An Analysis Of The Oedipus And Plato - 1636 Words

KAUFMANN’S OEDIPUS AND PLATO’S SOCRATES In Chapter Four of his book, Tragedy and Philosophy, Walter Kaufmann claims that Sophocles’ play Oedipus Rex is one of the greatest tragedies ever written in part because it presents so vividly five characteristics of human life which make our existence so tragic. The purpose of this paper will be, first, to present Kaufmann’s view and, second, to apply these same characteristics to Plato’s dialogues in general and to the characters in Plato’s dialogues, particularly Socrates. Unfortunately, Kaufmann would disagree with me. He argues throughout his book that Plato is anti-tragic. This paper will not address Kaufmann’s argument, although much that is said here is an attempt to refute his reading of Plato. The most striking claim Kaufmann makes about Sophocles’ play is, â€Å"Sophocles constructs his whole plot around Oedipus’ relentless quest for truth, although the old story wa s not a story about honesty at all†¦The central spring of the action of Sophocles’ tragedy is not, as it well might have been, fate, but rather Oedipus’ imperious passion for the truth†¦All the conflicts in the tragedy are generated by the king’s quest for the truth (121-123). I would add that it is not a quest for truth in any sense, but a quest for self-knowledge, which drives Oedipus and which ends when he finally comes to know who he is. Oedipus is presented as a man who follows the Delphi oracle, â€Å"Know thyself† to its bitter end. This very quality inShow MoreRelatedJustification of Creon in Antigone by Sophocles Essay994 Words   |  4 Pages Antigone is a tragic play written by Sophocles in about 441b.c. The play is a continuation of the curse put upon the household of Oedipus Rex. Sophocles actually wrote this play before he wrote Oedipus, but it follows Oedipus in chronological order. The story of Antigone begins after the departure of Oedipus, the king of Thebes, into self-exile. Oedipus’ two sons, Eteocles and Polyneices, were left to rule over Thebes. An argument over rights to power forces Polynices to leave Thebes. Read MoreAncient And Medieval Civilizations1805 Words   |  8 Pagessuch as; What it means to live just and good? How do we best order relationships for the common good? What do we know and how do we know it? these themes have been recurrent in the stories of Gilgamesh, the Bible, Plato’s Cave and the Oedipus Trilogy. Further analysis has shown that to live a just and good life is to first gain knowledge and understand what it means to be good and just. Putting yourself first en ables you to help others and lastly we are only able to really know what we experience andRead MoreThe Mind Is An Action2001 Words   |  9 Pagesdifferent, in which contributes to the world for further use and exploration. In depth, philosopher Plato, thinker Francis Bacon, and psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, have all been put into perspective for new ways of developing and analyzing thought. Initially, philosopher Plato with his work of The Allegory of the Cave is still on display at the present, ultimately used to examine the age of enlightenment. Plato, was a student of another great philosopher, Socrates, taking on his teachings and making itRead MoreAnalysis Of Snow s Midsummer By Guan Hanqing1629 Words   |  7 PagesMichel de Polignac ANALYSIS PAPER 1: Retributive justice is a very common element found not only in literature but in almost all text that tries to evoke moral values. A nemetic ending is often used to provide the reader or spectator the satisfaction of seeing the hero be rewarded for his or her virtuous actions. Alternatively, the evil or malicious characters are usually punished thanks to the hero s actions and thus brings a somewhat â€Å"happy ending† to the conflict. Many authors and playwrightsRead MoreEssay on Freud Meets World3137 Words   |  13 Pagespsychoanalysis for both his theories and his type of treatment. A period of intense work and self-analysis, further inspired by the death of his father, led Freud to his best known publication, The Interpretation of Dreams in 1900, and Psychopathology of Everyday Life in 1901. During this period of rigorous self-analysis, Freud introduced two new theories, including infantile sexuality, and the description on Oedipus complex. When he first began to present his psychoanalytic theories, other physicians reactedRead MoreCharacter Is Destiny2530 Words   |  11 Pagesâ€Å"Character is Destiny† is a phrase associated with Heraclitus, a Greek philosopher of the 6th century BC who is recognized as one of the most significant philosophers before Socrates and Plato. Unfortunately, very little is known about his life other than what can be gathered from his own statements. Heraclitus lived in Ephesus, an important city on the Ionian coast of Asia Minor, not far from Miletus, the birthplace of philosophy. Ancient biographies of him consist of nothing more than inferencesRead MoreComparison Between Aristotle and Plato on Mimesis4881 Words   |  20 PagesiA comparison between Aristotle and Plato on mimesis 1. Introduction Mimesis, as a controversial concept starting from the 15th century, is among the oldest terms in literature and artistic theory, and is certainly among the most fundamental. Developing centuries, the concept of mimesis has been explored and reinterpreted by scholars in various academic fields. The word â€Å"Mimesis† developed from the root mimos, noun designating both a person who imitates and a specific genre of performance basedRead More Matthew Arnold versus Aristotles Poetics Essay examples3833 Words   |  16 Pagesenough the first thing to be said about Arnolds view of Aristotle is that it is more a Platonic than an Aristotelian view. In short Arnold was primarily, though not merely, an idealist. If, for the sake of clarity we could for the purpose of this analysis call Aristotle a realist, we might be better able to see the proper scope of this account. What we have then is the case of a man who was primarily a scientist and philosopher -- a realist in the best sense of the word, influencing a poet and visionaryRead MorePlato s Views On Death And The Afterlife1815 Words   |  8 Pageswho don’t, we often see many differences in the answers relating to death. In the contrary, the similar answers to theist and atheist are evident strongly in two great thinkers and their works. The focus will be on Socrates’ speech in the Apology by Plato setting in 399 BCE and De Rerum Natura by Titus Lucretius 300 years later. Titus Lucretius, an atheist or agnostic Roman poet and philosopher inspired by the works of Epicurus. Lucretius believed in the theory of atomism which lead to materialisticRead MoreAncient Greek Culture2704 Words   |  11 Pagesto develop medical theories which many were proven false, but his ideas sparked a surge of experimentation (Scarborough, 2013). Other important people include Demosthenes, Aristotle, Aspacia, Pericles, Plato, Pythagoras, Sappho, Sophocles, and Thucydides. These people have formed many of our current trends and philosophical ideas in a variety of different subjects. First of all Demosthenes was a great orator, even though he had a severe lisp and had difficulties

Alexis Ranieri. Hist 130204. May 5, 2017. Final Exam.

Alexis Ranieri HIST 1302:04 May 5, 2017 Final Exam Question II Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States of America and served as President from 1829 until 1837. His Inauguration was March 4, 1829. Some of Jackson’s major goals as President were as follows: purge government corruption and privilege, Indian removal, affirm national sovereignty, pay off national debt, kill the B.U.S., and hard currency. These goals were known under the Jacksonian Program. To solve the â€Å"Indian problem†, they designated â€Å"Indian territory† across the Mississippi river. White Americans, more so the ones who lived on the western frontier, feared and resented the Native Americans they would encounter. They saw the Indians as unfamiliar people†¦show more content†¦Between the Northern and Southern sections of the United States there was a lot of differences and they developed along different lines. The South stayed predominantly agrarian in their economy while the North became more industrialized as time went on. Different social cultures and political beliefs began to develop. It eventually led to disagreements on issues like taxes, tariffs and internal improvements as well as states’ rights versus federal rights. Slavery was the burning issue that led to the disruption of the union. The South and its agriculture used slaves to tend to its large plantations and perform other duties. The states in the North had gradually abolished slavery one by one. The states’ rights refer to the struggle between the federal government and individual states over the political power. During the Civil War era, this struggle focused greatly on the institution of slavery and if the federal level of government had the right to regulate or abolish slavery in individual states. The debate was sided largely between northern and southern states, thus widening the growing divide in the nation. By the early 1830s, those who wished to see slavery abolished in the United States were becoming more vocal and influential. They claimed obedience to higher law over obedience to the Constitution’s guarantee that an outlaw from one state would be

What Ails Indian Sports free essay sample

Its decline is also partly due to the internal politics in Indian field hockey bodies. Its popularity has also declined massively in parallel to the decline of the Indian hockey team. In recent times, the standard of Indian hockey has gone form from bad to worse, with the Indian hockey team not qualifying for the 2008 Olympics and finishing last in the recent 2012 Olympics. Currently, the Indian team is 11th in the FIH rankings. [16] India has hosted 2 Hockey World Cups- one in 1982 at Mumbai and another in 2010 at Delhi, where they finished fifth and eighth respectively. It has also hosted the annual Hockey Champions Trophy in 1996 and 2005. Until 2008, the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) was the apex body for hockey in the country. However, following revelations of corruption and other scandals in the IHF, the IHF was de recognised and a new apex body for Indian hockey, Hockey India (HI), was formed on 20 May 2009. We will write a custom essay sample on What Ails Indian Sports or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Hockey India, recognised by the FIH, has the sole mandate to govern and conduct all activities for both mens and womensfield hockey in India. Although the IHF was reinstated in 2010,[17] it is not recognised by the FIH. The IHF conducts a city-based tournament called World Series Hockey (WSH), its first season being in 2012. However, it is not approved by Hockey India or the FIH. Hockey India League (Hindi: ), abbreviated as HIL, is a professional league for field hockey competition in India. It is organised by Hockey India. The tournament contested among franchisee-based teams consisting of players from India and around the world. The entire event takes place on home and away basis culminating into multi header playoffs. The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has sanctioned the event and also provided a 30-day window at the beginning of next year so that all top players can participate.