Friday, December 27, 2019

Analysis Of Blood On The Forge By William Attaway

A Change of Culture Culture has the power of informing you of someone’s identity. It is said that culture is the way of life a group of people follow, meaning their behaviors, beliefs, values, and symbols that identify them as where they came from, who they are, and who they can become. On the other hand, we know that culture is always changing and adapting to the lifestyle and advances of the present day. This can happen by the adaptation groups of people have suffered in order to achieve a better way of living other than the one they’ve previously had. Examples of these changes can be seen with the â€Å"Great Migration† in the 1900s. A movement in which many African Americans moved to the North to work and settle in the steel mills in search of a better life. In Blood on the Forge by William Attaway, we are able to in fact prove that culture can change and adaptation plays a key role in our existence. The book portrays this change through the life and experie nces of the Moss brothers and their lifestyle from Kentucky to Pennsylvania. With that of culture comes our identity through music. The â€Å"death of the blues† serves as an example in how culture is put up to the challenge of change. Melody, Chinatown, and Big Mat represent â€Å"the loss of folk culture which accompanied the Great Migration of Black people from the rural South to the industrial North† (Waldron 58). As we begin to read, we are able to interpret their lives and identity in the South through Melody’s music. This

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Analysis Of The Book The Trojan War - 872 Words

In the 13th century, a war like no other took place that shook Heaven and Earth. It was called the Trojan War. The war was cause over the young prince Paris kidnapping the queen of Greek at that time Helen. Dark force dealing with gods and kings that wanted power to ruler over the world. This would give birth to countless legends, heroes, story’s pass on throughout generations. This war would also be the first to show how to use strategy in a war like manner to overcome any odds. While visiting Greece, the young prince, of Troy Paris, fell in love with the world most beautiful woman, Helen. Upon his depart Paris decide to kidnap the queen of the Greeks, and take her with him to his homeland of Troy. Seeing this as an excellent opportunity to bring down the great wall of Troy Agamemnon decide it was best to wage war. King Menelaus, Helen husband at that time and king of Greek feel with such anger he agreed with his brother Agamemnon plan. He gave two order bring back Helen, and burn the city of Troy. This led Agamemnon to find some of Greeks greatest warriors also; he ended up seeking out the help of that man. Resting on an unknown island set a blonde hair man with blue eyes reading a letter with a confuse look on his face that man name was Achilles the half god half human son of the goddess Thetis. â€Å"Calling upon his good friend Odysseus they head out with over fifty ships, and 2,500 soldiers to bring down the great city of Troy. After Achilles arrive on Troy many battlesShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Book The Trojan War A New History 1460 Words   |  6 Pages Adrian Olivas September 8, 2015 Classics 40 Mr. Smith 4:00 Berry Strauss’s â€Å"The Trojan War a New History† Book Review Barry Strauss, professor of classics at Cornell University attempts to redefine a one of history’s biggest love affairs, the Trojan War. Strauss explains how certain events and characters from Homers â€Å"The Odyssey† might have actually existed, but also uses modern discoveries from the Bronze Age to compare Homers account to those of Egypt, the Middle EastRead MoreThe Iliad : Greeks And Their Love For War1568 Words   |  7 PagesCLAS1101 The Iliad: Greeks and Their Love for ‘War’ It has long been a popular scholarly opinion that the Greeks in the Iliad were lovers of war and violence. The Greeks were most definitely primal beasts, and blood shedders, a fact made abundantly clear in the Iliad. However, I think that the Greeks were not lovers of war, furthermore I think this interpretation is shortsighted. The amount of violence in the Iliad seems to be evidence for their love of war, but the ancient world was primal and passionateRead MoreThe Truth Behind The Myth1471 Words   |  6 PagesThe Iliad is the story of the Trojan war, while The Odyssey is about Odysseus’ ten year adventure home from the war. â€Å"The story of the Trojan War, the Bronze Age conflict between the kingdoms of Troy and Mycenaean Greece, straddles the history and mythology of ancient Greece and inspired the greatest writers of antiquity† (Trojan War, history.com). Homer’s poem paints a very vivid picture when it comes to his recount of the war. He describes in g reat detail how the war went on for ten years and howRead MoreHelen Of Troy1455 Words   |  6 PagesClytemnestra. In Greek myths, she was considered the most beautiful woman in the world. By marriage she was Queen of Laconia, a province within Homeric Greece, the wife of King Menelaus. Her abduction by Paris, Prince of Troy, brought about the Trojan War. Elements of her putative biography come from classical authors such as Aristophanes, Cicero, Euripides and Homer (both The Iliad and The Odyssey). In her youth she was abducted by, or eloped with, Theseus, and in some accounts bore him a childRead MoreCritical Analysis Of The Iliad1714 Words   |  7 Pagescenturies. The story covers intense battles in which the Greeks take on the Trojans. Homer does a fantastic job of bringing the poem to life and uses the gods to show the scale of the tale. While the poem is well written and grabs the reader’s attention, upon further analysis one can conclude that there is a serious problem concerning the tension between personal desire and rational ethical thinking. Throughout the book this conflict appears time and time again and puts to question exactly how theRead MoreA Comparative Analysis of Odysseus and Achilles Essay1207 Words   |  5 PagesA Comparative Analysis of Odysseus and Achilles The Trojan War was more than a series of battles between opposing forces, it was the climax of an age of heroes. The retrieval of Helen brought together many of the mythological characters of that time onto a single stage. Of the thousands of brave men who fought at Ilion, two men stood above the masses, sharing the title of hero. They were born in the line of those on Mt. Olympus, favored by the gods. Excelling in courage and skill, adored by thoseRead MoreThe Iliad: Literary Analysis1552 Words   |  7 PagesThe Iliad: Literary Analysis Throughout The Iliad, an epic poem written by Homer, there were numerous warriors and other characters that could be looked upon as heroes; some of these heroes included Achilles, Ajax, Diomedes, Hector, and Glaucus. All of these individuals were heroes because of their remarkable mental and physical strength: they were courageous and were better fighters in war than other ordinary men. The trade of battle was a way of life to the Greeks back in Homer’s time. ChildrenRead MoreThe Eruption Of The Iliad1558 Words   |  7 Pages2015 Humanization of The Iliad The eruption of the Trojan War might stand as one of the most relevant events in Greek mythology. A raging war between kings and gods alike shed blood bath, eventually bringing Troy to a crumble. Was the war intended to be a battle between the mortals? Throughout the epic of Homer’s The Iliad, the gods take on human characteristics, allowing their feelings guide them, intervening, through the war. Before the war began, there was a wedding feast to honor Thetis andRead MoreIliad’s Dilemmas with the Definition Piety 846 Words   |  3 Pagesbetween humans and gods or vise versa. However, one can interpret that after reading book one, six, and seven of The Iliad by Homer, that there are dilemmas that are associated with this definition. The three examples that shows this are: In book one, when Homer mentioned the communication between Achilles and Athene, in book six, which explained the exchange that was made by the woman of troy to Athene and in book 7, where the Achaians did not sacrifice anything to Zeus. The communication betweenRead MoreAeneid Analysis789 Words   |  4 PagesAeneid By Virgil Written 19 B.C.E Translated by John Dryden Analysis Jazymn Talley SNHU Analysis The intention of Virgil s poem, Aeneid, is to romanticize the origins of the Roman Empire. Aeneid shares many characteristic to Grecian writer Homer s Epic poems the Iliad and the Odyssey. Much of Roman culture is modeled after or inspired by the Greeks, especially the arts. Roman art, writings, religion, and celebrations were on the rise as they experienced a time of rest, enabling them

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Why Were the Corn Laws Repealed in 1846 free essay sample

Although the repeal of the Corn Laws is one of the most studied questions in 19th century tariff politics, its historical interpretations are still disputable today. The repeal of the Corn Laws is historically relevant because of â€Å"its alleged significance as an indication of the waning of aristocratic domination of British politics† (McKeown 1989: 353). Historiography has to solve the following empirical puzzle: in 1846 Charles Villiers (a leading member of the Anti-Corn Law League in parliament) proposed total and immediate repeal of the Corn Laws, just as he had in preceding years. The motion was overwhelmingly defeated. Yet, only a few weeks later, Peel laid his motion for repeal before the House. By 16 May, Peel’s version of repeal had passed its third reading (Brawley 2006: 467). Sir Robert Peel counted on more than 300 votes for passage of repeal in 1846, implying a winning margin of 90 votes (McKeown 1989: 356). However, this shift in political support began as soon as 1842. Moreover, from the beginning of their implementation the Corn Laws were not without controversy in the Tory Party itself (section 5). After having sketched the historical debate (section 2), as well as the implementation of the Corn Laws with the Importation Act 1815 (section 3), this essay analyses in how far external shocks (4), theoretical development (5) or interest groups (6) contributed most to the policy reform in 1846. Another possible cause of the repeal might be found in the different understanding of the adjustment process of repeal, changing the interests of landowners (7). Finally, this essay concludes that several long term developments, the increasing fear of a new Irish Famine as well as the changing nature of landowners’ interests can explain why the Corn Laws were repealed. Furthermore, Peel as a person plays a role insofar as he was open to new evidence and can be considered as an undogmatic politician: a typical representative of British Empiricism. 2. THE HISTORICAL DEBATE Originally the Corn Laws were designed to protect cereal producers in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland against competition from less expensive foreign imports between 1815 and 1846. The high import duties, which were imposed by the Importation Act of 1815 (repealed by the Importation Act of 1846) prevented the import of grain from other countries. The Corn Laws improved the economic situation of landowners by increasing the price of grain and inducing cultivation on less productive land; the land rents thus increased. Since grain was the major consumption good of labourers, the high price of grain necessitated an increase in the nominal wages of labourers and thusly reduced the profits of manufactures (Irwin 1996: 94). The essential matter was therefore food prices, since the price of grain influenced the price of the most important food staple: bread. 3. THE IMPORTATION ACT OF 1815 The Importation Act of 1815 thus â€Å"provided protection to British agriculture, primarily benefiting the landlords who dominated parliament† (Irwin 1989: 41). Landowners were a long-established class, who were heavily represented in Parliament. The Tory Party, dominated by the landowning aristocracy, and Peel supported protection of agriculture in the form of the restrictive Corn Law of 1815. Additionally, the political representation of the landowners’ interests was supported by Malthus at his concern about the dependence on foreign supply (Irwin 1996: 95-97). After having sketched the political and economic logic of the implementation of the Corn Laws, this essay will deal with the question as to how and why the Corn Laws got repealed in 1846. I will consider whether it was the shocks or long-range developments, a shift in political representation of interest groups or the change of personal or public beliefs, which caused the repeal. 4. AN EXTERNAL SHOCK: THE GREAT FAMINE One of the most obvious explanations can be found in using external shocks leading to the different policy outcomes in 1846. As stated in the first section, on 1st of March 1846, Charles Villiers’ proposition to repeal the Corn Laws clearly failed as in preceding years. On March 7th, John Mitchel, one of the leading political writers of the Irish newspaper â€Å"Young Ireland†, wrote an article on English Rule that people could expect a famine any time soon and that this event would be not attributed to the rule of heaven as to the greedy and cruel policy of England† (Mitchel 1846). Although the government had â€Å"received already urgent notices beginning in October 1845 of a failure of the Irish potato crop, raising the fear of famine† (Irwin 1989: 52), this article expressed a new form of criticism of English trade policies. This indicates two things: first, that political pressure from Ireland increased during 1846. Second, that the famine had begun before March 1846. Therefore, the increase of the political pressure as well as the manifestation of the â€Å"Great Hunger† could have influenced the voting process in the House of Commons by 16 May. Irwin (1989: 53), however, disagrees with the view that the increasing fear of a famine would have pushed Peel to repeal the Corn Laws. If Peel would have still been convinced of the necessity to protect agricultural production, a temporary suspension had been more sufficient. This contrasts with the argument that a suspension would have made an ultimate re-imposition not only highly risky at the possible cost of violent public controversy, but would also confess that an Irish famine was at least partly promoted by the Corn Laws (Gash 1961: 593-4 and Black 1960: 143). A temporary suspension would have lead to a de facto repeal. Though, an aspect which weakens the role of the beginning Irish famine, points at the grain prices, which were higher in the early part of the debate than they were when the Corn Laws were repealed (McKeown 1989: 356). The economic situation was economically not worse in Ireland in 1846 than during the years before. In addition to that, McKeown argues that the shift in political support in the House of Commons took place over four years. Peel lost faith in the Corn Laws even over a long period starting before 1841 (McLean 2001: 53-4). Furthermore, from a public choice perspective the shift â€Å"can hardly be reconciled with the degree of economic change in that four-year period especially since there was no general election in that period† (McLean: 355). . THEORETICAL DEVELOPMENT AND ITS EFFECT ON POLICY MAKING The paradigm shift away from mercantilism in the intellectual history of free trade also played an important role: From the â€Å"eighteenth-century† rule onwards, which laid the path for the development of a theory of comparative advantage from 1815 on, by Torrens, Ricardo as well as James and John Stuart Mill, (Irwin 1996: 93) heavily influenced how politicians thought abou t the Corn Laws. John Stuart Mill argues that â€Å"if there were nothing in the whole process but a transfer; if whatever is lost by the consumer and by the capitalist were gains by the landlord; there might be robbery, but there would not be waste, there might be a worse distribution of the national wealth, but there would be no positive diminution of this aggregate wealth† (Mill 1814: 399ff cited in Irwin 1996: 93). Protectionist duties, instead, lead in any case to an absolute loss. According to Mill it would be even better to repeal the Corn Laws and to fully compensate the farmer for his loss caused by this policy. Moreover, all leading economists of the first half of the nineteenth century favoured free trade in their writings (Irwin 1996: 93). How these developments influenced Peel, the central figure in the repeal of the Corn Laws, in his view on the Corn Laws has been well described by Irwin (1989): first, although the Tories were the party which mainly represented landowners’ interests, they had a greater affinity with free trade than the Whigs (White 1968 cited in Irwin 1989: 43). The protection of agriculture was seen as an exception to the general rule of free trade and not as the status quo. Second, Peel did accept the principle of agricultural protection as an inheritance from his party in the 1820s and 1830s. This also becomes evident in his memoirs, in which he writes that he, in an early period in his public life, adopted â€Å"the opinions generally prevalent at the time among men of all parties, as to the justice and necessity of protection to domestic agriculture† (Peel et al. 1856 cited in Irwin 1989: 45). Third, Peel was inclined towards repeal long before 1846. In his speech on the 15th of March 1839, Peel, taking into account the worsening of the manufacturers’ economic situation, hinted at a possible repeal if no new evidence showing that the Corn Laws are consistent with the general interests of the country can be produced. In 1842, Peel proposed amendments to the original Corn Laws and acknowledged that unless given any new insights he would not oppose new amendments, even though he was the author of the new law (Irwin 1989: 46). All three of these aspects show that Peel’s attitude towards the Corn Laws has always been far from rigid. In all of his speeches, and later on in his memoirs, an increasingly critical evaluation of the Corn Laws became the norm. By the end of 1843 Gladstone noted that Peel mentioned â€Å"a strong opinion that the next change in the Corn Laws would be to total In early 1844, Cobden delivered a particularly cogent appeal in Parliament against the Corn Laws and, so the story goes, Peel crumpled up his notes for reply and turned to a minister next to him and said, â€Å"You must answer this, for I cannot. In early 1845, Cobden was of the opinion that Peel favored repeal and was just searching for a pretext to say so. Finally, Peel indicated to Prince Albert in late 1845 that he would have announced his new convictions before a general election in 1847 had not the Irish situation arisen giving him the opportunity to do so (Irwin 1989: 50-51). In late 1845, Peel’s decisio n to repeal the Corn Laws precipitated a deep split in the Cabinet. Since the Whigs failed to form a government, Peel resumed office in a dominant political position. In early 1846, Peel announced his plan for a three year phase out of the Corn Laws in conjunction with other tariff reductions† (Irwin 1989: 52). In general, Peel claimed it was the empirical relationship between wages and prices of taxed goods and not theoretical developments which indicated to him that the Corn Laws did vastly harm the labour force. On the other hand, what can be stated is that Peel was influenced, even in 1815, by the idea of free trade, making the debate about the form of the Corn Laws an empirical not an ideological matter. The progress in trade theory can go so far as to explain Peels openness towards evidence, leading to his proposal to finally repeal the Corn Laws. The increasing fear of an Irish famine explains the fact that he did not wait until 1847. 6. THE ROLE OF INTEREST GROUPS So far, though, the most obvious interest group in the context of the Corn Laws has not yet been considered: [The] well-defined and politically quite influential interest group [the landowners] who benefitted from duties on corn, while the costs of the duties were widely dispersed (McKeown 1989: 356). The question is, how far this interest group’s relative political power had declined. Many interpretations see this as a triumph of bourgeois, particularly manufacturing interests. The limitations of this theory, however, are obvious, since the large shift in House of Commons voting on the Corn Laws between 1842 and 1846 occurred in the absence of a general election, in a period of moderate economic growth, and with no obvious discontinuities in economic development (McKeown 1989: 358). According to McKeown (1989: 355) the only way that a policy change could have been explained lies in a changing price or quantity of output, degree of producer, consumer or geographic concentration, or in a shift in comparative advantage in the protected sector or in sectors that are strongly affected by the imposition of protection. However, this was not the case (McKeown 1989: 357-361). Another explanation could have been found in the (perceived) increasing pressure by the Anti-Corn Law League via a change in the organisational structure of the League. Yet, this remains doubtful since the most intense pressure from the League came in 1842-43, with the large public demonstrations, the bungled assassination attempt on Peel’s life, and a hostile verbal clash in Parliament with Cobden. As the economy recovered strength, social unrest subsided and the years after 1843 seem calm in comparison with the earlier tumultuous period (Irwin 1989: 52). The repeal of the Corn Laws occurred at a time when the Leagues influence was lower than during the years before (McKeown 1989: 359). When Members of Parliament are considered as an interest group itself, the votes of the anti-protection coalition of the Irish repealers and the Peelists is decisive. Both had their own reasons for supporting repeal and â€Å"neither had undergone any drastic change in economic circumstances in the few short years since the beginning of Peel’s ministry† (McKeown 1989: 378). Although Irwin (1989: 42) interprets the Peelites’ â€Å"personal allegiance† to Prime Minister Robert Peel as decisive, Aydelottes study suggests the potential loss of the Peelists’ posts in government office also played an important role (Aydelotte 1967: 47-60). In addition to these MP-interests McKeown (1989) shows that economic structure made a winning coalition feasible in 1846, since higher incomes, an increasing demand for meat and dairy products from cattle, as well as changing asset portfolios for the wealthy families of Britain, changed the pecuniary interests of MP’s. This assertion challenges the common historical assessment that Peels leadership was central to the successful repeal of the Corn Laws, since the pecuniary interests of MPs played an essential role, too. This restriction becomes even more evident when the dynamic character of interests is acknowledged. . AGRICULTURAL ADJUSTMENT So far we considered only arguments pointing to shifts in the political and economic power of interest groups as well as explanations for their inherent logic in forming respective interests. Another important explanation points at the malleability or more generally speaking the dynamism of interests them selves. For example, landowners w ould be more likely to support trade liberalisation when their risk of doing so declined. Brawley (2006: 468) argues that Peel staked out a distinct third position besides repeal and protection, based on agriculture adjusting its production. According to Brawley this explains why the Peelists rejected Villiers’ motion, but still endorsed repeal in 1846. This view challenges those that portray repeal as a sacri? cial act on the part of the whole of the agrarian elite. Brawley’s argument (2006) contains three steps: first, he argues that â€Å"agriculture† was segmented into two different sectors, since factors were used differently for grain farming (land intensive, little input of labour and capital) and dairy farming (capital and labour intensive). Given these two conditions, grain farming should be in favour of protection, dairy farming should support repeal. This, however, is not covered by the data (Brawley 2006: 469-70). Schonhardt-Baily (1991) explains this by a diversification of landowners’ investments. They were willing to accept losses in agriculture because they were compensated by gains in industry. Second, Britain’s changed position in the international economy did not lead to a transformation towards capital- or labour-intensive production in agriculture, since a landholder wishing to convert from grain to dairy production was confronted by a series of obstacles (Kindleberger 1964: 247 cited in Brawley (2006: 472)). Third, the reduction of these barriers faced by improving landowners allowed them them to adjust to a potential repeal of the Corn Laws: total and immediate repeal, as proposed by the Anti-Corn Law League, did nothing to diminish the risks landowners faced. Peel’s package – graduated repeal, coupled with various forms of government assistance for agriculture – did (Brawley 2006: 472). Peel considered the problems of adjustment in the form of temporary continuance of protection to corn (Irwin 1989: 52). He ensured that capital would be available to farmers, helping them to shift their output to face foreign competition under free trade (Jenkins 1999, 130). Additionally, â€Å"farmers availed themselves of the loans fully. The government lent farmers ? 2 million based on acts passed in 1846 and 1850† (Williamson 2002: 144 cited in Brawley 2006: 480). With the help of the extended DMM model, Brawley shows that Peel’s new funds were essential for owners of entailed land if these landowners were to adjust their production, because without it they would not be able to generate the capital required. Additional policies facilitating high farming were also implemented: duties on maize and buckwheat or livestock feeds as well as grass and clover seeds were reduced. Infrastructural measures supporting market access and the improved health of the national economy and the government loans convinced some landowners that the adjustment to repeal was an opportunity rather than a threat. This can explain why the same MPs voted against Villiers’ motion for immediate and complete repeal, yet only weeks later voted for Peel’s gradual repeal. Since agricultural interests split in the mid-1840s due to the improved economic climate, this shift in interests can explain why Peel spoke out publicly for repeal in the mid-1840s, even though he previously appeared to favour it (Brawley 2006: 470, 480-1, 6). As elaborated in the last two sections, there is empirical as well as theoretical evidence that members of the legislature did not vote against their preferences. This contrasts with Mclean’s interpretation (2001) in so far as he models preferences as preferences based on political decisions. Yet, there is no reason why preferences should not include MP’s material interests as e. g. staying in office. This points at the conceptual weakness of a rational choice approach, where the difficulties as in applied game theory in general lie in the question of what preferences consist of. An historical explanation of rational choice easily becomes a tautological undertaking. 8. CONCLUSION This essay shows that both the theoretical influences such as free trade theory and the shift in interests of owners of entailed land from the mid-1840’s made repeal feasible in 1846. Additionally, the increasing fear of a new Irish Famine might be seen as a trigger for the exact point of repeal, since a new type of political rebellion against the Corn Laws can be recorded during the last months of this policy. However, the explanatory power of an increasing fear of a new Irish famine is limited in that a shift in the assessment of the Corn Laws had taken place long before the famine was on the horizon: on a parliamentary and a party as well as on a personal level. Peel as a person seems to have played a role in that he was open towards new evidence. Even if the reader might disagree with the impact attributed to theoretical development, Peel’s empirical approach is at least noticeably typical of the tradition of British Empiricism. In general, the common interpretation which associates repeal with a decline of the agrarian aristocracy can be moderated as it was rather the transformation and diversification of agricultural production which made a political majority for repeal feasible. The political power of manufacturers and labourers did not increase before and during the time of repeal. The explanatory power of a sectoral diversification of agriculture offers a striking example for the limits of a theory of hegemonic stability in particular and macroeconomic approaches explaining political change in general. BIBLIOGRAPHY Aydelotte, W. O. , 1967. The Country Gentlemen and the Repeal of the Corn Laws. The English Historical Review, 82(322), pp. 48–60. Brawley, M. R. , 2006. Agricultural Interests, Trade Adjustment and Repeal of the Corn Laws. , 8, pp. 467–488. Gash, N. , 1961. Mr. Secretary Peel; the life of Sir Robert Peel to 1830. London: Longmans. Irwin, D. A. , 1996. Against the tide? : an intellectual history of free trade, Princeton, N. J. : Princeton University Press. Irwin, D. A. , 1989. Political Economy and Peel’S Repeal of the Corn Laws. Economics and Politics, 1(1), pp. 41–59. Available at: http://doi. wiley. com/10. 1111/j. 1468-0343. 1989. tb00004. x. [Accessed December 10, 2012] Kindleberger, C. P. , 1964. Economic growth in France and Britain, 1851-1950. , Cambridge, Mass. : Harvard University Press. Mckeown, T. J. , 1983. Hegemonic stability theory and 19th century tariff levels in Europe. International Organization, 37(1), pp. 73–91. McKeown, T. J. , 1989. The Politics of Corn Law Repeal and Theories of Commercial Policy. British Journal of Political Science, 19(3), pp. 353–380. McLean, I. , 2001. Rational Choice and British Politics: An Analysis of Rhetoric and Manipulation from Peel to Blair, Oxford University Press. Available at: http://www. oxfordscholarship. com/view/10. 1093/0198295294. 001. 0001/acprof-9780198295297 [Accessed December 3, 2012]. Mill, J. S. , 1814. The Corn Laws. Westminster Review 3, pp. 394–420. Mitchel, J. , 1846. English Rule. The Nation Newspaper. Available at: http://www. irishnewsarchive. com. [Accessed December 10, 2012] Peel, R. , Stanhope, P. H. Cardwell, E. , 1856. Memoirs by the Right Honourable Sir Robert Peel, London: J. Murray. Schonhardt-Bailey, C. , 1991. Specific Factors, Capital Markets, Portfolio Diversification, and Free Trade: Domestic Determinants of the Repeal Domestic of the Corn Laws. World Politics, 43(4). Stewart, R. , 1971. The

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Without Faith, There Can be no True Virtue

Introduction Religion is a concept that has been frequently used to denote the spiritual dominance and practices of Christians. It sets itself apart from the portrayal of worldly perceptions and knowledge. In fact, it is doubted whether those who do not embrace and worship ghost, divinity, or other spirits, and those who have the essential and natural vision on humanity should search for divine knowledge.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Without Faith, There Can be no True Virtue? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is always difficult to understand Christian teachings because understanding how God exists is also not easy. Based on biblical teachings, there are supernatural and natural beings. Understanding these characters is essential for spiritual nurturing. According to White and Cessario (2001), good religious studies and personal convictions are thus very necessary in nurturing spiritual faith. Considering t hese two concepts in our everyday undertakings is important in advancing the faith of an individual and groups. It is not possible to please the Almighty where there is no faith and gracious actions. In the bible, Enoch justified the act of faith and delighted God. Faith imparts life to the spirit of individuals and any spiritual task that is accomplished without faith generates transgression. Therefore, the Lord considers those who lack the faith to be lifeless in everything they do. In the bible, any faithless individual is compared to the adorned picture that is dull but depicts that object. Conversely, the spiritual believes that lack affection appears to be wonderful and is not absurd before man. Although the faithless responsibilities might be sparkling before human sights, they hardly pervade the everlasting life according to God. Such responsibilities are perceptive and obscure because they are of good quality and spirited effects, but are not predetermined according to bibl ical teachings. It is, therefore, imperative to base our knowledge on St Augustine’s teachings that there can be no virtue without faith. Being Righteous, Sinless and Gracious Faith is hardly acknowledged where there are no righteous virtues since it may not be instilled without gracious acts. Faith and grace are normally linked up to create real virtue. For one to be righteous, it is important to embrace and live a sinless life because this will lead to faith nourishment. In fact, gracious acts facilitate the faith we possess in Christ and help us to be accepted by God.Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For instance, in the bible, a robber who endured pain alongside Jesus had strong faith in Christ and believed in God. The gracious God later forgave the thug and cleansed him of his sins because he had faith (White and Cessario, 2001). Hence, the Bible teaches that spiri tual nourishment cannot lack life, but life can be without the nourishment of self-righteousness. Nobody who sins before God and fails to repent is righteous. As the Bible asserts, the Almighty may not be gracious or have mercy on such a sinful person. Being Virtuous and Having Faith in God According to the biblical teachings, man is obligated to have faith to nurture the good virtue in him. It is true that people who excel by executing their desired virtues have no everlasting life. Like the biblical burglar, he had no desirable qualities but repented before God and was granted time to live. Furthermore, the Bible teaches that God will not hear excuses and objections from any man who sins and waits to be forgiven after the time for repenting have elapsed. The Bible affirms that it is the only faith that will save everyone from the bondage of sin (Zschokke, 1830). However, salvation is going astray when we fail to acknowledge faith and dispense our lives to the virtues relating to b ad qualities. The Bible claims that no good feature in man can be available to an endless life that lacks faith. Thus, our work cannot justify our actions, but rather our faith may help us to acquire the desired and prospective virtues. The tendencies that are present in the course of good personal acts are human virtue. Faith represents the devotion itself, therefore we have fashioned and indistinct faith. A fashioned faith entails two things namely perfecting it and believing it. All these are the proceeds from intelligence confirmed by the authority of our will. However, indistinct faith is not a virtue and does not necessitate precision on the part of man’s willpower. Besides, the Bible teaches that temperament would not be a virtue if cautions were not there to coherently control and determine the power of man. Hence, all practices that possess values of excellent human accomplishments are virtues.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Without Faith, The re Can be no True Virtue? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This implies that any spiritual object pertaining to faith is beyond human explanations (Zschokke, 1830). God reveals these spiritual objects since they are outside the deliberation of God’s creatures. Not unless, you have sturdy faith to envy good virtues then God can reveal them to humanity. It is clear that God inculcates convention in people whose achievements are higher than their temperaments (St Thomas Aquinas, 2000). St Augustine Teachings on Faith According to St Augustine, there can be no good care held where faith is not present. One must not imagine that a man will possibly do some finer action without faith. Thus, we ought not to lay down the first-class mechanism before affection. Although men take these occupations as admirable honor, to God they are of no value and not acceptable. A faithless person is like a horse competing out of the system way and und ergoing an enormous work without any intention (St Thomas Aquinas, 2007). Consequently, if one had faith in God, he safeguards the virtue he has as an individual. It is for this reason that where there is no faith there is no excellent livelihood. Augustine saw that faith must control the intention of a man to have good qualities. Jesus Christ said that his entire body was darkness if his eyes were nothing. Here, the eyeball signified the intention as specified by Augustine. In fact, there is no smile if a man does something with godly intention. Such actions leave one without good grace in that there is a lack of affection when we are working in love. Measuring good virtues should not be by the facts themselves, but by the aim of the results for doing so (Aquinas, 2009). One may think he or she is implementing a proper virtue, yet it is an activity directly relating to a vice. It is not just before God for one to feed the hungry and dress the naked without having faith, respect, an d love for Him. Otherwise, this pleasing quality is unproductive, worthless, and dead in the face of the Lord. St Augustine demands that whether one fades or not, a faithless grace is nothing. The allegation is true in that faith does speak well about the work of God. Whereas we can fell to good virtues in building strong relations, we are hopeless without faith in Christ. Faith works well with charity. Therefore, it is important for an individual to have faith to set a stable foundation in God (St Thomas Aquinas, 2007). It is in faith where we pass all other virtues like righteousness, self-control, knowledge, and influence as Augustine reveals. Without faith, we only have the shadows and name of these good virtues, but not the commitment itself. Moreover, in the livelihood of those missing true faith, there is sin and waste. It relates to the author of integrity and the dishonest virtue that occurs where there is no faith in God even if the qualities of an individual are the best. Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In St Augustine’s statement, the pagans, Jews, and the heretics fed and dressed the poor. However, their work of good care was hopeless because they did it without faith. He compared them to a turtle who had found a nest for keeping her young birds so that they could not be lost. It was clear that if one had faith in God, he could protect the virtue he has individually. Similarly, the nest signifies the faith that protects the birds (Aquinas, 2009). Thus, we can also safeguard our loyalty through faith so that our rewards remain unbroken. Justification of Augustine’s Disputes by Other Saints The spirit of having good virtues where faith is absent was in dispute by St Augustine. St Ambrose justified that by explaining the ordinary strength of the character that survives the vices. One would beautify up the time of faithless life and achieve the impossible virtues. He challenged that without faith no respect to the true God. As a result, any person is inevitable to confu se a virtue for a vice (Saint Thomas Aquinas, n.d). St Chrysostom John wrote that many of the descendants lacking faith in them are not in the group of Christ. They may prosper in good works of kindness, have fairness, and always come out in care and sympathy, yet their work yield no fruit because they lack faith. He linked this to the story where the Jews asked Jesus concerning what they should do to be righteous. All he did was to call for faith in the work of the Lord. One should believe, and immediate faith becomes complete in him. Through this, he shall thrive in good virtues in that not anything is excellent without faith. St Chrysostom in the same way insisted that one is lifeless when he excels and shines in good works without God’s faith (St Thomas Aquinas, 2007). It further shows having the valuable and godly burial place whilst attaining nothing from them. Conclusion In general, one should have a strong faith to have the pleasing virtues. The moral standards result ing from good features are linked with one another. Moreover, it is not normal for the open principles like grace, love, and faith to come to mind without charity. Compassionate faith cannot keep on living without moral virtues. The inquiry about charity, hopefulness, and sincerity direct us to the conclusion that there can be no charity without hope and faith. If one has faith in God, he preserves the good virtue he has in character. Therefore, without faith, we only have the shades and names of these good virtues, but not the commitment. It is the only faith that will save everyone from the oppression of sin. Salvation is going lost when we take no notice of faith and give out our lives to the virtues relating to bad qualities. Thus, faith is essential for true virtue in all spiritual aspects. Reference List Aquinas, Thomas. Summa Theologica: Translated by Fathers of the English Dominican Province. Alabama: Mobile Reference Press, 2009. St. Thomas Aquinas. Summa Theologica Complet e. Cairo: Library of Alexandria, n.d. St. Thomas Aquinas. Summa Theologica: Second Section. New York: Cosimo, Inc., 2007. St. Thomas Aquinas. The Summa Theologica. Raleigh: Hayes Barton Press, 2000. White, Kevin, and Romanus Cessario. On the Virtues. Washington: CUA Press, 2001. Zschokke, Johann. Hours of Devotion for the Promotion of True Christianity and Family Worship. London: Oxford University, 1830. This essay on Without Faith, There Can be no True Virtue? was written and submitted by user Blake Velasquez to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.