Essay about Four Charges Brought Agains Socrates in the...

This essay I will talk about four charges that were brought against Socrates in the work Apology by Plato. After describing the charge I will then go on to talk about why I think each of them are completely fake. There were four charges that were brought against Socrates. They were that he argued the weaker claim over the stronger claim, that he argue the physical over the metaphysical, that he was against the gods and that he was corrupting the youth. All of these charges are completely and utterly fake and I will tell you why. Plato said Socrates was charges with arguing the weaker claim over the stronger claim. The actual quote from the essay is â€Å"He makes the weaker argument defeat the stronger and he teachers these doctrines to†¦show more content†¦The actual claim from the passage was â€Å"Socrates is an evil-doer and a curious person, who searches into things under the earth and in the heavens†. I mean for real, what kind of bogus crime is this? Socrates didn’t argue the physical over the metaphysical. His main goal was to find knowledge, he wanted to instill his knowledge onto others, and he wanted to make the world a better place. In the passage I don’t think Socrates really cared too much about this charge anyway. He says â€Å"I will ask you then to assume with me that my opponents are of two kinds: one more recent, the other from the past. I will answer the latter first, for these accusations you heard long before the others†. He says that people before him otherwise known as the Sophists are the people who have been committing this crime, even when this crime isn’t really a crime. For these Sophists were held at a high social status for doing these things. Socrates also said that people claim that he can walk in the air. Socrates never lied about or pretended to know about this, however he doesn’t throw out the probability that it is possible threw teachings. The third charge that was made ag ainst Socrates was that he went against the gods. One of the accusers named Meletus alternates between accusing Socrates that he is atheist and accusing him of having belief in new gods rather than the old gods. Now you tell me what you think of this. FirstShow MoreRelated The Apology1451 Words   |  6 Pagesdiscussing the four charges brought against Socrates in Plato’s essay The Apology# and why exactly each of these charges is completely fictitious. The four charges brought against Socrates were that he argued the physical over the metaphysical, he argued the weaker claim over the stronger claim, he went against the gods, and he was corrupting the youth (Singer, lecture, 9-15-11). Each of these four charges is false for varying reasons and I will be addressing each explanation on why each charge is a completeRead MorePlatoSocrates Excellence in Virtue3650 Words   |  15 PagesPlato amp; Socrates: Excellence in Virtue introduction â€Å"Socrates’ positive influence touches us even today† (May 6) and we can learn a great deal about him from one of his students, Plato. It is in Plato’s report of Socrates’ trial a work entitled, Apology, and a friend’s visit to his jail cell while he is awaiting his death in Crito, that we discover a man like no other. Socrates was a man following a path he felt that the gods had wanted him to follow and made no excuses for his lifeRead MoreWhy Was Socrates Final Speech So Ineffective?1407 Words   |  6 PagesSocrates: Why was his final speech so ineffective? Although the Platonic dialogue chronicling Socrates death is called the Apology, many critics have noted that Socrates seems notably unapologetic throughout the speech, thus raising the ire of his Athenian listeners. Socrates is openly confrontational in his address to an Athenian jury of his peers, and his philosophical elitism seems designed to confirm, rather than disprove the image the prosecution had created of an unstable, dangerous, andRead MoreEssay on Socrates2152 Words   |  9 PagesThe First Advocate for Free Speech – Socrates The precise facts about how and why the great Greek philosopher Socrates was sentenced and executed remains one of the biggest puzzles in history, even to this day. Socrates lived and philosophized in Athens, which is said to be the ancient model for a democracy. Yet, it seems like the Athenians sentenced to death a respected member of their society for speaking his mind and standing by his principles. Now how democratic is that? What makes theRead MoreEssay on Socrates2140 Words   |  9 PagesThe First Advocate for Free Speech – Socrates The precise facts about how and why the great Greek philosopher Socrates was sentenced and executed remains one of the biggest puzzles in history, even to this day. Socrates lived and philosophized in Athens, which is said to be the ancient model for a democracy. Yet, it seems like the Athenians sentenced to death a respected member of their society for speaking his mind and standing by his principles. Now how democratic is that? What makes theRead More Justice for All Ages Essay example4920 Words   |  20 Pagesplagued the ancient philosophers and continues to plague the professional and amateur academic philosophers of today. The question is so hard, because it is quite difficult to know where to begin. Socrates1 spoke of justice in relation to the gods, Plato in relation to an individual’s duty in society, and Achilles, in a somewhat indirect way, in relation to honor and loyalty. All three of these men had very convincing arguments about the true nature of justice, but it is impossible to say now, or mostRead MorePlatos Works Essay examples1881 Words   |  8 PagesWorks In his works, Plato writes about truth, justice, and reality in full detail. His ideas are greatly deep and persuasively argued. It is from him that all western philosophy is a footnote. He describes his view in a series of numerous dialogues. For my report, I have chosen four of his works to study, which I think were his most important. The Republic is a dialogue composed of 10 books. The theme in its entirety is justice. The characters of the dialogue are Socrates, who is the narrator;Read More Socrates Essay examples3029 Words   |  13 PagesSocrates Philosophy was both serious and dangerous, Socrates chose to ignore both. Ignoring the first made him one of the most engaging of all philosophers, ignoring the second was to cost him his life. He was born in a middle class home in Athens, in 470 BCE. His parents were Phaenarete and Sophroniscus. His mother had a reputation for her patient and intuitive skill in delivering babies in and around the neighborhood. The latter, his father was a craftsman, stonecutter by trade. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;AsRead MorePolitical Philosophy and Plato Essay9254 Words   |  38 Pages SOCRATES Socrates 469 BC–399 BC, was a classical Greek Athenian philosopher. Credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy, he is an enigmatic figure known chiefly through the accounts of later classical writers, especially the writings of his students Plato and Xenophon, and the plays of his contemporary Aristophanes. Many would claim that Platos dialogues are the most comprehensive accounts of Socrates to survive from antiquity. Through his portrayal

What Impact did Social and Economic change have upon Germany, 1870 †1914 Free Essays

The unification of Germany in 1871 acted as a catalyst for industry that enabled a period of rapid growth and change. This growth in industry changed Germany forever socially and economically and it was this change that was to make Germany a great nation, even rivalling Britain itself by 1890. As soon as the Reich was established in 1871, the German economy took off. We will write a custom essay sample on What Impact did Social and Economic change have upon Germany, 1870 – 1914? or any similar topic only for you Order Now Germany possessed huge mineral wealth and this was manipulated to build an incredibly strong economy. Germany possessed areas such as Alsace-Lorraine that contained Europe’s largest source of iron ore that was essential to its growing steel industries. In fact Germany was totally independent due to the abundance of all resources that were necessary for an industry at the time. Germany was developing industrially at an incredibly rapid rate and this is shown through its outputs (fig. 1). However it was not until later that Germany began to found colonies that showed exactly how powerful it had become. Another resource Germany possessed was manpower and plenty of it (fig. 2). In 1870 Germany’s total population was around forty one million, already nine million more than Britain. This total however increased yet further and by 1890 Germany had an even larger population of forty nine million. This huge population provided an incredibly large labour force that could be drawn from as industry continued to grow. The industrialists themselves became very wealthy as industrialisation took hold of Germany. Labour was cheap and so were the raw materials lending to ever increasing profits that rivalled the wealth of the Junkers. Unlike the Junkers however the industrialists did not have any political power and this was what caused future problems. In 1875 there were eight German cartels however as the industrial expansion began to slow and times became ever harder the numbers began to increase. In 1885 Germany boasted ninety such cartels and two hundred and ten just five years later! These cartels began to exercise enormous influence over the development of the Reich and they began to make demands for things such as protective tariffs and later for naval and colonial development. This is where the industrialists began to taste power and the cartels enabled politically minded individuals a chance to have an influence over Germany’s ruling and development however minor. This was all the power someone from the middle class could possess due to Germany’s static class system. Germany was a conservative state and so naturally change was frowned upon. What remained of Germany’s past during the industrialisation was that of the Junkers political monopoly. Bismarck himself was a Junker and one of his main political aims was to maintain the superiority of this upper class. The Junkers also continued to obtain great wealth due to their hold over agriculture. Without the food stuffs that the Junkers provided, Germany would not have been able to grow in the manner that it had. As well as industrialisation, urbanisation was taking place at the same time as Germany’s population was moving from rural areas to cities in search of employment. These people that came in search of work became known as the working class, an entirely new level of German society. It was the industrialists however who actively attempted to draw people from the countryside into the cities. Drawing such large numbers into the cities however created problems such as over crowding which in turn created even more problems such as chronic disease epidemics. As more and more people were drawn to the cities the working class itself grew and as it grew so did it’s political influence. People within the class began to think of ways to improve their lives and began asking for better conditions such as better accommodation and wages. If managed badly the working class could easily revolt and cause untold problems for the government so the authorities began to pay ever more attention to the growing voice of the working class. Both regional and religious differences were perpetuated within the new German State meaning Germany at this time was not totally unified. Each region had its differences. These differences were normally minor in nature however some were greater than others were such as language or religion. The southern areas of Germany were Catholic and the Protestant members refused to totally collaborate with them. This led to political and social arguments that could not easily be resolved. The authorities had to watch how tensions rose and fell between both sides so as to avert any possible serious problems that may have arisen. At this time industrialists began to make demands for expansion within the navy and the founding of colonies. This would create even more trade because of a captive market that only German industry would be involved in. By obtaining naval contracts and supplying the colonies themselves a company could make a lot of profit. However at this time, countries such as Britain and France had taken all the colonies of worth. The only way Germany would gain such useful assets would be to take them by force from their custodians. This action could easily lead to war however and so called for a more aggressive foreign policy that in the future would contribute to Germany’s involvement in world war one. In conclusion the social and economic changes had a massive effect on Germany. Germany began to change into a whole new place and towards the end of the period it also began to develop it’s own identity. Although some problems arose none were too serious as to stop Germany becoming a great nation. The leadership Bismarck supplied enabled Germany to pass through troubled times with ease and differences began to become less of an issue as time went on. However it is ironic that while Bismarck suspected Catholics and Socialists of trying to destroy Germany, it was to be the demands of the industrialists and financiers that led to the downfall of his conservative system. How to cite What Impact did Social and Economic change have upon Germany, 1870 – 1914?, Papers

When the Fate of the Company Hangs by a Thread the Significance of the Leader and the Choice of an Adequate Leadership Style

In the modern world, becoming a leader is often viewed as the pinnacle of a person’s career and the goal that one must strive for. However, very few people actually know what being a leader means and what responsibilities it involves.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on When the Fate of the Company Hangs by a Thread: the Significance of the Leader and the Choice of an Adequate Leadership Style specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In fact, one will definitely have hard times even trying to define what leadership is – there are too many opinions concerning what leadership involves, as well as what the functions of a leader exactly are. For example, some scholars view leadership as an ability to lead the company to its ultimate success, therefore, focusing on the material effects of good leadership (Bass, 2008, 24). According to another school of thought, leadership involves managing the conflicts that occur w ithin the employees and solving the problems that are related to the specified business field (Bass, 2008, 24). The third opinion on leadership claims that a true leader must be a perfect strategist and, therefore, praises a true leader’s ability to plan the course of the company’s actions ahead (Bass, 2008, 24). As it often turns out, the truth lies somewhere in the middle; hence, the definition of leadership includes each of the above-mentioned aspects, since at present, the concept of leadership also includes â€Å"contributing to social order, introducing major change, giving meaning and purpose to work and organizations, empowering followers, and infusing organizations with values and ideology† (Bass, 2008, 24). With that in mind, the merits of effective leadership arte not restricted to the increase in the company’s revenues, though the given effects are expected as well.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Effective leadership must lead to improving the relationships between the staff and the employer, as well as among the employees, help solve the conflicts that arise among the members of the team and between the employees and the managerial, control organizational behavior and keep it stable, and perform many other functions. To approach the situation in a specific company and improve it greatly, as well as set the course for the firm’s further development, however, a general idea of leadership is not enough. To solve a particular problem, a particular kind of leadership must be used, which is why several leadership styles, with the help of which different problems can be addressed, have been distilled. Autocratic Presupposing that the leader has complete power over his/her employees and the working process, autocratic leadership seems to have become quite out of date, since it does not allow for much creativity. Bureaucratic Following only by-the-book principles and not allowing the employees to make any decisions other than the ones prescribed for each specific occasion, bureaucratic type of leadership often leads to the company’s decay. Charismatic When the leader relies completely on the effect that (s)he has on the employees, (s)he chooses the charismatic leadership style. In contrast to the transformational style, the given model does not presuppose any changes within the company. Democratic As one might have already guessed, democratic leadership style involves the practices that allow the employees feel that they have an impact on the company decisions. Leading to job satisfaction, the given approach seems one of the best.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on When the Fate of the Company Hangs by a Thread: the Significance of the Leader and the Choice of an Adequate Leadership Style specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn M ore Laissez-faire Translated loosely from French as â€Å"leaving things the way they are†, laissez-faire leadership allows the employees make their own decisions that influence the production process and presupposes little control over the staff. People-oriented Quite a recent innovation in the sphere of business, the given approach demands that the leader should take into account the employees’ specifics and demands when assigning them with certain tasks. People-oriented approach has several features of a democratic leadership style. Servant Unlike one might have thought, a leader does not have to be necessarily recognized among the employees. As long as the leader can give commands and be certain that people will follow them, leadership can be considered effective. Therefore, a leader does not necessarily have to stand out of the crowd. On the contrary, a leader can do the same task as the rest of the employees, which the servant leadership style presupposes. Task -oriented It is quite peculiar that a task-oriented style of leadership can also have certain features of the autocratic one. Setting the task completion as its ultimate goal, task-oriented leadership style often presupposes the revenue-over-people policy. In a way, the given approach is the exact opposite of the people-oriented approach. Transactional Rather paternalistic and quite controlling, a transactional type of leadership presupposes that the leader has the power both to observe the working process and to intervene it, as well as punish the employees for not performing their functions the right way (Betrocci, 2009, 48). Transformational Traditionally considered one of the best types of leadership, transformational leadership style aims at transforming people’s attitude towards the work that they do, which is carried out with the help of engaging them into the activities that they prefer and learning about their likes and dislikes.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Environmental The given leadership style demands that the leader of a group of people carefully analyze the environment in a specific team and build the leadership strategy around the specifics of the environment in the given group. The downside of the given strategy is that the leader has to follow the moods within the group, which practically means that employees set the course for the leader to follow, which is quite unnatural. Visionary When an organization needs a change, visionary leadership style is typically preferred over the rest of the leadership styles, since it helps set the course for the company to follow, and develops a clear strategy for the employees to comply with. It is worth mentioning that, in contrast to Cooper, Johnson and Holdsworth, Northouse (2010) offers a slightly different classification that is, in a sense, more general than the above-mentioned one. Therefore, the features of each approach listed above can be found in the ones that are suggested by Nor thouse. To show graphically the differences between the traditional approach offered by Northouse and the recent innovation with a few new types of leadership coined by Cooper, Johnson Holdsworth (2012), it will be necessary to consider Northouse’s classification as well. Trait Approach The given approach seems to be quite close to the charismatic leadership style; as a matter of fact, trait approach combines the same elements as the charismatic leadership style. The only difference is that in a trait approach, specific traits that allow a leader become a role model are listed, while the charismatic leadership style relies on the appeal of a person, implying that each appeal is individual. Style Approach A combination of the task-oriented and a people-oriented leadership styles, the given approach seems flawless for a company that does not need radical changes. Controlling both the organizational behavior and the production quality, this approach is truly a great find. Situa tional Approach Much like the contingency theory that is described below, situational approach presupposes that the leader of a group of people should seek for a unique solution for each conflict or complicated situation within a group of employees. Unlike contingency theory, however, the given approach does not presuppose that there should be a bond between the manager and the employees. Contingency Theory The given theory of leadership makes it clear that there is no panacea for a problem within an organization – every single case must be handled in a unique manner by taking account of every factor standing in the way of the company’s progress. Path-goal Approach The path-goal approach dictates that the motivation rates among employees will get higher if the employees know exactly what goal they are striving for (Lussier Achua, 2010, 161). Leader-member Approach Leader-member approach focuses on the relationships between the leader of a group and its members. Transf ormational Leadership Needless to mention, transformational leadership represents the exact same ideas as the transformational leadership style. Demanding that the leader not only set the goals for the employees to achieve by a specific deadline, but also change their attitude towards their work, transformational leadership approach seems a perfect choice for the company that needs changes badly. However, dry theory is not enough to see if the above-mentioned types of leadership can be considered viable. To see if the given theories actually make sense, an analysis of a real-life case study is required. The case study below can be considered a solid proof for the fact that none of the leadership styles mentioned above should be considered a silver bullet – in each case, an individual approach that incorporates the elements of several leadership styles, must be applied to solve a particular problem. Of all the theories listed above, the contingency theory, which states that fo r every case, a specific approach must be adopted, seems to work. Case Study: The Change in Leadership Style in BT Takes the Latter to the Top of the UK Business Charts British Telecom, also referred to as BT, has been known for quite long among both the British people and the rest of the world as one of the highest grossing telecommunication companies until the 1990s, when financial crisis embraced almost the entire world. As soon as it became clear that most of the European and American companies were aimed at developing their economical strategies to tailor them to the on-coming globalization process, the BT realized that the time-tested leadership style served the company’s purposes no more. Under the influence of outer economic factors, BT could no longer retain its top position in the UK business charts, which called for a change in the company’s policies. It would be a mistake to claim that the leadership style chosen by the BT Group was flawed; rather, one shou ld suggest that the chosen strategy had worn out its gimmick and was useless in the changing environment. To start with, the BT Group has undergone several changes in the course of its history, and the strategy that the company followed in 1990s was not the initial one that the BT Group had started out with. Originally a monopoly organization that handled the entire telecommunication system in Britain, the BT Group was obviously ruled in an autocratic style of leadership. As for the leadership style that the BT Group used in 1990, it could be defined as autocratic one. Taking what is defined nowadays as path-goal leadership approach, the managers of the company chose a directive leader behavior that made them focus solely on getting the revenues for the company, while the needs of the employees, the relationships with the possible rivals and the further development of the company was not considered necessary. It must be admitted, though, that the given way of managing the BT Group h ad been working up until the economical changes in the 1990s, when the very idea of a monopoly was considered inappropriate in the fast-changing market. Even though in 1982, the BT Group finally faced a decent rival, Mercury, the need for changing the leadership style and choosing a more efficient leadership theory became fully obvious. After the White Paper was publicized in 1991, it became clear that the VT had no longer the rights for monopoly on the British telecommunications; therefore, the time-tested leadership style that the BT Group used to rely on was no longer of any use. It was necessary to adopt more flexible approaches, since the latter would have helped the company stay afloat in the atmosphere of tough competition. To make the situation even worse for the BT Group, the technological approaches had to be revisited again. To their credit, the BT Group managed to find out the solution to the problem. After conducting the analysis of the external factors that influenced the BT Group, as well as the obstacles for the BT within the corporation, the head of the company came to the conclusion that the British Technologies was supposed to undergo a serious organizational change, especially speaking of the leadership style adopted by the managers of the company. To handle the difficulties and adapt to the current market the BT resorted to the situational approach, since the managers had not distilled a specific strategy for the company by that time; however, further on, the BT Group moved to the contingency model. The advantages of the given model are clear – allowing the BT Group to adapt to the changes in the economical and financial environment, the given approach adds the company some flexibility. Nowadays, BT can choose the adequate strategy based on such factors as the level of competition, the current demands in the telecommunication market, and the changes in the technological advances. As the recently obtained data shows, the BT has becom e one of the leading providers of telecommunication services all over Britain: Globalisation has changed the economics of business. Networked IT services enable organisations to work seamlessly across time zones and borders. In order to help customers reach new markets, and improve productivity and operational efficiency, BT Global Services delivers the services they need to compete in a global market, in more than 170 countries. (BT, 2012, para.40) Judging by the data provided by the BT group, however, there is still a lot to be done, since the chosen track still has its problems. While the BT Group focuses on establishing relationships with partner countries and providing their services outside the UK, the threat that the rivals will take over telecommunication services in Britain grow. It seems that the BT Group should also try to follow the Contingency Theory and try combine several approaches at once; for example, the company could continue develop their business overseas and a t the same time promote more open company policies with the help of the leader–member leadership style. While currently, the second quarter to September income in BT Group is the highest among the telecommunication services all over the United Kingdom, it is still worth keeping in mind that the revenues reached the same number,  £4.5 billion, in the first quarter to 30 September 2012. Hence, the company does not seem to have progressed over the past few months. According to the example of the BT Group, the contingency leadership theory takes the first place among the currently existing leadership approaches. While it does not involve radical changes, it helps a company adapt to the changes in economical, financial, political or any other factors that have their impact on the company’s productivity. While the BT Group still has a long way to go to keep its score just as high, the progress that BT made is truly incredible. The given case is a graphic example of how a c hange in the leadership style can make a firm rise from the ashes. Proving once again that situational leadership strategy inspired by the contingency theory is the best way to tackle the problems of a specific organization, the case of the BT Group shows that everything is possible with the right attitude and approach. Reference List Bass, B M, 2008, The handbook of leadership: theory, research and managerial applications, Free Press, New York, NY. Betrocci, D I 2009, Leadership in organizations: there is difference between leaders and managers, University Press of America, Lanham, MD. BT 2012, The BT Story. Web. Cooper, C L., Johnson, S and Holdsworth, L, 2012, Organizational behavior for dummies, John Wiley Sons, New York, NY. Lussier, Robert N. Achua, C F, 2010, Leadership: theory, application, skill development. Cengage Learning, Stamford, CT. Northouse, P G, 2010, Leadership: theory and practice. SAGE, Thousand Oaks, CA:. 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Genghis Kahn essays

Genghis Kahn essays In about 1162, Yesugei, a local chieftain and his wife had their second son, Genghis Kahn. (Originally Genghis was named Temujin) Although it is not certain when Temujin was born, we do know where. Temujin was born along the banks of the Onon River. Today the Onon River is known as the border between northern Mongolia and southeastern Russia. There is a legend that said Temujin was born holding a large clot of blood in his hand, which is said to signify as soon he to have a career of being the world conqueror. Yesugei and his wife would have never of guessed that they would be the parents of a man that would be passed on as the man who took the most land ever in history. As a small child, Temujin had an extremely tough life. At the age of nine, Temujin and his father went on a mission to the deep east of Mongolia to find him (Temujin) a wife. There he met a ten-year-old girl named Borte. She was the daughter of the chieftain of Temujins mothers people. Temujin was left there to stay with the Konkirat because of custom. During that time it was custom that a son-in-law was to be brought up in the tent of his future father-in-laws tent. Yesugei left Temujin there and on his way home the chief of a rival clan poisoned Yesugei food. Yesugei only had enough time to tell one of his people to get Temujin out of danger and safe at home with his mother. Once they got Temujin home, he was pronounced as the new chieftain of their people. Soon to follow, their followers abandoned Temujin and his family, the Taichiut took over. Terrified of what happened to his father, Temujin and his family ran away. After all that had happened to Temujin he had grown-up into a young man. He also returned back to visit the Konkirat to claim his wife, Borte. There he was given a gift, a black sable coat. He showed his coat to Toghril, an ally of Yesugei and the ruler of Keriet, which was a tribe in central Mongolia. Toghril then took ...

Definition and Examples of Vagueness in Language

Definition and Examples of Vagueness in Language In speech or writing, vagueness is the imprecise or unclear use of language. Contrast this term with clarity and specificity. As an adjective, the word becomes vague. Although vagueness often occurs unintentionally, it may also be employed as a deliberate rhetorical strategy to avoid dealing with an issue or responding directly to a question. Macagno and Walton note that vagueness can also be introduced for the purpose of allowing the speaker to redefine the concept he wishes to use (Emotive Language in Argumentation, 2014). In  Vagueness as a Political Strategy (2013),  Giuseppina Scotto di Carlo observes that vagueness is a pervasive phenomenon in natural language, as it seems to be expressed through nearly all linguistic categories. In short, as philosopher Ludwig  Wittgenstein said, Vagueness is an  essential feature of the language.   Etymology From the Latin, wandering Examples and Observations Use details. Dont be vague. -Adrienne Dowhan et al., Essays That Will Get You into College, 3rd ed. Barrons, 2009 Vague Words and Phrases Vagueness arises from the use of terms that are inherently vague. The cabinet minister who says, My officials are monitoring this situation very closely, and I can promise that we shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that the situation is resolved in a way that is fair to all the parties involved. should be challenged on grounds of vagueness. Despite the appearance of having promised to do something specific, the minster has not really promised to do anything at all. What are appropriate measures? They could be anything or nothing. What does fair to all the parties mean? We have no clear idea. Such phrases are inherently vague and can mean almost anything. People who use them should be challenged to say more precisely what they mean. -Willam Hughes and Jonathan Lavery, Critical Thinking: An Introduction to the Basic Skills, 5th ed. Broadview Press, 2008 Vagueness Versus Specificity Vague or abstract words can create wrong or confusing meanings in your receivers mind. They state a general idea but leave the precise meaning to the receivers interpretation...The following examples show vague or abstract words and ways to make them specific and precise: many - 1,000 or 500 to 1,000early - 5 a.m.hot - 100 degrees Fahrenheitmost - 89.9 percentothers - business administration studentspoor student - has a 1.6 grade point average (4.0 A)very rich - a millionairesoon - 7 p.m., Tuesdayfurniture - an oak desk Notice in the preceding examples how adding a few words makes the meaning precise. Varieties of Vagueness One characteristic of vagueness...is that it is related to the degree of formality, or rather informality, of the situation; the less formal the situation the more vagueness there will be... Vagueness in Oratory [T]he need in oratory of the specific example, either in place of or immediately following the general statement, cannot be too strongly urged. Generalizations alone have no persuasive value. And yet this truth is constantly overlooked by public speakers. How often do we hear the common criticism of the typically weak, impressionless address: Platitudes and glittering generalities. In one of George Ades Forty Modern Fables a man has certain stock phrases which he uniformly uses in all discussions pertaining to art, literature, and music; and the moral is, For parlor use, the vague generality is a life-saver. But for the public speaker, generalizations are useless for either imparting or impressing his thought; a single concrete example has far more convincing and persuasive force. Vagueness in Survey Questions Vague words are very common on surveys. A word is vague when it is not obvious to a respondent what referents (e.g., instances, cases, examples) fall under the umbrella of the words intended meaning...For example, consider the question, How many members of your household work? This question has several vague words, most of which would be missed by the vast majority of respondents. It could be argued that members, household, and work are all vague words. Who counts as being a member of the household?...What falls under the category of household?... What counts as someone working?...Vagueness is ubiquitous in most survey questions. Ambiguity Versus Vagueness The difference between ambiguity and vagueness is a matter of whether two or more meanings associated with a given phonological form are distinct (ambiguous), or united as non-distinguished subcases of a single, more general meaning (vague). A standard example of ambiguity is bank financial institution vs. bank land at rivers edge, where the meanings are intuitively quite separate; in aunt fathers sister vs. aunt mothers sister, however, the meanings are intuitively united into one, parents sister. Thus ambiguity corresponds to separation, and vagueness to unity, of different meanings. Vagueness in Sentences and Words The primary application of vague is to sentences, not to words. But the vagueness of a sentence does not imply that vagueness of every constituent word. One vague word is enough. It may be essentially doubtful whether this is a red shape because it is essentially doubtful whether this is red, although beyond doubt that it is a shape. The vagueness of This is a red shape does not imply the vagueness of This is a shape. Sources A. C. Krizan, Patricia Merrier, Joyce Logan, and Karen Williams,  Business Communication, 8th ed. South-Western, Cengage Learning, 2011(Anna-Brita Stenstrà ¶m, Gisle Andersen, and Ingrid Kristine Hasund,  Trends in Teenage Talk: Corpus Compilation, Analysis, and Findings. John Benjamins, 2002)Edwin Du Bois Shurter,  The Rhetoric of Oratory. Macmillan, 1911Arthur C. Graesser, Question Interpretation.  Polling America: An Encyclopedia of Public Opinion, ed. by Samuel J. Best and Benjamin Radcliff. Greenwood Press, 2005David Tuggy, Ambiguity, Polysemy, and Vagueness.  Cognitive Linguistics: Basic Readings, ed. by Dirk Geeraerts. Mouton de Gruyter, 2006Timothy Williamson,  Vagueness. Routledge, 1994

An Epidemic of Fear Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

An Epidemic of Fear - Essay Example The impact of their study back then is worth nothing such that even today the immunization rates of measles, mumps and rubella have not been fully recovered. About the outbreak of epidemic emerging a year before Wakefield’s research was proven to be fraudulent, I feel that there was no connection between vaccines and autism in the first place. The research was highly plausible. In his article â€Å" An Epidemic of Fear†, Offit voiced out various risks. He never lobbied the Bush administration in its endeavors to implement a program that was aimed at giving smallpox vaccines to tens of thousands of Americans. He feared that implemented this program will kill people. According to him, the preventive vaccine was a bigger risk than the risk of chicken pox itself. It was the notion of risk in his mind that triggered the anti-vaccine movement. He felt that the parents should be given the option to opt out of such vaccines and be able to see for themselves if the movement would be risky for children or not. The idea was also embedded in CDC’s vaccination schedule- the overall risk to public health after such a move was too big to allow individuals or to give them the liberty to make decisions that will affect their communities. The risk is also one of the main motivating aspects of Offit’s life. He took the risk of giving his teen children the flu-vaccine even before it was recommended for children of their age group. The risk here for him was the harm inflicted on his children if they got sick. He wanted to protect his children at any risk and he also wanted Americans to be completely educated about risk and not automate their thinking mechanism. According to him â€Å" choice not to get a vaccine is not a choice to take no risk, It’s just a choice to take a different risk, and we need to be better about saying, ‘Here’s what that different risk looks like.’  

Malcolm X and the United States' Civil Right Movement Term Paper

Malcolm X and the United States' Civil Right Movement - Term Paper Example Malcolm is considered as of the greatest and most influential black American in the history of America. At the age of twenty, Malcolm X was imprisoned where he joined Nation of Islam. After his parole in the year 1952, Malcolm rose to be one of the leaders of the Nation Muslims. Several years afterwards, he became a controversial figure in the public domain. However, disillusionment with Nation of Muslims in the year 1964 made him leave the nation match the same year. Later in 1964, he founded the African American unity organization and the Muslim Mosque, Inc. Malcolm believed that one day America would change in the way the whites treated the blacks. During his leadership tenure in the Nation Islam, Malcolm as the organization’s spokesperson, preached or taught black American supremacy and advocated for separation between the white and the black Americans. However, in his teachings, Malcolm contrasted the principles of civil right movement that emphasized on integration among Americans. Since 1952 when he joined the Nation of Islam until 1964 when he left the organization, Malcolm promoted the teachings of the Nation Islam (Walsh7). In his teachings, he emphasized that blacks were the original people of the entire world, and the white race belonged to the devils. In almost all of his speeches, he emphasized that the blacks or the white people were inferior to the black people, and the demise of the white people was imminent(Levy 98). Malcolm X immensely advocated for a complete separation of the African American from the white Americans, despite The Civil Right Movement’s fight against racial segregation. Malcolm had proposed separation of the black Americans to their own country. He considered the move as an interim measure that should be taken against the white until they could return to Africa (Cone 1). In addition, he rejected the nonviolence strategy that has put in play by the civil right movement. Instead, he advocated for self-defense amo ng the African Americans, and asked, them to use any necessary means and measures that were within their reach (Levy 99). His speeches were highly influential especially among the African American audients who lived in the western and northern cities. Notably, these groups were tired of the empty promises. They were ever being told to wait for justice, respect, freedom, and equality (Walsh 9). Therefore, the majority of African Americans felt that Malcolm was articulating their complaints and grievances in a better way than the strategies and moves that were being taken by civil right movement. Many of the white Americans among other blacks were perplexed with Malcolm’s ideals as well as the things he was saying. The Nation of Islam and Malcolm were later described as black supremacists, hatemongers, violence seekers and they were as well considered a threat to race relation improvement. The Civil rights organization afterwards dismissed the Nation of Islam and Malcolm becaus e of being irresponsible extremists where were not concerned with the welfare of the African Americans. Furthermore, Malcolm was accused of anti-Semitism (Cone 1). On the other hand, Malcolm equally criticized the civil right movement and described its leadership as a â€Å"stooge† that has been established by the whites. He as well described Martin Luther King, Jr. as being a â€Å"chump†. Additionally, he was opposed with the march that took place in 1963 and termed it "the farce on Washington". Malcolm claimed that he did not know why the black America