Philosophy and Socrates Essay Example for Free

Philosophy and Socrates Essay SOCRATES THE PHILOSOPHER Socrates is a noteworthy and important historical figure as a philosopher, because of his and his pupils influence on the development of the philosophical world. His teachings, famous arguments, and ideas began the outgrowth of all later western philosophies. Born in 469 BC just outside of Athens, Socrates was brought up properly, and thoroughly educated. He was raised as most Athenians; developing both physical and mental strengths. Socrates then went on to learn from Archelaus the philosopher. Here he studied astronomy, mathematics, and was introduced to philosophy, which was a new concept at the time. Archelaus taught of explanations for the world with a scientific approach. Socrates, however, turned away from this idea and created his own. He decided that instead of trying to understand the universe, a person should try to understand himself. To express his philosophy, Socrates spent his days in the marketplace of Athens, telling people of his ideas. His voice was heard, and he was soon declared to be the wisest of all men. Socrates was skilled in the art of arguing. He developed a method by which he would win every debate. His favorite hobby was going to the marketplace and debating philosophical issues with other men in front of an audience. The result of these debates was that Socrates embarrassed the wise men in front of the crowd. This caused many to dislike him. After being named the wisest man, Socrates attempted to prove that this was not true. He debated with many men in the streets. These debates are some of his most famous argument methods. He started the discussion by stating that he knew nothing. As a result of the debate, he was able to prove that although his opponents claimed that they were wise, they knew nothing either. Socrates concluded that he really was the wisest man because unlike the others, he knew that he knew nothing. Socrates had many ideas and philosophies concerning issues other than the knowledge of oneself. These included explanations of the universe, the belief in god, and lifes goals. Other, earlier philosophers, had many different interpretation for the makeup of the world. Some believed that it was made out of numbers, others thought that it was made of a single substance, or many different substances, while still conflicting philosophers theorized that everything was formed out of atoms, and even illusions. Socrates had his own, different ideas. He believed that the world was made of forms that are not within the reach of our senses, but only of our thoughts. This means, for example, that when we think of characteristics such as roundness, we only picture ideas of it like a ball or a wheel. Therefore, he assumed that we only understand specific things that participate in our lives. In his search for the inner truth of oneself, Socrates theorized the explanation to the question of what the goals of life are. He concluded that everyone tries to find the meaning of happiness and goodness in their existence. This is the purpose of life. However, true happiness comes in many forms and is disguised in a way that people spend their lives looking for goodness, but finding only the evil in which it is concealed. The only way to discover true happiness, goodness, and the right way, is to fully understand oneself. Socrates did not believe in the Greek gods or religion. He had his personal view of god. Socrates felt that there must be some form of divine power because everyone seemed to believe in some kind of god and religion. He also believed in a sort of immortality. He hypothesized that there was an afterlife. His explanation for it was that people who had achieved goodness in their lives knew where they were going afterwards, and that evil people tried to ignore the fact that immortality existed. He preached that the soul was a persons true being, and that our goodness in life reflected on the goodness of our souls. According to Socrates, each individual should try to make his soul as moral as possible so that it can be like god, which will allow the achievement of an afterlife. Debating in the marketplace of Athens was not Socrates only daily activity. He also taught his philosophies to a group of students in a small classroom. These students were much like disciples. They respected and followed in the philosophies of their teacher. Socrates most famous pupil, Plato, went on to become a great philosopher like his mentor. Socrates lived through and fought in the Peloponnesian War. After Athens defeat, the democracy was replaced by a tyranny. This did not bother Socrates much because his belief in government was a rather simple and apathetic one. He thought that no matter what kind of government subsists; it should be followed solely because a form of law and order must exist in a society to control it. One of the tyrannys leaders was a former pupil of Socrates and hated his teacher. He tried to make life harder for Socrates by banning the t eaching of philosophy in the streets. Socrates ignored him. In response to this, the tyrant tried to kill Socrates; but the tyranny was overthrown right on time to prevent this. A new democratic government came into power, the leader of which, Anytus, also hated Socrates because his son, who was the philosophers pupil, turned away from the familys business to become a philosopher. Anytus had Socrates arrested on charges of corrupting Athens young and turning them away from Paganism, the Greek religion involving a belief in many gods. Anytus announced the death penalty as a punishment for this crime. It was obviously an outrageous sentence for a crime that was not even committed. Socrates was brought before a jury and instead of using his debating skills to defend himself, he did nothing in his own defense because he was convinced that the entire trial was a joke. The jury voted on the death penalty. Now Socrates had a chance to appeal to the court. He was entitled to suggest forms of punishment other than death to satisfy his crime. Instead of proposing a reasonable penalty, Socrates suggested ridiculous ones which angered the jury; causing them to vote on the death penalty once again. Socrates did not seem to mind at all. He was sent to prison and lived their surrounded by his friends and disciples for his last few days. His life ended by drinking hemlock as his friends cried at his bedside. Only after this scandalous death, did all of Greece realize what they had done; that they had killed one of the greatest philosophers of all time. Socrates life achievements were vast. He introduced new ideas and theories into the philosophical world. His pupil, Plato, went on to influence all of the western worlds philosophical development. Socrates began the evolution of philosophy throughout the world. He took the first step toward advancing modern philosophy, as we know it. His theories and ideas were a whole new concept that helped progress the western philosophy through all of later history. In conclusion, Socrates historical importance is great, due to his extreme influence on the evolution of the worlds ideas of philosophy. Even though Socrates never made written records of his work, his finest and most successful pupil, Plato, recorded much of his teachers accomplishments and deeds. From these history has learned so much as to be able to advance and heighten its entire philosophical viewpoints; and until this day, learn from the ancient philosopher, Socrates. INTERVEIW WITH A PHILOSOPHER: Mark ? Socrates, you were raised and educated in many different fields, why did you decide to spend your life as a philosopher? Socrates ? It is true that I have been educated in the arts, literature, and gymnastics as a youth; but in my continuing education as you may already know, I was taught by Anaxagoras, the famous early philosopher. His theories were not ones with which I would agree; such as those stating that all things were made of tiny substances which contained a little of everything, that the sun was a hot rock, and that the moon was made of earth. For these teachings, he was banished from Athens. Nevertheless, he was a good teacher and allowed me to realize that my philosophies were going to be antiscientific and quite different from his. My following philosophical teacher was Archelaus, with whom I studied mathematics, astronomy, and philosophy. I knew that my opinions and theories were strong, I had performing and arguing skills, and my ideas would consist of principles rather than sciences. The simple lifestyle of the philosopher appeals to me. I enjoyed the unusual behaviors that I associated myself with. All that really interested me was the great mysteries of philosophy, and the questions of knowing oneself, which I devoted my life to learning and teaching. Mark ? Your teaching was remarkable and much can be learned from studying it even after your death; why is that you never bothered to record your works for later generations? Socrates ? Many have asked this before and for quite obvious reasons. Most other noteworthy historical figures did keep a record of their works ever since the invention of written language, yet not one of mine exists in writing. I do not exactly know the reason for this. Whether there are records of my work or not, does not matter. I will forever be remembered by my loyal pupils, the Athenian population, and the world. Furthermore, nothing I ever said was of too great importance. And to tell you the truth, I never really wanted to take the time to keep useless records. That nonsense did not concern me nearly as much as most of my other problems as a philosopher. I had to make money somehow, to support my wife and three sons. As you might have guessed, being a philosopher does not exactly bring you riches. One of the reasons I began teaching was to make money. Also, I had to deal with many peoples constant hatred of me, mainly due to my victories in debates against them. Some, with high political positions, even wanted me dead at points of my life. And one even succeeded. So, you see, no matter how simple and easy going my life may seem, there are quite a few difficulties attached to it. Mark ? Your trial and death are quite interesting and famous historical events. They have been interpreted by many and confused some; what caused you to make such drastic and unusual decisions, the consequence of which you knew forehand? Socrates ? This I am aware of. As a matter of fact, some even claim that I was mentally ill, and blame that as the cause for my actions. This of course I deny. The truth includes a mixture between my philosophical beliefs and the thoughts that have occurred to me during my last days. I always believed that there is an after-life. And that must have somehow influenced my decisions. Even though the religious part of this came to me only afterwards. At first many others and I thought that this ridiculous trial was an obvious hoax. Who would have thought that such a crime, which I was evidently not guilty of, be punished by the death penalty. I fooled with the court. They on the other hand were quite serious about it. In the last days, I realized that there was no way out. True I could have argued with the court and won. I could have escaped using the plan devised by my dear friends. But since there was a high-ranking leader who wanted me dead, it was going to happen no matter what. Furthermore, my governmental beliefs stand true in all situations; the law should be followed and that is all. There was not much I was willing to do. After some thinking, I decided to go along with the law, after all, I had lived a happy life. One that I was proud of living, no matter how unusual it may appear to others. I was an old man of seventy. I found and understood myself, and had achieved happiness and goodness. There was nothing more that I desired. I knew what was waiting for me after death and was ready for it. Word Count: 2066.

TQM in Accounting Essays -- essays research papers

Accounting 43 Cost Accounting Costs of Total Quality Management Submitted By: August 4, 2004 Morris De Rosa Total Quality Management or TQM is a management strategy to embed awareness of quality in all organizational processes. The philosophy of TQM goes back to the 1940’s when Dr. Deming started his quality endeavors in Japan. TQM is an approach for continuously improving the quality of goods and services delivered through the participation of all levels and functions of the organization. TQM aims to do things right the first time, rather fix problems after they emerge or fester. ‘TQM is a management philosophy which seeks to integrate all organizational functions (marketing, finance, design, engineering, production and customer service†¦) to focus on meeting customers’ needs and organizational objectives)’ (Hammett 1). TQM may operate within quality circles which encourage the meeting of minds of the workforce to improve production and reduce waste. In a manufacturing organization, TQM generally starts by sampling a random selection of the product. The sam ple is then tested for things that matter to the real customers. The causes of any failures are isolated, secondary measures of the production process are designed, and then the causes of the failure are corrected. The statistical distributions of important measurements are tracked. When parts' measures drift out of the error band, the process is fixed. The error band is usually tighter than the failure band. The production process is thereby fixed before failing parts can be produced. It's important to record not just the measurement ranges, but what failures caused them to be chosen (Barfield 306). In that way, cheaper fixes can be substituted later, (say, when the product is redesigned), with no loss of quality. After TQM has been in use, it's very common for parts to be redesigned so that critical measurements either cease to exist, or become much wider. It took a while to develop tests to find emergent problems. One popular test is a "life test" in which the sample pr oduct is operated until a part fails. Another po... ...ld 318). The costs of a quality system must be managed so a reasonable value-to-price-relationship can be achieved. High quality will help a company increase profits through lower costs. It is critical that management focus on long term objectives instead of taking a limited outlook on growth and market share. The strategy of focusing on the customer and quality will equate to greater market share and higher profits. Reducing costs should be part of the continuous improvement process. Strategic cost management is the process of utilizing cost information to formulate and communicate strategies to all levels of the organization. A balance must be obtained to provide the customer with a quality product at a cost that provides for a profit for the company. The potential customer is becoming more and more conscious of quality. It makes sense for a business to cut their costs by improving the quality of the product thereby enhancing the appeal of a product or service in the market pla ce. The challenge is for each business to strive for the kind of business culture that will succeed in spite of the unknown and the unknowable. The quality management philosophy searches for this culture. TQM in Accounting Essays -- essays research papers Accounting 43 Cost Accounting Costs of Total Quality Management Submitted By: August 4, 2004 Morris De Rosa Total Quality Management or TQM is a management strategy to embed awareness of quality in all organizational processes. The philosophy of TQM goes back to the 1940’s when Dr. Deming started his quality endeavors in Japan. TQM is an approach for continuously improving the quality of goods and services delivered through the participation of all levels and functions of the organization. TQM aims to do things right the first time, rather fix problems after they emerge or fester. ‘TQM is a management philosophy which seeks to integrate all organizational functions (marketing, finance, design, engineering, production and customer service†¦) to focus on meeting customers’ needs and organizational objectives)’ (Hammett 1). TQM may operate within quality circles which encourage the meeting of minds of the workforce to improve production and reduce waste. In a manufacturing organization, TQM generally starts by sampling a random selection of the product. The sam ple is then tested for things that matter to the real customers. The causes of any failures are isolated, secondary measures of the production process are designed, and then the causes of the failure are corrected. The statistical distributions of important measurements are tracked. When parts' measures drift out of the error band, the process is fixed. The error band is usually tighter than the failure band. The production process is thereby fixed before failing parts can be produced. It's important to record not just the measurement ranges, but what failures caused them to be chosen (Barfield 306). In that way, cheaper fixes can be substituted later, (say, when the product is redesigned), with no loss of quality. After TQM has been in use, it's very common for parts to be redesigned so that critical measurements either cease to exist, or become much wider. It took a while to develop tests to find emergent problems. One popular test is a "life test" in which the sample pr oduct is operated until a part fails. Another po... ...ld 318). The costs of a quality system must be managed so a reasonable value-to-price-relationship can be achieved. High quality will help a company increase profits through lower costs. It is critical that management focus on long term objectives instead of taking a limited outlook on growth and market share. The strategy of focusing on the customer and quality will equate to greater market share and higher profits. Reducing costs should be part of the continuous improvement process. Strategic cost management is the process of utilizing cost information to formulate and communicate strategies to all levels of the organization. A balance must be obtained to provide the customer with a quality product at a cost that provides for a profit for the company. The potential customer is becoming more and more conscious of quality. It makes sense for a business to cut their costs by improving the quality of the product thereby enhancing the appeal of a product or service in the market pla ce. The challenge is for each business to strive for the kind of business culture that will succeed in spite of the unknown and the unknowable. The quality management philosophy searches for this culture.

Rise of Islam

Rise of Islam BY stall One of the greatest cultural spread experience in world history was the rise of Islam. Beginning in the Arabian peninsula and Middle east, It ruled over areas of Asia, Africa, and Europe. Islam was appealing to people In many different varieties of communities. It brought valuable changes as an outcome of correspondence while frequent In regards affiliating with orthodox local belief structure. Muslims urged new cultural proselytes for hundreds of years, beginning at around 700 CE.There were many conquests, far outstretched trade, and extended missionary movement. The geographical aspects of the Muslim people were fairly well accustomed by 1450 CE, which was the end of the post-classical period. Salami's spread was progressive though remarkably sudden given the substantial geography and assorted regions concerned in. So what really provoked Islam to distribute their culture throughout the globe? How did the intensity of Islam become so surreal? The answer is mi litary conquest, wide spread trade, political domination and religious ideas.A supporter of the spread of Islam was Its religious attractiveness. Islam represented the truth. They ad many fastened rules and laws. People were tempted by Islam due to peace, comfort, and security they distinguish In It. It also appealed to people that there was only one God (Allah), whom had no partner, son, companion or resemblance. The root of the word Islam Is Salem', meaning to be In peace with God. In document B (Verses from the Curran) it reads, â€Å"Those who submit to God and accept the true faith; who are devout sincere, patient, humble ,charitable, and chaste. This shows that Allah was fair to those who were fair to him, not bring unjust fairness to the people of Islam. Another cause of Salami's spread was due to their immense military force. Islam spread vastly to other cultures in a factor of military conquest, even though the religion was forbearing of other beliefs. Muslims rarely ever proceeded their religion with force unto people, commonly looking to charging a special tax on the opposition communities.The famous Jihad, or also known as the holy war recounted by the prophet Muhammad, was primarily used for defense of the faith. It was not used for forced conversion, even though there were minor exceptions. But the triumph of Muslim forces could generate a setting In which other people found It sensible to convert, or in which they were enticed to the religion plainly because of its visible power and accomplishment. During Muhammad' death in 632 CE, a large growth of Islam spread throughout the Arab's.This growth helped impel Arabs to an outpour of conquest, and military rapidly spread through the Middle East, involving the Byzantine Empire. North Africa was one untimely conquest. An unsteady median government, the caliphate, was devised for this West Asian- North African innards by Muhammad inheritors; it thrived until the thirteenth century. Political conquest was a major importance to the thriving of Islam. The Islamic government's primary aim was to Institute a truly Islamic society.Islam does not ponder society to be merely an assemblage of Individuals. Rather, It reckons that society also comprises of their social relationships and the social system In which these Individuals exist. These are perhaps the most ultimate factors of a society, as different isosceles are designated as being developed or undeveloped and complex or plain, according to edge and the structure of the overpowering political system, are all part of the compound web of social relationships that contribute to the structure of society.Therefore, an Islamic society, by visibility, is a supreme society in which social order is esteemed and managed according to fundamental Islamic benefits, teachings and rulings. Lastly, another aspect that caused the blooming of Islam was their extensive trade. The first converts were the Sudanese merchants, accompanied by a few rule rs and courtiers. The masses of rustic peasants, however, endure little grazed.In the lath century, the Lombardi interface, directed by a party of Barber nomads who were stern observers of Islamic law, gave the conversion process a new surge in the Ghana empire and past. The spread of Islam throughout the African continent was neither concurrent nor unvarying, but followed an unhurried and adaptive path. People who spoke of the Islamic religion and its ways of peace strode down the trade routes, spreading Islam to the merchants and people. In conclusion, the spread of Islam was due to the fact that they believed in peace, keeping religion stable and secure.

Meaning and History of the Surname Clement

From the Late Latin given name Clemens, the Clement surname means merciful and gentle. CLEMENT is the English version and CLÉMENT is French. CLEMENTE is a common  Italian and Spanish version of the surname, also originating from the given name Clemens. Surname Origin: French,  English, Dutch Alternate Surname Spellings: CLEMENS, CLEMENTS, CLEMENTE, CLEMMONS, CLEMONS, CLEMMENT Fun Fact  about the Surname Clement Clement was the name of fourteen different popes, including Saint Clement I, the fourth  pope and first of the Apostolic Fathers. Famous People with the Surname CLEMENT Gustave Adolphe Clà ©ment-Bayard -  19th-century French entrepreneur and industrialistJean-Pierre Clà ©ment - French economist and historianMartin W. Clement - 11th president of the Pennsylvania railroadNicolas Clà ©ment - French chemist- MLB baseball player and humanitarian Where is the CLEMENT Surname Most Common? According to surname distribution from  Forebears, the Clement surname is found most prevalently in Nigeria, but in the greatest numbers in France, where it ranks as the 75th most common surname in the country. Clement is also a fairly common last name in Luxembourg (195th most common surname), Wales (339th), Canada (428th) and Switzerland (485th). Genealogy Resources for the Surname CLEMENT French Surname Meanings and OriginsDoes your last name have origins in France? Learn about the various origins of French surnames and explore the meanings of some of the most common French last names. How to Research-French AncestryLearn about the various types of genealogical records available for researching ancestors in France and how to access them. Clement Clements Clemmons Y DNA ProjectJoin with other genealogists interested in combining Y-DNA testing with traditional genealogy research in order to identify common Clement ancestors worldwide. Surnames included in the project include Clement, Clements, Clemmons, Clemons and Clemens. Clement Family Crest - Its Not What You ThinkContrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Clement  family crest or coat of arms for the Clement surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male-line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted. CLEMENT Family Genealogy ForumSearch this popular genealogy forum for the Clement  surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Clement query. DistantCousin.com - CLEMENT  Genealogy Family HistoryExplore free databases and genealogy links for the last name Clement. GeneaNet - Clement  RecordsGeneaNet includes archival records, family trees, and other resources for individuals with the Clement  surname, with a concentration on records and families from France and other European countries. The Clement  Genealogy and Family Tree PageBrowse genealogy records and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the Clement  surname from the website of Genealogy Today. Sources Cottle, Basil.  Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Dorward, David.  Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998. Fucilla, Joseph.  Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003. Hanks, Patrick, and Flavia Hodges.  A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick.  Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Reaney, P.H.  A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997. Smith, Elsdon C.  American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.