1. In general, religion was the way of explaining which led to a chain of being; during the renaissance people had different ways of explaining and are able to express themselves with thought which led to individualism.
In general, food used to be an issue for people therefore forcing them to move repeatedly and populations were low; during the renaissance there is more than enough food making it possible for people to stay in one place which leads to progress in population growth and trade.
In general, people had a very confined way of living and it was difficult to interact with people outside of where they live; after the renaissance people interacted with other places outside of where they live causing change because they were exposed to new things and were able to apply them to their own daily lives.
2. The increase of amount of food had the most impact on the rest of the list because people were able to stay in one place. Because there was lack of food, people had to move constantly in order to get a decent amount to survive; because of food surplus, people didn't have to move anymore. This is a factor of population growth. Due to the fact that people didn't have to constantly move, areas were able to develop population. Also because of food surplus, trade was able to take forth. There used to be no contact with any place other their their own; there were walled towns/cities and it was just a small world. Since there was more than enough food, people were able to open their lands up and invite new comers. They were able to open trading centers and interact with the outside world. Because trading centers were able to come into existence, places were able to import new things and export things they had leading to new ideas and a different way of explaining, food variety, and change.
3. I believe that the Age of Enlightenment was a period in time when people learned and expanded on ideas to create new understandings and to broaden our thinking. For example: Ptolemy said that the earth is the middle of the universe; Copernicus took the idea of planet revolving around one certain thing, he just didn't believe it was the earth. He said that earth, along with other planets, revolved around the sun and moon around the earth.Without Ptolemy's belief, Copernicus wouldn't have been able to improve it with a more logical sense because he would have never had that base to work off of. Another example of ideas branching off of each other would be that food surplus leads to trading, and changes the low population to a more dense population. This is because when a place has too much of something, they can trade it to another place to import new things and introduce them to their everyday lives. The reason food surplus can also change the population is because they can allow themselves to have more people stay and settle in one place because they wouldn't have to keep moving to get their food supply in order to survive. So, I believe that the Age of Enlightenment was a period of time when people learned and expanded on ideas to create new understandings and to broaden our thinking because that's what it did. Without the observations and believes of some of the famous philosophers, we wouldn't be where we are now.
4. Adam Smith believed that states should not interfere in economic matters; he said that they should have roles. Those roles were they should protect society from invasion (army), defend citizens from injustice (police), and to keep up with certain public works, such as roads and canals, that private individuals could not afford. On December 12, 2010, a news article said that police stopped a motorcyclist because they thought he was driving under the influence. Police are the ones who keep us safe within our states, which links back to the statement of Adam Smith. The role of the states belief by Smith is applied to states everywhere now. It was he who started the idea of how states should defend citizens from injustice.
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=201012120338
5. An experience that I've been through to make me the person I am today is when I was really young, I got cut from a sports team. This experience has taught me that I have to work hard in order to reach my goals. It showed me that I can have fun when it's time, but pay attention and get serious when needed. There isn't really anything in my life that I have earned without showing the effort. Although I learned the hard way, I've brought this concept through sports, school, and it has opened doors for me.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Evaluating Leadership
1.
I think that King Duncan is a leader that really cares about what other people think about him; he's loyal. Macbeth says, "Besides, this Duncan hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been so clear in his great office, that his virtues will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued against the deep damnation of his taking-off." (1.7.16-20) This quote is saying that Duncan never really used his power to his ability; he used it "softly." He was never one to get angry with people. Shakespear believed that in order to have a great leader, they would have to be loyal and so that's how he made the character of King Duncan; it proves he was loyal in this quote because i'ts saying that he never used his power to his ability; he didn't have people fear him. Antoher quote that Macbeth says is, "Whence is that knocking?- How is't with me when eveery noise appals me? what hands are here! Ha, they pluck out mine eyes. Will all great neptune's oceanwas theis blookd clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather the multitudinous seas incarnadine, making the green one red." (2.2.55-61) In this part of the scene, Macbeth had just barely killed King Duncan and blamed it on the servants; now he's feeling guilty. When he says, "How is't with me when every noice appals me," it's saying that every sound startles Macbeth because he's so afraid of getting caught and so appauled by the thing he had just done, that everything around him seems fake and makes him jump. The reason I think that this quote shows what kind of a leader King Duncan was, is because if there were a good reason as to why Macbeth killed Duncan, then he wouldn't be so shaken up, but since Duncan didn't give Macbeth a reason to kill him (he never did anything bad) he's feeling guilty about his especially because Duncan has always been loyal to him and his family (by naming his Thane of Glamis and then later Thane of Cawdor).
2.
I think that Machiavelli would evaluate Macbeth as a good leader. Machiavelli states that, "He who wishes to be obeyed must know how to command." This means that if a person wants to be heard, he should know how to get his point across; it doesn't say, "He who wishes to be obeyed must be confident and strong willed," because Macbeth is most definitely not confident in his actions or strong willed. His wife, Lady Macbeth, had to guilt him into killing King Duncan in order to get what they wanted. Macbeth acts like a strong man, but really on the inside, he's always second guessing his actions. So, the reason why I think that Macbeth fits the definition of, "He who wishes to be obeyed must know how to command," isn't because he is strong willed and confident in himself, it's because he knows how to get through to people: for example: when he wanted Banquo to be executed, he knew how to communicate to his servants to get them to do the deed for them. This definition also fits in with another statement by Machiavelli that he thinks describes a good leader, "It is not essential that a Prince have all good qualities, but it is most essential that he should seem to have them." This is kind of what I was saying with the other quote: Macbeth is insecure of his actions on the inside, but on the outside he makes it seem like everything's okay. For example: when Macduff discovered the murder of King Duncan, Macbeth knew how to hide the fact that it was he who killed. Also, Macbeth is perceived of being this great, strong, noble man who defeated two battles with Banquo, and can do anything, but in reality, his wife still has to talk him into doing things to get what they both want: killing the King.
I think that King Duncan is a leader that really cares about what other people think about him; he's loyal. Macbeth says, "Besides, this Duncan hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been so clear in his great office, that his virtues will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued against the deep damnation of his taking-off." (1.7.16-20) This quote is saying that Duncan never really used his power to his ability; he used it "softly." He was never one to get angry with people. Shakespear believed that in order to have a great leader, they would have to be loyal and so that's how he made the character of King Duncan; it proves he was loyal in this quote because i'ts saying that he never used his power to his ability; he didn't have people fear him. Antoher quote that Macbeth says is, "Whence is that knocking?- How is't with me when eveery noise appals me? what hands are here! Ha, they pluck out mine eyes. Will all great neptune's oceanwas theis blookd clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather the multitudinous seas incarnadine, making the green one red." (2.2.55-61) In this part of the scene, Macbeth had just barely killed King Duncan and blamed it on the servants; now he's feeling guilty. When he says, "How is't with me when every noice appals me," it's saying that every sound startles Macbeth because he's so afraid of getting caught and so appauled by the thing he had just done, that everything around him seems fake and makes him jump. The reason I think that this quote shows what kind of a leader King Duncan was, is because if there were a good reason as to why Macbeth killed Duncan, then he wouldn't be so shaken up, but since Duncan didn't give Macbeth a reason to kill him (he never did anything bad) he's feeling guilty about his especially because Duncan has always been loyal to him and his family (by naming his Thane of Glamis and then later Thane of Cawdor).
2.
I think that Machiavelli would evaluate Macbeth as a good leader. Machiavelli states that, "He who wishes to be obeyed must know how to command." This means that if a person wants to be heard, he should know how to get his point across; it doesn't say, "He who wishes to be obeyed must be confident and strong willed," because Macbeth is most definitely not confident in his actions or strong willed. His wife, Lady Macbeth, had to guilt him into killing King Duncan in order to get what they wanted. Macbeth acts like a strong man, but really on the inside, he's always second guessing his actions. So, the reason why I think that Macbeth fits the definition of, "He who wishes to be obeyed must know how to command," isn't because he is strong willed and confident in himself, it's because he knows how to get through to people: for example: when he wanted Banquo to be executed, he knew how to communicate to his servants to get them to do the deed for them. This definition also fits in with another statement by Machiavelli that he thinks describes a good leader, "It is not essential that a Prince have all good qualities, but it is most essential that he should seem to have them." This is kind of what I was saying with the other quote: Macbeth is insecure of his actions on the inside, but on the outside he makes it seem like everything's okay. For example: when Macduff discovered the murder of King Duncan, Macbeth knew how to hide the fact that it was he who killed. Also, Macbeth is perceived of being this great, strong, noble man who defeated two battles with Banquo, and can do anything, but in reality, his wife still has to talk him into doing things to get what they both want: killing the King.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Appearance vs. Reality
Machiavelli thinks that appearance is more important than reality. He thought that if you acted tougher than you really were then you would make a great leader. For example, if a sports team leader appeared to be tougher than he really was, then that would influence the other people on their team to push themselves because of how their percepting the greatness of their leader. However, Lady Macbeth disagrees with this idea. Macbeth wrote to Lady Macbeth describing all of the prophecies that the three witches told him about (him being Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, and King) and her reaction was that if he becomes king, then he won't be evil enough; he's too kind. "Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be it is too full o'th' milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way. Thou wouldst be great, art not without ambition, but without the illness should attend it."(1.5.13-17) This is what Lady Macbeth says about Macbeth when she's done reading the letter he sent to her. When she says "Thou wouldst be great, art not without ambition, but without the illness should attend it," she is saying that he would be great as a king except he doesn't have the evilness in him that would come along with the duties of being a king. All in all, Macbeth is perceived to be this great warrior who just defeated two battles with the help from Banquo leading people to believe that they should fear him, when really, coming from Lady Macbeth, Macbeth isn't as evil as he's seemed to be.
Gender Roles
There is a difference between the way women were perceived in Shakespearean compared to how they are perceived now. Back then women were "incapable" of really doing anything, they stayed home while the men went out and did all the "dirty" work. For example: Macbeth sent Lady Macbeth a letter telling him about what had happened to him regarding the three witches. This shows that Lady Macbeth was home while Macbeth was out winning battles and learning about his future. However, back then also women were perceived of being very formal, kind, and very proper; Lady Macbeth shows the opposite. She definitely doesn't fit the sweet, calm, gentile features of a women. in scene five, her "dark side" is shown. "Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty. Make thick my blook, sop up th'access and passage to remorse, that no compunctious visitings of nature shake my fell purpose, nor keep pece between th'effect and it. come to my woman's breasts, and take my milk for gall, your murd'ring ministers, wherever in your sightless substances you wait on nauture's mischief. Come, thick night, and pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell, that my keen knife see not the wound it makes, nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dar to cry 'Hold, hold!'" (1.5.38-52) This is all Lady Macbeth talking about how she wants to be a man; she wants to be the one that does all of the dirty work.
Loyalty and Honor
To Machiavelli, loyalty was not important. He believed that if you got what you want then it didn't matter how you got there: so if you killed someone to get a really expensive watch that you've always wanted, then it wouldn't matter; as long as you got the watch that you wanted, everything was okay. However, Shakespear did care about loyalty. He thought that it was necessary to be loyal to people so you were honored and gained respect from your people; especially if you were a leader. For example, King Duncan is loyal to his people and that's why they respect him; look up to him. However,
Machiavelli thinks that appearance is more important than reality. He thought that if you acted tougher than you really were then you would make a great leader. For example, if a sports team leader appeared to be tougher than he really was, then that would influence the other people on their team to push themselves because of how their percepting the greatness of their leader. However, Lady Macbeth disagrees with this idea. Macbeth wrote to Lady Macbeth describing all of the prophecies that the three witches told him about (him being Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, and King) and her reaction was that if he becomes king, then he won't be evil enough; he's too kind. "Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be it is too full o'th' milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way. Thou wouldst be great, art not without ambition, but without the illness should attend it."(1.5.13-17) This is what Lady Macbeth says about Macbeth when she's done reading the letter he sent to her. When she says "Thou wouldst be great, art not without ambition, but without the illness should attend it," she is saying that he would be great as a king except he doesn't have the evilness in him that would come along with the duties of being a king. All in all, Macbeth is perceived to be this great warrior who just defeated two battles with the help from Banquo leading people to believe that they should fear him, when really, coming from Lady Macbeth, Macbeth isn't as evil as he's seemed to be.
Gender Roles
There is a difference between the way women were perceived in Shakespearean compared to how they are perceived now. Back then women were "incapable" of really doing anything, they stayed home while the men went out and did all the "dirty" work. For example: Macbeth sent Lady Macbeth a letter telling him about what had happened to him regarding the three witches. This shows that Lady Macbeth was home while Macbeth was out winning battles and learning about his future. However, back then also women were perceived of being very formal, kind, and very proper; Lady Macbeth shows the opposite. She definitely doesn't fit the sweet, calm, gentile features of a women. in scene five, her "dark side" is shown. "Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty. Make thick my blook, sop up th'access and passage to remorse, that no compunctious visitings of nature shake my fell purpose, nor keep pece between th'effect and it. come to my woman's breasts, and take my milk for gall, your murd'ring ministers, wherever in your sightless substances you wait on nauture's mischief. Come, thick night, and pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell, that my keen knife see not the wound it makes, nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dar to cry 'Hold, hold!'" (1.5.38-52) This is all Lady Macbeth talking about how she wants to be a man; she wants to be the one that does all of the dirty work.
Loyalty and Honor
To Machiavelli, loyalty was not important. He believed that if you got what you want then it didn't matter how you got there: so if you killed someone to get a really expensive watch that you've always wanted, then it wouldn't matter; as long as you got the watch that you wanted, everything was okay. However, Shakespear did care about loyalty. He thought that it was necessary to be loyal to people so you were honored and gained respect from your people; especially if you were a leader. For example, King Duncan is loyal to his people and that's why they respect him; look up to him. However,
Monday, November 1, 2010
Machiavelli
1) Niccolo Machiavelli was born in Florence Italy. During the Renaissance, he was a philosopher and writer based on Florence. In 1513 he wrote a book called The Prince and the purpose of this book was to direct leaders and tell them how they should act.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Prince
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niccol%C3%B2_Machiavelli
2) The book The Prince has a lot of different quotes describing what it takes to become a good leader. "The wise man does once what the fool does finally." This is the most important quote because it is saying that in order to be a good leader you need to make quick, efficient decisions that will be beneficial. For example: in a school if there are two people running for the President of Student Council, "the wise man" is going to be the person with the quick beneficial ideas and "the fool" is going to be the one with the same ideas, but it just took them longer to get there. People want to follow a person who is capable of accomplishing their ideas thoroughly, yet quickly; not someone who gets to the same point at a slower rate.
If you're mean, your going to be excluded..."The ends justify the means."http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niccol%C3%B2_Machiavelli
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Prince
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niccol%C3%B2_Machiavelli
2) The book The Prince has a lot of different quotes describing what it takes to become a good leader. "The wise man does once what the fool does finally." This is the most important quote because it is saying that in order to be a good leader you need to make quick, efficient decisions that will be beneficial. For example: in a school if there are two people running for the President of Student Council, "the wise man" is going to be the person with the quick beneficial ideas and "the fool" is going to be the one with the same ideas, but it just took them longer to get there. People want to follow a person who is capable of accomplishing their ideas thoroughly, yet quickly; not someone who gets to the same point at a slower rate.
3) "Before all else, be armed." People think that in order to be a leader you need to be armed with a weapon of some sort; this is not true. What if everyone wanted to be a leader? They would all have weapons; no one would need leaders anymore because everyone would be able to be their own leader if this quote is true. It is saying that before you have all the essential qualities of becoming a leader, you should be armed. However, if the leader just had weapons and didn't have any ideas on how to lead their people, then people are going to stop following whomever person that may be which could result in a fight because that leader would be upset on how he has no people following him anymore. So, I disagree with the advice of "Before all else, be armed."
4) "The ends justify the means." I think that this would have been good advice to consider because this quote is saying that the ending result of either war or a conversation, justify/determine what you get out of it. When Pizarro set out to conquer the Incas, I think giving him this advice would have made him think about what he was going to do there more carefully. The only reason Pizarro and his men fought the Incas was because the Incas started it. All Pizarro wanted to do was convert their religion; I think that if he were to have been given this advice then he would have tried to end the Incas sooner because he could have conquered their land quicker and gotten the means (gold) quicker.
4) "The ends justify the means." I think that this would have been good advice to consider because this quote is saying that the ending result of either war or a conversation, justify/determine what you get out of it. When Pizarro set out to conquer the Incas, I think giving him this advice would have made him think about what he was going to do there more carefully. The only reason Pizarro and his men fought the Incas was because the Incas started it. All Pizarro wanted to do was convert their religion; I think that if he were to have been given this advice then he would have tried to end the Incas sooner because he could have conquered their land quicker and gotten the means (gold) quicker.
If you're mean, your going to be excluded..."The ends justify the means."Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Blog Tuesday 10/26
A leader that best works well for me is one that can keep control because I like working in controlled environments. Also, the characteristics that one should have whilst being my leader are intelligence, nicety, and patience. The leader should have intelligence because they should have some knowledge on what the activity is that they are controlling; therefore leading to success throughout the group because they then would be able to help the rest of the group/lead them in the right direction of what they’re supposed to be doing. Another characteristic of a leader that is effective for me is nicety. Although this characteristic isn’t generally needed in a leader in order for them to be effective, I feel like for me it is a quality that someone needs in order to be my leader because if I’m not treated with nicety then it’s hard for me to listen and respect the things they have to say. The last characteristic in a leader that I think is best effective for myself would be patience. If a leader that I’m working with is always trying to make me hurry/rush the work that I’m supposed to accomplish, then I will start to stress and could take that out on them. So, in conclusion, the three characteristic that make up a good effective leader for me are intelligence, nicety, and patience.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
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