Seven Virtues Essay Example for Free

Seven Virtues Essay As long as there has been recognized sin in recorded history, there has been the virtuous equivalent by which good people live their lives. Before Christianity, there were the Pagan virtues, and when Christianity came into dominance in Scandinavia, it adopted these virtues and added several spiritual virtues of its own. Each virtue can be seen as a reflection of societal thought. The virtues tell how the ideal person lives their life, and this idea of the virtuous person is often reflected in literature. In fact, ever since the philosophical writings of Aristotle and the Greeks, there have been tales of characters who embody these virtues. The protagonist of Authun and the Bear exemplifies these seven virtues, and this technique can be seen in modern literature as well, particularly in the 1986 novel, Forrest Gump, by Winston Broom. The virtuous character used must be first defined as morally pure. This chastity sets about them an aura of childhood innocence in many representations. The seven heavenly virtues were first displayed in their current form in the epic poem, Psychomachia, around year 400 (Prudentius). They were the counterparts to the well-known seven deadly sins and chastity is perhaps the broadest of them all. It stresses the importance of honesty and purity of the soul in all walks of life. This was meant to be portrayed to society through the story of Authun and the Bear, as Authun lives a completely pure life in terms of morality. He is open and honest with all those he encounters throughout the story, even those who might otherwise be his enemies. When facing the rival king of Denmark, he maintains that he means to give his bear to Denmark’s king (Jones). By expressing this virtue in a traditional tale which was most likely passed on for years before being written down, it appealed to many people on a very personal scale. Authun may not have always lived the pure life he does in the current form because the story was written down after the shift away from shamanistic principles, when Christianity stressed the virtues. Ever since Christianity took hold as the dominant religion in Western society, there have been tales focusing on characters who represent the virtuous life. Forrest Gump is a modern example that distinctly outlines the idea of a pure character. He only has one love, is open and honest in all his dealings, and carries about a childhood innocence throughout the text. The effect of tales such as Authun and the Bear and Forrest Gump has made an undeniable mark on society; it has led to the reverence of a chaste life in all aspects of the word. In order to live a life of purity, one must also live by the virtue of temperance. Authun shows balance in many aspects of his life. Although he leaves on a journey for himself, he ensures that his mother is provided for before doing so (Jones). In Scandinavia, this can be seen as a shift away from the gluttonous pillaging of the Vikings. It was meant to impress upon the citizens that a life lived by moderation can be just as successful and fulfilling as an immoral life of greed. The vices were being brought to the light and this continued with many pieces of literature exposing them. Georg Stiernhielm, in Hercules, condemns gluttony through his personification of the vice in Ruus . This trend is prevalent all the way through to the 20th Century where in Broom contrasts the virtues Forrest with the greed of others in Forrest Gump. Forrest finds balance in his life by not overindulging in any one activity, but living a life of variety and virtue. _____________________ A clear offspring of the temperate life, is the participation in charity. For a society where it was once thought that the rich had the right to supplement themselves and let the poor remain poor, this was a monumental shift in social thought. This principle is displayed by Authun in his gift of the bear to the king of a foreign land, but more important is the reaction of the king. Kind Svein returns Authuns gift with marvelous treasure which Authun humbly accepts. The king also finds Authun a poor and sick man, but scorns those who scoff at him saying, â€Å"He has provided better for his soul than any of you† (Jones). With this new idea of Christian charity impregnated in traditional folk tales, Scandinavian society was able to move in a direction where assistance of the less fortunate was commended. This attribute of Authun and the Bear was especially standout for a time when kings meant to project images of power and might. Snorri Sturluson did not include the tale of Authun in his original book of King’s sagas, possibly meaning that the tale was created years later to suit Christian ideals. Either way, charity has been impressed on world culture as a virtuous characteristic, and has been noticeably prevalent in literature. While the virtuous character must be concerned with providing for others, he or she must also have intrinsic motivation to accomplish the tasks at hand. This is where the person of virtue must come to embody diligence. This virtue is set to combat the vice of sloth, which can be devastating to a productive society. By showing the success and happiness of a zealous man in Authun, the impression is that one can reach similar achievements by applying this motivation to their own life. This idea has been around many years as a necessary trait of citizens. In Plato’s Republic, the citizens are raised to work diligently at their tasks so that the entire city can prosper. Christianity saw the rewards of this work ethic and therefore preached that the virtuous life requires it. Forrest Gump continues this trend into the 20th Century by following the successful life of a man who excels at all tasks because of his persistence. Intelligence is not stressed in the virtues and neither Authun nor Forrest shows any signs of great intellect. Christianity did not need its followers to become extremely educated, because that was not deemed important for an ideal society. John Ruskin, a writer and critic of art, architecture and society in the 19th Century said, â€Å"Nearly all the evils in the Church have arisen from bishops desiring power more than light. They want authority, not outlook. † By teaching people to be diligent and hardworking rather than speculative and questioning, the Church gained power and authority through citizens who did not question its corruption at the time. Authun and the Bear was written prior to the Modern Breakthrough, where writers began questioning authority and tradition.

A Comparison of Thomas Grays Elegy (Eulogy) Written in a Country Churc

A Comparison of Thomas Gray's Elegy (Eulogy) Written in a Country Churchyard and Bryant's Thanatopsis  Ã‚     Ã‚   Thomas Gray and William Cullen Bryant both chose to write about nature and death being intertwined. Since Thomas Gray lived in a time of social injustice, he chose to use death to illustrate the problems inherent in a socially stratified society. William Cullen Bryant, on the other hand, lived in a rapidly expanding young nation that cherished the vast amounts of untouched nature and he used death to illustrate how man fits into the universal truth of the earth. However, both men believed that death rendered all men equal in that all went to their final resting place in Mother Nature's bosom. While Gray's "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" comes across as a social commentary on the English peasants and Bryant's "Thanatopsis" serves as a catalog of American Romantic beliefs, both believe that one must listen to nature, that death makes all men equal, and that man returns to nature after death. To compare how the poems minor themes are similar, one must first understand their major themes' differences. "Elegy" differs so greatly from "Thanatopsis" because they came from vastly different times and countries. Gray wrote "Elegy" in eighteenth century England after the death of one of his friends. Influenced by the English Romantics like Gray, Bryant, who spent much of his time out in the wild, wrote "Thanatopsis" in praise of nature's splendor. "Elegy" appears at first to be solely about death but emerges as a social commentary on the plight of the poor. Gray first explains how the commoners delight in the simple life of working in the fields and enjoying their families while "Chill Penury" held them back from gr... ...    Brady, Frank. "Structure and Meaning in Gray's Elegy" Thomas Gray's Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987. 7-17.    Carper, Thomas. "Gray's Personal Elegy" Thomas Gray's Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987. 39-50.    Lonsdale, Roger. "Poetry of Thomas Gray: Versions of the Self" Thomas Gray's Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987. 19-38.    McLean, Albert. William Cullen Bryant. New York: Twayne Publishers, Inc, 1964. 65-81.    Smith, Eric. "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" Thomas Gray's Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987. 51-67.    Peckham, Harry Houston. Gotham Yankee. New York: Russell and Russell, 1971. 31-35.   

Paying Division One Athletes

ENG 100P April 12, 2013 Pay to Play: Should Division One College Athletes be Paid? Every year division one college athletes put everything they have on the line during practice everyday and make hundreds of millions of dollars for their schools and the NCAA every year. These athletes aren’t just playing for the love of the game anymore once they reach the division one level, it turns into more of a job than an activity. The players spend hours every single day dedicating almost all of their time to the sport they play.These athletes work just as long and much harder than your average person working a nine to five job, so why don’t the athletes get paid for their commitments to their teams? Last year the NCAA made 871. 6 million dollars from division one sports. The average division one men’s football team brings in 15. 8 million dollars to their school each year. The amount of money that these sports make for their school is so high; the players should get some k ind of reward for all they do for their schools.The old rules that say college athletes cant be paid in any way needs to change, division one college athletes deserve to be paid for all they do for the NCAA and their schools. Growing up every athlete’s dreams of playing in that national championship game for their dream school and scoring the winning touchdown or overtime goal. As a child you don’t realize that commitment it takes to be part of a division one athletic team. Coming from a big lacrosse and football town, my friends and I have gone through the division one recruiting process and know how hard it is to play a division one sport.Many of my former teammates play division one lacrosse and after talking to them I realized really how tough it is to play a division one sport. When asked about how lacrosse at Sacred Heart University was going, Freshman Spencer Hackett said; â€Å" I’ve grown up with lacrosse and I love the sport very much, but division on e is so much more then I thought it would be. Everyday I have two practices that last at least two hour, then after that I have mandatory lift and film sessions. Spencer dedicates at least six hours every day for his team, and they’re one of the lowest ranked teams in division one, I can only imagine the commitment it takes to play on a high ranked team. In my personal experience of going through the division one recruiting process, I saw how much blood; sweat and tears go into being a division one athlete. On my overnight visit at University of Massachusetts, which is a top 20 team, most of my day was watching the team practice, or lift, or watch film.It seemed like everything they did was revolved around lacrosse and to me that’s not what college is about. These division one athletes have such little time to socialize and make friends outside of their sports; everything they do is revolved around their sports. The fact that athletes willingly dedicate so much time to their sports is a huge reason why they should be paid. Division one athletics, especially sports such as football and basketball, are extremely profitable for the NCAA and for their schools. According to NCAA. org, the NCAA’s revenue for the 2011-2012 athletic seasons was 871. million dollars. The NCAA makes an extremely large amount of money from division athletics, with most of the money coming from television contracts and championships such as March Madness. Schools such as Texas make hundreds of millions of dollars because of their excellence in many sports, last year their football team profited $68,830,484. A lot of the money schools make, such as Texas, is from selling merchandise. Big name schools sell tons of merchandise to the public; selling products such as jerseys should be illegal if they players don’t get paid.Why could they sell jerseys with players number on them but that player doesn’t get compensated for using their number on the jersey? Rob ert and Amy McCormick of Michigan State University have added a new dimension to the long debate over paying athletes by arguing they are â€Å"employees† under federal labor laws and entitled to form unions and negotiate wages, hours and working conditions. † Robert McCormick was the former attorney for the Nation Labor Relations Board and if he is saying that these players are employees, it’s about time that the NCAA recognizes them as employees also.A common argument against paying college athletes is that they won’t compete as hard because it won’t be the same as when they weren’t getting paid, but that argument has absolutely nothing to do with paying players. If anything, paying the players would make them work harder so that they could make more money! I believe that the best way to go about paying these players would be contracts, just like the professional athletes and like any other employee in the United States.These contracts woul d go on to say that the players would be paid an amount depending on their contribution to the team and that students would need to finish their schooling so that they have a backup plan. That is why you’re supposed to go to college in the first place, isn’t it? So that you can get a good education! To do this the NCAA would need the support from the professional sport teams and not draft players who haven’t graduated college yet. Another argument why players shouldn’t be paid to play is because they students-athletes and that there is a reason student becomes before athletes.Realistically, these young men and women aren’t student-athletes at all. Many of the players on division one team would never have gotten into college if it weren’t for sports. Also, if they are student-athletes then where do they find the time to do their schoolwork when they have practice, film, lifting, running etc. all day? The only reason many athletes go to colleg e is so that they can get looks from the pros. If they are student-athletes then why do many of them leave college after a year or two to play professional sport?It’s because college is just a stepping-stone to them, they don’t care about the school aspect. When it comes to division one athletes, they are athletes first and students second. The players know it, the coaches know it, the fans know it, the only people who don’t know it are the people who make up the NCAA. In conclusion, times have changed and it’s time to pay division one athletes for their commitment and for the money they bring in for the schools and the NCAA. With college athletics competition being so tough now and so competitive, players have to dedicate so much more time to their sports then in the past.College athletics are not longer a sport that players do for fun, college athletics are now a job for the players that consists of hours of practice everyday and throwing your social li fe out for your sports college athletics make hundreds of millions of dollars for the NCAA and tens of millions of dollars for the schools, so why is it that these players don’t get compensated for their commitment and contribution to the schools and the NCAA? I personally believe that it is ridiculous that players don’t get paid anymore.One of my best friends Dylan Baumgardner, a lacrosse player at Quinnipiac University said it perfectly when asked if he still loved playing lacrosse, â€Å" I don’t play lacrosse anymore, I go to class, then I go to work all day, then I go to sleep. † Joe Nocera of the New York Times, came up with a plan for college athletics that would make college athletics work like professional sports with signing bonuses, salary caps, insurance, player unions and it would even offer additional scholarships to players who want to further their education. This plan will go into consideration in 2014.

By The Time You Finished College, Started A Career, Married

By the time you finished college, started a career, married your boyfriend and began a family – it’s at least 18 years since you finished college. Things have changed since you were student in the shadow Ivory Tower. Here’s the Top 10 things every competitive Mom should know. TAKE COLLEGE LEVEL COURSES WHILE IN HIGH SCHOOL Not advanced placement courses, college courses. They need to take part in their high school’s dual-credit programs. It’s one thing to take a mountain of AP Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics courses taught by a high school teacher on their high school campus. It’s a very different thing to be part of a program in high school that allows students in their senior year to leave the high school campus†¦show more content†¦Pay attention to your student’s face – when the eyes get big, the mouth spontaneously opens, and they become speechless: that’s probably a good first choice. WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU VISIT A COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY CAMPUS? Call ahead! Set up appointments with the Office of Admissions for a tour, ask to speak with an academic advisor, talk with a financial aid counselor, speak with a Halls of Residence Director, have a conversation with the Director of the Student Union, stop by the Dean of Student’s Office, and always, always, pay a visit to the Dean of Undergraduate Studies who oversees the student’s major of choice. Get a feel for them. Get a feel for the way these administrators view student services, engagement, and a willingness to be helpful. Not always the most productive, but often the best way to get an honest first impression – show up unannounced in the academic unit that manages your student’s major of choice. The Deans, Associate Deans, or faculty members who agree to meet with you after you talk with the unit secretary – will be predictive of the quality of your student’s future on the campus, and in their academic unit. 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