“Both parties deprecated war,…, and the war came.” The war is being presented as something that was not asked for, but he’s not angry about it at the same time. There is no direct blame placed on the North or the South. To him everybody played a role and was guilty in the leading up of the war. He’s uniting everyone into the guilt.
Critical Lens As said by Benjamin Disraeli in Contarini Fleming, “Circumstances are beyond the control of man; but his conduct is in his own power.” Although this quote originates from 1832, centuries before Oedipus the King was published, its logic can still be applied to Sophocles’ play. Disraeli is saying that no one can help the circumstances they are born in, but everyone has the capability to live how they want. At face-value, this may seem true; in the end everyone has the ability to make a decision. Yet, it is their circumstances that drive the choices people make.
"Hubris calls for nemesis, and in one form or another it 's going to get it, not as a punishment from outside but as the completion of a pattern already started," Mary Midgley, a British philosopher (Brainy Quotes). The cycle of hubris has been the same since the time of Homer and Thucydides. It starts with an important figure, either political or mythological, elevating themselves to the level of the Greek gods. Because of this excess pride, the gods then level this figure back to earth with tragedy more often than not.
The Isa Upanishad, in a broad sense, concerns itself with the quest for enlightenment and finding one’s self, or soul. It repeatedly emphasizes the importance of this venture and reiterates the plight of those who choose to remain ignorant, or in “blind darkness”; or even worse, those who delight in learning and find themselves in a “greater darkness”. These themes are also explored in various forms in the other extracts. In the Heraclitus of Ephesus extract, for example, there are numerous similarities that can be identified.
Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. The majority of people when reading this quote would say, "Well, duh that's obvious" nevertheless how many people would actually stand up and fight. I for one would find it hard to rebel when my life is on the line. Even though this quote is simple and uncomplicated to explain it has some deep and inspirational meaning.
He advised abolitionist Northerners to abandon anti-slavery measures, while simultaneously warning Southerners that disunion would inevitably lead to war. - In fact, he communicates his concern on how the union should be and how it’s the nation’s job to unite, and enforce freedom, etc.… but he is clearly camouflaging his true feelings about slavery. He is simply making slavery a light issue: “But we must view things as they are.
The concept of exemplarity was used extensively throughout Roman literature as a tool to give guidance and enforce authority. By providing an ethical framework of societal precedents, exempla served to govern all facets of Roman public life. The system of exemplarity had an inherent power in Roman society, allowing it to be exploited for personal gain by rulers such as Augustus. Through his monumental literary biography, Res Gestae Divi Augusti, Augustus manipulated exemplarity in order to translate his coercive power into benevolent authority over the people of Rome.
He is refering to the council he does not want to be blamed. The advice Rand gives in her short essay Equality would agree, I think. There are some things that he would agree with. “When your impartial attitude declares, that neither the good nor the evil may expect anything from you; whom you betray and whom do you encourage?”(Rand).
The general theme of The Republic is the meaning of justice captured by Socrates and Cephalus speaking about the benefits of growing old. The conversation quickly becomes an argument between the two about what justice is. Cephalus is a business man, a pillar of the community, and a man of religion. When speaking about his wealth he seems apathetic about money; this is when Socrates has an epiphany about Cephalus inheriting his money and explains the manner in which one acquires their money as speaks volumes to how intently they appreciate it.
Herodotus discusses two Persian leaders, Cambyses and Darius, for the entirety of Book Three of The Histories. These Persian kings, Darius the successor of Cambyses, represent “the other” because they are different from Herodotus himself, who more represents the every man. Also, the Kings were of Persia and Herodotus of Greece. Herodotus dedicates the greater part of Book Three to “the other” because opposing histories and stories are essential to support his original thesis. In Book One, Herodotus clearly states his thesis as such: “Herodotus of Halicarnassus here presents his research so that human events do not fade with time.
The Enchiridion is a practical philosophical aid teaching the reader the best way to live. Philosophy, Epictetus taught, is a way of life and not just a theoretical discipline. One is urged to revel in in the habits of control, humility, and different nuances of wisdom. To Epictetus, all external events are determined by fate, and are thus beyond our control; we should accept whatever happens calmly and objectively.
Heraclitus considered the opinions of his fellow beings to be immature and child-like, thus he may not have been fond of Parmenides because their ideas are complete opposites. For example, Heraclitus believed that everything changes and our sensory perceptions are reliable. Keeping those ideas in mind, Heraclitus used this quote to explain that everything changes based on what it goes through. You never step into the same river twice because it has become a new river since the first time you stepped in it. This meant that the world is always growing and deteriorating.
(Analysis) This quote shows that if one joins together with a community, everyone will benefit rather than trying to stand
Oedipus the King is one of the most ironic plays ever written. Sophocles, the author, is a famous philosopher of the ancient times The Play is about Oedipus, the king of Thebes, who kills his father and marries his mother. An oracle warned Laius, the king of Thebes prior to Oedipus, that his son would murder him. Accordingly, when his wife, Jocasta, had a son, he exposed the baby by first pinning his ankles together. The infant, who was adopted by King Polybus of Corinth and his wife was then brought up as their very own.
Heraclitus Heraclitus is a Greek philosopher of which not much is known beyond his works. What we do know is that he lived in Ephesus, a city on the Ionian coast of Asia Minor, and that his character has largely been inferred from his writings on philosophical issues. Two philosophical theories come to mind when the name Heraclitus is mentioned: The Doctrine of Flux and the Unity of Opposites. In his espousal of these theories he managed to draw the ire of many -- even Aristotle and Plato, who believed that his hypothesis of the world was one of logical incoherence.
