Confucius “The Analects” Essay Example for Free

Confucius â€Å"The Analects† Essay From ancient time, the question of good and decent society has been the major concern in philosophical thought. Philosophers and political figure, clergy and common people have tried to answer the question â€Å"What makes of a good society?† Confucius creates its own values and moral rules changing understanding about a self and the decent society. His philosophy can be describes as a critical thoughtfulness which has a great influence on his world interpretation and views on decent society.   Confucius states that individuals should be free from committing immoral acts. â€Å"The man of virtue makes the difficulty to be overcome his first business, and success only a subsequent consideration;-this may be called perfect virtue (Confucius, n.d.). Decent society can be constructed by doing what is right, and only when a person can reach the state of true utility he lives in a good society. All actions of people are aimed toward the positive, and purpose is in nature. Confucius is against formal laws which limit freedom and welfare stating that only moral principles play a crucial role in social order. On the other hand, Confucius believes this to be a sort of self-deception, demeaning freedom and turning lives into something which is determined. â€Å"Extravagance leads to insubordination, and parsimony to meanness. It is better to be mean than to be insubordinate (Confucius, n.d.). Every personal can be a leader if he keeps strong moral principles and values. Confucius underlines that if a person follows moral rules there is no need to guide this person. Living opposed to such wisdom has caused stress and unnecessary war which led to social and moral decay. To do so one must make choices in the full recognition in order to become consciously free and take responsibility for actions. An inauthentic life on the other hand is that which pretends and tries to reject the idea that humans are free. This approach is a very attractive one to take because freedom can be agonizing and people often make excuses to detach themselves from the choices they make. If the state guides and controls its citizens it deprives them freedom and free will which lead to stress. If people cannot control their needs and desires they can be compared with animal driven by instinct of self-preservation and fear. This leads to unnecessary wars and conflicts such as the thirty years war (1618-1648), Nazism, Napoleonic wars, etc. If rulers do not follow moral principles, it leads to wars. Confucius states that a society should live nobly and in peace for at least a hundred years before people can count on the continuity of a society that remains noble and peaceful. This argument can be explained by the fact that a hundred years is a period of time when three generations of people will change each other living no space for old virtues and traditions. If a truly royal ruler were to arise, it would stir require a generation, and then virtue would prevail (Confucius, n.d.). Their values, religious and ethical, reflect on their relationship to a higher order of existence, whether one perceives it as an eternal force, the universe, a defined spiritual entity, or a concept that answers to a basic human need for a sense of order behind the turbulent appearance of everyday life.   Notions of the noble society are based in the instinctual/intuitional self that has been covered over and ignored by modern thought (Jensen, 1997). Any part of the world will resemble an utopian society because the society cannot be classless. Every society is based on the opposition between poor and rich classes, labor and capital, rulers and subordinates. Economic equality is impossible, because the core of the society is the division of labor and resources which determine social class and economic conditions of its citizens. Increased freedom causes frustration among members of the society because it limits their behavior and their attempts to satisfy their personal goals. Also, a society cannot exist without rulers and military, because it has to protect its citizens from foreign intervention. References Confucius The Analects. n.d. Available at: http://www.wam.umd.edu/~stwright/rel/conf/Analects.html Jensen, L.M. Manufacturing Confucianism: Chinese Traditions Universal Civilization. Duke University Press, 1997.

The Tell-Tale Heart: An Analysis Essay -- Analysis Tell Tale Essays Pa

The Tell-Tale Heart: An Analysis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Edgar Allan Poe’s short-story, â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart,† the storyteller tries to convince the reader that he is not mad. At the very beginning of the story, he asks, "...why will you say I am mad?" When the storyteller tells his story, it's obvious why. He attempts to tell his story in a calm manner, but occasionally jumps into a frenzied rant. Poe's story demonstrates an inner conflict; the state of madness and emotional break-down that the subconscious can inflict upon one's self.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In "The Tell-Tale Heart", the storyteller tells of his torment. He is tormented by an old man's Evil Eye. The storyteller had no ill will against the old man himself, even saying that he loved him, but the old man's pale blue, filmy eye made his blood run cold. And when the storyteller couldn't take anymore of the Evil Eye looking at him, he said, "I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye for ever." This is the start of the storyteller’s madness, and as the reader listens to what he says, the madness within the storyteller becomes very apparent.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For eight nights in a row, the storyteller went to the old man’s chamber and cast a shred of light upon the Evil Eye that he so hated. For seven nights, it was always shut, and the storyteller could do nothing because it was only the eye that he hated, not the old man. On the eighth, the storyteller accidentally makes some noise and wakes the old man up. As... The Tell-Tale Heart: An Analysis Essay -- Analysis Tell Tale Essays Pa The Tell-Tale Heart: An Analysis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Edgar Allan Poe’s short-story, â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart,† the storyteller tries to convince the reader that he is not mad. At the very beginning of the story, he asks, "...why will you say I am mad?" When the storyteller tells his story, it's obvious why. He attempts to tell his story in a calm manner, but occasionally jumps into a frenzied rant. Poe's story demonstrates an inner conflict; the state of madness and emotional break-down that the subconscious can inflict upon one's self.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In "The Tell-Tale Heart", the storyteller tells of his torment. He is tormented by an old man's Evil Eye. The storyteller had no ill will against the old man himself, even saying that he loved him, but the old man's pale blue, filmy eye made his blood run cold. And when the storyteller couldn't take anymore of the Evil Eye looking at him, he said, "I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye for ever." This is the start of the storyteller’s madness, and as the reader listens to what he says, the madness within the storyteller becomes very apparent.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For eight nights in a row, the storyteller went to the old man’s chamber and cast a shred of light upon the Evil Eye that he so hated. For seven nights, it was always shut, and the storyteller could do nothing because it was only the eye that he hated, not the old man. On the eighth, the storyteller accidentally makes some noise and wakes the old man up. As...

Good Manners Are Infectious

From my perspective,it is my belief that good manners are infectious. As we all know,smiles are infectious. So do good manners. First of all,as we all live in a society,we cannot escape the influence of others any more than we can escape the influence of the air that we breathe. Thus,more or less,showing good manners can have a positive effect on those around us. For example,when other people are waiting outside politely for people in the elevator to get off first,will you rush into the elevator?Or when you are in a library where most of the people keep quite,will you answer a phone or making some big noise without scruple? We don't exclude the possibility that some people will do this. However,I think the majority would follow the good examples. Being exposed to good manners,people are more likely to behave properly. Furthermore,I am convinced that good manners are powerful,for they can polish one's personality and help people to reach out the one another with less barriers.Encourag ing good manners can help set a fine example to the public and guide people to set up a correct morality. Like a contagious disease,good manners spread among people and slightly make some changes. These changes,slight as they may seem,can really make a different. If everyone has developed good manners,people will form a more harmonious relation. With the behavior of people improved,there will be progress in society. In a word,good manners are infectious and we should try to obtain these.

Free Trade America Should NOT Protect Industries from...

Free Trade: America Should NOT Protect Industries from Foreign Competition Many politicians oppose free international trade, trade without any restrictions, for a couple of reasons. From their point of view it would affect the United States in several ways: 1. Many USA workers would lose their jobs because factories would be moved to the country with whom the U.S. has a Free Trade Agreement, and where working force is much cheaper. 2. Importing foreign goods and services without tariff into the United States makes it harder for domestic industries to compete with lower prices and better quality of foreign competition. 3. Some politicians feel that it is not the right decision to have†¦show more content†¦The United States’ strong economic performance is due in part by trade and investment liberalization resulting from the Uruguay Agreement and the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The openness and freedom of the economy has contributed to improving the competitiveness of the U.S. producers, creating more and better paid jobs, which in turn raised labor standards and reduced poverty. At the end of 1998 the unemployment rate fell to 4.5% and consumer price inflation to 1.6%, which is the lowest level since the 1960. This outstanding macroeconomic performance has been greatly followed by a large and growing current account deficit, which in 1998 reached a record level of $223 billion (2.7% of GDP). The trade deficit has enabled the U.S. economy to keep up with its strong rate of growth. Open economy brings imports, which are often at a lower price, and they help to satisfy domestic demand. They have also contributed to lower domestic prices and wider choice for the U.S. consumers. The U.S. producers have benefited from lower costs and wider choice of input, too. It increased their competitiveness, resulting in more jobs and higher wages. Imports have helped with inflation pressure that might otherwise have emerged as a result of the very strong growth of domestic demand and low unemployment rate, thereby supporting low market interest rates. An additional source of funds forShow MoreRelatedHow Economic Globalization Has Fostered Globalization of Critics and Criticism?3991 Words   |  16 Pagesdefinition. (Trebilcock, 2000). The concept of economic globalization stemmed from the root concept of â€Å"globalization† and by definition, pertains to that specific attribute of globalization that refers to the process of integration between the economic front and the ‘developed’, ‘under-developed’ and ‘developing’ economies (Naik, 2011). Economic globalization essentially comes together through international trade, FDIs (foreign direct investments) and the like (Naik, 2011). 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