Reflection 18

I strongly agree with this explanation because everything that I know happened in past has happened for a reason. For what we all know today is through questioning and reasoning. Back in the days the education was based on language, religion, and much more. In order for us to study these subjects we had to question and reason and do research on it. Back then education was the main source of learning and stimulating the mind for the society to work and survive. It would provide knowledge that would prepare people who could make contributions to society, politics, government, and the occupations and professions. Everyone person would be acknowledged and taken into consideration and what they said did play a big part in society. They wanted to expand education so that it wouldn’t be based just on what’s going on in their present world, but how things were invented and what the reason for it. Also what goes on beyond around other parts of the world. English language played a tremendous part in education because it helped develop the nation around us. Then electives came into play as part of the developing nation. One advocate such as Thomas Jefferson revealed that we should have electives to help contribute to the education and society. It helped people learn more and beyond just academic sources but acknowledge their talents in a certain area. They wanted to seek education as a one whole, and not just as a social class. Then they wanted students to get hands on experience and learn through the senses of touching so that we can get a better understanding of what we are dealing with. School played an important role in society but as business industries expanded, it was not such a big deal in society because the more they worked the more money they received. So instead of large families going to school, the parents let them go on and work to receive more money. Finally the division of school and grades came into play in the late 17th century. School started at the grade level of 1 through 8. As to now its kindergarten til 12th grade and after that college is optional. Which some of us decide not to even bother to go because we may not even work under whatever we went to school for or have a degree in. there are some people you are successful today and doesn’t even have a degree in today’s society but this doesn’t make them a less of a person or human being.

Reflection 17

Basically school in New England was very much quite similar to today’s present school system. One popular book back in there times were called the Hornbook. It was first used in Europe and America. It consisted of a wooden paddle with a hole in the middle so that the children could tie it to their belts or let it hang around their necks. They learned the alphabet, the vowels and consonants which are very much still the same as today. They also learned all the syllables rather it was one, two, or three even bigger syllables. The young infants had to know a morning prayer and an evening prayer. They viewed education very closely related to religion. The majority believed that everything developed based on God. At the ages of 4 and 6 the children started kindergarten. They learned in kindergarten the following: games, arts and crafts, music, and stories. Another form believed in education was that society learned education from generation to generation. Things such as knowledge, culture, religion, and values were very much so important in education. Later on in the 17th century, pictures were put into textbooks to get a clearer understanding of what is being taught. Also another source of understanding education was audio- visual techniques. Education was evaluated based on levels from easiest to hardiest. Meaning every year or semester the work gets complicated. Language was another important source in education. It was important to know more than one type of language besides the one you already speak. Now as for education present in today’s society, it was a little similar to New England education. So far from what I know, the children must start school at the age of at least 4. Some schools require mandatory uniform or else the kids would be penalized for violation uniform dress code. We must attend school every day unless it’s an extreme emergency with an excused absent based on the attendance policy. If we miss a certain amount of days from school the parents can get in trouble and then the school district gets involve. Another consequence is the child can be retained in that grade due to excessive absences. We must be to school at a certain time or we are then marked tardy. Now as far as school lunch is concerned, this is depending on your parents income if you are approved for free reduced lunch, or you have to pay for lunch. Now as far as the curriculum goes, we are to take subjects such as math, reading, social studies, science, geography. For electives ones such as music, physical education, Spanish, and art are taken also. There is no such thing as discrimination, each classroom has a variety of students no matter the sex, race, culture, religion etc. everyone is treated the same.

REFLECTION 15

The basic goal of education in Roman was to be an effective speaker. Their school started before sunrise and the students would bring candles to see for light until the daybreak arisen. Roman education school started each year on March 24. In the early days of Roman education, the boys were taught by their fathers such as reading, and writing. Respect for the law, obeying authorities, revalances of God and truthfulness were the most important lesson to be learned. As for the girls, they were taught by their mothers who were to weave, sew, and spin. About 200 BC, the Romans used some of the Greek education system, sending their children out without permission from their fathers at the age of 6 or 7. The children wrote on boards covered with wax, and used pebbles to do math problems. Boys of the higher class attended grammar school; and the poor couldn’t attend schools that were not free. Instead, they were sent to the houses of tutors were they can receive education there for free. All boys, rich and poor attended primary school from their 7th til 12th year. As far as girls, they stayed at home and let their mothers teach them how to run the household in their future. The mothers taught them such things as cooking, cleaning, sewing, washing etc. now in Athens, school attendance was voluntary, it was not mandatory by the government. The parents and nurses instilled manners, morality, and respect for the Gods into young children. Girls did not receive a formal education under no circumstances. The Athenians focused on literacy, music, and physical education. They felt that these subjects of such would exercise the mind and body. They first learned the letters of the written Greek alphabet. Continuing on they also learned simple arithmetic which was quite easy for most of the students. Knowledge and musical played an important role in Athens education system, this helped kept the mind thinking and reasoning. At the age of 14 until 18 the young men of Athens went to secondary school and learned advanced literature, language, and mathematics. Such subjects were considered important to them because it was useful in everyday life outside of school education such as festivals, military, and religious purposes. To conclude, education of the young people in Rome and Athens were very much different than from the way we are educated in today’s society.

REFLECTION 16

Rhetoric is an art of persuasion in today’s time. It is also the study and practice of effective communication. Modern theories such as written and oral communication were influenced by the principles of Greece and Rome. Cicero and Quintilian were the ones who introduced these principles. In Rome, their main objective was to prove, to please, and to persuade others. You must persuade by speech. Their point goes as follows; basically invention is the process that leads us to development of an argument. Then after that, we then determine how it should be organized for greatest effect; next steps involve language, the way we go about speaking to others or for others. Then you finally memorize what elements you have developed during the speech. The Romans main point was questions of true and false verses right and wrong. If we really sit back and examine the Roman rhetoric, we would see a significant connection to the way words work in the world today. The truth was dependently based upon the character of the speaker. The main key was to persuade others that you absolutely right even you know deep down in the back of your head that you were wrong. Make others really believe that what you are saying is basically true. Prove it to the best of your ability. They used rhetoric as a weapon for advancement in higher education than to just settle for elementary and secondary school. Rhetoric became very much so popular because of its social and political utility. We can use the system of rhetoric not only in school, but outside of school towards government and in church. Some people may have different views about a certain situation or belief in church. It is the presidents and the pastor of that particular church to make us believe otherwise or that whatever they are saying is absolutely correct. Everyone is entitle to voice their opinion but before you speak, make sure you remember what you are saying and have enough of evidence to back it up with. Have enough will power to make other believe that they might be wrong at what they are saying and what you have stated is correct no matter what way you want to put or reword it. And lastly, being a productive speaker plays a huge part in the rhetoric system, think before you voice your opinion about something; don’t just speak to be heard, justify what point you are trying to make.

Reflection 14

Aristotle uses the Nichomean Ethics to describe what a human being must do in order to be good, happy. Another word Aristotle uses to describe happiness is “eudaimonia”. He states that the sufficient amounts of happiness itself, meaning you don’t need any other good. Aristotle describes the idea of excellent functioning is the actual distinctive function of whatever we are referring to. Humans must be happy, us as human beings must reason everything we do and reason excellently. To go along with being a virtuous person they must have external goods such as money, friends, and power; and have internal goods such as a peace of mind and good physical health. For a person to be morally virtuous, they must avoid the amount of excess of too much and too little. Aristotle focuses on mainly three of the five cardinal moral virtues courage, temperance, and justice. Which simply says to do well with regards to others, increase pleasure and avoid pain as much as possible, and have confidence in yourself. We must obey the law and treat people fairly. Now regarding the Great Chain of Being, the highest of good for a human being is to believe in God basically. Everything is because of god. We shouldn’t question god as to why this happened or what the purpose of this is. Aristotle basically is very much so similar to the religion of Christianity. With god all things are possible, which I very much so believe. With god being powerful he has the final say of causes and functions of whatever. Then he continues to states the causes of such things as to why we use this, what is the purpose of it. For example with human nature, how human are made into this world. Well basically the egg of a female and the sperm of a male meet together and the sperm fertilizes the egg of eggs. Then the fertilized egg is being nurtured from inside the mother for nine months. After the nine months the birth of a new human being takes place. Which according to Plato, at the time of delivery states that we tend to lose our knowledge because our head is squeezed between the vagina of the mother. Aristotle finally states that the formulation of a subject, being, object or whatever is used to analyze the world. It helps us get a clearer understanding of what is the purpose of it; and why god created this specific thing.

Reflection 13

Basically Plato impact is idealism to him is a simple copy of a super sensible spiritual nature. He feels that the first and most important principle of all things is one being of human worth called god. The world is essentially dependent on god. We believe that god is the creator of the world. Basically, with god all things are possible. In the case of reminiscence, the mind Plato states that our souls are immortal souls. Plato states that before we were born our souls are purely formed. At birth, we tend to forget knowledge and ideas. Plato states that we receive our knowledge through sense impressions. He feels that when the mother has the child, the child head is deformed because it is forced to squeeze through the mothers’ vagina. This has an effect on our brains which causes us to lack in knowledge. Plato aimed that the theory of reminiscence should lead a person to be virtuous and happy. To be virtuous and know what the absolute form of good is, each person needs to have a soul, which has access to the good in before existence. You cannot be virtuous through experience, or others teaching you. You have to experience it yourself in your own soul. As for the soul, his style of thinking he uses thinking and math learning to achieve the philosophical truth; he uses written dialogues. Dialectic is a type of method Plato uses to question and reason. To know the absolute truth we have to use questioning and reasoning. Reasoning is what killed god. You must state the facts which are characteristics of perfect knowledge. Opinions is not finding the knowledge of truth and being a virtuous person. We acquire the facts through our senses. The five cardinal virtues that Plato touches basic detailing on are wisdom, courage, temperance, justice, and prudence. Plato taught that the truth is in all things and we should search because it is knowing the truth and being a virtuous person. The truth and realness are characteristics of moral excellence based on Plato. To conclude, in order to be a virtuous person we must question and reason the absolute truth because based on Plato, opinion is not accepted in life.

Reflection 11 Impact on modern education

Happiness-an impact on happiness concerning virtue states that you can have a fun and good times in the world, but if you are not virtuous there is not sufficient quality of happiness. You may be the wealthiest, prettiest, hi-class, and are successful in education, career, etc it is still not a full view of happiness. In reality most famous folks that has lump sums of money are the most miserable, unhappy, and mistreated people believe it or not. So in saying being various, you can be poor but long as you’re an honest person with a warm-heart that carries much love within you will be blessed and live a good life. The key to being virtuous and ensure happiness is wisdom, we would set guidelines, goals as to where we want to go in life without doing this it is not virtuous. The modern views of happiness we think we are happy by how we feel about a certain situation etc. long as you have ample amounts of pleasure it can make you happy even when you are lacking moral virtue. The theory to happiness is utilitarianism with the philosophers input of John Stwart, Mill and Jeremy Bentham. As far as Mill we know we are happy using the Utilitarian Calculus and Bentham the Principle of Utility. Now with regards to Socratic elenchus it shows us that we are confused about our moral beliefs. We reason everything but we also believe that God did everything. Once we find out the real answer or a sufficient answer we then sit back and question god. Elenchus displays inconsistencies among beliefs, and this then makes it difficult to understand how reasoning could lead to moral knowledge or a correct answer. I feel isn’t actually any specific correct answer when it comes down to reasoning moral beliefs. Every individual is entitled to their opinion and belief freely! No one is incorrect of whatever their belief may be. We all have our own personal feelings and moral beliefs towards anyone and everything in life and we will not get the actual truth until we experience these paradigms ourselves.