Sophists Definition and Observations

Sophists Definition and Observations Professional teachers of rhetoric (as well as other subjects) in  ancient Greece are known as Sophists. Major figures included Gorgias, Hippias, Protagoras, and Antiphon. This term comes from the Greek, to become wise. Examples Recent scholarship (for example, Edward Schiappas The Beginnings of Rhetorical Theory in Classical Greece, 1999) has challenged conventional views that rhetoric was born with the democratization of Syracuse, developed by the Sophists in a somewhat shallow way, criticized by Plato in a somewhat impractical way, and rescued by Aristotle, whose Rhetoric found the mean between Sophistic relativism and Platonic idealism. The Sophists were, in fact, a rather disparate group of teachers, some of whom may have been opportunistic hucksters while others (such as Isocrates) were closer in spirit and method to Aristotle and other philosophers.The development of rhetoric in 5th-century B.C. certainly corresponded to the rise of the new legal system that accompanied the democratic government (that is, the several hundred men who were defined as Athenian citizens) in parts of ancient Greece. (Keep in mind that before the invention of lawyers, citizens represented themselves in the Assemblyusually i n front of sizable juries.) It is believed that the Sophists generally taught by example rather than precept; that is, they prepared and delivered specimen speeches for their students to imitate.In any case, as Thomas Cole has noted, its difficult to identify anything like a common set of Sophistic rhetorical principles (The Origins of Rhetoric in Ancient Greece, 1991). We do know a couple of things for certain: (1) that in the 4th century B.C. Aristotle assembled the rhetorical handbooks that were then available into a collection called the Synagoge Techne (now, unfortunately, lost); and (2) that his Rhetoric (which is actually a set of lecture notes) is the earliest extant example of a complete theory, or art, of rhetoric. Platos Criticism of the Sophists The Sophists formed part of the intellectual culture of classical Greece during the second half of the fifth century BCE. Best known as professional educators in the Hellenic world, they were regarded in their time as polymaths, men of varied and great learning. . . . Their doctrines and practices were instrumental in shifting attention from the cosmological speculations of the pre-Socratics to anthropological investigations with a decidedly practical nature. . . . [In the Gorgias and elsewhere] Plato critiques the Sophists for privileging appearances over reality, making the weaker argument appear the stronger, preferring the pleasant over the good, favoring opinions over the truth and probability over certainty, and choosing rhetoric over philosophy. In recent times, this unflattering portrayal has been countered with a more sympathetic appraisal of the Sophists status in antiquity as well as their ideas for modernity.(John Poulakos, Sophists. Encyclopedia of Rhetoric. Oxford University Press, 2001) The Sophists as Educators [R]hetorical education offered its students mastery of the skills of language necessary to participating in political life and succeeding in financial ventures. The Sophists education in rhetoric, then, opened a new doorway to success for many Greek citizens.(James Herrick, History and Theory of Rhetoric. Allyn Bacon, 2001) [T]he sophists were most concerned with the civic world, most specifically the functioning of the democracy, for which the participants in sophistic education were preparing themselves.(Susan Jarratt, Rereading the Sophists. Southern Illinois University Press, 1991) Isocrates, Against the Sophists When the layman . . . observes that the teachers of wisdom and dispensers of happiness are themselves in great want but exact only a small fee from their students, that they are on the watch for contradictions in words but are blind to inconsistencies in deeds, and that, furthermore, they pretend to have knowledge of the future but are incapable either of saying anything pertinent or of giving any counsel regarding the present, . . . then he has, I think, good reason to condemn such studies and regard them as stuff and nonsense, and not as a true discipline of the soul. . . . [L]et no one suppose that I claim that just living can be taught; for, in a word, I hold that there does not exist an art of the kind which can implant sobriety and justice in depraved natures. Nevertheless, I do think that the study of political discourse can help more than any other thing to stimulate and form such qualities of character.(Isocrates, Against the Sophists, c. 382 BC. Translated by George Norlin)

McDonalds marketing Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

McDonalds marketing - Case Study Example McDonalds's worldwide operations are characterized by ever increasing uncertainty and competition. Against this backdrop it's essential to consider the extent to which the product and service quality has an impact on customers at its restaurants. As much as fast food restaurants are highly influenced by competitor behavior as an exogenous variable, the staff also affects the consumers' perception and behavior as an endogenous variable. This paradigm of behavior is essentially associated with the ever rising fast food restaurant competition in townships across the globe and above all customer satisfaction strategies and initiatives have shaped McDonald's global operations.Thus the consumer buying behavior is influenced by various in a way that indisputably acts like the harbinger of all organizational outcomes (Fornell, & Johnson, 1996). The theoretical and conceptual framework of this research effort would be basically determined by the relevance of the existing theoretical postulate s and the conceptual frameworks of analysis and reference. Thus there will be an in-depth examination of the available literature on the subject to identify the correlations between among a set of more significant endogenous and exogenous variables involved in customer satisfaction and loyalty at McDonald's.The behavioral dimension refers to repeat purchases and attitudinal perspective refers to customers' intention to repurchase and recommend the product to others. These are good indicators of a loyal customer. Thus corporate image of McDonald's is determined by its ability to penetrate and hold niche market segments for longer duration of time. As a result the corporate image of the company receives a boost. McDonald's has been expereining a rise in its corporate image among consumers over the past few years (Gustafsson, 2005). Corporate image depends on the company's advertising, public relationship, word-of-mouth communication and actual experience related strategies and initiat ives. McDonald's has been consumer focused and is well known for its concern for customer satisfaction and service quality. Thus there is a considerable amount of positive impact on its marketing campaigns. Repeat purchases are made by customers under extreme circumstances in the fast food industry because potential customers are attracted by price discounts and unique benefits. As much as the price of the product matters product benefits also matters. Enhanced product specifications and performance act as a compulsion on potential repeat purchasers who weigh both price and quality on one hand and product innovation on the other (DiJulius, 2003). McDonald's has succeeded here. 1.1. Hypothesis or thesis statement The thesis statement of this paper rests on the testing of the primacy and the immediacy of a core group of theoretical and conceptual perspectives appertaining to the impact of product and service quality dimensions on the customer satisfaction at McDonald's against the backdrop of the former's cultural diversity and the latter's constant exposure to competition related issues along with the defined or undefined organizational outcomes (Hayes, 2008). Both a priori and a posteriori elements of customer satisfaction are inherently included in the analysis to capture the convergence/divergence framework of reference within McDonald's employee relations and work culture.

Social science research methods and ethics Essay

Social science research methods and ethics - Essay Example Social research methods are important to give a valid reason for any particular condition or issue. It helps in understanding the cause and consequences of particular situation which further is utilized to develop policies, guidelines and improvement of human life and living conditions. Researches are done for vast reasons and various ways. Social research of any kind is obviously a complex activity. It is carried out within a variety of cultural, legal, economic, and political environments which are bound to influence the research, its scope and its focus.1 This is a person who conducts research. The research can be a group activity or an individual activity depending upon the requirement and resources allocated for the research. In both the cases there are ethical issues involved at various levels. This group is the respondent group who is an important part of the research. The interest and protection of this group is one of the prime concerns area if there are any suspect of being harmed due to the result. The research process starts with selection of an appropriate topic for the research. The research topic should be such that it contributes to the area of work. The problem is defined. The literature on the similar work or related work is reviewed and the findings of literature reviews are considered to formulate hypothesis. Once the hypothesis is formulated the appropriate research method is chosen. The research method chosen should be good enough to cover the hypothesis and topic of research. Data collection is the next step. This is a tedious process and very much depended on the responded and ability of researcher or interviewer. The collected data is compiled and analyzed for the logical results. The results are compiled in the report format and shared with others. There are six types of research methods i.e surveys, participant observations, secondary analysis, documents, unobtrusive measures and experiments. Each of these

An Original Research Design Plan Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

An Original Design Plan - Research Paper Example The problems arise due to factors such as sexual and substance abuse within prisons. There is a high rate in consumption of drugs by inmates in prisons, which impact negatively on their health, and in the extreme cases lead to death. Substance abuse in Austin prisons is not a new trend, and it requires maximum attention, as the effects on the inmates are severe. Prisons are places meant to rehabilitate and reform the inmates, rather than to destroy them, in one way or the other. Introduction There has been an increasing rate of substance abuse in Austin prisons. Substance abuse refers to a pattern of harmful and injurious use of drugs for mood altering purposes. In other words, it is the consumption of illicit drugs for purposes meant to interfere with the normal mental condition of an individual (Chang, 2010). Although there has been treatment for drug abusers since the 1970s, this has not changed the fact of drug abuse in prisons. Scientific research shows that this treatment can h elp many victims change their behaviors and attitudes towards drug abuse (Stover and Michels, 2010). There are various reasons associated with drug abuse in prisons. These factors stem from the relationship that exists between crime and drug abuse, which is widely known. Drug abuse is implicated in three kinds of offences related to drug. That is, offences related directly to drug abuse such as theft to get money for drugs, offences defined by drug sale or possession, and offences related to a way of life that disposes an individual (substance abuser) to engage in unlawful activities. This may take the form of associating with other lawbreakers or with illegitimate markets (Jennifer et al. 2012). Substance abuse among prisoners in Austin is very dangerous due to the many negative impacts associated with it. The negative impacts of drug abuse affect the victim both socially and psychologically. The sociological and psychological effects of substance abuse on inmates in Austin are div erse ranging from mental illnesses to contraction of other diseases. In the extreme cases, substance abuse leads to death of the drug abuser. According to William and Daniel, 2005), inmates who engage in substance abuse in prisons are at a high risk of contracting chronic diseases such as HIV/AIDs, hepatitis and other sexually transmitted diseases. This occurs especially when drug abusers engage in sexual behaviors influenced by drug abuse factor. The prevalence of diseases such as HIV/AIDS in prisons is very high, increasing the rate of risk of transmission. The other serious effect that substance abuse has on individuals is relapse. Relapse to drug abuse by offenders occurs especially when they are not treated, and this makes the offenders return to criminal behavior. Relapse can bring about re-arrest and re-incarceration of offenders, jeopardizing public health and taxing criminal justice system. Therefore, this does not only affect the criminal’s social life, but also imp acts on the institutions involved negatively. Most mental illnesses in prison are a result of substance and drug abuse (Hide et al. 2012). The mental psychology of substance abusers in prisons is disturbed by intoxication. This can make the individual to become insane or interfere with the logical thinking of the individual. Substance abuse can make the individual to alter his moods and change his or her attitudes and behaviors towards a particular thing. In

Adult Learner Retention Essay -- Education Learning Essays

Adult Learner Retention Adult learner retention continues to hold the attention of adult educators in every type of program. Although the reasons students leave and the strategies for keeping them may differ from adult basic education (ABE) to higher education, the goal of retention is the same: to keep learners in programs until they achieve their goals (Tracy-Mumford et al. 1994). In any program, adults are largely voluntary participants, but the student role is just one of many roles and responsibilities competing for their time and attention. In fact, personal reasons such as family problems, lack of child care, and job demands are often cited as the cause of withdrawal. At the same time, adults usually have pragmatic, focused reasons for participating and will leave whenever they feel their goals have been met or if they feel the program will not satisfy their goals. Personal/job factors may seem to be beyond institutional control, whereas program satisfaction is something educators can improve. This D igest provides an updated look at research on retention in adult education and suggests effective practices for different settings. Adult Basic Education Repeatedly, attrition is described as the #1 problem in ABE. Attrition rates as high as 60-70% are reported in state and federal statistics (Quigley 1995). The raw numbers may be alarming, but they do not tell the whole story. Several studies show that noncompleters sometimes leave when they feel their goals were realized (Kambouri and Francis 1994; Perin and Greenberg 1994). The phenomenon of stopping out-one or more cycles of attending, withdrawing, and returning-is typical of adults who must place the student role on the back burner temporarily. Counting them as dr... ...cy. Kent: Ohio Literacy Resource Center, 1995. (ED 378 408) Smith, G., and Bailey, V. Staying the Course. London: Business and Technology Education Council, 1993. (ED 359 356) Towles, D. E.; Ellis, J. R.; and Spencer, J. "Student Persistence in a Distance Education Program." Conference paper, 1993. (ED 360 931) Tracy-Mumford, F. et al. Student Retention: Creating Student Success. Washington, DC: National Adult Education Professional Development Consortium, 1994. (ED 375 299) Vanderpool, N. M., and Brown, W. E. "Implications of a Peer Telephone Network on Adult Learner GPA and Retention." Journal of College Student Development 35, no.2 (March 1994): 125-128. Vann, B. A., and Hinton, B. E. "Workplace Social Networks and Their Relationship to Student Retention in On-Site GED Programs." Human Resource Development Quarterly 5, no. 2 (Summer 1994): 141-151.

Literary analysis of ‘The Going’ by Thomas Hardy Essay

‘The Going’ is a poem mourning the death and loss of Hardy’s wife Emma. The themes of anguish, love and regret are echoes throughout the poem however it is unusual and interesting to note that it seems that Hardy is blaming Emma for leaving him and over-romanticizing the time they spent together. The title ‘The Going’ gives the air that Emma’s death was a grand sort of departure. A reader with no knowledge of Hardy’s life would perhaps feel that Hardy loved and took much care of his wife throughout his life and her departure was ‘grand’ in that way, however this is not the case. The circumstances Emma died in illustrated a harsh husband who did not come to his wife’s deathbed when the maid told him Emma was very ill – Hardy’s grievous poem makes the circumstances are very ironic. In the second stanza, Hardy also refers to Emma’s death as the ‘great going’, which is once again giving the idea that Emma’s death was grand; like a Queen leaving. It is possible that by glorifying and exalting Emma’s death, Hardy is trying to console himself about the circumstances she died in – by writing over the situation he may be trying to change the story of what happened for the reader in order to make it seem as though he is not the one to blame. Building on the idea that Hardy wants to shift the blame from himself, Hardy throughout the poem asks questions as statements rather than as real questions. For example, he says ‘ Why do you make me leave the house / And think for a breath it is you I see†¦! ‘ – Hardy has not ended his sentence with a question mark but rather he has ended with an exclamation mark, suggesting he in reality does not want to ask Emma these questions, instead he wants to tell her how he wants the story to be. By using ‘you’ in all his questions, the air that Hardy is the victim in this situation rather than Emma. This amplifies upon the idea mentioned above that Hardy may be wanting to write over the situation in order to make it seem that he is not the one to blame. A sense of arrogance and self-righteousness is eluded from his desire to shift the blame away from him – this may make the speaker seem unlikeable. There is a sensual tone in the poem which works to romanticize the mood of the poem and suggest the happy past the couple had in the beginning of their relationship and the happy life they could have had but didn’t. Hardy asks Emma why she did not ‘lip me the softest call’ – this is a reference to physical intimacy and could be a kiss or to whispering ‘sweet-nothings’. From that suggestion, it would seem like Hardy was always expectant for such intimacy however this was not the case as the couple were not physically intimate for most of their relationship. There are echoes of their courting days in their youth in the fourth stanza where Hardy describes a younger Emma in flattering and loving terms as the ‘swan-necked one’ who would ‘muse and eye (him)’. The idea of Emma ‘eyeing’ Hardy suggests a shy and playful Emma sneaking glances at Hardy which evokes empathy in the readers heart for not only Emma but the combined couple of Emma and Hardy during their courtship. This only adds to the sorrowful feeling of Emma’s death – but now by relating their courting days Hardy has not only told the reader of his grief but he has also spread this grief to the reader. Alliteration also adds to the playful feel to the poem, building on the point above. The day is described as ‘darkening dankness’ and the alleys as ‘bending boughs’ – this brings the settings to life and illustrates how rich their relationship could have been, thus amplifying the emotion of regret over Emma’s ‘going’. The alliteration could also suggest that Hardy is attempting to over-romanticize the situation to such an extent that he is trying to convince himself that their relationship was happy. Another interpretation could that whilst this poem is a sad love poem, Hardy’s use of playful alliteration may be demonstrating that Hardy may not be as sad as he is making out to be throughout the poem because if indeed he was terrible grief-stricken by her loss, he would not have had enough composure to compose the poem with such literary devices which make the poem sound more flowing. Using a device such as alliteration is deliberate and therefore Hardy’s use of alliteration shows he had enough capability to make use of this technique. The final stanza in the poem has great significance to the poem and its meaning. Hardy uses short sentences and caesuras to demonstrate how harshly Emma’s death came about and how harshly their relationship ended. ‘Well, well! All’s past amend/Unchangeable. It must go. ‘ shows how he seems reluctant to accept that Emma is now dead as the short sentences make it sound as though he is slowly trying to make himself accept this fact. Sharp caesuras in this stanza also make it feel as though trying to convince himself Emma is gone is very painful. To conclude, Hardy uses literary devices such as alliteration and sensual imagery to give a sensual feel to this poem, however the underlying tone and meaning of this poem is a sad and greivious one as highlighted by Hardy’s use of blame and structure. Short sentences and an inconsistent ryhming scheme demonstrate this sad mood.

Racism versus Civil Rights Movement Essay examples

Struggle is a never ending process. Freedom is never really won. You earn it and win it in every generation. -Coretta Scott King, page666 The 1960s were a time of great turmoil in America and throughout the world. One of the main topics that arouse was black civil rights. In my essay I plan to compare the difference of opinion between these particular writers and directors, towards racism and the civil rights movement in the 1960s The movement truly got underway with civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King jr. and Malcolm X in the early 1960s. Students who wanted to bolt on the equality and protest bandwagon quickly followed. Most of the students went to the Southern states (Mississippi, Alabama,†¦show more content†¦The writer of Malcolm X, Bernard Aquina Doctor, has informatively shown (with some bias) the life of Malcolm X. He wanted to show that Malcolm pulled himself out of the gutter to become one of the most famous and respected civil rights leaders in our history so far. He tells us this by showing his life when he hung around with criminals and was into committing small thefts, etc. In this text he was shown as having all the right ideas of how to deal with the problems that were facing minorities at the time, Malcolm believed in violent protest, and Martin L-K jr., another major leader for the civil rights movement believed that protesting should be non-violent. Dr.King though, was forced to reconsider his views when he was thrown into jail and was badly beaten. This text is similar to the Rosa Parks text in the way the writer (for a Rosa Parks book) looked upon Rosa Parks, as Malcolm X, in a revered way. Rosa Parks a Woman Who Changed a Nation, by Kira Albini, is focused on the great injustice that the black community has been faced with. She talks about the fact that blacks had to pay at the front of the bus and then walk around the outside of the bus to the back door where, more often then not, the bus driver would pull away without them being on, although they paid. Rosa Parks came into fameShow MoreRelatedRacism In To Kill A Mockingbird1570 Words   |  7 Pageshistory, racism has enslaved and segregated many races in other countries, but in the United States, the African-Americans have especially been victims of racism and segregation based upon their color. In recent history, the struggle to achieve equality and eradicate racism in the United States has been an ongoing battle since the late 1800’s. 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