Aristotle indicates that an educated person is able to consider new ideas without making definitive judgments. This "educated person" has two important characteristics–tolerance and skepticism–resulting in a very powerful perspective. Tolerance allows one to consider new ideas, while skepticism prevents one from blindly accepting them. It is through these that the educated understand the world, and the result is complex and often accurate viewpoints.
Aristotle's argument relies on the crucial relationship between tolerance and skepticism. They complement one another and provide balance. On one hand, tolerance is responsible for opening the mind to new ideas, whether or not they support one's existing opinions. On the other, skepticism is responsible for exploring these ideas with careful consideration. When tolerance and skepticism exist in perfect harmony, one is able to visualize many perspectives
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Possibly a product of translational inaccuracy, the use of educated is problematic. While it was likely intended to mean "cultured," some may interpret it as indicating that education produces people with tolerant viewpoints. Such a claim is easily refutable, as most Americans are educated, while far less are tolerant. Additionally, it is possible that education carried a greater prestige in Ancient Greece than in contemporary America, justifying Aristotle's seemingly inappropriate word choice.
As Aristotle describes the qualities of tolerance and skepticism, he illustrates his perspective of the "educated mind" as one that is open to new ideas and shrewd enough to wholly evaluate them. In application, his words highlight the faults of modern American political ideologies, intolerant and increasingly polarized. While it is difficult to imagine that 2,000 year old words could be relevant in the modern era, it is even more difficult to deny their importance for America's
When the definition of education is looked up in the dictionary it comes out as “a degree, level, or kind of schooling”. While attending a university or obtaining a degree is largely viewed as being educated, there are many other ways to become educated rather than a degree with your name on it. Gerald Graff, and Mike Rose show their personal experience of being educated without a degree. Being educated is different for everybody, and regardless it’s the person’s personal experiences and lessons that lead them to thrive for an education in their own unique fashion. Mike Rose, professor at the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, comes from a family of blue-collar workers.
“Courtesy is as much a mark of a gentleman as courage.” An amazing man said that, a name most people around the globe has heard. He was an amazing man with such glory and faith within himself, he was one of the greatest presidents known to this day. Though he may have had only two years in term he was a well respected man and a brave warrior. He embarked as the 26th president, becoming president after William McKinley got assassinated. He was known for many things, but was best known for being the governor of New York before becoming the U.S Vice President. One interesting fact about him is that the classic known “Teddy Bear” is named after him. The “Teddy Bear” was named after our 26th president when he went on a bear hunting trip in Mississippi
Knowledgeable, educated, and wise have become descriptive characteristics that have become seemingly interchangeable in today’s society. However, what does it mean to be educated, wise or knowledgeable? In the article “The Educated Student: Global Citizen or Global Consumer” by Benjamin Barber, he says “…young people were exposed more and more to tutors other than teachers in their classrooms or even those who were in their churches, their synagogues-and today their mosques as well.” (417). It is suggested that the places where these characteristics are obtained have changed with industrialization and capitalism. “The Student and the University (from the Closing of the American Mind)” by Allen Bloom directly postulates from the vantage
America’s Constitution was built upon the fundamentals that all citizens are created equal and tolerate one another. However in the recent years this tolerance for others beliefs has diminished, sprouting censorship, and sensitivity to others with different beliefs. Michael Bloomberg former mayor of New York City (NYC) and Harvard graduate and philtronphist then Wendy Kaminer, an attorney, author and social critic argues that intolerance needs to stop. Additionally, they believe that citizens should become more accepting of others and willing to converse despite their differences. Bloomberg wrote in his commencement speech at Harvard’s graduation for the class of 2014 that, citizens of the U.S. should protect their freedom of speech and also to tolerate the beliefs of others. Likewise Kaminer argued in her essay A Civic Duty to Annoy published in “The Atlantic” that citizens have a responsibility to enter thought provoking discussions on important issues to build tolerance for different beliefs. Similarly both authors believe that Americans have to tolerate others beliefs to respect the First Amendment. Although, they present similar ideas Bloomberg’s is better at persuading citizens to tolerate others’ beliefs than Kaminer’s essay.
About two or three years ago, I joined a couple of my friends from high school to have dinner with our old American history teacher. This is a man we respected as exemplary of good character, an intelligent man who had provoked us those years ago to think critically in new ways about the issues that have shaped our country and the debates that formed our American structures and institutions. The conversation that night, however, felt strangely alien to me despite how predictable it should have been, knowing that I would be reengaging with a conservative evangelical frame of thinking that I had spent years learning to leave behind. My old teacher talked about how when he looks around at the American political climate – the sorts of
A vaccine is a mix of potentially infectious agents, or some noninfectious part, given to build up a resistance (Stratton).
This essay will be exploring the Hellenistic Philosophical movement of Skepticism in its beginnings in academia as well as the teachings and positions of Pyrrhonist skeptics. Hellenistic skepticism at its core is striving to “Suspended judgment”, as well as question the basis of truth. In accordance to this proverbial philosophical quest for truth, the Hellenistic skeptic would take a different path compared to their contemporary schools of the thought, by negating perceptual belief, and not affirming anything. To these ancient skeptics this will lead the philosopher down the path to “Suspended Judgement” in which, they seek. This “Suspended Judgement” will bring tranquility to the mind or at least these ancient Pyrrhonist skeptics believed this to be so, thus this being the key reason why this is the central goal
ideas and feelings and can use them to draw over all conclusions to answer the
An introductory course on American politics, as expected, addresses checks and balances, the constitutional system, and federalism. In addition, the course offers students a better understanding of democracy, political participation, power struggles. Whether rooted in history or focused on abstract ideas, such a course can help students better understand contemporary issues. Students can apply their new knowledge to be better informed about current politics. This paper explores three pressing issues: judicial review, political behavior, and race and politics. These concepts will be examined with examples to give the reader a sense of how to analytically explore political issues.
In "The Politics", Aristotle would have us believe that man by nature is a political animal. In other words, Aristotle seems to feel that the most natural thing for men to do is to come together in some form of political association. He then contends that this political association is essential to the pursuit of the good life. Finally he attempts to distinguish what forms of political association are most suitable to the pursuit of this good life. In formulating a critique of "The Politics", we shall first examine his claims as to what is natural to man and whether the criterion of the natural is sufficient to demonstrate virtue. We shall then examine what it is about political association that
In this respect this excerpt gives a moral definition of man that influences a conception of politics, referring to American founding ideals. This can be seen as way of giving credibility to the denunciation and heavy criticism that is also observable in this text.
Aristotle sustains that wisdom consists in knowing the cause which made a material thing to be what it is. For Aristotle, wise people know more than just what something is; they also know why it is what it is, or what causes it to be what it is. People with wisdom, for instance, a master worker understand not only that fire is hot, but also know why it is hot. Those with experience only, who do not know why something works in a certain manner, cannot teach. Say physicians understand that there is a relationship between the medical condition of this class of patients and the ingredients in this particular drug. They are then motivated to learn why the drug works on these
Political theory is the study of concepts that allows for the analytical study of relationships between political institutions. Over the centuries, political theorists have established renditions of what political theory is. This essay will focus on Plato, Nietzsche, and Aristotle, and their works, which respectively define the concepts of the common good and the significance of philosophers to the welfare of the state, self-deceiving intellect and the power of authority over our intellectual lives, and the concepts of interdependency and the importance of virtue and happiness for a successful political framework.
The term ‘education’ can mean many things. An education is the collective knowledge a person has, but what does an education mean? Although an education can be paid for, no one can physically give you an education, so it is not a gift. There are societal situations where an education is a necessity, but not many globally. Education is a tool to be utilized differently in every part of the world. Knowledge is power, but some knowledge is more powerful depending on your region. If you are part a primitive tribe in New Guinea, a person that is considered to be educated may be illiterate. Whereas in America, an illiterate person would have trouble functioning at all in society. Education is a tool that is to be
In ancient Greek,"education"was associated with the term"churchman", a term used to refer to slaves who specialize in taking care of children. In other words, education is the activity of nurturing the next generation.