The Quest to Moral Perfection - 1689 Words

Morality: it is a term that is questioned at every corner of every day. The moral idea ranges from something small such as helping an old women cross the street, to the extreme such as the recent actions taken by politicians to limit public union rights in Wisconsin. Dictating the difference between right and wrong has been an issue that dates to the times before Christ, where the idea of moral perfection was used to determine one’s right of passage into heaven. It was not until Benjamin Franklin, who published a guide within of his autobiography, describing thirteen steps to achieving moral perfection. Franklin used these morality milestones to thrive in living a successful life and eventually become one of the founding fathers of the†¦show more content†¦I believe this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved—I do not expect the house to fall—but I do expect it will cease to be divide d. It will become all one thing or all the other. This quote suggests that Lincoln stood by his principles, which is the perfect of Resolution. He would go out and build on his principles and rebuild a torn nation from the ground to the world’s great nation again. Franklin shared these same principles when it came to his person and private life. For instance he strived to be the better philosopher from his young ages, he also did not just invent one thing but to keep striving to be better and making humanity better in its own way. It almost seems that resolution was the background to making the thirteen virtues. The next two virtues apply to not only his job but also anyone who takes on the active role of following these guidelines; they are frugality and industry. It is a common practice to cut cost in any business, to buy cheap but effective equipment to lower the cost to the consumer. Franklin most likely used this to his ability when going in and out of printing presses and making his own. Having the top of the line equipment may seem great but at times is not necessary. Frugality also promotes more success when the cost to run a business is declining more money is being put towardsShow MoreRelatedWhiplash, A 2014 American Drama Film786 Words   |  4 Pagesstudent-teacher relationship in the quest better their craft. Directed by Damien Chazelle and starring Miles Teller (Andrew) and J.K. Simmons (Fletcher), the film portrays how far a teacher would go to push his students to greatness. Simmons seizes the role of the instructor of the jazz band with enthusiasm and brutality alike. J .K. Simmons offers an unforgettable and award winning performance as he teaches his students in the style of jazz. For Fletcher, perfection and toughness are indivisible, andRead MoreSymbolism In The Birthmark By Nathaniel Hawthorne792 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"The birthmark†, a short story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1844 tells the story of a man obsessed with human perfection. He is a scientist by the name of Aylmer who has recently married a very beautiful woman named Georgina. Although Georgina is a beautiful woman, she has a birthmark in the shape of a tiny hand on her cheek. He sees the birthmark as a flaw and as an opportunity to perfect the already beautiful woman he loves. Aylmer, a perfectionist and ambitious scientist becomes obsessedRead MoreThe United States Of America945 Words   |  4 PagesIndeed, Franklin’s idea of the public library in Philadelphia occurred after several meetings at the â€Å"JUNTO club mutual improvement† each Friday evenings that he created in 1727. The main purpose according to Mr. Franklin was to â€Å"produce queries† on morals, politics, natural philosophy and social topics. The club was composed of twelve intellectual members and each member had to originate an essay in any topic he pleased for discussion. Eventually, the library had a success due to the importantRead MoreSir Gawains Shield and the Green Night: A Semiotic Analysis1378 Words   |  6 PagesIn the poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Sir Gawain must go on a quest to find the Green Knight from whom he accepted a challenge a year earlier. Because Gawain lives the chivalric code, he must keep his promise to the Green Knight and let him get one swing of the axe one year and a day after he swung the axe on him. Before leaving for this quest, Gawain was given amazing armor and a descriptive shield. This shield was more than just a shield; it had a much greater meaning like many otherRead MoreArt Must Give Its Audience a New Perspective1412 Words   |  6 Pages Some may believe that art as art serves beauty, not morality. They believe that the purpose of art is only to express beauty and it may do as it chooses in search for this perfection. As defined by dictionary.com, art is â€Å"the quality, production, expressi on, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance.† Others believe in â€Å"art for art’s sake.† However, Tolstoy opposes this when he contends, â€Å"there is no such thing as art forRead MoreSir Gawain and the Green Knight: Symbolism and Moral Seriousness1047 Words   |  5 Pagesnumerous dualities—which lead the reader through questions of moral seriousness—that exist in the poem. The opening historical recounting, according to Richard Hamilton Green, reminds the reader that â€Å"the greatness of the past is marred by reminders of failure† (179). The paradox of triumph and greatness arising out of failure foreshadows Sir Gawain following the same pattern of fate as his predecessors. While the completion of Gawain’s quest reaffirms the historical paradox of greatness, his journeyRead MoreHuman Selfless or Selfish in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald13 02 Words   |  6 PagesGoodman Brown† and The Scarlett Letter, as well as F. Scott Fitzgerald’s renowned novel, The Great Gatsby, all reference the idea that people impulsively pursue perfection, as determined by their community’s values. While different communities establish different standards for perfection, society as whole romanticizes the idea of perfection and subsequently people strive to create the illusion of a perfect life. How an individual represents the values idealized by a given community determines his/herRead MoreQuest For The Holy Grail1319 Words   |  6 PagesLancelot, Galahad and their Quest for the Holy Grail In the Arthurian Legend, Sir Lancelot is viewed as the powerful and skilled â€Å"White Knight†, however, he is also considered as the â€Å"Sinful Adulterer† for his disobeyment to the knights’ code of chivalry. Despite his innocence, these corrupt sins led to his unsuccessful quest for the Holy Grail. Instead, Galahad, the illegitimate son of Sir Lancelot, is destined to achieve the Holy Grail, his devotional purity making him a greater warrior thanRead MoreEssay about The Birthmark1138 Words   |  5 PagesAmerican history (Encarta). nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;â€Å"The Birthmark,† like many of Hawthorne’s stories deals with the relationship between men and women. It is a love story where the quest for perfection leads to a tragic end. The protagonist, a scientist named Aylmer, attempts to attain perfection for his new wife Georgiana, by removing a birthmark resembling a small hand from her left cheek. Written in 1843, it was Hawthorne’s first work of fiction right after he married his wife, Sophia Read MoreImpact Of Indian Folk Drama985 Words   |  4 Pagesthe classical playwright Bhasa. Bhasa, considered as the earliest playwright, renders the episodes from the Mahabharata and Ramayana in a manner quite different from the later playwrights. In his plays, even the mythological episodes have a wider moral and human perspective. This method of linking individual happiness and tragedy, success and failure with wider social values is in keeping with the basic Indian dramatic approach. It was this element of the traditional Indian theatre which was revived

The Contributions of Abigail Adams Free Essays

Though quiet, sickly, and shy, Abigail Adams, the wife of second president John Adams, helped plant the seeds that eventually led to the concept of women ¹s rights and women ¹s equality with men. For a country which had been founded on the idea of independence for all, these concepts were still considered radical and even ridiculous. Abigail believed that a good education was just as necessary for girls as for boys. We will write a custom essay sample on The Contributions of Abigail Adams or any similar topic only for you Order Now This was a departure from the prevailing feeling of teaching girls only the skills necessary for keeping a household running smoothly. She had a passion for reading history, theology, and political theory which she passed on to her children. For Abigail to have taken such a strong interest in her education was a brave stance for her time. Education was often viewed as a corrupting influence on a woman. She requested her husband John, who was a delegate to Congress and later a U.S. president, to draft into law a commitment to supporting education for women. John was in full agreement with Abigail ¹s views on this subject. Abigail made her strongest appeal for women ¹s rights in 1776, when John was in Philadelphia serving in Congress. As members drafted laws to guarantee the independence for which the colonist were fighting, Abigail wrote to John begging him to remember that women also needed to be given the right of independence. She sensed the struggles that were to come and understood the unfairness of making one group subject to the will of another. She supported her husband through every phase of his rise to power and fame. His dependency and reliance on her as his partner was apparent. He considered her advice and assistance as critical to his success as a president. Ultimately, Abigail brought about no immediate changes in the way women were treated. However, it would not be long before others followed her lead. How to cite The Contributions of Abigail Adams, Papers

Being A Teenager free essay sample

Is hard, harder than some can imagine, harder than some can even remember. It’s those years you’ll never forget, though sometimes you wish you could wipe away. They seem to last forever, but when you look back, they went by so fast. Being a teenager is falling in love too fast, and too hard, talking for hours on the phone to your best friends, being talked about and talking about others. It’s being guilty when you’re innocent, it’s standing out and fitting in, it’s when you have a million questions that will N-E-V-E-R be answered. Being a teenager isn’t something you can really describe, unless you’re living it at the same time. It’s dealing with life when it crashes down on you, and trying your hardest to live through it. Everyone has their tough times, everyone goes through something, but being a teenager, that’s when you feel everything at once. We will write a custom essay sample on Being A Teenager or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page When you’re in love you’re R-E-A-L-L-Y in love, when you hate someone you â€Å"despise† them, when you’re lonely, you’re miserable. Being a teenager is something you always have to go through, and it the best and worst years of your life. Being a teenager isn’t anything- it’s everything. It isn’t a big deal- it’s a HUGE deal. And while you’re being a teenager, you ought to live it up, because this is the one chance, the one time, you’ll fall in love for real, you’ll be really and truly happy. You’ll be young, and free, and careless, as teenagers usually are†¦When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us n a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief , who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face us with reality of powerlessness, that is a friend who cares.