Aristotle Is Wrong about Incontinence Aristotle is wrong about incontinence. A bold statement, sure, but one that needs to be made. In Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics , he attempts to define three things to avoid and their opposites. The things to avoid are “vice, lack of self-restraint, and brutishness” (1145a17). Aristotle also says, “The contraries of two of these are clear: the one contrary we call virtue, the other self-restraint” (1145a17-18). Self-restraint parallels continence, and lack of self-restraint parallels incontinence. While Aristotle claims that lack of self-restraint is something to avoid, he gives plenty of examples where it is forgivable. How can someone conclude that something is bad, do it anyway, and not be considered vicious? Aristotle writes, “First, then, is to examine whether those who act without self-restraint do so knowingly or not, and how they might do so knowingly” (1146b8-9). It should be an established logic that if you know that something...
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Given Unto a Madman Who are we to decide what somebody deserves? Sure, if one were to commit a crime, most would say that they deserve a punishment. But why do we deem ourselves worthy to determine “ what is appropriate to him , and this is what he called giving him what he is owed ” (332c)? In book one of Plato’s socratic dialogue, The Republic , justice is a hot topic between Socrates and the other characters (this essay will be focusing on Polemarchus). Socrates provokes Polemarchus into describing what is just. Polemarchus responds “he said it is just to give to each what is owed to him. And a fine saying it is, in my view.” (331e). Socrates counters by saying “Clearly, he does not mean what we said a moment ago - namely, giving back to someone whatever he has lent to you, even if he is out of his mind” (331e). This sets us up for Polemarchus to state that a friend, or a good person, is owed something good, and an enemy, or a person commits a crime, is owed something bad. But i...
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Clytaemnestra: A Moral Oddity In the first two book of The Oresteia (Agamemnon, and The Libation Bearers), a trilogy of greek tragedies written by the tragedian Aeschylus, Clytaemnestra is written as a complex character, invoking one of two extremes to the average reader: love or hate. However, once you analyze and attempt to understand the character, she becomes significantly more morally grey than one originally thought. Did she do the right thing in killing Agamemnon as revenge for her daughter? Maybe her motive was more than just her daughter’s death? Is an “eye for an eye” a fair justice system? Was Cassandra's murder fair? Agamemnon begins with Clytaemnestra in power while Agamemnon was away at war. It is revealed to us that Agamemnon sacrificed his daughter to Artemis so that he could safely sail to Troy for battle. Of course, the act of killing your daughter would anger any mother, no matter what the cause. It could be argued that what Agamemnon did was wrong. Howev...
Love: Emotional Warfare
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Love: Emotional Warfare “She’d speak her heart but her voice chokes, mid-word./ Now at dusk she calls for the feast to start again,/ madly begging to hear again the agony of Troy,/ to hang on his lips again, savoring his story./”(4.96-99). Love is an overwhelming feeling. To long for someone to speak, hear a voice, or just to see a smile is a gift in the eyes of a person stricken with love. In The Aeneid , an epic written by Virgil (translated by Robert Fagles), The main plot point is for Aeneas to find Rome. In his quest, there are mentions of war and Fate, even Gods and destiny. But all of these things seem to be external forces. What about the internal equivalent of war, such as a conflict of love? Does Virgil portray it as such? Or at least shows that love leads to consequences matching war? Maybe he includes these love subplots just for the reader to better relate to the character? Virgil includes many examples of love, and most of them end in tragedy. Just one of the ma...
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Introduction I suppose every publication needs an introduction (except for the ones that don't...). My name is Sean Denney, and I am a freshman at Faulkner University. I play soccer here, as well as participate in the Great Books Honors Program. If your wondering about my personality, don't worry. I've got some bullet points prepared. Ahem... I'm majoring in Computer Science with a minor in Mathematics I love soccer I like non alcoholic Pina coladas I like getting caught in the rain I'm a bit nerdy Literally the best at procrastinating Favorite book series is The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. I can't wait to further my literary knowledge, and gain critical skills for my personal life in this class. I'm excited to represent Faulkner University on the pitch, as well as in the classrooms. Soar Eagles!