Are We Too Overdependent On Computers Philosophy Essay

Are We Too Overdependent On Computers Philosophy Essay Computer is a relatively new invention. Computers were invented about fifty years ago. However they came in extensive use some thirty years back. Personal Computers were put in use some times in the year 1980. In this short spell of time computers made tremendous impact on our lives. We are now so much dependent on computers that life without computers can not be imagined. Imagine the amount of chaos that would occur if Railway Ticket Booking, Air Booking, Banking computers fails or they are removed worldwide. Time is collapsing. Distance is no longer an obstacle. Crossing oceans takes only a minute by a single mouse click. Computers and internet are the one of the evolved technological revolution in the 21st century. By using computers, we can make or work out most of difficult things which are hardly completed without their hands. The presence of increasingly sophisticated internet technology has changed human lifestyle and the demands on human competence. The following paper discussed the different arguments about the computer dependency in our daily life. Starting from the brief introduction about the uses, advantages and disadvantages of the computers and technology, the paper leads towards the discussion about the arguments on computer dependency. At the end I have summarized the point of views of my friends and colleagues about the same question then I have given my conclusion from the overall study. Contents Introduction Background Fun, relaxation, communication tools can you get all that with only one tool? The answer is yes. What is the name of that magical instrument? Technologys greatest innovation in recent past and those are computers. Computer is regarded as an unbelievable intellectual tool in our society. It plays a vital role in our everyday life and gives the workplace, education, entertainment, healthcare and communication a complete new form. In addition it helps us to do our work more efficiently and more professionally than ever before. They are exclusive equipment that performs three main tasks: accept user inputs, processes it according to prescribed rules and produce a result as output in the way which user requires. à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"In the 1980s, computers began to take up new roles in different forms. A simple computer could be a cash machine in a supermarket, which does not look like a traditional one. In the past two decades, the price of components used for computers steadily fell due to higher technological advancement, reduced cost of manufacturing, stiffer competition, entrance of more manufacturers, new usage that simplified many processes, greater market demand and inevitability to higher productivity. And the trend of the usage of computer is changing quickly, from governmental to societal. Till now, the beginning of the 21st century, computers are becoming more powerful and functional and much closer to our daily life.à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ Ã‚  [1]   Aim The aim of this report is to find out the relationship between peoples life and computer and to see how much we are dependent on computers in our daily life? Use of computers Nowadays, we cannot imagine our life without computers and the fact is that they have become so important that nothing can replace them. They seem to be everywhere today. Since 1948 when the first real computer has been invented our life has changed so much that we can call it real digital revolution  [2]  . Our lives have changed to a great extent because of developments in Information technology. Many of our traditional practices have also transformed because of computers. Things that were only dreamed of in the past are now possible due to computers. If one day all the computer systems were to stop working, we would have huge problems1. In the past, computers were different from todays ones. They were so huge that they occupied whole rooms or buildings being comparatively slow in processing data. They were not faster than current simple calculators. Nowadays they are also used by scientist and they may also be as huge as the old ones but they are million times faster. They can execute many multiple operations simultaneously and scientist practically cannot perform without them. Now people have access to massive amount of information. Gathering and collecting data has never been simpler than now. They are not only used in laboratories but also in factories to control production. Sometimes it is computers who manufacture other computers2. This is known as computer aided manufacturing (CAM) and computer aided designs (CAD). But not only in science and industry computers are being used. Thanks to them modern medicine and health science can diagnose diseases faster and more comprehensively. Also in banking system computers have become common. They control ATMs, all data is stored on special hard disks and paper is not used in accountancy any more. Furthermore, architects, designers and engineers cannot imagine their work without computers. This machines are really everywhere and we rely on them also in such fields as criminology. They help police to solve crimes and collect evidence. Moreover, computers are wide-spread in education. Use of technology is woven into an almost daily educational discourse and debate. It is relatively easy to forget that computer use in education is a relatively new phenomenon that has evolved to widespread use only within the last 20 years. Teachers began to have more control over classroom with the help of technology in-use with the introduction of the first microcomputers in 1997 according to Roblyer and Edwards (2000)  [3]  . Except their classic tasks such as administration and accountancy they are used in process of learning. Firstly, they store huge amount of data which helps students to gain information. Secondly, thanks to special teaching techniques and programs they improve skills of concentration and adaptation of knowledge. They have become so popular and in use that not knowing how to use those means to be illiterate. Advantages of Computers Out of many some of the advantages of computer in our daily life are as follows: Computers saves storage place. Imagine how much paper would have to be used, how many trees would have to be cut just to store information which is today on hard disks. Data stored on just one CD in paper form would use room of dozens square meters and would weight thousands of kilos. Nowadays techniques of converting data from paper to digital form have also terrifically developed. You can simply rewrite the text using a keyboard. If you are not good at it you can use a scanner to scan necessary documents. At least there are special devices which can transfer our voice into text. Thanks to computers; banks, private and government companies, libraries, and many other institutions can save millions of square meters in terms of space and billions of dollars in terms of money. Nowadays we have access to billions of pieces of information and due to the computers capabilities we actually do not need to worry not only how to store them but also how to process them. Computers can calculate and process information faster and more accurate than human. Computers improve our lives. They are very useful in office work, we can write text such as reports and analysis. Compared with old typewriters when using computers we dont have to worry about making mistakes in typewriting because special programs help as to avoid them and we can change them any time. When the text is finished we can print it in as many copies as we want. At least but not at last, we can communicate with whole world very fast and cheap using Internet. Computers are user-friendly. We can watch videos and listen to the music having only PC. We dont need video player, TV and stacking hi-fi any more. Furthermore, we dont have to buy PCs which can take much room due to their other necessary components and wires. We can always buy laptop or palm top which is even smaller, and use them outside anywhere we want. Of course except these excellent features there is also dark side of computer technology because every invention brings us not only benefits but also threats. Disadvantages of Computers Sitting in front of a computer for long has adverse effects. Radiation from the screen affects the eyes, making it difficult to identify objects in high resolution. A magnetic field, generated by computers, also harms the brain; therefore resulting in jumbled thoughts or memories. A common symptom of computers adverse effects is restless sleeping. When using a computer, the brain is constantly moving like a water turbine. Therefore, after prolonged use, the eyes are strained, the brain is on maximum is still expecting more work and so results in kicking and turning while sleeping. Health is not the only individual to be devastated by prolonged computer usage; relationships are also hit hard too. Computer users, who work on the computer for long periods of time, create less time for interaction with their society. The advent of social networking sites might be seen as a solution to that problem, but face to face interactions are beneficial once in a while. Over-dependence on computers creates room for laziness too. People tend to disregard learning to do some things the manual way. Thus, a computer break-down would leave them helpless until the computer is repaired. Violence and sex. The main threats to younger users of computers are internet pornography and bloody games. The presence of sexual content or level of violence should be properly marked and parents are obliged to draw their attention to this issue. There are many extremely bloody games such as grand theft auto, quake etc. For example, in GTA you are a member of mafia and to promote in crime hierarchy you should kidnap people, steal cars, robe banks etc. As a bonus you can also run over pedestrians. There are also many games in which you are a soldier and your mission is to kill as many enemies as possible. The other threat to our children is internet pornography. The availability of sexual content is enormous and you can do practically nothing to protect your child, especially when its interested in this matter. The other threat is that you can be a computer addict. If you spend most of your free time using computer you should go to see a psychologist. Arguments about Computer dependency Since their invention, people far and wide have become increasingly dependent on computers. Computers have found their way into just about every aspect of our lives, and in most cases, they make things easier for us  [4]  . They allow us to work from home, socialize with our friends and family who live too far away to visit, and they provide an ever-welcome stress relief when we come home from school or work and just want to have some fun. But as we increasingly rely on computers to get through the day, the question begs to be asked: have we become too dependent on computers? Despite the many benefits of computers, there are also a number of arguments against them, one of which is the negative effect some believe they are having on childrens education. Illiteracy is a growing issue, and many say that computers are to blame. In the past few years, many teachers have taken to shuffling their students off to a computer to type out short, quick assignments that could easily be written out by hand. While this isnt much of an issue for older students, it is an issue for the younger students who are just learning to read and write. Regardless of how much were coming to rely on computers, printing and handwriting are a necessary skill to have. But typing out assignments has an effect on more than just the ability to print4. It can also negatively impact their spelling and grammar. While most programs now have spell- and grammar-check, they are not infallible; they cannot differentiate between homonyms and will often times suggest corrections that are not, in fact, correct. Furthermore, information is often more easily and accurately remembered when children have to spend a little time writing it out by hand, rather than a few quick minutes typing away at a keyboard. Because of these factors, computers in school should be reserved for older students, longer assignments, or classes which specifically teach how to use a computer. Another case against computers crops up when a persons interest in computers goes too far and becomes an obsession. Computers make our lives easier and give us new ways to learn about the things were interested in. They make it possible to do many things from the comfort of our own home. We can shop online, keep in touch with our friends online, even go to school online. They make it easier to record and organize information and entertain us with a nearly endless variety of games. However, its still important to maintain a life outside of the cyber world; a life spent attached to a computer screen isnt a real life. When a computer becomes the central point of a persons life, they undergo a change in behavior; they become lazy and develop anti-social tendencies, and, in some severe cases, simply cannot function without a computer. Its a common thing to see with children who have been allowed to spend too much time on the computer, watching TV, or playing video games: when it comes time to walk away, they throw temper tantrums. But its not just a matter of behavioral changes, when a person cant tear themselves away from the screen long enough to take part in any other activity, it can take a toll on their comfort and health. They may experience weight gain, strained eyes, and headaches, among other unpleasant side-effects. However, it can also be argued that this is not the fault of the computer, but rather the fault of the person  [5]  . Perhaps the most convincing argument, however, is the issue of safety. Aside from the issue of sharing personal information such as full names and addresses, there is also the bigger issue of stolen personal information. As our dependence on computers grows, so does our comfort level with them, and we are more likely to save personal information to our computer. While it would be nice to think that it is always perfectly safe to do so, the fact is that there are people who have any number of ways to gain access to your personal files, and therefore, any personal information stored on your computer. Even if you dont knowingly keep any personal information on your computer, if you bank or shop online at all, its possible for someone who knows what theyre doing to gain access to delicate financial information. But these are just examples of issues with household computers. What of the rest of the world? Instead of writing a cheque, we whip out our cards to pay for things when were short on cash. What happens when the internet goes down and youre stuck in the checkout line with $200 worth in groceries, and no way to pay for them because you dont have a blank cheque? What happens when everyone is driving their fancy, futuristic cars that run on a computer chip and something goes wrong? In a few hundred years, will anyone know how to drive the cars that we know today? Why are we really relying so much on computers? People put their computers through a lot of grief because they dont quite know what theyre doing when they decide to fix a problem or clean up their hard drive, but there are also errors in programming, bugs that need to be fixed long after the product is out on the market, and there are always people trying to ruin a perfectly good thing with viruses and the like. Survey Results We have asked the same question à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"Are we dependent on computers?à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚  to our friends and fellow students and we gather these responses: Yes, because many everyday skills have been lost due to the use of computers and other technology. I have had this argument many times with people. Because of computers and smart phones, too many people cant think for themselves. They cant decide what restaurant they want to go to without pulling up a search engine. They cant add 2 + 2 because they always have their handy computer calculator to do the work for them. They cant manage their own time, because their computer schedule is what keeps them in order. In todays society, we are too dependent on computers. People are losing their ability to function without a computer. Memorization is a thing of the past, we now depend on our cell phones to have the phone number of everyone we know and we no longer can even remember the phone number of our parents or children. We no longer worry about what we are writing or typing because we all use a word processing program that has spellchecker and checks for grammar mistakes. So as you can see we depend on computers too much and are losing our ability to memorize, type, spell, or even write a grammatical correct sentence. We are way too dependent on computers today; most businesses are not able to run without a computer anymore. My belief that everybody somewhere somehow has to use a computer for what they are doing. Most businesses are run on computers or even by computers. Banking is now done on computers along with credit apps and even car and movie rentals. If we lost the use of computers at this point in time, our world would come to a screeching halt. Stocks would crash; gas pumps and credit card machines would go down. The dependency on computers is also an extreme risk to the way that businesses and lives are run. Some people are even addicted, having to be on the computer all the time. These reasons are why I think that we are too dependent on computers. If we lose computers we end up in chaos. It is important to properly understand what being too dependent is. If we say that too dependent means that if we lose it in an instant then we are completely screwed and end up in chaos, then sure, were too dependent on computers. However, does the concept of too dependent even exist? Is it even possible to be too dependent on something? But the way I see dependence, we are too dependent. Too many tasks are done using computers. At some point in a persons day, a computer is involved whether that is driving, writing, communicating, or even ordering food. Too many important aspects of our lives depend on computers and one of the crucial aspects is communication. For myself, I talk to more people per day via digital communication than in real life. We are not too dependent on computers, because they allow us to perform better and produce more. Computers are tools, and you can never be too dependent on tools. Tools allow us to perform better and produce more. When I was in high school, research meant a trip to the library, finding the right book, and then taking notes with pencil and paper. Today, research is going online and cutting and pasting. We are not too dependent on computers, because that would be the same as saying that we are too dependent on tools. Computers are only tools which help us to perform better. Is the survival of the human race dependent on computers? No. However, if you asked, if modern society developed nations are heavily dependent on computers? Then yes, to the extent that if you were able to destroy all computers overnight, then we would be in a terrible mess indeed, most forms of public transport, logistics, stock trading, banks, economy of the internet and modern life as we know it would come to a crashing halt and many of us would be too stunned to know how to deal with it. Conclusion In our opinion, computers and other developments of technology are useful and there is no possibility to live without them nowadays, as we got too much used to them. However, we should also work to find the ways of making our dependence on technology less dangerous for us. New developments should appear only when really important and helpful for people.

Should Members Of Congress Earn More Money Or Less? :: essays research papers

Well, it really depends on one thing; I'm talking about their reason for becoming a congressman. If I were to become a congressman, my reason would be to help Californians express their opinions better. However this is my reason. Different people have millions of other reasons. I think there are three major reasons for becoming a congressman: represent his/her state, power, or money. I don't believe that most people get into Congress for the money. I believe most people that become congressmen want their state to be heard, and they want to improve it. However not everybody is so good some people are in it purely for power, usually power means money. I do not believe their salaries should be lowered, because if they feel they don't get what they deserve, they might not do their best in the office, they might abuse their privileges, etc. If they don't get paid enough they become more susceptible to taking bribes; this is the first sign of corruption. This might explain the paying less part, however it doesn't say much about raising their salary. I've considered the idea of raising their salary, however after a careful examination of facts, I didn't think raising it would improve much. As I have mentioned before, people (the Congressmen) don't do it for the money. Basically money isn't their primary concern. What would happen if you say doubled their salaries? People are not perfect, nobody is... if you pay them a lot more, chances are they might become greedy; when the only thing a person cares about is money, nothing ever gets accomplished. Greed is a terrible "sickness," even though you have a lot of something, in this case money, you want more, and more, and more, this craving never stops. The last thing you'd want is a greedy congressman. It is very likely that a greedy congressman would take bribes, and use his office to make even more profits, any way possible. A greedy congressman would probably forget his responsibilities, and duties as a congressman; this would only make it worse for that particular state.

Supply and Demand- a Case Study Milk Price

The market supply and demand curve above shows the milk price support problem. In order to solve the milk surpluses in the market, the government should take the steps to increase the market demand to the milk products by exploring overseas markets. For instance, the government should export the milk surpluses abroad. This would cut the cost of storage for milk products and encourages the local dairy farmers continue in dairy business. b. The small dairy farmers would prefer the proposal 4 because it benefits them the most through the buyout program.This program encourages small dairy farmers to switch from dairy business to another business. The rewards from government can be used as capital to start a new business. c. For consumers, they would prefer the proposal 2. Since the consumers are also the taxpayers, the dairy price support program is very costing to taxpayers. By eliminating the price support program, the consumers can enjoy the lower price of milk and the taxes to purcha se unsold milk products can used to support other domestics goods that would be more benefits the consumers. d.The member of Congress who is concern about the welfare of community will look with favor on the proposal 2. Since they investigated that the market for milk is a competitive market. Without the government intervention, the market equilibrium price for milk is set by the market demand and supply. For the benefits of consumers and taxpayers, they would enjoy a lower milk price than price floor. The problem of the farmers can be solved by increase the demand for dairy products, such as exports the milk surpluses abroad and promote the local brand of milk products to consumers. Question 2 a. When YED = 2,Income Elasticity of Demand, YED= Percentae change in quantity demandedPercentage change in income 2= ? Qd %12% ? Qd %=24 % The quantity demanded for personal computer increases 24% as the customer’s income have risen by 12%. So, in order to meet my current inventory to the increase of quantity demanded by 24%, the price of personal computer should be increased. When PED = 0. 5, Price Elasticity of Demand, PED= Percentage change in quantity demandedPercentage change in Price 0. 5= 24 %? Price % ? Price %=48 % ? The price of personal computer should be increase by 48% so that the quantity demanded will approximately equal my current inventory. . i. To determine the price elasticity of demand, PED= ? Qd %? Price % PED=4. 3 %0. 25/1. 25? 100 PED=4. 3 %20% PED=0. 125 ? When the price increased $0. 25 to $1. 50, an increase of 20%, the quantity demanded declined 4. 3%, the price elasticity of demand for subway rides is 0. 125. The elasticity is less than 1, so that the quantity demanded moves proportionately less than the price, demand is said to be inelastic. ii. Since the demand can be considered as the inelastic, the riders are less sensitive to the fare rises and there would probably because of no substitute way for riders in short period.Hence, th e Transit Authority’s revenue increases as the fare rises. iii. From the estimation, the demand for subway rides is inelastic in short run. The estimation might be unreliable because of the data gathered is only first month after the fare rises. After a longer period, the riders may choose not to use subway and find another way of transportation which is more economical to them. The switch of riders to substitute way of transportation means the quantity demanded for subway decreases. So, when the fare rises, the quantity demanded declines gradually, the price elasticity of demand would be higher and more elastic. . As a clever entrepreneur, it is important to measure how much the quantity demanded of a good responds to changes in consumer’s income. During the prosperity periods, the consumer’s income is higher, they would demand for normal goods and less demand for inferior goods. In periods of depression, the consumer’s income decreases leads to an incre ase of quantity demanded for inferior goods because their purchasing power is low. If the entrepreneur understands that inferior goods have negative income elasticity (Mankiw, 2007), he would probably switch his business to sell inferior goods.For example, a used-car seller who might sell branded luxury cars during prosperity periods. However, during depression periods, he might switch to sell low-cost cars in order to sustain his business. In conclusion, the statement is valid. Question 3 a. Diminishing returns to a single factor are observable in all production processes at some level of inputs. The ‘law of diminishing marginal productivity’ is defined as the marginal product of an input is the additional output generated by employing one more unit of the input, all other inputs held fixed.The extra output, or returns, to the single input diminish because all other inputs are held fixed. One of the factors is capital. For example, as the stock of capital rises, the ex tra output produced from an additional of capital falls (Mankiw, 2007). Returns to scale are different from the returns to a single factor. Returns to scale are proportional increases in all inputs. While each factor in production process generates diminishing returns, the output may more than double, less than double, or exactly double when all the inputs are doubled.The distinction again is that with returns to scale, all inputs are increased in the same proportion and no input is held fixed. b. In filling a vacant position, we should be concerned with the marginal product of the last worker hired because the marginal product measures the effect on output, or total product, of hiring another worker. It helps us to determine the revenue generated by hiring another worker and compared it to the cost of hiring another worker. This comparison shows that whether the hiring would help to increase the production.The point at which the average product begins to decline is the point where average product is equal to marginal product. Although adding more workers results in a further decline in average product, total product continues to increase, so it may still be advantageous to hire another worker. When average product declines, the marginal product of the last worker hired is lower than the average product of previously hired workers. c. The isoquant identifies all the combinations of the two inputs which can produce the same level of output. The curvature of the isoquant is measured by the slope of the isoquant at any given point.The slope of the isoquant measures the rate at which the two inputs can be exchanged and still keep output constant, and this rate is called the marginal rate of technical substitution. Along the typical â€Å"bowed-in† or convex isoquant, the marginal rate of technical substitution diminishes as you move down along the isoquant. SECTION B Question 4 a. To find the equilibrium price and quantity, Qd=Qs 100-5P=5P 10P=100 P=10 When P = 10, Q=5P Q=510 Q=5 ? Equilibrium price is $10, equilibrium quantity is 50 units Price of Negext, $ Market Equilibrium Quantity of Negext, Units 50 0 10 Supply Demand 20Consumer Surplus Producer Surplus Graph 2 The Negext Market Supply and Demand Consumer Surplus=12 ? $10 ? 50 =$ 250 Producer Surplus=12? $10 ? 50 =$ 250 Total Surplus=Consumer Surplus+Producer Surplus Total Surplus=$250+$250 =$ 500 ? The consumer surplus is $250, the producer surplus is $250 and total surplus is $500. b. When 50 units of Negext are produced, Total Cost of Pollution=50 ? 4 ? $1 =$ 200 The sellers would impose $4 for each units of Negext, so the price for Negext is $14. Total Surplus=$ 500-$200 =$ 300 ? The total surplus after taking into account the cost of pollution, it reduces to $ 300. . We can use total surplus to measure the welfare of buyers and sellers in Negext market. If the society banning Negext, no demand from buyers, Negext will run out of business, the society is not in economic well - being. Both buyers and sellers do not enjoy any welfare from banning. When the total surplus is zero, the total market welfare is zero as well. d. Under the government restriction, the market only can produce 25 units of Negext. (100 units of pollution ? 4 units of pollution are emitted each Negext is produced= 25 units of Negext can be produced) Qs=25 units 00-5 P=25 P=$ 15 ? The new market equilibrium when the quantity 25 units and price is $ 15. Since the minimum cost to produce one unit of Negext is $5 (assuming the cost of production per Negext is $1 and cost of pollution is $4), so the supply of Negext decreases to zero when the price falls below $5. Graph 3 shows the Negext market after the restriction. This restriction limits the production to 25units and the price rises to $15. The consumer surplus decreases to $62. 50, producer surplus is $312. 50, and pollution cost is $100. The total surplus falls $275.In short, this policy is not recommended because it reduces the tot al market welfare. Graph 3 The Negext Market Supply and Demand after the government restriction. Price of Negext, $ New Market Equilibrium Quantity of Negext, Units 0 Supply Demand 20 Producer Surplus 15 Consumer Surplus 25 5 Consumer Surplus=12? $5? 25 =$ 62. 50 Producer Surplus=12? ($10+$15)? 25 =$312. 50 Total Cost of Pollution=25 units Negext? 4 units pollution ? $1 =$ 100 Total Surplus=$ 62. 50+$312. 50-$100 =$275 e. The consumers and producers should bear the $2 tax respectively. Inverse Demand : P=18-15QInverse Supply :P=-2+15Q NEW Qd=90-5P NEW Qs=-10+5P Qd=Qs 90-5P=-10+5P P=10 Q=90-5(10) Q=40 units Refer to Graph 4, the market is in equilibrium when price is $10 and quantity, 40 units. However, the actual price paid by the consumers is $12 and the producers receiving price of $8. The tax revenue is $160. The consumer surplus is $160, producer surplus is $160, and total pollution cost is $160. The total surplus increases to $320. So, this policy is highly recommended because the increases of total market welfare that benefits all the society members.Graph 4 The Neget Market after government imposes tax. Price of Negext, $ Quantity of Negext, Units 40 0 10 Supply Demand 20 12 8 Tax Revenue=$4? 40 =$160 Consumer Surplus=12? $8? 40 =$160 Producer Surplus=12? $8? 40 =$160 Total Cost of Pollution=40? 4? $1 =$100 Total Surplus=$160+$160+$160-$160 =$320 f. When the cost of pollution is higher than $1, the total surplus decreases. The price paid by the consumer increases, the consumer surplus decreases. Then, it would affect the society well-being, especially the welfare of consumer is violated. This leads the consumers banning Negext.Moreover, if the production of Negext emit such high pollution to environment, the society should ban Negext for the safety and health of society. REFERENCES Smith, 2007. Chapter 6 answers (Online) Available From : http://www. coloradocollege. edu/Dept/EC/Faculty/Smith/EC2070102/chap_06answers. htm (Accessed : 16 July 2011) Wmich. Edu. 2010. Assignments In Class (Online) Available From : http://homepages. wmich. edu/~u5nwaogu/In%20Class%20Assignments/Inclass_3. pdf (Accessed : 16 July 2011) Mankiw, N. Gregory. (2007). Principles of Economics, 4th Edition. USA: Thomson South – Western. pp97-99, 559-562

The Song Of Roland The Pagan And Christian Perspective

In the Song of Roland, although the concept of honor, a concern for personal honor, public opinion and ethics are explored in both the pagan and Christian perspective, the plot of the epic largely views the Christian to be right and pagans wrong. Although there are many references of pagan characteristics, some of which are praised, ultimately the religious beliefs of the pagans are used to overshadow their strengths. Below, evidence of the Christian ethics overshadowing the pagan perspective are discussed. First of all, the Song of Roland had the purpose to define the perfect expression of a feudal, Christian, nationalist ethos. This was due to of the influence of the era and the bias of its Christian composer. This setting can be seen through the analysis of each camps. For instance, both operate under feudal hierarchies where Charlemagne and Marseille are at the head after their respective gods. Both are largely a mirror image of the other. Arguably the only difference between the Franks and the pagans is religion. Secondly, the first laisse of the poem aims at transforming the text into a seamless praise of Christian glory. The poem beings with an announcement of Charlemagne s final victory. This immediately recognizes the Christian religion as the true religion. Charlemagne’s victory is stated to be a result of God’s support for Charlemagne. Conversely, the pagan king does not receive any support from his gods because he is a vassal to false gods. This sets the plotShow MoreRelatedEssay about Christendom and The Song of Roland1119 Words   |  5 PagesThe Song of Roland is the oldest epic poem in French, written by an anonymous poet, composed in between late eleven century to twelfth century. This epic poetry holds an important place in the history of France and invention of Christendom. 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