Myth Of Sisyphus And The Allegory Cave Essay Example for Free

Myth Of Sisyphus And The Allegory Cave Essay In the world of philosophy, it is widely known conception that Socrates and Plato had been the first few philosophers. A friend of mine once told me that some things that are said by philosophers could be footnoted to Plato. However, the validity of this statement may still be dubitable or debatable. But there is a point in this statement. It would then be hard for me to identify which philosopher had presented a compelling vision of the struggles and meaning of human life. Plato had presented as an idealist may have claimed that the man from the cave who had accepted the glaring sun would have to be the person who had sought the truth. Taking out the metaphorical aspect in the allegory, it seems that what Plato wants to convey is that man and his folly could not be reined at times especially when they are presented with the Truth. A man then who is trying to present this Truth would then be deemed as insane or they would shun his/her assertions as false or even wrong (Brians). On the other hand, Camus has presented us with a different side of human nature. Upon reading the Myth, I could fairly deduce that Camus wanted to convey the idea that Sisyphus’ ordeal could be taken in twofold. First is that it may just be pure torture to not be able to fulfill an ultimate goal and it could be seen as a victory on his part viz. being able to fulfill the destiny and be happy about it (Keefer). Reading what was said above and reading further the original text, there seems to be a connection between the two philosophers. The connection here is that Plato in his search for the truth is like Camus’ where it could be inferred that Camus’ discussion about life in general could mean finding the truth about life by doing the best we could in what we have in life. The connection may be arbitrary for others but this is what I could fairly deduce, so far. This certain connection then is making it hard for me to actually choose which philosopher had best described the meaning and struggles of human life. I could always go for the idiosyncratic or eccentric way that people tend to cling to ignorance and half-truths, which would be taken here as the little ‘t,’ or I could always go for the peculiar way where people would tend to find happiness in the absurd. Whichever philosopher I would choose, it would still trickle down to one idea, which is that the meaning and struggles that is present in human life could no longer be grasped in just choosing between the two philosophers. What they could present to us though is that a certain view about it but taking this question into the big picture would make it hard for a person to actually present an answer as quickly as one could blink the eye. Alas, the specifications had been set. In lieu of what were mentioned above, it is in great belief that Albert Camus has presented us a unique and dark approach in the struggles and meaning of human life. Not because his time is much closer than the present time but his approach has given me a new perspective that Plato did not. Camus, description of human life could be construed as something ‘absurd. ’ It seems that he believed in finding happiness in the absurdities that are presented to us and still say that â€Å"all is well (Keefer). † In a way, his assertion could be observed through other people in this world. Some people rejoice in the merest things and some people find it hard to be happy about the simplest things. To sum up what constitutes human nature and life would take me a lifetime or more to make me come up with an answer. What could be done though is the speculation that Camus’ claim could be justified in few of the people that I know. What is essentially a big score for Camus’ work is that he had been able to deduce a certain aspect of human nature and life where there are those who could rejoice in the mundane thinking that this is their life and the struggles that they have vary with such embracing of life. Plato, by using his works, could be deemed as an idealist. His concept of the world of forms and world of objects (â€Å"The Philosophy of Plato†), itself could be a way to rationalize his idealism. Yet, Plato had been one of the first few philosophers of his time and his deductions are commendable. This would not mean though that Plato would not have his flaws. One of this could be his assertion that man would continually find truths and few or nobody could be able to truly grasp the Truth since this Truth resides in the world of forms and it is what could be found in our soul (â€Å"The Philosophy of Plato†). What could be presented to us then is the replica of those Truths. This assertion may have been reasonable enough but as the course of the changing path of philosophy, Plato’s work could now be compared to other philosophers. The struggle then that a person would have according to Plato is to be able to find the truth and hopefully discover the big ‘T,’ Truth (Brians). In this aspect, what could be the strongest point that the opposition could present then is the fact that indeed some people are still struggling to find the truth. The meaning of life or our real identity is few of the truths that could still be found. This may be a big point for the opposition but not all of the people would believe this as so. They would naturally attribute this as curiosity that we have regarding the concept of life and some people usually get lost along the way that they tend to just accept the absurdities that are happening around them. Finding the meaning of life and wondering about the struggles that presents us would have taken us a lifetime. It is actually a tedious and sometimes a disappointing exercise. Yet most of the people are still, consciously or unconsciously, tries to resolve this big matter. I may not be in a position to prescribe how a person would be able to achieve these feats but I may be able to give out my own opinions about it. Choosing Camus’ work would definitely imply that I am under the impression that human life and conditions would not be easily resolved by trying to look for it in the form of the big ‘T’ or Truth like Plato had insinuated in his allegory. It is in my opinion that some people would not be actually be able to find the real meaning of life but he/she could more or less find a certain idea of what it would mean to live out the life that he/she has. Camus had summed it up through his Myth. In a way, it would be up to us on how we would be able to address the jackpot question that is life. We may be the defeated hero or we could take it out as the defiance against the forever frustration of the question and try to live out the life that we already know it to be. Although this would not necessarily mean stagnation but it would be called embracing what we have and try to make it our own ultimate goal to succeed. This mean then that people would be able to change the course or path that they could take especially when it could change in the long run. The only assertion that I could make then is that it would then depend on perspectives. Work Cited Article from the link given : Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus The Allegory of the cave. htm The Philosophy of Plato. 2002. September 21, 2007. http://radicalacademy. com/philplato1. htm.

Greedy Politics and America’s War On Iraq Essay -- Politics Political

On the morning of March 19, 2003, U.S.-led forces began to invade the Middle-Eastern country of Iraq with the intention of overthrowing its leader, Saddam Hussein. This action was taken primarily as a result of U.S. President George W. Bush’s long-standing contention that the Iraqi regime was a direct threat to the United States. Bush outlined his reasons for the attack in a speech he delivered to the American people in the days before the war: Intelligence gathered by this and other governments leaves no doubt that the Iraq regime continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal weapons ever devised. This regime has already used weapons of mass destruction against Iraq's neighbors and against Iraq's people. The regime has a history of reckless aggression in the Middle East. It has a deep hatred of America and our friends. And it has aided, trained and harbored terrorists, including operatives of al Qaeda (Bush â€Å"Ultimatum† 1). More than a year and a half ago, on September 11, 2001, a group of terrorists from the al Qaeda network hijacked four airliners and successfully used three of them to attack the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and the World Trade Center in New York. These attacks marked the first time in American history that a full-scale attack was executed on our own soil, and they affected the American people on a number of different levels. Americans found themselves shocked that such an event could occur, as well as reeling with grief for the more than 3,000 people who died in the tragedy. Soon, the shock and grief that penetrated the hearts of the American people gave way, in part, to a sense of national pride. American flags waved from every overpass, and â€Å"God Bless America† could be heard on every r... ...arcourt, Brace and World, Inc. 1968. pp. 361-380. (Text available at http://www.resort.com/~prime8/Orwell/nationalism.html). Raasch, Chuck. â€Å"Public opinion intensifies on both sides of Iraq war.† The Advocate. 2 April, 2003: http://www.newarkadvocate.com/news/stories/20030402/localnews/42689.html. Stolberg, Cheryl Gay. â€Å"Threats and Responses: Washington Talk; And Order of Fries, Please, But Do Hold the French†. New York Times. 12 March 2003, Late Edition: Sec. A, p. 1, col. 5. Byrd, Robert C. â€Å"We Stand Passively Mute†. 12 February, 2003. http://byrd.senate.gov/byrd_speeches/byrd_speeches_2003february/byrd_speeches_2003march_list/byrd_speeches_2003march_list_1.html. Donnelly, Thomas, et al. Rebuilding America’s Defenses. Project for the New American Century. September 2000. http://newamericancentury.org/RebuildingAmericasDefenses.pdf. (ianw.org)

Local and National Provision Research Essay

Research and write about the local and national provision for your preferred sport. The aim of this assignment is to research the local and national provision for tennis. The main governing body for tennis is the Lawn Tennis Association. I will research how the LTA provides funding and helps players from a beginner level to and elite level. There are many ways in which a performer can improve and compete, I will research how these are done and what help is given. Often there isn’t sports provision for those with disabilities, i will investigate what is available in tennis. I will also research what is available in our area. Tennis venues in Suffolk include ? Park courts ? Clubs and village courts ? School and education facilities Tennis courts in parks are generally maintained and run by local authorities for example in Bury St Edmunds there are courts in the Abbey Gardens. Courts are expensive to hire at around à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½5 per hour. There are several clubs in West Suffolk for example The Risbygate Club in Bury St Edmunds. There is a joining fee for the club, which is quite expensive particularly for young people however, the subsequent cost of hiring the court is cheaper than / A number of villages in the West Suffolk area have their own communal courts which you can access providing you are a resident in the village, for example Bardwell has 2 courts. There are no indoor courts in West Suffolk therefore tennis is mostly played through spring and summer. Tennis lessons for children are available throughout the year in venues such as local leisure centres and schools where mini courts and practise sessions can be set up. For those who wish to compete there is the Glasswells tournament in the summer,in Bury St Edmunds, all other competitions take place further a field which require transport to get there. The LTA is the main tennis governing body. It makes these opening statements on its website â€Å"OUR VISION, To make Britain a great tennis nation. OUR MISSION, More players, Better players.† (www.LTA.org.uk) The LTA aims to develop tennis from the grass roots of tennis to international success. They have clear priorities, juniors, clubs and performance. They believe in order to succeed, tennis needs to be played from a young age, money is invested in encouraging very young children to the game and helping them develop their skills to become talented players who will represent their country. The British Tennis Foundation is the official tennis charity. It works alongside the LTA, to provide opportunity for young people and those with disabilities. It helps organise come and try sessions, national training programmes and international tournaments. The Central Council of Physical Recreation CCPR is responsible for distributing lottery money to national governing bodies, some of this money is given to the LTA to invest in the development of tennis. The National Coaching Federation NCF aims to improve the standard of coaching in the UK. It runs courses to ensure coaches are fully qualified and are able to coach participants to the very highest standards. This enables players to be coached my the very best and produce a very competitive edge. Many talented performers begin playing tennis at a very young age, they gradually move up through club age groups. When a youngster with talent is spotted their coaching becomes more intense and their level of competition increases. The LTA has a system of tennis coaching which begins young and carries on to senior tennis.   4-8years, mini tennis, this is fun and ensures tennis is enjoyable and played regularly 8-10years, club futures, clubs and coaches provide opportunities for juniors with talent to compete and be involved in club performance programmes 11-13years, county futures, talented players are spotted from club futures to be part of a nationwide programme at county level 11-14years, national futures, young competitors who have the right athletic ability, competitive attitude, mental balance and behaviour are chosen and are provided with the technique to succeed on the international stage   14-22years, academies and intermediate, preparing players to make the step from junior to senior game by providing competitions and physical conditioning 22+, senior players, intensive coaching and training. If a talented player wishes to pursue a career in tennis but also study for a degree at university, special scholarships are available to ensure top coaching is still available but alongside studies. Wheelchair tennis can be played against others in wheelchairs or able bodies players. The International Tennis Foundation regulates the wheelchair game. The ITF ensures wheelchair competitors can compete in the worlds most prestigious events. Wheelchair tennis can be played on regular tennis courts, so some facilities are available. Many wheelchair players are discriminated against and there are no wheelchair teams locally. This is because nationally wheelchair isn’t as widely played as able bodied tennis. Tennis provision is minimum at the moment, but it is higher than it has been. The LTA is committed to developing the game and with encouragement from those already participating I believe in the future tennis will have the best facilities and provision, regardless of their age, gender, or ability. www.wtatour.com www.itfwheelchairtennis.com www.itfjuniors.com www.minitennis.com www.btf.com www.lta.org.uk

If God Does Not Exist, Then Everything Is Permitted

Many of us have wondered about the role of a Deity, in defining our moral code, and this has been a subject of discourse among scholars and philosophers since centuries. Many define morality as the innate ability of the human conscience to draw input for decisions which they believe is present there by itself. While some say that the (belief on the) presence of God gives them strength and inspiration to overcome their inability to follow moral standards (which are already defined) especially when they conflict with their self-interests. Although, some people argue that social stimulus imposes limits to one’s actions even if God does not exist. However, a person is at absolute liberty to perform, whatsoever one wants to in the non-existence†¦show more content†¦In order to define some (objective) moral principles the need of presence of an authoritative commander cannot be denied. One may regard something as immoral and refrain from doing it, but when the beast inside a human comes out, then acts of slavery, murder, rape, child abuse and genocide become history. In the absence of any transcendental limits there is nothing to stop one from behaving ruthlessly. Without God, one cannot be objectively moral because then one would have one’s own definition of morality. In the absence of objective moral values (that would be present only in the existence of God), one would always want to act in the way that would favor his self-interest and would not even hesitate to take one’s life just to give vent to his anger feelings. So having a belief in a particular deity and His revelation is actually what guides one’s thoughts and actions. Even though, the objective moral principles have been defined yet the human nature is unable to follow it and (a fear of) something is needed to enforce it. The reason is not that one does not realize its value and is skeptic of the credibility of its origin, but it is so because of the selfish and evil nature of human beings which makes one unable to make rational decision when one’s self-interest is at stake. This inability of human to carry out good has also been described in Bible, â€Å"For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For IShow MoreRelatedIf God Eoes Not Exist, Everything Is Permitted Essay1289 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"If God does not exist, everything is permitted.† by Fyodor Dostoyevsky is a popular phrase used by theists, theologians and conservatives when questioned about the connection between faith in God and morality. In other words it is claimed that without the belief in a supreme supernatural figure who maintains law and order in the whole of cosmos, a man cannot regulate himself as a socially and morally acceptable individual. 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