FILA

Mo Tzu

"Against Offensive Warfare" pg. 476-477 -circa 425 BCE -wrote during the period of the Warring States -spoke chiefly of love, universal love, or the love of all human beings, which formed the cornerstone of Mohism -preached the pragmatic philosophy that people should only do that which produces tangible benefit for themselves and others, so he opposed much of what was revered in Chinese culture such as the observance of religious rituals, the staging of elaborate funerals, and the playing of music -believed war was a foolish waste of resources -uses a series of analogies between war and individual acts of violence or theft, which increases the persuasive power as he presents them and then asks how people can condemn all of the small atrocities and yet support the same actions when they are conducted on a large scale by states and armies

Martha Nussbaum

"Education for Profit, Education for Democracy" pg. 61-69 -2010, American philosopher -education should encourage critical self-examination and prepare students to be "citizens of the world" -provides two opposing ideas for education: education for economic growth and education for human development. Throughout the text, she provides many examples of downsides of education for economic growth, which include the loss of democracy, dignity, and quality of life for all people. Educational policies that focus on economic growth at any cost greatly endangers a free, democratic society. Instead of focusing on the availability of health and education for all and that the country develops in a way that serves and creates opportunities for each and every person, all of these things are often ignored in an education for economic growth. By doing so, the poor and less fortunate are ignored and are not given equal opportunities in order to achieve the possibility to thrive with a healthy, engaged, and educated life. Democracy is built on respect for every person and if one chooses to use an education for economic growth, then that one is also depriving democracy within the society

Malcolm X

"Learning to Read" excerpt from The Autobiography -There are many similarities in Frederick Douglass', Learning to Read, and in the excerpt from, "Learning to Read," by Malcolm X. Both of these authors were African Americans who lived during the nineteenth century. During this time, the struggle to abolish slavery of African Americans was very prominent. Both of these writers realized the importance of reading and writing and were willing to do anything necessary in order to learn as much as possible. Each of them studied, practiced copying, penmanship, and eventually realized that once they started learning, they always craved more and were no longer able to ignore or be blind to the intensity of the current issues. Finally, they both became very famous and respected and constantly spoke on behalf of the evilness of slavery. However, the way in which they received their educations were very different. Douglass was very young when he started to seek out the ability to read and write. He was enslaved, which made it very difficult to acquire books, things that would help him to read and write, and it was an unpardonable offense to teach slaves how to read. Nonetheless, he did not give up, but he instead, did everything that he possibly could in order to learn. While reading one book, he was able to relate to the Catholic teaching, which he understood to be that they denounced slavery and powerfully vindicated human rights. On the other hand, Malcolm X had a quite different experience. Malcolm wished to broaden his education in order to successfully write letters to people of whom he believed would be able to help solve the issue of slavery. He was persuaded to further his education while in prison by merely asking for the supplies and received them quite easily compared to Douglass. After Malcolm's excessive reading, he discovered and was brought to believe that Christian's only extended Christ's teachings of meek, humble, and Christlike behaviors were only shared amongst other whites, which is very different from Douglass's view. Both of these authors had similarities between them, but they also had their very own experiences, which were quite different from one another.

Frederick Douglass

"Learning to Read" pg. 24-29 -1845 -There are many similarities in Frederick Douglass', Learning to Read, and in the excerpt from, "Learning to Read," by Malcolm X. Both of these authors were African Americans who lived during the nineteenth century. During this time, the struggle to abolish slavery of African Americans was very prominent. Both of these writers realized the importance of reading and writing and were willing to do anything necessary in order to learn as much as possible. Each of them studied, practiced copying, penmanship, and eventually realized that once they started learning, they always craved more and were no longer able to ignore or be blind to the intensity of the current issues. Finally, they both became very famous and respected and constantly spoke on behalf of the evilness of slavery. However, the way in which they received their educations were very different. Douglass was very young when he started to seek out the ability to read and write. He was enslaved, which made it very difficult to acquire books, things that would help him to read and write, and it was an unpardonable offense to teach slaves how to read. Nonetheless, he did not give up, but he instead, did everything that he possibly could in order to learn. While reading one book, he was able to relate to the Catholic teaching, which he understood to be that they denounced slavery and powerfully vindicated human rights. On the other hand, Malcolm X had a quite different experience. Malcolm wished to broaden his education in order to successfully write letters to people of whom he believed would be able to help solve the issue of slavery. He was persuaded to further his education while in prison by merely asking for the supplies and received them quite easily compared to Douglass. After Malcolm's excessive reading, he discovered and was brought to believe that Christian's only extended Christ's teachings of meek, humble, and Christlike behaviors were only shared amongst other whites, which is very different from Douglass's view. Both of these authors had similarities between them, but they also had their very own experiences, which were quite different from one another.

Hsun Tzu

"Man's Nature is Evil" pg. 84-92 -circa 300 BCE, China, Confucian -wrote sustained, well-developed philosophical arguments that seem quite familiar to the modern day, but was different during his days -believed strict guidance and discipline could make human beings good despite their natural inclinations -things that steered people towards righteousness were; teachers, education, music, ritual, and law

Mencius

"Man's Nature is Good" pg. 78-82 -wrote during the period of the Warring States in China (475-221 BCE), Confucian -series of conversations between Mencius and the philosopher Kao Tzu and his disciples -Kao Tzu believed that human nature was neither inherently good nor inherently evil but a "blank slate" that could be conditioned in both directions. The love that people feel toward their relatives stems from internal human nature, but the respect that people show for strangers must be conditioned by external forces -Mencius and his disciple Kung-tu insist that both love and respect proceed from internal feelings that form part of human beings' nature -uses a lot of parables and metaphors to explain his reasoning

Tawakkol Karman

"Nobel Lecture" pg. 524-531 -2011, Yemeni journalist and human rights activist who became the first Arab woman and the youngest person ever to win the Nobel Peace Prize -Karman defines war as unnecessary. She believes that war can be avoided with wisdom and courage. Instead of partaking in war in a violent and destructive way with weapons and murder, peace can be achieved by nonviolent protest filled with dreams, love, and peace. Karman's definition is quite different from Aquinas' view of war because he believes some war is acceptable as long as it is just and has a proper cause. However, Karman believes that all war is unnecessary and can be avoided. Karman's underlying assumption behind her argument for nonviolence is based on her view that one day, peace will replace war. She believes that one day each and every human person will be guaranteed the value of freedom, truth, justice, and cooperation. This is very significant because it demonstrates that her view of human nature is in essence, naturally good and peace will eventually prevail throughout the world.

Coates

"The Case for Reparations" parts I-III -describes the problems and struggles for the average African American. Throughout the article he speaks mainly about one African American individual named Clyde Ross. He discusses his overall struggle of being an African American in America and some of the experiences he had encountered along the way. He described examples in which African Americans are more likely to be profiled and are thought to have committed crimes more than someone white. He also explains how being a minority and discriminated, affects their daily lives, especially in regards to their education and life styles. Half a century ago, African Americans were not free, but rather they were very limited to what they were able to do in America. Martin Luther King Jr.'s, Letter from Birmingham Jail, and Coates, "The Cases for Reparation," both use rhetorical approach. Both of them use logos, ethos, and pathos throughout their works. However, I think MLK's writings established a stronger foundation of logos and ethos along with pathos, while Coates mostly relied on pathos for the majority of his work. King used a more sophisticated and powerful tone and richly included examples from his own and the entire African American community as a whole, while Coates was more of a narrative of one individual's problems and struggles that he encountered throughout his own lifetime. Nonetheless, the audience for both of them was the African American community and America in general, in order to abolish discrimination throughout all of society.

Margaret Mead

"Warfare: An Invention-Not a Biological Necessity" pg. 500-506 -1940, Time Magazine named anthropologist "Mother of the World", Columbia University, born in Philadelphia in 1901, essay -believes that people can change by learning from other cultures -draws on her vast experience with other cultures to refute the popular argument that the inherent aggressiveness of human beings makes warfare inevitable.. illustrates throughout many examples that a trait cannot be considered "universal" if there are people anywhere who do not possess it -she uses the example about Eskimos that, "They have no permanent possessions that can be looted, no towns that can be burned. They have no social classes to produce stress and strains within the society which might force it to go to war outside. Doesn't the absence of war among the Eskimo, while disproving the biological necessity of war, just go to confirm the point that it is the state of development of the society which accounts for war, and nothing else?" I think this relates to the main argument because it demonstrates Mead's belief that even though human beings have an inherent aggressiveness, it does not mean warfare is inevitable. This quote is expressing the fact that Eskimos who have the most reason to act out warfare, decide to live a life of peace and harmony instead. They do not have anything worth stealing or destroyed, nor any social statuses that would put a strain on them in a time of war. They have nothing to lose, but so much to gain if they were to go to war with anyone outside of their community. The fact that they choose not to go to war demonstrates that even though humanity might be prone to aggressiveness and violence, it does not mean that they will then necessarily go to war just like the Eskimos choose to rather live a life of peace.

Appelbaum

"Why America's Business Majors Are in Desperate Need of a Liberal-Arts Education" -article -In Seneca's, "On Liberal and Vocational Studies," he deferred greatly from his contemporaries in 55 CE. He believed that the liberal arts were the raw materials that one can use in order to build a virtuous life. In Appelbaum's article, "Why America's Business Magora Are in Desperate Need of a Liberal-Arts Education," he states that in order to succeed in the long term, students need the education that will allow them to grow, adapt, and contribute as citizens. Both of these authors believe that in order to have a successful and virtuous life, it is absolutely necessary to have an adequate liberal arts education. Business want people who have active minds, ask big questions, have the ability to think, write, and understand the cultural and historical contexts that relate to decision making. If one is not able to think broadly, contribute to society, or lead fulfilling lives, then what is the point of receiving an education at all?

Dorothea Lange

Migrant Mother pg. 568-569 -1936 -photograph of a mother of 7 children while working for the federal government's Depression-era agency that attempted to combat rural poverty by purchasing land from subsistence farmers and resettling the farmers on larger tracts of land where they could work in large collectives under the supervision of government scientists

Barack Obama

_A More Perfect Union_ pg. 460-471 -2008, born in Hawaii in 1961, elected U.S. President in 2008, re-elected in 2012 -supports his argument with anecdotes, historical facts, and logical reasoning; however, underlying these strategies is the creation of ethos which is sympathetic to the diverse perspectives on race held by different members of audience -refers to his own personal experiences as a multiracial American in order to establish his authority to speak knowledgeably from several perspectives

Abraham Bosse

_Frontispiece of Thomas Hobbe's Leviathan_ pg. 414-415 -1651, artist and paintmaker, born in Paris to German immigrant parents -Hobbes argues that the only power capable of preventing the "war of all against all" that would occur if human beings were left to their own natures -etching is dominated by a giant crowned figure whose body is composed entirely of other people -sovereign is a single person, but that person's sovereignty comprises the natural sovereignty of all the people, which they voluntarily cede to the state in exchange for the civil peace that allows them to maximize their own happiness -sovereign holds both a sword (symbol of military force) and a crosier (an emblem of religious authority) -a powerful sovereign can create a safe and orderly society when supported by the people of the state, but when people rebel against a legitimately constituted authority, they jeopardize the entire body politic of which they are a part

William Hogarth

_Gin Lane_ pg. 548-549 -1751 -by the middle 17th century, gin had become one of the cheapest and most destructive forces in urban England -both a symptom and a cause of extreme poverty and high rates of infant mortality that became the staples of urban life during his lifetime -dramatizes the horrific poverty and deprivation that occur in places where cheap gin abounds.. the scene emphasizes the effect of gin on children in the center, a baby falls while its drunken mother reaches for a pinch of snuff, a child cries as its mother is placed into a coffin, a mother pours gin down the throat of her infant, and a drunken man marches down the street waving a baby impaled on a stick

Pablo Picasso

_Guernica_ pg. 497-498 -1937, Spanish painter and sculptor, one of the most influential artists who ever lived -worked with French artist Georges Braque to develop a new artistic style that was eventually called "cubism." The artistic theory behind cubism holds that an object must be seen from multiple perspectives to be truly understood -painting presents its subject from multiple perspectives all shown at once as part of the same image -commissioned by the Spanish Republican government for the 1937 Paris World's Fair -painting depicts the bombing of Guernica by German and Italian forces during the Spanish Civil War -created as a response to the brutality of the bombing and the senselessness war

Aung San Suu Kyi

_In Quest of Democracy_ pg. 442-448 -she believes the government has many responsibilities. She thinks the duties of the government are liberality, morality, self-sacrifice, integrity, kindness, austerity, non-anger, non-violence, forbearance, and non-opposition to the will of the people. She provides deeper details and examples for each duty that she believes the government is responsible for. A ruler should always be looking out for the best interest of the people, instead of himself. In order to achieve prosperity and security, it is important for the people and their leader to be united. -she then applies these principles to the present definition of "democracy" -the essential elements of democracy, fairness, and respect for human rights, she asserts has always been present in the Buddhist traditions of her people

Martin Luther King Jr.

_Letter from Birmingham Jail_ pg. 425-460 -1963 -civil rights leader, nonviolence -local judge unconstitutionally forbade him and others from engaging in protest activities, he defied the order and went to jail -youngest person at 35 to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize -uses ethos, logos, and pathos -In Martin Luther King Jr.'s, Letter from Birmingham Jail, the quote that I found to be the most moving and powerful was when he said, "Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust. All segregation statutes are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality. It gives the segregator a false sense of superiority, and the segregated a false sense of inferiority." I chose this quote because I firmly agree with his statement. Any law that degrades or sees an individual as anything less than human is unjust. People do not realize that segregation greatly affects people mentally, physically, and emotionally which King uses to help strengthen his main argument. All people, no matter one's race nor skin color, have feelings and emotions. No one is greater than or less than any other person. All people are equal and that is the way we should treat one another on a daily basis

Thomas Hobbes

_Leviathan_ pg. 94-98 1651, civil war in England between King Charles 1 and the British Parliament under the leadership of Oliver Cromwell -chapter from within book -believed that humanity's original state of nature was so horrible and people in their natural state so degenerate, that any form of government was preferable to it. -He opposed revolution in any form, not because he thought that kings ruled by divine right, but because he believed authoritarian governments were necessary to keep human beings' worst impulses under control -natural state of humanity is war -human life is "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short" -begins by defining the nature of individual human beings and then generalizes this characterization to apply to entire societies

Eugene Delacroix

_Liberty Leading the People_ pg. 494-495 - 28 July 1830, French artist who was the most famous and influential to the Romantic painters -rejected the balanced, moderate images of the proceeding Neoclassical period and emphasized passion and imagination in the creation of beauty -created to celebrate the July 1830 Revolution; however the painting has become associated with the French Revolution of 1789 -Liberty is allegorically portrayed as a partially nude woman who is striding through a battlefield wearing a Phrygian cap (a hat traditionally associated with liberty in both classical times and during the French Revolution), carrying a musket in one hand and a French flag in the other -controversy about the painting at first, but is now a recognizable symbol of the idealism behind the French Revolution and of the proposition that freedom must sometimes be won through armed conflict

Garrett Hardin

_Lifeboat Ethics: The Case against Helping the Poor_ pg. 582-592 -1974 -explains why it is necessary for people to understand why it is important to recognize the earth for what it truly is. He explains throughout many examples that the earth has a certain carrying capacity and if we exceed it, the ending will result in human catastrophe. Many people choose to take advantage of the earth's resources for themselves, which in the end, not only hurts themselves, but society in general. The earth can only provide for so much and once we use all of the resources available, there will only be misery and a threat to humanity's existence in its entirety

Seneca

_On Liberal and Vocational Studies_ pg.13-19 -circa 55 CE -In Seneca's, "On Liberal and Vocational Studies," he deferred greatly from his contemporaries in 55 CE. He believed that the liberal arts were the raw materials that one can use in order to build a virtuous life. In Appelbaum's article, "Why America's Business Magora Are in Desperate Need of a Liberal-Arts Education," he states that in order to succeed in the long term, students need the education that will allow them to grow, adapt, and contribute as citizens. Both of these authors believe that in order to have a successful and virtuous life, it is absolutely necessary to have an adequate liberal arts education. Business want people who have active minds, ask big questions, have the ability to think, write, and understand the cultural and historical contexts that relate to decision making. If one is not able to think broadly, contribute to society, or lead fulfilling lives, then what is the point of receiving an education at all?

St. Thomas Aquinas

_Summa Theologica_ pg. 483-486 -1265-1274, born into aristocrat family in Italy, against strong objections of his family he joined the newly found Dominican Order and began studying theology -introduces a proposition and lists possible objections to it; he then restates his position clearly and succintly, citing both the Bible and the writings of the Church fathers, and proceeds to answer the objections in order -lays down the conditions that must be met for an armed conflict to be considered a "just war" -Christian nations struggled to reconcile warfare with a religioin that emphasizes peace, his conditions became the foundation for the "just war theory" in Christian doctrine that the Catholic Church still applies to wars

Lao Tzu

_Tao Te Ching_ pg. 384-394 -600-400 BCE -verse form -overall argument is that human beings constitute a small part of a much larger whole known as "the Way" -humans cannot change the Way; it goes on with or without our presence, but we can work to bring our lives in accordance with its principles -creates memorable phrases, while forcing us to creat our own reconciliations of the supposed contradictions -he repeats many ideas and words throughout the text, which is very significant. Throughout the text he repeats the idea of the Way, virtue, moderation, ruling, and war. It is significant that he repeats these words and ideas multiple times because it demonstrates his belief that humans cannot change the Way, but we can work to bring our lives in accordance with its principles. We as humans are not able to change the Way because it is out of our control and we should not attempt to change it because it is not our right to do so. Even though we cannot change the Way, we can still learn to abide by it and live a life of virtue and moderation, obeying authority's rules, and by not partaking in unnecessary war. All of these ideas are what Taoist's believe to be true as well, which is important because of the time period Tzu composed this writing during the Period of the Warring States

Ruth Benedict

_The Individual and the Pattern of Culture_ pg. 112-121 -1934, Columbia University, anthropologist -believed that cultures should be studied without the prejudices that most people experience when they encounter lifestyles and values different than their own -cultural anthropologists observed other cultures impartially, evaluated them on the cultures' own terms, and described their findings without inserting their own values into the descriptions.. Benedict called this approach "cultural relativism," referring to the belief that "right" and "wrong" were defined by individual cultures and could not be generalized in any fashion to all people and socities -she rejects the assumption that an inherent conflict exists between the needs of the individual and the needs of the society and argues instead that individuals and society form an integrated whole, with individual personalities contributing to the fabric of a culture, and with a cultural fabric constraining the range of choices that any individual can make -character traits that occur across the spectrum of the human society are interpreted in very different ways by different cultures, leading to different kinds of lives for those who possess them -builds her argument on the form of inductive reasoning known as generalization. She specifically examines the conventions of several historical and contemporary societies and uses her conclusions as the basis for an argument about human nature in general

Marevasei Kachere

_War Memoir_ pg. 514-519 -1998, colony formerly known as Rhodesia was renamed Republic of Zimbabwe -born into a agricultural family, government later forced entire village into a "keep" or a fortified area that could be guarded and locked down to prevent people from feeding and sheltering guerilla fighters -story of how war affects the most vulnerable members of a society -A memoir is a historical account or biography written from personal knowledge or special sources -writes her perspective of war from the viewpoint of a teenage girl combatant who had very little money or education. Kachere was never invited to join the Liberation Struggle, but was basically forced into it because of the conditions that she was living in. She decided to join the Liberation Struggle in order to escape the constant threat of being beaten. In fact, the punishment she had received caused her hearing to be impaired. At first the comrades did not want to accept her since she a female and so young, but eventually they had agreed. At the time, she did not regret her decision to join the Liberat Struggle. Although, now that she is older and looking back at her life, she states that she would never recommend her daughter to follow her example. After they celebrated Zimbabwean independence, the people who fought were promised many things in return for their hard work and dedication. However, eighteen years later, the promises were still left unfulfilled. Once they did receive their money monthly, Kachere still believes that it was not worth it because overall, her health was affected eternally, the money was too little and came too late, and she had suffered for way too long.