What Are The Arguments Made By Oscar Wilde

In the document “Report of the Massachusetts Board of Education”, Horace Mann believes that education should be readily available to everyone in order to counteract the “tendency to the domination of capital and servility of labor.” Universal education can potentially be the difference between, the wealthy capitalizing the poor, and a society where the poor are given an equal opportunity to excel and be a part of the capital rather than the labor. Mann states, “Education, then, beyond all other devices of human origin, is the great equalizer of the conditions of man…” When everyone is given the same chance to obtain a well rounded education, social status and factions begin to diminish. Mann seems to be an idealist as well

I agree with Horace Mann, education is vital in society and determines how it functions. If certain groups of people do not receive equal education than others, then society will change and more poverty, unemployment, and more inequality will increase.

Human beings possess several virtues that differentiate them from other creatures and can use them in ways that represent their perceptions of social order. Surprisingly, Oscar Wilde believes that disobedience is an original virtue of every human and that it is responsible for progress and development. While Wilde’s claim is not entirely accurate, it is largely valid as evidenced by the recent events across the world, including the US, that have led to positive outcomes in spite of being termed and perceived as acts of disobedience.

Disobedience is an important force in our society and helps bring about necessary social progress because it will lead to superior lives for its citizens. Oscar Wilde believed that through disobedience there is man’s original virtue. He asserts that civil disobedience promotes social progress. I agree with Wilde's belief because looking throughout centuries, society has shown a variety of situations with the act of practicing disobedience,and have achieved their goal.

Obedience is a trait that is taught in schools, cherished by parents, and respected by society. Disobedience, on the other hand, is frowned upon and generally discouraged in society. Many argue that this trait has adverse effects on society. Oscar Wilde, a prominent play writer during the 1890’s, argues that disobedience is a valuable trait that has changed the world. Although many do not see disobedience as a virtue, Wilde does. Wilde’s statement is valid because disobedience is a rare, yet remarkable characteristic that is essential in improving the world.

Write an essay that argues your position on the extent to which Wilde’s claims are valid.

         The novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, written by Oscar Wilde originally appeared in Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine in 1890.  It was then published in 1891, in book form, containing six additional chapters with revisions. The first reviews of Dorian Gray were mostly unfavorable.  It was condemned for its speculative treatment  of immoral or at least uncomfortable subjects. A review in the St. James’s Gazette by Samuel Henry Jeyes, journalist and biographer was titled "‘A Study in Puppydom."   Jeyes refers to Wilde’s idle, “effeminate” characters in the book and writes: “The puppies appear to fill up the intervals of talk by plucking daisies and playing with them, and

Horace was born May 4, 1796, he had no education. So he taught himself all the basic subjects. He went to the library a lot. It was his favorite place. It was like he couldn’t read enough. He grew up fast and by the time he was twenty he was admitted into the sophomore class at Brown University. It was a spectacular experience for him because he never really had an education. At that university he took interest in politics and education. Upon graduation Horace gave a speech about the advancement of the human race through education and how it would help the human race. He believed that if he

In present day, most people to become successful in the future need to have an education. In the mid 1800’s, education was a very rare thing in America, and only children with rich parents could afford it. This issue was because there was only private schools in the country, making education a very difficult thing to achieve if someone’s family was not very wealthy. In 1848, Horace Mann stated: “ It does better than to disarm the poor of their hostility towards the rich; it prevents being poor”(document 7). When he says this, he is hoping that all people can have the opportunity to be able to get and education. This argument is brought up very frequently in politics mostly by the democratic party so all people can have a chance at having a future with the job they want.

Education…beyond all other devices of human origin, is a great equalizer of the conditions of men—the balance wheel of the social machinery. I do not here mean that it so elevates the moral nature as to make men disdain and abhor the oppression of their fellow men…But I mean that it gives each man the independence and the means by which he can resist the selfishness of other men. It does better than to disarm the poor of their hostility toward the rich: it prevents being poor. –Horace Mann, 1848

An object at rest will remain at rest and an object in motion will remain in motion unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. Newton’s first law of motion identifies what is needed to produce change. Oscar Wilde shared similar observations when he said, “Disobedience, in the eyes of anyone who has read history, is man’s original virtue. It is through disobedience that progress has been made, through disobedience and through rebellion.” Both Newton and Wilde recognized how force was essential in order to successfully achieve change. Although Wilde was an influential leader in the late 1800s, his ideas are still applicable to today’s world just like Newton’s laws of motion. The force of disobedience and rebellion has followed Wilde’s claim by historically altering the world and continuing to serve as a powerful platform for change.

Education is a primary means of social mobility, and it affects those born into poverty; it enables them to rise in society. In the video and in the book everyone was afforded the opportunity to receive an education but either refused to pursue it, or had to drop-out for other reasons. In the video “Born with a Wooden Spoon” and in the book “Wes Moore” the bread winners experienced loss of employment or experienced working on low paying jobs and now had to go on the public system. Evidence has proven that without proper education and a reputable relationship with good influential people it’s hard for an individual to earn a decent paying job. However, society noticed more and more people fell into the statistics of poverty because of the lack of education. Therefore, when there’s generally a family generation of poverty, the burden of economic stress leads to the lack of wanting or getting an education. Low emphasis on education is passed from generation to generation. However, in most cases older family members instill in the younger ones that there’s no need for education. They express that “nobody in our family ever gotten an education so why should you”. “Born with a Wooden Spoon” pointed this out that kids who grow up in poverty stricken areas and homes aren’t afforded the same educational opportunity of kids who grow up in an upper class home. But does this really hold true is the question? Even in society today we experience people who have a higher education become a statistic of

In conclusion Wilde teaches us that, “Love and sacrifice can endear to God.” We find out that the Happy Prince is actually not a happy prince. The reason why the townspeople name him the happy prince is because of the smile that was put on him as he stands so high on the pedestal. Wilde uses figurative language throughout the short story only to spice up his writing and he finishes with making one or the reader think of they way people lives are being lived. He makes us think about the way we judge someone based of their facial expressions or body gestures.

     The Picture of Dorian Gray is a novel by Oscar Wilde. The genre of this novel can be classified as a comedy of manners or a gothic novel. The Picture of Dorian Gray was first published in 1890 in Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine. Another version with an additional six chapters was published in 1891. One of the major themes in the novel was the Supremacy of Beauty and Youth. A very attractive man has a portrait painted of himself, and after being warned of the mortality of his youth the man, Dorian, trades his soul to remain young while his portrait bears the markings of his age and evil deeds. Dorian becomes increasingly evil thoughout the novel, while constantly being encouraged by Lord

Education is a source of splendor for anyone who may encounter it. It builds minds and helps souls see the truth hidden in everyday reality. With the truth in tow, people are able to act in their best interests and come ever closer to the good, however one decides to define such a thing, whatever the circumstance may be. This quote recognizes these facts, which is why I am enchanted by it. However, one must be careful not to think of Aristotle’s education as limited to a classroom or lecture hall. Education encompasses the habits instilled in us by others, as well as the truths given to us by the reality we arrive in. With education and good training, we are able to contain ourselves, know ourselves, and thus interact with others and the world in the manner appropriate to ourselves and them. No matter what the circumstances may be, wealth or starvation, funerals or birthdays, education allows us to act in the best manner possible to retain the dignity of our minds and souls.