ipl-logo

Summary Of Neil Postman's 'Visigoth'

754 Words4 Pages

“Why I Am A Visigoth” In “My Graduation Speech” written by Neil Postman, he indicates how there are two types of people in the world: an Athenian or a Visigoth. He explains how both groups flourished more than 1,500 years ago and gave a general idea of what an Athenian is and how they lived versus what a Visigoth is and how they lived. What I got from Postman’s speech is Athenians are well rounded, overall good people. They cherished life,language, and knowledge. Postman wrote that “To an Athenian, bad manners are acts of violence against social order.” What this means to me is that Athenians did not believe or accept anything they thought was negative or a bad influence. Postman also explained in his speech what a Visigoth was and how he …show more content…

I thought about what good deeds I have done and what I value most in life and I thought, “Of course I am an Athenian!” But then I revisited the thought and analyzed myself deeper. In Postman’s speech he said that “we are all, in a way, natural-born Visigoths.” This made me think if we are all naturally born Visigoths in a way, than being an Athenian is a choice, that one develops the skills to become one. I then re-read the speech and found out that I do not really quest for knowledge. I do not think outside the box and question things. I do believe that human life is important, but I think that we are just specks in this whole universe. We are just more evolved organisms composed of chemicals. Postman also said in his speech how Visigoths believe they are the centre of the universe. This may sound like I am contradicting my last point because I said that humankind is not that big compared to the universe. But what I took from Postman’s “centre of the universe” comment is that Visigoths think for themselves before anything or anyone else. In an Athenians perspective this is wrong and that people should put other people before themselves. I do not believe that though. I think that I should always look out for myself before I start looking out for anyone else. If I were in danger my initial instinct would be to save myself before saving other people. One last point in why I

Show More
Related

Greek Independence Dbq

326 Words | 2 Pages

Those who didn’t have good opinions of the Greeks viewed them as cunning. The Turks who ruled over them had to ask their governors to stop the rebelling

Read More

Government System: Athenians Vs. Spartans

1229 Words | 5 Pages

Zareef Peeroo Tim Bailey October 15, 2014 Athenians vs. Spartans The differences between government, the role of women, and the education status of Athens and Sparta led to similar yet very different societies residing in the same area; therefor I will deconstruct these issues using an analytical comparative framework. In, Athens and Sparta, it shows all the differences between the Athenians and the Spartans. Although the two City States shared a common heritage, their differences grew so large in their own minds that they were ultimately willing to engage in a life-and-death struggle to support their separate realities (Spielvogel).

Read More

Ap Euro Dbq Greek Revolutions

1445 Words | 6 Pages

The Ancient Greeks contributed many things that shaped modern society including ideas about architecture and construction, medicine, government, and the world as a whole. When viewing the Greeks fight for independence against the Ottoman Turks, many considered what the Greeks had done for their current world. This is highlighted in a poem written by Sneyd Davis in doc 1., in which it emphasizes how wrong it is that a “stupid Turk” is proclaiming ignorance in a place that a well respected Ancient Greek philosopher named Plato used to teach. Essentially, Davis expresses the idea that it is disrespectful to the Greeks and what they have done for society with teachings from many people such as Plato for the Turks to be oblivious to the Greeks significance when expressing their preachings. However, it is important to notice that Sneyd Davis is recognized as a writer, so he would inherently sympathize with the intellectual aspects of Greek culture since he is likely to be educated, and view the Turks as unappreciative of their

Read More

What Is Socrates Thesis In Letter From Birmingham Jail

464 Words | 2 Pages

made a reference to cases in the past where people have practiced common rebellion against abusive social orders. He used an example of Socrates and how we would not have the scholastic adaptability if it was not for his demonstrations of civil disobedience. In "The Apology" Socrates questions the civil order since he didn't agree with it. Socrates says ‘When you wished to try the generals, who did not rescue their men after the battle, in a body which was against the law, as you all came to think afterwards, my tribe held the presidency. On that occasion I alone of all the presidents opposed your illegal action, and gave my vote against you.’

Read More

Socrates Rhetoric Analysis

2272 Words | 10 Pages

This dialogue is aimed at finding the true meaning of rhetoric by trying to identify and expose the defects of sophism synonymous in Athens during the period. Conventional Athens revered the ability to persuade people in political and legal fields, and this is the reason for

Read More

A Primary Text Analysis: The Funeral Oration Of Pericles

664 Words | 3 Pages

Pericles argues that Athens has become a model for others, and articulates what it is to be a good citizen. This can be seen when he says, “although the eyes of an enemy may occasionally profit by our liberality; trusting less in system and policy than to the native spirit of our citizens; while in education, where our rivals from their very cradles by a painful discipline seek after manliness, at Athens we live exactly as we please, and yet are just as ready to encounter every legitimate danger.” (Thucydides, 2.39) It proves that Ancient Athens’ valued greatness and worked in order to achieve the excellence of the state, by focusing on rebuilding themselves back up after the Persian war. Pericles played a big role in this because he showed his ambitions to rebuild Athens, which lead to the thriving of other subjects such as literature, philosophy, science, art, and religion.

Read More

Why Was Athens Successful

875 Words | 4 Pages

Athens, located in southern Greece, experienced an expansion in culture and education during the years between the Persian War and Peloponnesian War (477-431 BC) which set the stage for future expansions of culture in civilizations like Ancient Rome and Europe during the Renaissance. Although Athens was very prosperous, innovative and ruled by strong leaders during their Golden Age, they still didn’t have a perfect government or social structure which puts into question how successful this period actually was. 1st Paragraph (Outline) Pericles 's had great success in beautifying Athens and increasing its culture, through innovative art and architecture, as well advances in theater, which created a Golden Age because the people of Athens experienced

Read More

The Pantheon Vs Parthenon

1397 Words | 6 Pages

This could be interpreted as a reflection of the social class system of Greece, of which, Batista (2017) argues that, “Athenian society was ultimately divided into four main social classes: the upper class; the metics, or middle class; the

Read More

The Importance Of Arete In Ancient Greece

1134 Words | 5 Pages

What is a good person, and how does one achieve the good life? These were the questions asked by the ancient Greeks. Arete, or excellence, was what the Greeks strove for in everything. In a quest for excellence, the Greeks experimented with new types of politics. Greece was divided into individual city-states that each had their own form of government.

Read More

Compare And Contrast Spartan Civilizations And Athens

592 Words | 3 Pages

In their democracy, every male was required to participate regardless of his social standing. In the Athenian government, “no one, so long as he has it in him to be of service to the state is kept in political obscurity because of poverty.” This represents the Athenians belief that the people should have a role in politics and not just officials. The Athenians wanted to ensure equality and respect throughout the polis. Like the Athenians, the Spartans supported the idea that wealth should not limit a person.

Read More

Theme Of Honor In Much Ado About Nothing

1826 Words | 8 Pages

Humans are and always have been social beings. In the Stone Age, communal efforts were essential in ensuring survival. With this comes a concern for one’s public image, how others perceive him and his reputation. The English labeled this concept “honour” and incorporated it into their elaborate social hierarchy. Citizens were expected to follow a specific code of honor and morals, dictating what they can and cannot do.

Read More

Ancient Greece Source Analysis

815 Words | 4 Pages

Forgione University and has a Bachelor of arts in classics and Ph.D. in classics from Duke university. Therefore, as he has comprehensive knowledge on the topic it can be inferred that the source is significantly reliable. This source is written academically and passively so it doesn 't demonstrate any bias, hence enhancing the reliability as there are only facts stated and there are not any opinions persuading the reader. The source cites a variety of primary sources this means that the information provided is substantiated improving the reliability. This source provided information to my essay that was influential in proving my thesis it explicitly stated the facts on the Athenian tribes and on the procedures carried out in the ancient Greeks form of the democratic system.

Read More

Was Athens Better Than Sparta

466 Words | 2 Pages

Another factor that makes the Athenian society the best is their

Read More

How Did Greece Express Humanistic Values?

643 Words | 3 Pages

His student Plato’s story, “The Cave,” emphasizes that humans may independently take the intellectual journey to enlightenment, reach the Realm of Perfect Forms, and discover truth for themselves. Both teacher and student insisted that Man himself had to reach truth, as it is not received from a higher

Read More

The Value Of Culture In Antigone By Sophocles

958 Words | 4 Pages

In ancient Greece, a common saying that all citizens had in their very core, a traditional Greek principle, was this: love your friends, and hate your enemies. This rule seems pretty straightforward and would appear easy to apply in real life. However, in the timeless play Antigone, Sophocles shows his audience a situation where this maxim does not apply. Sophocles concentrates on a complex story where the values and principles of the ancient Greek culture come into conflict. Religious or moral versus secular, family versus community, and living versus dead: all of these conflicting aspects are explored in Antigone.

Read More

More about Summary Of Neil Postman's 'Visigoth'

Related Topics

Open Document