. Instead, he follows the Socratic method of exploration and discovery, and proceeds down the path of pain and distraught. Was, after it was over, all worth it? We find that no, it was not. Being content and suited with what he knew of himself would have saved Oedipus and his children/siblings much agony. However, in the typical Greek tragedy, we must see his fall from grace through, which is indeed what happens. In the bliss of ignorance, much pain and difficulty is averted. For what worries does the ignorant man have? In the case of Oedipus, ignorance would have suited him fine.
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