Essay on Utopia - 1351 Words

Thomas More’s, Utopia is one of the most politically and socially influential texts to date. His audience, which ranges from academic and social scholars to college students, all can gain a different understanding of the work and it’s meaning. In order to fully comprehend More’s message, one must have an appreciation for the time and culture in which he lived. After grasping historical concepts, one reads Utopia, not as just a volume recounting a fictitious island society, but rather as a critique on a time of corruption and reformation. Throughout the entire text, More’s personal views on the religion, politics, and economy of this turbulent time seep through the carefully plotted thread of this critical work.†¦show more content†¦He goes one step further to make himself a character as the voice of reason. In the time that More wrote the novel, these views were so radical that, had they not had some sort of a disclaimer provided, he could have be en punished. Raphael describes the Utopians in detail. More spends an exceptionally large amount of time discussing the Utopians religious beliefs. He describes them as monotheists, stating, â€Å"they believe in a single power, unknown, eternal, infinite, inexplicable, far beyond the grasp of the human mind†(73). More stresses this notion of civility in a heathen culture where Christianity had not touched until Hythloday’s arrival. The only religious law that must be followed, which was created by Utopia’s founder, Utopus, claims that any religion is permissible if it includes the notion of an afterlife. He writes this to an audience who he believes has lost all sense of what Christianity truly is. R.W. Chamber states, â€Å"The Four Cardinal Virtues—Wisdom, Fortitude, Temperance and Justice†¦were taken into the medieval system†¦and were sufficient to ensure that a man or a State might be a model of conduct in secular matters†(138). He s ays that heathen cultures, like Utopia, are based on these Virtues that are â€Å"subsidiary to, not a substitute for, the Christian virtues†(138). Chamber’s idea suggests that More uses the concept of the Utopians, as heathens, working in a successful and yet Non-Christian society, as proof that just because oneShow MoreRelatedA Dystopia Or Utopia Or A Utopia?933 Words   |  4 PagesEvery society has the makings to be either a Dystopia or a Utopia. Thomas More outlines why he thinks his society is corrupt, and identifies the causes for its corruptness and suggests possible solutions. More talks about the differences in citizens and thievery, corrupt governments, and the problem with equality as a result of private property, between his society and the Utopia. However, many of the problems faced in More’s society still cause problems today. One problem faced by the people isRead MoreUtopia By Thomas More s Utopia1350 Words   |  6 PagesMore’s Utopia Thomas More’s book, Utopia, was constructed to criticize aspects of European life during the 1500s. One issue that More evaluates is the subject of politics and war. War during this time was used to gain territory or increase the ruler’s power. The Utopians are a peaceful group of citizens that rarely have any altercations occurring upon their island. They have a strict daily schedule that provides a minute amount of time for leisure, resulting in a low rate of problems. So why doesRead MoreUtopia By Thomas More s Utopia1927 Words   |  8 PagesIn Thomas More’s Utopia, the character Thomas More writes a letter to Peter Giles of this island nation Raphael told him about called Utopia. At this point Thomas more is in Denmark (?) making negotiations when he meets Raphael who introduces him to the thought and place of Utopia. More heard that it is a wonderful place ruled entirely by logic, but in the end he tells Peter Giles that he does not know how well that wou ld actually work. In Utopia, everything is perfect because the Utopians use logicRead MoreBelief in a Utopia795 Words   |  3 Pageshave laid in bed late at night thinking of how if only we had some magic power to change the world how much better the world. Even thinking about what we would change about the world. Many have tried to achieve a perfect society or in other words a utopia. Possibly the most famous utopian civilization was the Oneida Society built solely for the purpose of everyone being equal. Ultimately though the Oneida people collapsed under the greed of the people who used their metal making skills to create aRead More Utopia Essay1183 Words   |  5 PagesUtopia The text Utopia was written by Sir Thomas Moore in 1516, just before the outbreak of the Reformation. More’s life flourished through the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, which were influential years in the Renaissance, a flowering of art and thought that began in Italy and flooded through Europe and England. Humanists often stressed the dignity of man and the power of reason while remaining deeply committed to Christianity. Their thought and writings helped to break theRead MoreThe Prince and Utopia2005 Words   |  9 PagesThe Prince and Utopia The Prince and Utopia are honored as masterpieces that show two differing styles of government. Both books have many similarities and differences in the governments that are in the their respective stories. Many ideas from the governments they portray have profound impacts on our modern government such as various political principles like the military, economy, and religion. The Prince and Utopia are both interesting novels that show creative styles of government. TheRead MoreEssay Utopia4252 Words   |  18 PagesUtopia In the year 1515, a book in Latin text was published which became the most significant and controversial text ever written in the field of political science. Entitled, ‘DE OPTIMO REIPUBLICATE STATU DEQUE NOVA INSULA UTOPIA, clarissimi disertissimique viri THOMAE MORI inclutae civitatis Londinensis civis et Vicecomitis’, translated into English would read, ‘ON THE BEST STATE OF A COMMONWEALTH AND ON THE NEW ISLAND OF UTOPIA, by the Most Distinguished and Eloquent Author THOMAS MORERead MoreEssay on Utopia2087 Words   |  9 Pages Utopia nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Utopias are generally said to be societies in which the political, social and economic troubles hampering its inhabitants has been done away with. Instead the state is there to serve the people and ensure the peacefulness and happiness of everyone. The word utopia, which means quot;no placequot; in Greek, was first used to mean a perfect society in 1516 in the publication of Saint Thomas Mores story quot;Utopiaquot;. The story depicted life as it was withRead MoreEssay on Utopia785 Words   |  4 PagesAmerican nation. In Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs and Utopia by Thomas Moore, we are presented two life styles, which some might consider very similar in various ways. Both authors focus on a peaceful living lifestyle, to better the people of the nation. Although some of their specific details are different, I believe that Jacobs would definitely approve of the features that More develops in Utopia. Utopia occupies a crescent-shaped island that curves in on itself, enclosing aRead MorePystopia Vs Utopia1382 Words   |  6 Pagesidea of utopia or a perfect society seems so unattainable or impossible. Both Ursula Le Guin’s â€Å"The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas† and Ben Winters’ Underground Airlines take place in different realities - the former exists in a place where all seems too good to be true, while the latter takes place in a United States wherein slave-based practices still exist; it is through these realities that the authors point out the flaws of their imagined societies and, possibly, critique aspects of utopia. This

Death in What Dreams May Come and Dantes Inferno Essay

Death in What Dreams May Come and Dantes Inferno Death and what comes after has always been a subject of great interest and uncertainty. Many have tried to depict their own vision of the afterlife, be it heaven or hell, paradiso or inferno. Here, I will discuss the similarities and differences in the hell represented in the movie What Dreams May Come and the Inferno of Dante Alighieris Divine Comedy. What Dreams May Come is a movie about two soul mates, Chris (Robin Williams) and Annie (Anabella Sciorra). After Chris death in a car accident coupled with the death of her two children four years earlier, Annie commits suicide. While Chris has gone to heaven and discovered that his heaven is living in a world of Annies paintings,†¦show more content†¦For Williams character, Chris, his paradise was living in one of his wife Annies paintings. But the same theory holds true for Annie in hell. Annie is not in her place in hell because she has been deemed by Minos to be a suicide and assigned her level; she exists there because she has made a hell of her own. Her hell is living in a world without her husband and children, which she tried to escape through committing suicide but lives on in due to her own self-loathing and guilt. One central difference between these two works is the nature of Chris and Dantes travel into the inferno. While Chris has already died and gone to heaven, Dante is still living. Chris leaves heaven and descends into hell for his own purpose of bringing his soul mate, Annie, back. Chris had a choice as to if he wanted to go down to hell but Dante did not. His trip was divinely ordained and orchestrated. His reason in going is because he has been wandering from the True Way and has been sent to be taught an important and valuable lesson. In both works, there is the common relationship of student to teacher. In What Dreams May Come, Chris locates a tracker to assist him in his journey to hell to find Annie. This tracker is Albert, a man who Chris studied under as a medical student and has a great deal of loveShow MoreRelatedAn Interpretation of Dantes Inferno through Neil Gaimans Sandman1705 Words   |  7 Pages Dante Alighieris Inferno is one of the classic works of Western Literature. Like all great works, it is a corner stone for that which follows. One such work is Neil Gaimans Sandman, which takes Dantes concept of Hell and contorts and plays with it to an almost absurd degree. At first glance the product appears to be extremely different. In actuality it is a hidden portal to a new meaning of Dantes Inferno. Dante the pilgrim wakes up in the Dark Wood of Error without knowing how he got thereRead MoreAnalysis Of Dante s The Inferno 1689 Words   |  7 Pagesthe path less traveled and some people take the easy way out. Dante happens to be on journey that is less traveled, by exploring the depths of Hell in the Inferno. The epic poem’s story is about self-realization and transformation. It sees Dante over coming many things to realize he is a completely different person from the start of the Inferno journey. Dante sees many things that help him gain courage in order to prove to himself and the reader that accepting change and gaining courage can help oneRead More Comparing Dantes Inferno and the Movie, What Dreams May Come927 Words   |  4 PagesComparing Dantes Inferno and the Movie, What Dreams May Come The movies opening scene gives allusions to Dantes own life and his brief courtship with Beatrice. Chris (Robin Williams) begins, When I was young, I met this beautiful girl on a lake, just as Dante had met Beatrice when he was young. This lake just happens to be on the boarder of Switzerland and Italy, Dantes native country. Anna, Chris love, finds him sitting on a hillside overlooking that lake, and that scene will becomeRead MorePurgatorio Essay4430 Words   |  18 Pages La Chanson of Roland, to cite another well-known example, seems by our standards to drag on surprisingly beyond the heros death; the plot has been carefully arranged, however, so that this event of central importance occurs at the very center of the poem. The first of these three central cantos of Purgatorio, canto 16, deals with the problem of human freedom. To Dantes question of whether the worlds evil is imposed by stellar influence, Marco Lombardo, one of the souls in Purgatory, respondsRead MoreThe Divine Comedy vs. Paradise Lost3091 Words   |  13 Pagesin this century as well as times yet to come. The Divine Comedy, written in the 14th century by Dante Alighieri, is a heroic epic. Throughout Dantes literary work, he outlines his scientific understandings of the world, his political views and provides the reader with a moral compass and spiritual map of which to follow. This poem is written in three parts, Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradisio, each of which is broken down into individual cantos. Inferno includes 34 cantos, whereas Purgatrio andRead More The Divine Comedy vs. Paradise Lost Essay3038 Words   |  13 Pagespeople in this century as well as times yet to come. The Divine Comedy, written in the 14th century by Dante Alighieri, is a heroic epic. Throughout Dante’s literary work, he outlines his scientific understandings of the world, his political views and provides the reader with a moral compass and spiritual map of which to follow. This poem is written in three parts, Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradisio, each of which is broken down into individual cantos. Inferno includes 34 cantos, whereas Purgatrio andRead MoreThe Hollow Men And The Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock Essay1444 Words   |  6 Pagesmodern man, warning that continuing to live aimlessly will result in empty and meaningless lives. Eliot uses an epigraph quoting Dante Alighieri to help explain the psyche and inadequacy of Prufrock. In â€Å"The Love Song†, there is an excerpt from Dante’s Inferno, when Guido da Montefeltro, concerned for his reputation, agrees to speak to Dante only because he does not believe anyone can â€Å"return alive from this depth, without fear of infamy† (Prufrock, Epigraph). This is important because, Guido agreeingRead MoreEssay on The Sweet Song of Dante Alighieris Siren1652 Words   |  7 Pagesemploys in the Commedia, his grand imaginative interpretation of life after death, scenes involving figures and beasts from classical mythology provide the reader with allegories and exempla effectively linking universal human themes with Christian thought and ideology. Among these, the figure of the Siren, found in Canto 19 of the Purgatorio, exists as a particularly sinister and moribund image. Visiting Dante in a dream upon the heights of Mount Purgatory, the Sire n attempts to seduce the sleepingRead MoreThe Long Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S. Eliot822 Words   |  3 Pagesthrough the characterization of himself, the wandering to many different settings, and the feeling of death approaching him. First, Prufrock does not think too highly of himself. He states that he is â€Å"not Prince Hamlet, nor was meant to be† (Eliot 111). Prufrock considers himself an ordinary person and does not want to be treated as exceptional. According to Margaret Morton Blum, T.S. Eliot may have developed his main character by studying William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Blum points out that PrufrockRead MoreHell: What We Think We Know2123 Words   |  9 PagesHELL, WHAT WE THINK WE KNOW The subject of Hell is a subject that turns many people off to organized religion today. After all, who wants to spend their Sunday mornings listening to a preacher rant and rave about the â€Å"Hell fire and brimstone† of Hell or â€Å"burning in Hell† or if you don’t change your ways you will spend eternity in Hell. Most want to be entertained and walk out of church feeling all warm and fuzzy. Therefore, clergy mostly ignore the subject or gloss over it even though they believe

Essay on Interpersonal Communication

Question: Write an essay on Interpersonal Communication. Answer: Communication is the act of transferring information from one place or person to another place or person. Communication is the key of expressing feelings to others and interaction through the community. Interpersonal communication is the act of interaction where two-person shares information and a two-way interaction happen through transfer of message or information from sender to receiver (Richmond et al. 2012). Interpersonal communication is not just about the actual message which is being said or the language used during the communication, however, it also include how it is being said, the non-verbal messages sent through the facial expression, the voice tone, body language and gestures (Rice and Atkin 2012). There are different forms of communication including verbal and non-verbal communication; both have significant impact upon the person with whom the communication is being done. In this essay, the focus is the interpersonal communication and the verbal and non-verbal communic ation styles used in the interpersonal communication. Good interpersonal communication skills are required for working in groups or teams. These kills are essential for developing key life skills. Communication plays significant role in reducing misunderstandings and strengthen interpersonal interaction. Thus, it is important to deal with both verbal and non-verbal communication skills. According to the communication theory, there are different elements in the interpersonal communication Daim et al. (2012). Communicators- At least two communicators are required for any communication, one is for playing the role of message sender and another one is for playing the role of receiver. Communication is a two way process, thus at least two communicators are required. The message- The message is not only transferred in the form of verbal information, rather non-verbal messages are also transferred through facial expression, body language or voice tone. Additional information can be conveyed through the non-verbal behavior. Noise- In the communication theory, noise has a special meaning. Noise can be referred to anything distorting the message, as a result something is received which is different from what is intended by the sender. The use of inappropriate body language, complicated jargons and cultural differences are also considered as noise as these can also negatively affect interpersonal communication (Lee and Messerschmitt 2012). Feedback- Feedback is the message which is send from the receiver in response to the message sent by sender. The type of response varies from verbal communication to non-verbal body language. Feedback improves the communication process. Context- Context has a significant impact upon communication. The situational context where the interaction takes place including room, office or outdoors can have significant effect upon the fate of communication. Social context should also be considered, as it can control the emotional status (Alpago 2012). Channel- Channel can be referred to the means through which the message is being transferred from sender to receiver. For example, in face-to-face context, speech and vision is the channel, but in case of telephonic communication, speech is the only channel. According to the Symbolic interactionism theory, people act towards people based on the meanings they give to those people. Cooren (2012) depicted that meaning is formed through social language and interaction which are based on the perception of the communicators. Expectancy violation theory depicts that communication should be done with the sense of personal space and preferred distance from others. According to the Interpersonal deception theory detection of deception is concentrated on the distinctiveness of the message and the behavioral features of the deceiver. On the other hand, Han (2012) argued that the new relationships always include uncertainty and effective interpersonal communication reduces uncertainty. There are mainly five basic communication styles exist. For each communication styles, along with the verbal message or information, the paralanguages including gestures, facial expression or languages and body languages are also significantly different which should be observed carefully to understand the message delivered by the communicator. Assertive style- Assertive communication style is usually seen in a person with high self-esteem. It is the most effective communication style. Assertiveness helps to communicate confidently without resorting to manipulation. A medium pitch and volume is used with a good eye contact. This communication style helps people to be respectful to others. It has a positive impact upon social and emotional expression through the communication. People on receiving the message are able to stand with the person and respect for the person (Monaghan et al. 2012). Aggressive style- This style promotes aggressive behavior of the communicator at someone elses expense. While communicating with others, people with aggressive style always behaves as a person having the most important needs and rights to contribute in the interaction comparing to others. It is an ineffective communication style for delivering important message. Usually the communicator use loud volume and threatening voice. It affects the other person negatively and promotes defensive, uncooperative and aggressive feelings leading to loss of respect upon the person (Rand 2012). Passive-aggressive style- By owing this communication style, people appear to be passive externally but acts indirectly behind the scenes ways. This communication style makes people to feel powerless. These kinds of people are generally indirectly aggressive and unreliable. They often speak with a sweet and jerky voice, but lacks eye contact. The person, with whom the communication is being done, feels resentful, confused or angry sometimes. Submissive style- This style is adopted by people to avoid conflicts and it is about pleasing others. It is opposite to the aggressive style. People feels that that others needs and rights are more important and others should contribute more. Usually these people are apologetic, they talks in soft voice but lacks direct eye contact. After dealing with person adopting submissive style communication, the other participant of the communication usually feels frustrated, exasperated or guilty which imposes a negative impact upon the interaction. Sometimes, the other person attempts to take advantage from the communicator (Socha and Pitts 2012). Manipulative style- Manipulative communicators are able to convince or influence others for gaining advantage. They use a high pitch with hang dog expression and ask indirectly for their needs to be met. The other communicator feels irritated, guilty or annoyed after the communication. There are many significant barriers exists which can affect the communication process. Physical barriers including high cubicle walls and closed doors can significantly hinder effective communication; space that is more open provides more opportunity for effective interaction and interpersonal communication. Cultural barriers are of significant importance. It is more common in a large organization where employees from different cultural backgrounds meet (Stewart 2012). Language barriers are major problems in corporate, health and social care sectors which can reduce the effectiveness of the business and health care processes significantly. Thus, in a multidisciplinary health care team or in a large organization, employees often face difficulties to interact with one another for language barriers. Perceptual barriers can reduce the affectivity of interpersonal communication certainly. It is related to the cultural barriers because, usually, people from different cultural background co nsist different perspective about a situation and conflict arise when they attempts to work together. Gender barriers affect the communication styles which is used differently by males and females. In male-dominated workplace, women are often being dominated and ignored and sometimes opposite gender feels uncomfortable to share ideas about an important matter during communication (Monaghan et al. 2012). Interpersonal barriers can rise at any circumstances, due to personal likes or dislikes, people often does not feel comfortable to share feelings or messages with others thereby not delivering the proper message to other person. A number of areas should be considered to overcome communication barriers. First, people should understand that other can have a different perception about a situation and should choose the assertive communication style to accept others choices; it would reduce conflicts (Alpago 2012). People should always wait for receiving feedbacks from the receiver which helps to enhance the efficiency of conversation by reducing the risk of misinterpretation. With assertive communication style and positive facial expression, one should always speak face to face to convey the message to other (Unit 2012). In addition, in workplaces, to deal effectively with clients from diverse background, one should get proper language training for using such language that is transparent to all the clients and colleagues (Cooren 2012). Using right communication channel is also important, for example, for any official conversation, verbal communication is a wrong channel, where as using email is the right one. Fo r improving communication, one should make the environment suitable where other can listen the communicator properly. Employers should promote a positive culture in the workplace where people are free of any cultural or gender discrimination and free to express themselves in absence of physical barriers In conclusion, it can be said that communication is one of the most important process in daily life and selecting the appropriate communication style at right time and right place is important. The interpersonal communication is always two-way communication where participation of both sender and receiver is important. The essay described the role of communication and the elements of communication. Both verbal and non-verbal features of communication have same importance which has been discussed here. In addition, the barriers of communication and the ways of overcoming these barriers have been discussed in this essay. Thus, an in-depth understanding about interpersonal communication has been developed through this essay. Reference List Alpago, A., 2012.Communication, conversation, cooperation. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang. Cooren, F., 2012. Communication theory at the center: Ventriloquism and the communicative constitution of reality.Journal of Communication,62(1), pp.1-20. Daim, T.U., Ha, A., Reutiman, S., Hughes, B., Pathak, U., Bynum, W. and Bhatla, A., 2012. Exploring the communication breakdown in global virtual teams.International Journal of Project Management,30(2), pp.199-212. Han, Z., 2012.Game theory in wireless and communication networks: theory, models, and applications. Cambridge University Press. Lee, E.A. and Messerschmitt, D.G., 2012.Digital communication. Springer Science Business Media. Monaghan, L., Goodman, J. and Robinson, J., 2012.A cultural approach to interpersonal communication. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell. Rand, C., 2012.Communication. Chicago, Ill.: Raintree. Rice, R.E. and Atkin, C.K., 2012.Public communication campaigns. Sage. London. Richmond, V.P., McCroskey, J.C. and Powell, L., 2012.Organizational communication for survival. Pearson Higher Ed. Socha, T. and Pitts, M., 2012.The positive side of interpersonal communication. New York: Peter Lang Publishing. Stewart, J., 2012.Bridges not walls. Dubuque, Iowa: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages. Unit, E.I., 2012. Competing across borders: How cultural and communication barriers affect business.The Economist.