Thursday, November 28, 2019

The Extraordinary Wife Of Bath Essays - Narrative Poems,

The Extraordinary Wife Of Bath Many characters in The Canterbury Tales are only described in the smallest detail. Only a handful are given a physical description and even fewer are actually given names to go by. A character that has a most descriptive detail and also one, whom has a name, is Alice, the Wife of Bath. This majestic lady is very proud of what she has accomplished in life. Also, to defend her ways she uses logic and reason, Chauncer also, never judges her like he does to many other characters, but lets her speak for herself. Although one would imagine the Lady of Bath to be ashamed of her way of life, she simply is not. With her four dead ex-husbands, she has received plenty of money and valuables. While married, Chauncer gives the impression that Alice also had many affairs. These affairs have almost definitely added to her personal wealth. Married now to her fifth husband, who is much younger, because of love and not just dependent on how much money he has. Throughout Alice's storytelling, the characters tend to attack her. She simply comes back using simple logic and reasoning. Her basic method of thinking is that if god did not want one to have sex, he would not of given the human race the ability to do so. The ladies behaviour is also very up-front and she enjoys talking a great deal. Yet with having this sort of an attitude, it gives the reader a real look at one of the most described and interesting characters that Chauncer writes about. Most other characters from The Canterbury Tales are judged by Chauncers personal standards and the standards from that particular time period. Alice, the Wife of Bath however, is not judged like this. Chauncer lets the reader decide how to judge her and create her image. He also uses very little irony and sarcasm when he, and other characters talk about Alice. Chauncer simply lets the reader decide how to judge her from telling of her behaviour that was most unusual for that time period. The reader can easily create an accurate judgment of her, mainly because of her up-front attitude towards many aspects of life. As seen, the great Alice, Wife of Bath, is proud of her lifestyle and will go to great lengths to defend it. She is also the only character that the reader can judge for himself or herself with little input from Chauncer. Perhaps being the most described character from the novel gives one the impression that she could also be one of the most important. Her introduction in the prologue, which is one of the longest, also indicated this. All of these characteristics combined; let one visualize a grand picture of this lady. English Essays

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Nationalism and its Negative Effects in the Modern World

Nationalism and its Negative Effects in the Modern World Introduction In the study entailing nationalism, one stumbles upon four major debates that scholars tend to engage in. The first one centers on how â€Å"nation† and â€Å"nationalism† should be defined. Secondly, there is a question of the time during which nations are thought to have first occurred.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Nationalism and its Negative Effects in the Modern World specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The third debate tends to explore how nations and nationalism actualized. Finally, most classic works emphasize on European nationalism raising a debate as to whether nationalism began in Europe and spread to other non-western parts of the world or whether it developed on its own in non-western countries (Eschenhagen 2 ). This work will not attempt to exhaust all these debates but will rather concentrate on the various definitions of nationalism and its negative effects in the modern wo rld. Definition of Nationalism Nationalism can be understood in diverse perspectives depending on the context. Sociologically, nationalism can first be understood from the word nation, from which it is derived. The nation is Latin in origin – nation whose meaning during the medieval era was devoid of any political connotation. It has a similar meaning with Greek word ethnos that stands for â€Å"people, nation, and country† (Norbu 25). It was until the Middle Ages that the nation began attaining a political interpretation, which was vividly outspoken especially in France and Germany. In these two places, the term nation was used to refer to the ruling cadre in contrast with the word volk, which is synonymous to the common people or populace (Norbu 25). In view of this meaning, the word nation and the nationality concept were closely attributed to both sovereignty and power to imply that this concept was only common among those who were in rulership. Rather than belong to the people who embody it, the word nation rather referred to those in political power that had more say over state related concerns and held the key to the means of production. During the absolute monarchy, the nation was closely associated with the monarch’s state. If for that matter political power’s place of residence is the epitome the nation, then the French revolution was a major protest against the aristocratic class. With the increase in social communication and mass awareness, the idea of nationalism ceased from being cocooned within the aristocrats. It spilled down to the common people as well.Advertising Looking for essay on ethnicity studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Rousseau (1770 -1850) who refused equating nation to the higher political class and instead equating it with the populace (Norbu 25) agitated for the new concept of the nation. The meaning of nationality and that of na tionalism are closely related in that they designate a people rather than a nation per se. Nationalism is therefore a unique type of politically motivated social awareness that is people-derived and people oriented (Norbu 25). Another perspective of understanding nationalism is to look at it from the different kinds of nationalism and then elucidating that one of them can be defended and the other kinds cannot. In this light, the western form of nationality can be contrasted against the eastern form (Miller, 1995). For instance, western nationalization has been perceived as perspicacious and favorable to progress or reform. On the other hand, eastern nationalization has been perceived as unprogressive and cryptic, based on a seeming tribal perspective of nationality (Kohn, 1944, cited in Miller 8). The second contrast suggests that western nationalism was for people with outstanding cultural marks, able to measure up with those of known nation states such as Germany and Italy during the nineteenth century. On the other hand, Eastern nationalism was for people whose ancient culture was primitive and hence they had to curve an identity for themselves to able to fit competently in the modern world (Arnold 1976, cited in Miller 8). Another difference suggests that in Eastern nationalism, people who within the same territory are governed by common laws and take part in similar civic culture while Eastern nationalism is genealogically- based suggesting the notion of individuals bound together by shared ancestry. In each case, the contrast is used to draw the fact that Western nationalism is friendly to a liberal state whereas eastern nationalism tends towards dictatorship and cultural constraint (Miller 9). Another way of understanding nationality is looking at it from the standpoint of political philosophy. This is the difference between a nationalism of a nation that interferes with the rights of other nations as it strives to uphold its own objectives and a natio nalism that is sensitive to the rights of other nations and aims at enhancing equality among all nations. For example, MacCormick differentiates between acknowledging moral tussles while striving for national concerns from an egocentric drive of desiring that one’s nation should outdo others (Nathanson, 1993, cited in Miller 9).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Nationalism and its Negative Effects in the Modern World specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Therefore, succinctly put, nationalism can be termed as opposition to foreign control, consciousness of being part of a certain nation and pride in the nation’s culture, norms, infrastructure, and achievements, awareness of shared political roles and a demand for self –motivated national governance (Okoth 1). How nationalism has been a negative force in our modern world The 1962 Indian border war Although the Indian border war in 1962 was not directly influenced by a western power, it elicited a rise in Chinese various nationalistic elements such as the sovereignty and legitimacy of China. When the raw over the border emerged within the mid nineteenth century, Apart from fear of losing its territorial loss, China hardened its position due to two other reasons. This was both the Tibet question and India’s non-negotiable attitude towards the borderline. Despite the known fact that Tibet has been within the Chinese territory since 1950, the Indian prime minister negated the fact that China had sovereignty over the territory. This really soured the relationship between India and China. China interpreted the Indian prime minister’s challenge of their own sovereignty over Tibet as purely imperialistic. China then resolved to respond to this through a strike of equal magnitude. The borderline war between India and China was not only fueled by India’s imperialistic approach, but also by India’s hard-line atti tude regarding the McMahon line. Due to collective opinion from the Chinese republic and Taiwanian support, China finally got victory. Although the Chinese government had achieved its objectives, the war tainted China’s international position and was a major cause of a deadlock in bilateral associations for many years thereafter (Eschenhagen 6). The eight islands dispute Besides the past borderline dispute between India and China, there is also a recent nationalistic dispute between Japan, China, and Taiwan regarding the ownership of eight islands found in the East Asia Sea. Although none of the three parties would like the issue to cripple their bilateral agreements, the conflict is motivated by both domestic and international politics. Although ownership of resources found in the islands is the major cause of dispute, nationalistic claims have blown out of proportion. Although conflict among the three parties was improbable, resolution and shared exploitation of the resourc es was also elusive (Huang, 1997, cited in Eschenhagen 6). A series of international conflicts then arose leading to protests from Chinese students. This was after a bomb attack in China that was thought to have been of western origin. The students’ protests led not only to the bombing of an American officer’s residents but also to the vandalism of other U.S related premises within the Chinese streets.Advertising Looking for essay on ethnicity studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The protests moved from street-based to online-based and with this, the Chinese national leadership had to intervene since the move would have jeopardized the relations between China and the U.S. The western world was greatly baffled by the protests and the U.S media apportioned blame to the Chinese government for fueling the mayhem by misleading the masses with incorrect nationalistic information (Eschenhagen 8). The U.S surveillance plane incident In a separate incidence, an American spy plane collided with a Chinese jet over the sea located in the southern part of China. This was after the American plane penetrating into the Chinese airspace without verbal clearance. This came at a time when other issues like human rights and support of Taiwan by the U.S had strained the relationship between Beijing and Washington. Although the U.S ambassador to China brought a message of apology to the Chinese people after a long impasse, the Chinese jet had been destroyed and its pilot killed i n the collision. Extreme Right wing voting The reasons behind the popularity of extreme right wing in some countries of the European Union and their absence and low influence in other parts have been of much debate (Gijsberts 157). However, they have been attributed to a diversity of country-specific features. Factors leading to these variances in the extreme rightwing voting are three-fold: sociological, economic, and political (Gijsberts 157). Sociologically, variances in the population of different countries affect the voter turnout in the extreme right wing voting. This is determined by both the public opinion and social structure of country. Economically, the economic doldrums and rivalry between the country’s main group and the immigrants could also explain the differences in extreme right wing voting. Politically, specific factors that characterize a party and the system of its operation influences voter turnout (Gijsberts 157). Nationalism as a cause of major world co nflicts and genocide Xenophobia and chauvinism are both regarded as products of extreme nationalism (Auer 19). This is perceived in the sense that xenophobic nationalism being the fear and rejection of a stranger is an extension of any aspect of national identity. Additionally, even though patriotism is closely related to nationalism, critics of nationalism find it quite detrimental in its extreme manifestation (Kegley 408). Extreme patriots tend to gauge their patriotism via the level of hatred and protest extended towards alien nations. Patriotism also makes them to blindly endorse all policies and practices of their own nation. In this vein, nationalism negates the aspect of universal values that elevates the values of all above those of individual nations. This is seen as an impediment to human rights and the harmony that exists among all nations in a world without borders. Nationalism further contradicts Christian, Islamic, and Judaistic teachings that love should be manifested even towards one’s enemies. Looked at from this perspective, nationalism is therefore perceived as a cause for armed world conflicts. Nationalism’s double-faced character is believed to be the main cause armed conflict. First, it is a common force that bonds nations with similar nationalities together and secondly, it does not only bring divisions among but it also divides nationalities and this is what justifies armed conflicts with other nations (Kegley 408). Genocide is normally explained as state organized killings that targets a given political, religious, national, or ethical group (Scherrer 69). The Bosnia genocide is believed to have its causes embedded in nationalism. Although the concentration camps were used to carry out genocidal activities, other acts entailed not just mass rape but also destruction of both Islamic and Croatian symbols (Delanty and Kumar 327). Such acts partly involve death but also involve annihilation either fully or partly, of a given national group. For instance, the mass rape psychologically torments and destroys the reproductive potential of all the groups (Delanty and Kumar 327). Apart from the Bosnia genocide, both world wars were direct full-scale genocides. For example during the Second World War, Hitler ordered mass murder against many ethnic groups such as the European Jews and Russians among others (Scherrer, p. 76). There were also organized killings against millions of prisoners and slave workers. The Nazi terror took away of 50 million the lives and Fascist Germany war eliminated the lives of millions of the Roma and Sinti, Russian civilians, Serbs among others (Scherrer 76). Conclusion Nationalism is the social consciousness of the people in a particular nation that causes them to protest alien control as they pride in their own national traditions, achievements and political rights. The extreme manifestations of nationalism have had negative impacts in the world especially manifested through armed conflicts and genocides. Auer, Stefan. Liberalism in Central Europe. London, Routledge. 2004. 21 October 2010. https://books.google.com/books?id=b2IRot3UaQ0Cpg=PA19dq=negative+effects+of+extreme+nationalismhl=enei=Fm3ATP_UGZ-V4gawiqTnCwsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=3ved=0CDUQ6AEwAg#v=onepageqf=false. Delanty, Gerard and Kumar, Krishan. The SAGE handbook of nations and nationalism. London, Routledge. 2006. 21 October 2010. https://books.google.com/books?id=3Y3zK_jyagQCpg=PA327dq=nationalism+as+the+cause+of+genocide+in+bosniahl=enei=ozXBTN2dGYaVswa74P2WCAsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=1ved=0CCcQ6AEwAA#v=onepageqf=false. Eschenhagen, Paul. Nationalism in China: Implications for Chinese International Relations. Norderstedt, GRIN Verlag. 2006. October 21, 2010. 21 October 2010. https://books.google.com/books?id=XxW92MeKABECpg=PA2dq=Definition+of+nationalismhl=enei=fALATOsSh_ngBrjCyLYMsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=4ved=0CDUQ6AEwAw#v=onepageq=Definition%20of%20nationalismf=true . Gijsberts, Merove I. Nationalism and exclusion of migrants: cross national comparisons. VT, Ashgate Publishing. 2004. 21 October 2010. https://books.google.com/books?id=6iW3lXAj5BQCpg=PA160dq=negative+effects+of+extreme+nationalismhl=enei=Fm3ATP_UGZ-V4gawiqTnCwsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=1ved=0CCkQ6AEwAA#v=onepageqf=false. Kegley, Charles. World Politics: Trend and Transformation. CA, Cengage Learning. 2009. 21 October 2010. https://books.google.com/books?id=JFVlaSN6CwsCpg=PA408dq=conflicts+resulting+from+extreme+nationalismhl=enei=GybBTNeNOYfEswab2pDSCAsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=10ved=0CFMQ6AEwCQ#v=onepageqf=true. Norbu, Dawa. Culture, and the Politics of Third World Nationalism. London, SAGE Publications Ltd. 1992. 21 October 2010. https://books.google.com/books?id=DhZk6aOAWbsCpg=PA25dq=Definition+of+nationalismhl=enei=fALATOsSh_ngBrjCyLYMsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=1ved=0CCcQ6AEwAA#v=onepageq=Definition%20of%20nationalismf=true. Okoth. Assa. A History of Afri ca. Kampala, East African Publishers Ltd. 2006. 21 October 2010. https://books.google.com/books?id=suMvEWjK-OcCpg=PA1dq=Definition+of+nationalismhl=enei=fALATOsSh_ngBrjCyLYMsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=2ved=0CCwQ6AEwAQ#v=onepageq=Definition%20of%20nationalismf=true. Scherrer, Christian. Ethnicity, nationalism, and violence. London, Ashgate Publishing Limited. 2003. 22 October 2010. https://books.google.com/books?id=6NnchlGT3nECpg=PA69dq=nationalism+as+a+cause+for+genocidehl=enei=GTzBTP7WM8_tsga__pXHCQsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=1ved=0CCcQ6AEwAA#v=onepageq=nationalism%20as%20a%20cause%20for%20genocidef=false.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Discernment Practices Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Discernment Practices - Essay Example It is the evolved concept of understanding the truth from the distribution of energy around oneself. In the space of human individuality, there is a massive intake and outflow of energy and the most important concept is to understand this energy and act or react accordingly. It is the spiritual feeling of the inner conscience through which we see the world as we perceive it. The religious input is derived from the fact that religion has played a vital role in shaping the spiritual consciousness of its followers. Discernment can be made in two different ways. The first is self-enlightenment, where the individual attains knowledge of his/her impulses, through this process is able to manage them and take the negativity out of them. Along with this aspect, he also reaches up to the higher level of thinking and living through understanding the flow of energy centred around his/her impulses. The second method is to do theology study and to gain knowledge with respect to religion and its in fluence on the human mind and desires. This method covers the aspect of reading the holy bible as well as other religious texts so as to affirm one’s position with regard to the flow of impulse in the soul. Within the scope of this paper, various concepts will be discussed, compared and contrasted on the basis of a number of aspects. The first is detachment or non attachment towards a religion or a spiritual entity where the subject matter of Ignatian spirituality has been provided focus upon. Similarities between Islam and Christianity on Discernment Practices This paper shall be discussing the similarities and differences in discernment practices between Christianity and Islam. Saint Ignatius of Loyola is extremely influential in the practice of spiritual discernment. According to him, to achieve spiritual peace within oneself, the individual has to confess and open up before a spiritual director He is not allowed to go on his own and do it alone. St. Ignatius had laid down strict guidelines with reference to spiritual attainment of the soul. He had explicitly said that those who are looking for divine intervention with respect to spirituality in their lives must adhere to the rules lay down under Christianity and there shall be no let off from that aspect. The religion preaches that the Spiritual Director shall guide the individual to ultimate spirituality regardless of how his past life has been. He shall help him go through all the different mechanisms and work out the situation in a better way for him. The purpose of the director is to help the individual and take him away from all the negativity and put the positive picture around his heart and soul. The spiritual director takes us away from the bad spirits. He is extremely influential in the way he makes his decisions, and all his decisions are for the betterment of the individual who has approached him with love. The director also tries to make the individual understand that the bad and negativ e spirits can propel us to make quick and fast decisions without thinking much for them which might lead us into troublesome situations. With this regard, the spiritual director brings us to the focus of the good and positive spirits by taking care of each and every emotion of the individual. He listens to the individual with utmost care and tries to analyse objectively his feelings and reflections on the society and his life, with measures to make it a better life worth living. Looking at Islam now, the religion was brought into