Exteriority and reliable Essay

Emotions are plucked but there is an almost neurotic and compulsive intentionality behind Tristan which seeks out order in some area of spacious mystery and an almost awesome integrity. As juries have long known that beliefs derived from feelings or sentiment do not in many instances align with what is best supported on rational or scientific foundations of consensus. One’s epistemology of truth and falsehood becomes very much confused and ambiguously mixed that a dazed submission often results which is eminently forgetful as it satisfies promptings of a Freudian libido. Instead of being so concerned with exteriority and reliable or even useful reference modern compositions like Wagner’s Tristan advance possibilities of shielding the ego from the sadistic damage it does to itself by acknowledging the strong and permanent tendency of the ego to seek out satisfying ends and products whenever possible. Even if such things may be mere scatterings of imagined delusions and derived fantasies. Wagner is involved very much with refashioning the world through his conceptual and audible art. Instead of adhering to the World he attempts to exert artistic agency in changing such a world. There is a Marxian spirit behind Wagner as it resolves the problem presented by the issue of construction by thoroughly embracing dilemmas of construction and seeking to master it so that a sense of adequacy can be sustained in a way that is far too perfect. As it is far too perfect is far from simply adequate but is at times quite sublimely pristine in its ability to deliver a kind of pleasurable release and warm gratification that exhibits much to be desired. Nature becomes a warm, maternal figure that pleases infinitely and conjures up procedural joys and swift absolutions of intoxication. The unity once ascribed to the natural is exploited by Wagner’s romantic sensibility as his art achieves a kind of sanctioned sacredness so much so that Coleridge thoroughly condemned attempts to betray such art by dividing it. When Robert Morgan writes of Tristan he points out that â€Å"the Prelude is in constant transformation-always evolving, as if reaching after some unattainable goal, striving at every moment to become something other than it is. Conventional formal analysis appears to be of little value. Focused upon thematic and tonal correspondences, its aim to articulate musical events into discrete segments, distinguishing them by content and function (expository, developmental, etc. ) and organizing them into larger, balanced architectonic patterns, seems antithetical to the very nature of the score. †(69) As the score seems to constantly evolving as it is constantly compromising its layered developments with enticements of harmony and resolution, it’s dangerous to classify Tristan as a case of perpetual striving. Although Morgan asserts that â€Å"Tristan,† does little to offer anything â€Å"in the way of confirmation, reconciliation, or balance,† and instead â€Å"appears to chart a unique and seemingly wayward course,† because he does engage formal analysis as an explanatory instrument quite well it is evidently not true that â€Å"Tristan† is really so individuated or idiosyncratic that it resists formalizations or even more modest theorizations. (69) As Morgan notes in his formal analysis, there is a centripetal aspect to Wagner’s â€Å"Tristan† where, retaining â€Å"the circular image, cycle 1 traces the circle’s complete circumference, while cycles 2-7 loop back and retrace continuous portions of it. Especially notable is the highly self-reflexive nature of the process: this is music that feeds upon itself, reusing the same structural units again and again. †(76) Consequently, there are potentially rewarding and influential interpretation possibilities that can be formalized in a sociological sense, on interconnections between yielding and possessing structural units that are spatially bound and engaged only so much as they are formulated in a kind of imposed fixity. What formalism is grounded on it is a firm belief in universals, not in the mechanics that exist as conventions but are so only because people believe enough to follow by them to create a technical and adequate language within a language for the task at hand. Morgan, by insisting on relatively narrow avenues of evaluation and fixing his acceptance or dismissal on the conventional rather than the essential is really being unfair to the very tendency towards taking tradition serious and believing very much in universals that allow for stimulating simultaneous dialogue between time, space, class, and culture.

American Politics and Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

American Politics and Society - Essay Example There are many policies that the President cannot make possible all by himself. The different executive departments and agencies are managed and directed by persons who may not necessarily share the same objectives as the President. Furthermore, if he needs to make any changes it will first have to pass through Congress. The President has limited control over legislative acts as well. There are several steps that needed to be done before a policy can be implemented that are under the jurisdiction of persons beyond the control of the President. The President even has limited control over such important agencies such as the Federal Reserve. The British Prime Minister, on the other hand, holds the most important position in parliament as he makes many of the political decision in his country. He is responsible for appointing his cabinet. He also has the power to make the final decision on major issues. On becoming President the previous role of senator, governor or political representative held before assuming presidential role has to be relinquished. The President, therefore, while being head of the executive does not have the responsibility of representing any individual state or region. This is different with the Prime Minister. He is also a member of parliament and he, therefore, has the responsibility and duties of caring for a constituency like any other ordinary member of parliament. The party system within the United States of America is not as strong nor does it have the traditional pomp and power like what is associated with political parties in the United Kingdom. While the President automatically becomes the party leader he does not necessarily have members of his party in his cabinet. It is different with the Prime Minister who is responsible for appointing party members to his cabinet. Normally, the cabinet only comprises party members and affiliates.

Why was violence so intence in the late 20th centry in America Essay

Why was violence so intence in the late 20th centry in America - Essay Example African American women and men were much more prone to be victimized by rape or murder than lynching, and they endured all kinds of violence every day, especially during the latter part of the 20th century (Markovitz 33). In spite of, or even due to, its uncommonness, lynching carried a particular psychological power, raising a degree of terror and fear that engulfed all other kinds of violence in the 20th-century America. As illustrated by Jean Toomer, the shouts of a single mob may sound â€Å"like a hundred mobs yelling† (Wood 1), and the image of violence and terror kept on burning long after it was done. All the daily violence and degradations that black southerners experienced may, actually, be filtered into the occurrence of lynching, so that it becomes the main depiction of racial oppression and injustice all together. This essay explains that the intense violence in the latter part of the 20th century in America, especially as regards lynching, is largely characterize d by violence against African Americans. 20th-Century Lynching: The Violence of America Lynching took on an enormous symbolic force specifically because it was unusual and concretely frightening. This violence that a massive number of white audiences watched as victims were tortured and hanged was the most terrifying image. The utter cruelty of the mobs, and their blatant disrespect of the law, astonished and frightened because they go against universal beliefs of what cultured individuals should or may be capable of (Holmes & Smith 17). Nevertheless, African Americans did not have to witness a lynching to be frightened by it, to sense that ‘penalty of death’ was lingering over them every day of their lives (Wood 26). According to Wright, â€Å"The white brutality that I had not seen was a more effective control of my behavior than that which I knew. The actual experience would have let me see the realistic outlines of what was really happening, but as long as it remai ned something terrible and yet remote, something which horror and blood might descend upon me at any moment, I was compelled to give my entire imagination over it† (Holmes & Smith 19). It was the scene of lynching, instead of the brutality itself, which inflicted some psychological injury that imposed black submission to white supremacy. All the more, mobs carried out lynching as a show for other white folks. The tortures, the procedures, and their later images sent powerful messages to the white people about their alleged racial supremacy. These exhibitions generated and propagated representations of black inferiority and white superiority, of black wickedness and white harmony, which served to implant and reinforce a sense of racial domination in their white audiences (Pfeiffer The Roots of Rough Justice 94). Hence, lynching was successful in acting out and preserving white supremacy not merely because African Americans were its victims, but also because white folks were its audiences. Even though lynching is at the heart of a long custom of American vigilantism, lynching grew considerably in both prevalence and severity after the Reconstruction and Civil War, reaching its peak from the latter part of the 19th century through the 20th century. During this period, lynching became a largely racial practice, as southern white folks tried to regain their power in the face of the possibility of social independence, enfranchisement, and emancipation of African Americans (Pfeiffer Lynching Beyond Dixie 21-22). Verifying the precise number of lynching that was performed in the 20th century is a very difficult undertaking, because the definition of lynching was largely contested, and groups like the Chicago Tribune, the Tuskegee Institute, and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) held

Types of Abortion Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Types of Abortion - Research Paper Example Miscarriages happen when the person has some health issue or gets into a situation that may shock her body physically (Walter, 2011). There is also the type of abortion induced at will. This is the most common form with the term abortion. With these types of abortion, there are the safe ones carried out in medical institutions and there are the unsafe ones carried out that often bring in various complications and in the worst cases death. There are very many legal and ethical issues involved with the issue of abortion and it is important to review all of them to familiarize. Types and Issues in Abortion Many of the abortions over the years have been due to unwanted pregnancies. Many of the people that get pregnant unwillingly are overcome by guilt to a point where they cannot handle bearing a child. There is also the factor that they may not be old enough to handle the responsibility of having a child. This mostly happens in underage teenagers who do not observe ethics upheld by soci ety and engage in unprotected sex. However, for the abortions carried out clinically, various issues lead to their effectiveness (Stotland, 2010). One of the major reasons as to why a doctor may advice for the carrying out of an abortion is a condition at which the mother is at a risk of health if she continues bearing the fetus in the womb. As stated, there is also the spontaneous type of abortion. This is where the mother loses the pregnancy due to physical and health issues unwillingly. When the embryo bursts earlier than expected, a miscarriage may occur or a premature birth. It all depends with the health condition of the embryo around that time. When a miscarriage happens, it has many implications on the mother. This is because the mother had expected the child to be born in a healthy matter only to lose it (Stotland, 2008). One of the ways through which the mother may be affected by this form of abortion is emotionally. In this state, the mother may get stress because of over -thinking the issue and to an extended state may get depressed. This may also affect the mother physically. This is because the mother may suffer several wounds from the manner in which the blood from the miscarriage flowed from her body. These wound may be external which are easily treated. However, the situation may be as bad as to the injuries being internal and thus the patient may require surgery. One of the issues to observe when dealing with the issue of abortion is the safety observed when carrying out of the procedure. There is both the safe and unsafe ways of carrying out abortion. For the save ones, licensed practitioners carry out the procedure. However, for unsafe abortions, the process often tends to carried out by unskilled practitioners or even fraud doctors. Unsafe abortions cater for one of the highest number of deaths in women around the world. The World Health Organization has been a very effective ambassador for the end of ill-advised abortions all over the worl d (Potts, 2010). This is witnessed from the efforts that it has made in advertisements at hospitals and other social places that show the dangers of abortion. Developing countries are worst hit by the issue as research shows that 97% of the abortions happen in these countries. Different Sides on Abortion Abortion being one of the greatest and pressing issues in society has lead to a great number of debates unto whether or not it is necessary. The different sides of the matter are viewed from a social, legal and medical manner. The first groups of people are the people that lie on the acceptance side. These are the people that do not view abortion as a poor process. The number of people with this

Reading the American past Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Reading the American past - Essay Example An analysis of Lincoln’s speech concerning the controversial Kansas-Nebraska act and the antislavery constitution by Frederick Douglass will highlight the views of proslavery and antislavery. In 1854, Lincoln gave his reaction to the opinion of Douglass who had introduced the Kansas-Nebraska act (Johnson 266-267). Abraham Lincoln presented his speech at Peoria. The bill drafted by Douglass, the Illinois senator sought to discredit the Missouri compromise. The bill sparked a heated controversy in the house. After Douglass had expressed his views for three hours, it was time for Lincoln to respond. Lincoln’s speech traced all the preceding events that contributed to the debate that they were handling. He presented an account of the Missouri compromise and its implications to Nebraska. He mentioned that Nebraska had belonged to the region defined in the Missouri compromise and any inhabitants occupying the regions could not practice slavery. He then detailed the ways in which Douglass’s suggestions in the Kansas-Nebraska bill affected the Missouri compromise. He mentioned that the bill allowed inhabitants of the Nebraska region to practice slavery if they deem ed it right to do so. This suggestion by Douglass contradicted with the Missouri compromise. In addition, Lincoln highlighted Douglass’s expansion plans of splitting the controversial regions and introducing Kansas as new territory. After outlining a brief history of the issue, Lincoln progressed to present his anti-slavery views. According to him, the Negroes were equally human and deserved a fair chance in the government as well (268). He objected Douglass’s views that only the whites had a right to form the government. He detailed the evils of slavery inn different states and made his antislavery message to Douglass and the audience very clear. His speech presents the reader with an opportunity to delve deeper into the issues defining slavery in the American

Art History Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Art History - Research Paper Example What world did they see in the early 1860s, when Impressionism stormed into their lives as the wind of change? Social disruptions at the end of the 18th century, revolutions in France and America, transformed the very essence of Western culture, which cannot but affect the role of art in a rapidly changing society. Accustomed to some social orders from the ruling dynasties or the church, artists suddenly found that all the customers left them. The nobility and clergy experienced serious financial and social troubles. The era of capitalism came, which changed the art rules and priorities totally. Gradually established republics and democratic powers witnessed the growth of the middle class and this growth caused the development of the new art market. Unfortunately, entrepreneurs and traders usually lacked hereditary culture and education, without which it was impossible to understand the diversity of allegories or skillful mastery, which charmed the aristocracy. Without any aristocratic upbringing and education, the middle-class representatives, who suddenly became the art consumers, had to rely on the opinion of professionals - newspaper critics and official experts. The artistic academies, the watchers of the classical canons, became the central arbiters in the issue of artistic preferences. So, it’s not a paradox that some young and talented artists rebelled against the conformity and dominance of the formal academism in art. The major strongholds of the academicism at that time were state patronized exhibitions of contemporary art – the Salons. Participation in the Salon was the only chance to attract attention of the press and customers. The Salon was a unique opportunity to acquire a customer, to build a career in art. Auguste Renoir, in his letter to his dealer Durand-Ruel, criticizes status quo: â€Å"In Paris there are scarcely fifteen people who capable of liking a painter who doesn’t show at

Negative effect of video games on children Essay

Negative effect of video games on children - Essay Example This proposal argues that while video gaming offers an enjoyable level of entertainment, the negative effects ultimately outweigh the positive benefits and should be altered through increased regulations and parental limitations. One of the primary problems with video gaming systems is their ability to completely consume the individual. While the intentions of the systems are such that they are purposely addictive, this becomes a large problem when one considers this addiction oftentimes begins to function as a sort of drug like control mechanism. Multiple studies have shown that individuals engrossed in video gaming have not only become linked to the in-game experience, but have also allowed it to dictate other aspects of their lives (Anderson 2005). Consider a scenario when an individual purchases a video game and becomes engrossed in the narrative. Not only does the individual become entrenched in these aspects of the game during their playing time, but it has been shown that the game has such a powerful hold that they will rush through work or daily activities as a means of returning to the gaming world. In effect, the game has overtaken the individual’s life and has crippled their ability to function in a normal and productive way. Another negative aspect of video gaming is the potential for video games to cause increased levels of violence among children. From this perspective one need only consider the nature of video games to view the potential for such violence. In many regards the appeal video gaming holds is the ability to experience forbidden realities; for these reasons many video games involve committing crimes, murder, and death (Silva). With the addictive nature of the gaming system it is no large jump to assume that these elements can influence the gamers cognitive structure. In response to these negative effects this essay proposes two major changes. The first change is a call for increased parental regulation on children’s video gaming habits. As children are the primary consumers of video games it’s necessary for parents to step-in and ensure that their children’s gaming habits are not destructive to their overall production and scholastic progress. The second element proposed is that tighter restrictions be placed on the nature of video games. As Munger indicates in Fig. 1 video gaming has demonstrated increased violence levels in adolescents. While the movie industry has faced increasing regulations in terms of ratings, with adolescents only being admitted to certain movies based on age, in-large part the video gaming industry has gone unchecked. What is restricted for children under 17 to view in movies is readily available for them to interact with in video games. With tighter regulations on these aspects, children will have less access to these negative elements and this will in-turn reduce the potential for violence or crime resulting through increased video game play. In order to achi eve this, small steps need to be taken, beginning with individual parents petitioning government representatives to take action. While these proposals are believed to be strong in that they will reduce the negative effects of video games, there are objections that exist in response to their core contentions. In terms of increased parental