Sojourner Truth :: Free Essay Writer

Sojourner Truth Sojourner Truth was born a slave named Isabella Baumfree sometime in 1797 in Ulster county, New York. The exact date of her birth is to this day unknown, but it is believed to have been sometime during the fall. She developed her characteristics of courage and dependability from her mother, Mau Mau Bett, at an early age. Isabella was first owned by a Dutch named Charles, who was happened to be a decent slave owner. At his death, she was separated from her mother and auctioned to another set of plantation owners, the Neelys. Isabella was highly mistreated here as they took their dislike of the Dutch community out on Isabella, who spoke hardly a word of English. She was bought and sold three times within the next twenty-four months, the final purchaser being a man named John Dumont for the incredibly low bargaining price of three hundred dollars. Dumont needed more slaves for his New York plantation. He always bragged that Isabella was the hardest working slave on the plantation. Seeing this, he forced her to marry a fellow slave known as Tom. Isabella gave birth to five children within the next five years. Two years before the emancipation act of 1828, in which all slaves within New York were freed, Dumont promised Isabella that if she were to work extra hard the next year, he would set her free a year early. She did just that; she was the even harder working already hardest working slave on the plantation. In her speeches, she spoke of the living conditions many slaves were forced to endure, crowded together into cabins with no privacy, overworked, fed scraps in many cases, and clothed raggedy scraps. Her audiences must have felt the shame as Truth recalled the auction block, upon which men and women alike were frequently forced to strip and stand before potential buyers, who would search their bodies for marks of the whip or of wrist or leg irons, the presence of which would indicate the slave had been frequently punished. The slaves would be forced to endure impersonal and degrading inspections of their teeth, muscles, and other body parts, depending on what the buyer was looking for in the purchase. When the time came, though, Dumont broke his promise. Isabella, realizing she had been tricked, escaped with her infant child in her arms in October of 1827 to the refuge of a Quaker family.

The Spanish-American War :: American America History

The Spanish-American War During the last years of the nineteenth century, the United States would find itself involved in what John Jay, the American secretary of state, later referred to as a "splendid little war; begun with highest motives, carried on with magnificent intelligence and spirit, favored by that fortune which loves the brave." From an American standpoint, because there were few negative results, and so many significantly positive consequences, John Jay was correct in calling the Spanish-American War a "splendid little war." The defeat of the Spanish forces marked the end of their rule in the Americas and also marked the rise of the United States as a global military power. The Spanish-American War affected the United States in a number of other ways. It helped speed the construction of the Panama Canal and also resulted in the U.S.'s acquisition of foreign territories. There were also many other minor positive outcomes to the war as opposed to the few negative consequences that resulted. The Spanish-American War was the brief conflict that the United States waged against Spain in 1898. The war had grown out of the Cuban struggle for independence, and whose other causes included American imperialism and the sinking of the U.S warship Maine. The actual hostilities in the war lasted four months, from April 25 to August 12, 1898. Most of the fighting occurred in or near the Spanish colonial possessions of Cuba and the Philippines, nearly halfway around the world form each other. In both battlegrounds, the decisive military event was the complete destruction of a Spanish naval squadron by a vastly superior U.S. fleet. These victories, after brief resistance, brought about the surrender of the Spanish to U.S. military forces as indicated by a peace treaty signed between the two countries on December 10, 1898, in Paris, France. In the end, the Americans had minimal casualties, while the Spanish suffered immense fatalities and damage to their naval resources (Encyclopedia Br itannica). The Spanish-American War marked the end of Spain's colonial empire and the end of its rule in the Americas. Since the early 19th century, Americans had watched the series of revolutions that ended Spanish authority throughout South America, Central America, and Mexico. Many people in the United States, however, were irritated by the fact that the Spanish flag continued to fly in Cuba and Puerto Rico. Spain's brutal ways of putting down Cuban demands for some form of personal liberty aroused feelings of sympathy and anger among Americans (Chidsey).

Philosophy of Education Essay -- Philosophy of Teaching Statement

Philosophy of Education Education is an essential element to the life of every person. Teachers must have a philosophy of teaching to be effective in the classroom. No matter what way of teaching an educator chooses, it should positively affect his or her students and help to keep them on track to growing into strong intelligent adults. If a child is placed in a positive environment, then it will help shape them into good citizens. According to Plato, a student's environment determines his or her morals and character. It is very important for children to be able to function in society and to learn to interact well with other people; providing a positive learning environment plays a crucial role in instilling these characteristics. If all teachers would stress these concepts there would be a lot less discipline problems in the classroom. Philosophy Discipline plays a key role in the learning environment of the child. A teacher must have an effective discipline method to keep order in the classroom. The view of behaviorists seems to work in most situations. If positive reinforcement is utilized in the classroom, students will want to do well academically. Punishment often times causes students to rebel against authority. If the teacher rewards students for good behavior, then they will want to be consistent in their behavior they will see that this will benefit them. Knowledge is dependent upon the person and their situation, therefore the nature of knowledge is relative. Everyone is different and can not be expected to learn in the same manner. Some students learn best through experiencing things and doing things hands-on, these students are tactile-kinesthetic learners. Some students are auditory learners, ... ...variety of viewpoints. Elementary teachers should make sure that children have a good foundation in reading and math. It is very important that children have the basic skills that they need to build on and excel in the higher grades. As graduation approaches, my plans are to obtain a certificate in special education, concentrating on children with learning disabilities. After teaching for a few years, I plan to pursue a graduate degree in special education while I am still teaching. Educating young people is something that is very important to the future of society. As an educator, I would like to make a difference in the lives of my students. Upon leaving my classroom, I hope that my students will become open-minded and strong of heart. I want them to know what kind of things that they enjoy and to think of learning as a wonderful and valuable experience.

Emotional and Moral Development

Developmental psychologists recognized that when an individual begins life, we are all amoral or in other words, an individual do not yet have the rudiments of moral judgment.   By the time an individual becomes adults, however, he/she may possess a complex notion of morality.   Morality is defined by most psychology books is a system of personal values and judgments about the fundamental rightness or wrongness of acts, and of an individual’s obligations to behave in just ways that do not interfere with the rights of others. Moral development on the other hand, is the acquisition of moral standards and the ability to make judgments.   But how do an individual evolve from amoral to moral, from a total lack of understanding on responsibilities to a complex perception of right and wrong? This question has occupied the attention of many developmental psychologists.   The two most influential psychological researchers on moral development were Lawrence Kohlberg and Piaget as Kohlberg’s research on moral development was heavily influenced by Piaget`s cognitive development. According to Kohlberg, people progress through stages in the development of moral reasoning. I would like to choose the children, adolescence, and adulthood emotional and moral-related life events and apply understanding of emotional and moral development. Moral development in Children.   Piaget (1975) called the first period in a child’s moral development as moral realism. Before the age of seven or eight, the child has little concern for the reason that specific behaviors are allowed or forbidden; he is a self-centered creature, and his mind does not seem flexible enough to fully comprehend the violation of rules as an interference with others (which theoretically, provides the basis for morality). Another label for the early moral realism period is the rules stage, a term that suggests that a child blindly follows rules without reason or unreasoning adherence to authority.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For Kohlberg, this stage of moral development is known as preconventional morality that is exemplified by most children at the preschool years (Fischer, 1993). Preconventional morality is a kind of self-serving approach to right and wrong where children tend to behave in certain ways in order to avoid being punished and in certain ways to obtain rewards.   In his longitudinal study of moral judgment, Kohlberg (1976) reinterviewed several children at different points in time.   At age 8, John, one of the participants, was asked, â€Å"Why shouldn’t you steal from a store?† John’s preconventional response was:   It’s not good to steal from the store.   It’s against the law.   Someone could see you and call the police† (Kohlberg, 1976). At this lowest level of moral development, children have not internalized a personal code of morality.   Rather, they are molded by the standards of adult caregivers and the consequences of adhering to or rejecting these rules. Moral development during Adolescence.   It is during early adolescence stage that a person’s sense of right and wrong typically matures to the level of conventional morality as Kohlberg calls it.   Conventional morality is the level shown by most adolescents and some adults (Colby et al., 1983). Maintaining conventional expectations has a moral value in its own right.   From Kohlberg`s (1976) study; at age 17, John’s conventional-level response to the question about stealing from a store was:   â€Å" It’s a matter of law.   It’s one of our rules that were trying to help to protect everyone. It’s something that’s needed in our society.   If we didn’t have these laws, people would steal, they wouldn’t have to work for a living.  Ã‚   Here, the motivating force behind behaving in a just or moral fashion is the desire either to help others and gain their approval or to help maintain the social order.   Individuals at the conventional level make moral judgments on the basis of expectations – those of the family, the social group, or the nation at large. As young adolescents progress through these stages, they begin to internalize the moral standards of valued adult or role models. Moral development in Adulthood.  Ã‚   The next level of moral judgment is postconventional level and only a few individuals may progress to this final level. Though a person may progress from conventional to postconventional level any time during adolescence, Kohlberg maintained that only about 25 percent of adults in the world progress beyond the conventional level, and most of these individuals do so sometime during their adult years. Moral judgments at the postconventional level transcend the authority of persons or conformity to groups.   Now, values and principles guide moral judgments.   Individuals at this level may understand and accept society’s rules and laws but tend to view them in terms of the underlying principles.   Postconventional morality affirms people’s agreed-upon rights and exhibited in such statements as; â€Å"People have a right to live†, â€Å"If you steal the drug, you won’t lived up to your own ideals†. Hence it affirms values agreed on by society, including individual’s rights and the need for democratically determined rules and guided by universal ethical principles in which they do what they think is right as a matter of conscience, even if their acts conflict with society’s rules.   As stated, not many people reach this level of moral reasoning. Only those who develop the abstract reasoning of formal operational thought may come to this level. Hence the exact nature of the stages and their sequence in moral development of an individual remain an open question. But one thing is clear though, that moral development is not fixed at adolescence, but rather continues throughout adulthood.   Also, how quickly and how far people progress in moral development depends on a number of factors, including their cognitive development.   One thing is certain though, that moral judgment and moral behavior are important aspects of an individual’s personality development. References Colby, A., Kohlberg, L.,Gibbs, J., & Lieberman, M. (1983).   A longitudinal study of moral development.   Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 48 (1-2, Serial No. 200). Fisher, K.W. (1993).   Commentary:   Illuminating the processes of moral development. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 48 (1-2, Serial No. 200). Kohlberg, L. (1976).   Moral stages and moralization:   The cognitive-developmental approach.   In T. Lickona (Ed.), Moral development and behavior:   Theory, research and social issues. New York:   Holt, Rinehart, Winston. Piaget, J. (1975). The moral judgment of the child.   New York:   The Free Press.                                                                           

Good and Evil and Generosity Essay

Generosity is seeing others more important than you. It is giving everything you have without expecting something in return. No matter they hurt you or abandon you, you still keep on loving them the same as before. You don’t get offended by what they do. You don’t look at their imperfections. Thus, generosity is related to unconditional love. The same as the father in the parable. For him, both sons are everything. In them he wants to pour out his very life. It is clear that the father symbolizes God. The God whose goodness, love, forgiveness, care, joy, and compassion have no limits. The God who welcomes us when we go back or gives us what we’ve asked. As the famous verse goes, â€Å"ask and you will receive; seek and you will find’ knock and the door will be open. † God is so good. He loves us so much that he gave us His only son; but it breaks our hearts that many are abusing His love. God created us in his own image and likeness. Thus, we need to become like Him. We must be as generous as the father is generous. Just as the father pour out his life to his children, so we must give ourselves to our brother and sisters. This giving of self is a discipline because it is something that does not come spontaneously. As the saying goes, â€Å"if you love, be ready to be hurt. † Using the perspective of a generous person, we say that it is wrong. Loving is giving; giving everything. If you truly love a person, you should not be affected by little things. You shouldn’t be jealous. It’s the nature of love. Every time we take a step in the direction of generosity, we are moving from fear to love. But these steps are hard. Why love if you’ll be hurt? Why waste your time and effort to someone who doesn’t care or doesn’t appreciate you? Why should we share our life with someone who has shown no respect for it? To sum up everything, generosity creates the family it believes in. Generosity is freely sharing what you have with others. It is being willing to offer money, help or time when it is needed. To be generous means giving something that is valuable to you without expectation of reward or return. Many traditions measure generosity not by the size of the gift, but by what it cost the giver. Sometimes generosity requires pushing past a feeling of reluctance because we all instinctively want to keep good things for ourselves. Even so, we can structure our lives in ways that make generosity more spontaneous and fun. When we intentionally â€Å"live below our means† and avoid over commitment, we cultivate a sense of bounty or surplus that makes us want to share. When we give, we reap the pleasure of knowing we have made someone else’s life a little happier. Generosity brings balance in the life of the individuals as a result of which they are bound to achieve unimaginable success in their lives. We should understand the fact that though it is a bit difficult to be generous in all the situations in life but at the end generosity bears the fruits of peace, success and happiness in the lives of individuals.

Alibaba Essay

He and his team have achieved many firsts’ in the area of Chinese Internet Trade. He founded the first internet commercial website in China, and created a 82B marketplace platform to all small and medium-sized enterprises in Asia and around the world. He promoted the â€Å"Trust Pass† plan on the website, which created the world’s first on-line credit platform for companies. Under Jack Ma’s leadership, the Alibaba 82B websites have attracted more than 17 million registered members in 220 countries globally, with daily postings exceeding 35 million, making Alibaba. om the most active Internet market place and 82B community worldwide. Since the inception of the company, more than 400 media have reported about Alibaba and Jack Ma, in dozens of languages. In addition to numerous awards presented to Alibaba. com, Jack Ma was lso selected by the World Economic Forum as one of the 100 Young Global Leaders in 2001; was named Business Leader of 2001 by Asia Commerc e Association of USA; and was featured on the covers of Forbes Magazine, Nikkei Magazine, and Fortune (China) Magazine. In 2004, Jack Ma was honored as one of the â€Å"Top 10 Economic Personas of the Year† by CCTV. In 2005, Fortune Magazine ranked him one of the â€Å"25 Most Powerful Businesspeople in Asia† and this year Business 2. 0 ranked him 1 5th among â€Å"50 Who Matter Now† and Silicon. com ranked him 1 lth among its top 50 â€Å"Agenda Setters 2006. † company, Alibaba. om builds its business success and rapid growth on entrepreneurship, innovation, and service. Says Jack Ma: The company will remain a ‘start-up’ no matter how long it has been in existence. What ever has been stable, I will disrupt that stability. The company needs to continue to innovate and grow. I want the employees to believe that we are a small company, no matter how big we get. I believe we can create a system and culture to perpetuate this culture of entrepreneurial and start-up spirit. To fuel the entrepreneurial and innovative spirit, along with a service attitude, Jack Ma is looking for people with the following characteristics: 1) People with a dream. â€Å"Don’t let your colleagues work for you. They need to work for their dreams! † If people don’t believe in the dream and Join the company purely for money, they won’t stay long (refer to Appendix 2 for Alibaba’s vision, mission, and values). 2) People with shared values. â€Å"The value system is very important at Alibaba. We are crazy for it! In China, we might be the only crazy company who so strongly maintains our value system. People who don’t fit our values cannot survive in the company. † (Alibaba’s six ore values are customer comes first, teamwork and cooperation, embracing change, integrity, passion, and honoring your Job). 3) People with a smile. â€Å"When we hire people, we look for people who are naturally optimistic and happy. In the start-up process we will meet with difficulties and challenges. Optimistic and happy people can better deal with these challenges and succeed. It’s hard to make a happy person unhappy, but it’s even harder to make an unhappy person happy. I am able to tell whether a person is on our staff by their smile. † 4) People who enjoy work and can turn stress and challenges into innovation. Employees must be able to handle pressure and challenges, and turn them into positive energy for innovation, not negative energy for depression. † 5) People who work together. â€Å"We don’t welcome people who think they are smart because they may think they are above others. This industry is so new that it really doesn’t have any real talents. The people who are real talents probably don’t know they are talents. Everyone has tremendous potential. We all use other people’s strengths to overcome our weaknesses We are all ordinary people, but our goals are extraordinary. † While Alibaba seeks people with strong rofessional skills, these characteristics are even more important in deciding whether a person will Join, stay, and enjoy working in the company. 2 Alibaba’s Unique Value Proposition † a Smiling Community with a Dream While Alibaba is clear about what kind of talent they need for business success, the question is: how can the company attract, retain, and engage such talent, especially in the startup stage, when Alibaba had limited resources? The answer is a dream, a dream to make a difference in the way people do business, and a dream to create wealth together. During the start-up stage of Alibaba, Jack Ma often told those nterested in working for Alibaba, not of the great working conditions or the high pay, of what they could earn elsewhere. Alibaba also strives to provide a community, where employees can have fun to work together to pursue their dreams with minimal bureaucracy and politics. Ma recently painted a vivid image of his ideal work environment for his employees as follows: Blue Sky Processes, systems, and decisions need to be open and transparent. There’s nothing that should be hidden from employees. We should be transparent. Solid Ground Everything we do should be honest, ethical and contribute to the welfare of the ociety. The company should be on solid financial ground so employees won’t worry about the financial future of the company. Free-flowing Ocean Talent must be allowed to rotate Jobs across subsidiaries and departments. Green Forest (R Conducive conditions for continued innovation. Harmonious Community Peers with shared values and simple interpersonal relationships. The ultimate objective of such a community is to offer employees a work environment to grow, contribute, and live out their dreams. Bureaucracy, secrecy, and stagnation are all attributes that inhibit employees, and the company must actively seek out these ehaviors and destroy them. Alibaba from the Eyes of Employees To what extent do employees at Alibaba experience what the company intends to offer? Why do they Join the company and how do they feel as employees working there? Our focus group discussion with employees in different functions and levels confirms that Alibaba is indeed a unique company to work with. The following themes and direct quotations capture their experiences and the feeling of working at Alibaba: A leader with charisma and credibility: Jack Ma is the magnet that draws people into the company and provides them with a credible dream. â€Å"When I spoke with Jack Ma, I was impressed with his vision and business model. I had been in the internet business for a while but had not seen a successful model like the one Alibaba is employing. † Tang Zhenrong, International Website Engineering Department, and one year with the company. Although the objectives for each year seem to be very high, somehow we have always managed to accomplish those objectives. With past success, we have built up confidence that we’re able to achieve the objectives no matter what they are. † Lili Li, Sales Research Department, six years with the company. The passion of Alibaba is from within and radiates outward to others. We can see that they truly believe in the company and the culture of Alibaba is built from there, not by programs or processes. † Echo Lu, Director of Organization and People Development. â€Å"The company is true to its values at all levels. When Jack Ma talks to management about hiring, he told us that we must hire people With the same smell. Zhang Yu, Director of Marketing, Taobao. com Changes, challenges, and growth: People grow under tremendous pressure to change and grow. â€Å"The speed of change is three to four times that of other organizations. The objectives are ‘crazy, but when we reach and surpass the targets, we then have a profound sense of accomplishment. With the constant pressure and changes, we’re also forced to evaluate how we do our own Jobs and how we work as a team. Is it sufficient to accomplish the new objectives? Do we need to look at the challenge differently and try different things? † Zhang Yu, Director of Marketing, Taobao. om 4 Communication and transparency â€Å"Jack will meet with all new employees in a group setting, has meetings with management at least quarterly, and bi-annual staff meetings with all employees. On the intranet, there’s a BBS that allows staff to post their thoughts and opinions. Jack often interacts with staff on the BBS in an open and casual way. † Echo Lu, Director of Organization and People Development A company that cares about employees â€Å"During the SARS crisis, because of one suspected case, Alibaba made the decision in one day to have all employees work from home and to pass the required isolation period. As a result of this quick action, we contained any possible outbreak, May. Employees continued to perform Jobs tremendously well at home. We encouraged each other through BBS, phone calls, and e-mails. † Lili L’, Sales Research Department â€Å"The most positive thing to result from the SARS crisis was an enormous amount of pride for employees who went through this crisis together. They built a strong bond through experiencing this event together. It’s still a much talked about event in the company. In fact, some employees have named the day that staff were sent home to contain the outbreak, Alibaba Day, to commemorate the event. The spirit of Alibaba came alive on that day. † Echo Lu, Director of Organization and People Development Leadership and Management Practices that Create the Unique Value Proposition Leadership priority: As CEO, Jack Ma invests most of his time in three areas: vision/ mission/strategy, customers, and employees. By clearly articulating and constantly communicating the vision and mission of the company, he creates the most important foundation in attracting outstanding talent. â€Å"Don’t let your colleague work for you, but work for their dreams! Also, it is important to deeply understand customer needs, not competitor’s actions. Understanding customer needs can help Alibaba develop concrete business plans and focus on realizing its dream. Finally, it is also critical to realistically assess the competencies of employees. It will decide â€Å"how fast,† â€Å"how far†, and â€Å"how’ the company can execute its business strategy and targets in the coming year and next three years. His attentiveness to talent is reflected in two management practices. First, in the monthly senior management meeting, the first question he always asked is â€Å"How is your team doing? † instead of â€Å"How many sales has your team made? † Second, he always spends a lot of time alking around different business units and departments to â€Å"smell† how the people are doing there. If he â€Å"smells† something wrong, he will immediately talk to the unit head to identify problems and improve the situation. As a matter of fact, all senior executives at VP level and above must develop such â€Å"smelling† skills at Alibaba, to make sure that people are being managed properly. Value alignment: Strong shared values are essential in building a harmonious community where people feel comfortable working together and in ensuring that decisions and behaviors are aligned with company direction. Alibaba has gone the extra mile to make sure that people share the same values. When Alibaba hires people, they look for people with th e same â€Å"smell†Ã¢â‚¬ people who are optimistic, happy, team oriented, hard working, and willing to invest their lives to achieve an ideal. When employees Join the company, they attend at least 10 days of orientation, focusing primarily on the company’s vision, mission, and values. When the company assesses the performance of employees, 50% is tied to values and 50% is tied to business results. When employees demonstrate behaviors contrary to company core alues, they are asked to leave no matter how strong their business results are, or very important at Alibaba. People who don’t fit into our values cannot survive in the company. † Stretch opportunities and challenges: While Alibaba offers different training programs for different levels of employees in both technical and management areas, people grow rapidly by achieving â€Å"impossible† targets year after year. Although the objectives for each year seem high and unreasonable, somehow, we have always managed to accomplish those objectives. With past success we have built up the onfidence that we are able to achieve the objectives, no matter what they are,† says Lili Li, of the Sales Research Department. â€Å"At Alibaba I have been stretched and challenged. I have seen myself grow m ore than in my previous Jobs,† says Zhang Yu from Taobao. com. Indeed, Jack Ma believes that all people have potential that can be unleashed in the right environment, allowing them to stretch and challenge themselves. Ma quoted one of his favorite examples, â€Å"Several years ago when I looked at the current COO Li Qi, there was no way he looked like a COO. Nowadays, from all different angles, he really looks like a COO. Talent has tremendous potential to grow. † However, in order for people to grow under challenges, three elements are important. First is teamwork. Alibaba uses teamwork to complement individual strengths and weaknesses to achieve extraordinary goals. Second are the right people, who enjoy challenges and have fun working. Third are line managers who are accountable for personal growth within their teams. Jack Ma remarked that all line managers at Alibaba are entrusted with two scarce resources (capital and talent) to create value for the company. In addition to ensuring good financial returns, they lso need to create value for their talent in terms of their growth and retention. That’s why Jack Ma also walks around the company to â€Å"smell† how people are being managed in different departments, and why he always asks business leaders how their teams are doing in the monthly CEO review. Wealth creation and sharing: All employees of Alibaba receive stock options, and in effect are owners of the organization. At Alibaba, stock options are not a tool for retention but for reward sharing. From five cents per share to five dollars per share in 6 years, many employees have not only shown tremendous pride in the company but also shared the fruits of their collective success for the well-being of both the society and themselves. Transparency and communication: Communication is an important practice within Alibaba that helps maintain a culture of transparency to all employees. Employees have easy access to all executives, including Jack Ma, through the use of email, BBS, and face-to-face meetings (monthly, quarterly or bi-annual staff meetings). Jack Ma sets a high standard for his executives to follow by regularly interacting with employees. â€Å"All decisions are transparent, and people can see how they are made. This transparency is getting somewhat lost as we get bigger, but we’re still given a lot of information when possible. Our trust in the leaders has helped us to overcome this change in transparency. Communication is always good and strong from Sales Research Department. Advice to other CEOs When asked about what advice he would like to offer to other CEOs in China, Jack Ma suggested four: 1) Always believe people are the most important asset, and capital comes second. 2) It is not necessary to find the â€Å"best† talent but the talent that best fits your company. 3) Find and groom the talent inside our company rather than keep searching for talent from outside. The best talent is home-groomed people who fit our company culture. It always takes at least three years before people become fully immersed into our company culture 4) Believe in the potential of talent.

American Intellectual History

The nations of the world are shaped by a plethora of events and ideas. Just as any human being is a product of circumstances and ideas that he encounters similarly is the case of nations. The intellectuals of a nation are like potters shaping the destiny of the multitudes that inhabit their lands. They themselves are products of ideas of intellectuals before them and in turn leave their imprints on the sand of times and are a source of inspiration for others. The tumultuous changes that were taking place in the era that Bellamy inhabited animates and is a source of inspiration for his literary works .American polity and social order were undergoing constant change . The old order which was representative of slavery, denigration of women and industrial capitalism was being replaced by a new social order . American society was witnessing a spurt in problems and hence we see that epoch witness a multitude of reformers. The novel looking backward is an identifying hallmark of the writer Edward Bellamy. Initially it generated little interest later on it catapulted to being the bestseller of its time. The social inequities of the nineteenth century always haunted Edward.Even as a young lad of 18 his soul was stirred by the problems that the social machinery of the ancient industrial system was creating . There have been many writers trying the genre of utopian writings like Thomas Moore, David Hume but few have shown so much commitment to the ideals of the utopian society as Edward Bellamy. Human beings have always been anticipating the prospects of a perfect future as the present condition of society is unjust. It is an escape from the contemporary society were corruption was rife poverty slavery child labor was the order of the day.The future of America is depicted as society where the difference between the rich and the poor is mitigated as there is equal distribution of wealth. The industries are not controlled by a few men of eminence but they are in the hands o f the nation. The writer’s preoccupation with nationalism makes him envisage the state machinery as he savior of mankind. The unpretentious style and the use of commonplace language and immaculate images of the utopian society are some of the aspects of the novel which are responsible for its popularity.The plot and the story of the novel seems to be unique as it seems to be an implementation of the ideals of Christianity and secular thought in a future time. Writer’s mind is like cauldron where ideas and thoughts prevalent in the society make unique dish. The ideas and the thought process of any individuals are shaped by the people around him and the movements that are invigorating the minds of writers, philosophers and intellectual. Similarly Edward Bellamy’s philosophical ideas are shaped by those of predecessor.Orestes Brownson was an important influence on him as the novel gives a political and a religious solution to the ills of society. He was primarily t hought to be a religious thinker whose world view encapsulates the political system of the American society . Democracy needs to follow the guidelines of the catholic creed so as to restrict individualism which threatens to undermine the bonds of communities. American nation evolved as result of the simultaneous influence religious and secular ideas.He had fears that the individual pride is constantly becoming emboldened and the loftier virtues of love and the concern for fellow human being is lost in the urge betterment of ones life. According to Brownson â€Å"A republic can stand only as it rests upon the virtues of the people; and these not the mere natural virtues of worldly prudence and social decency, but those loftier virtues which are possible to human nature only as elevated above itself by the infused habit of supernatural grace.† (â€Å"Brownson's Works, 10:17-37)The utopia of Bellamy presents a perfect picture of a strong nation in which the individual‘s b aser self like an unrelenting quest for material wellbeing is subsumed in the collective effort or maintaining that perfect elysian state. He was constantly preoccupied with the idea of nation as solutions to the problems of society. A strong nation with its individuals trained like a disciplined military is presented as a solution for the problems of his contemporary society.Strikes were a big issue in the Edwards contemporary society and it finds a solution in his utopian novel where everybody is prosperous due to the fact that selfishness is replaced by brotherly concern. These moral high grounds have their root in Christianity which is adhered to by both Orestes and Bellamy . The future of America is safely ensconced in Catholicism. The influence of the idea of nation was imported from Europe. The crystallization of the ideas of a nation took place during civil wars in America.Emerson a liberal and a strong proponent of individual rights started laying more emphasis on standing up for the nation’s freedom and sovereignty as the civil wars were threatening the existence of America. Brownson was a disillusioned by the liberal ideas o f individual aspiration and became a staunch proponent of conservatism which believes in preserving order . Society’s wellbeing is given preference over individuals hope and aspiration.Looking back has protagonist who has slept more than 100 years and he opens his eyes into a perfect society which is made economically viable as the state is given full control of the industries . Brownson can be best described as a religious political conservatism. Julian west questions are answered by Dr leetes His explanations express the vision of the writer and the influence of Orestes Brownson is evident in the fact there is emphasis on strengthening of nation as the reason for fact that now the workers are no more going on a strike;â€Å"The nation, that is to say, organized as the one great business corporation in which all other corporations were absorbed; it became the one capitalist in the place of all other capitalists, the sole employer, the final monopoly in which all previous and lesser monopolies were swallowed up, a monopoly in the profits and economies of which all citizens shared† (Bellamy 24-47) Brownson participated in the brook farm and it reflects the age old aspiration of practically putting ones ideas to a test . The same can be said about Looking back .Edward Bellamy is trying to show that how his political religious and economic ideas can be practically implemented in a society. Brownson was born in the transitional phase and they formed a reform party which instead of relegating the church to the background was thought to be the machinery through which social reform could be brought about. The instability in the times of these writers is reflected in the fact that the intellectuals are constantly experimenting with different modes of Christianity . He stated his pastoral caree r as Universalist then moved to Unitarianism.Finally he espoused Catholicism He is opposed to Brownsons stand point that human beings are essentially sinful . One of the reasons of writing looking back is the belief that innate goodness of man is a corollary of formation of a perfect state of being . Bellamy is a believer in the dissociation of personality for there is no sameness between our present and past personalities but only a graduated differentiation. † (Morgan, 56) Memory is not a sufficient qualifier for identity . We are constantly in flux adorning one personality after another .According to Bellamy it is the core of the being which is responsible for stringing together the different identities . Julian West’s hypnotic sleep is an example of dissociation of personality which is constant preoccupation of Edward. I sat up thus in bed staring about, without being able to regain the clue as to who he was. Brownsons saw individuality as the root cause of disinteg ration of society. There is similar charge against Bellamy that individual identity was sacrificed for the attainment of the perfect state.There is compartmentalization of the individual the bad aspects like greed, competition, and amassing wealth in the hands of few is banished and the superior self which is reflection of the pristine image of God is allowed to reign. The end result of this enterprise is an era of tranquility. Social problems are completely routed from the face of the earth Man and society is perfectly matched in that millennium of utopian society. The fear of poverty has been vanquished as all the industries were in the hands of the state and thus there was no class conflict.The strong robust state and Christian socialism are reminiscent of the Brownsonian influence on Edward Bellamy. Origin of species by Charles Darwin was published in 1859and it heralded an era of skepticism and transformed the perspective of the way we look at life. According to Vergilius Ferm: â€Å"Truly, the year 1859, in which appeared Charles Darwin’s The Origin of Species, marks a turning point in Western thought† (1936, p. 307). God was banished from the world view of man . There is complete paradigm shift from the philosophy of man’s purposeful existence to his being on this cosmos as result of chance and subsequent selection .The creed of competing with one another for resources as the ultimate goal makes man an equivalent to animals and the most interesting aspect of the theory of natural selection is that it justifies greed as natural and a beneficial prospect because it leads to the selection of the fittest individuals. Bellamy was a staunch critique of Charles Darwin’s theory and its implication on the social ethics of industrial capitalism . His novel Looking Back provides an alternative to this rat race of outpacing each other with an impulse for self sacrifice and unselfishness.Struggle for survival has no place in the society d epicted in the novel as the inequalities are removed . The state controls all the industries. It is surprising that both these intellectuals who are preaching completely different dogmas are proposing that evolution is the process to reach the culmination of human prowess. Bellamy writes his utopia where evolution is employed to reach that perfect Elysian state. Looking back provides an insight into that perfect state that is achievable only when brotherly loves and unselfishness becomes a creed.Chaos brutality and lack of human concern is substituted by love and generosity. Many social Darwinists like Graham Sumner criticize the utopian model as laid back attitude and wishful thinking by saying it is the greatest folly of which a man can be capable to sit down with a slate and pencil to plan out a new social world Bellamy constantly uses the notion of a nation as an alternative to the industrial competition of his times. Then the national party arose to carry it out by political me thods.â€Å"Indeed, it could not well have had any other name, for its purpose was to realize the idea of the nation with a grandeur and completeness never before conceived, touching tree whose leaves are its people, fed from its veins, and feeding it in turn. † (Bellamy, 183) He deliberately uses the metaphor of plant to describe nature as the leaves of a tree are symbolic of the members of society who are living in a peaceful coexistence. The general health and wellbeing of the members of society is dependent on the heath of the trunk which is the supporting system.The metaphor of a tree is very often used in bible and it is vey often used at the critical juncture of man’s destiny. Adam lost his ethereal existence because he ate from the forbidden tree. The novel derives its motivation from the doctrine of Christian socialism. Therefore the metaphors and the language reflect the theological preoccupation of the author. There is a deliberate of the Darwinian metaphor of an animal . The very existence of one another is dependent on elimination of the animal of lesser prowess. The revolution that is presented in the utopia is a bloodless one.The foremost objection to the utopian ideal of equality is that it will produce in activity in the members of such a society as concept of competing with one another is lost is . Dr leetes answer to Julian West settles this question that the urge to work remains as result of the fact that the imaginations of the people is fired by passion for humanity and service to nation . It doesn’t mean that Bellamy is not influenced by Darwin’s theory of natural selection but the whole edifice of the Darwinian module is modified .There is evolution in the society Women are exonerated of their household duties They are also assigned jobs but the working hours are less as they have to perform the task of building the character of the future generation . There is no exploitation of women and they receive equal remuneration. One of the offshoots of natural selection is sexual selection but in the utopia of Bellamy the economic basis of anything has no meaning. Therefore marriages take place due to love for each other not because of economic standing of the individuals.The discovery of utopia of novel begins with the protagonist query about the industrial problem plaguing America. The answer to this question reveals the amount of the influence of the Darwinian concept of evolution . Dr Leete explains that this pathological condition was resolved by industrial evolution. Origins of species laid the foundation of biological evolution of man but it brought about revolution in almost all walks of life . These concept are both repudiated and incorporated in the novel but the concept of evolution undergoes refinement as it is cast in the theological mould.The model of biological evolution provided a justification for the superiority of the white race . Strangely enough Bellamy who is at loggerhea d with the concept of evolution of species is in complete sync with idea that the racial superiority of the west is a result of the survival of the fittest. The law of necessity is replaced by laws of morality . Many intellectuals were profoundly affected by the postulates of Darwin . But it is misleading to believe that he is social Darwinist in fact he was a critic if Darwin’s postulates in origin of species .He has used the model of Darwinian evolution and reshaped it with love as the underlying force for achieving perfection. William Graham Sumner started his career as clergymen and returned as professor of political and social sciences . He believed in the persistence of inequalities in societies as material progress is dependent upon open competition . He saw government as a necessary evil as it defends us from the different vices prevalent in our society. It curbs individuals’ liberty and freedom He was a social Darwinist and was critical of Bellamy‘s impr actical plans.â€Å"The history of the human race is one long story of attempts by certain persons and classes to obtain control of the power of the State so as to win earthly gratifications at the expense of others†(Sumner . n. p) The nation replaces the industrial capitalism of the contemporary times in the Bellamy’s utopia . Sumner believed in giving maximum freedom to the industrial capitalism of his times whereas Looking back provides a replacement of this system as it is thought to be the root cause of all the evils of society . The social condition of the impoverished working class didn’t need any reformers as it was natural.He was against any kind of government intervention to alleviate the condition of the suffering masses . He is a believer in the fact that material success is indicative of a persons capabilities. (Boland. n. p) As far as this is concerned they are at opposing end. Bellamy is for reforms and equal opportunity and pay for all the member s of society . William Sumner was against the occupation of Spain by the Americans and this idea finds a echo in the novel as was he was against the occupation of Spain by the Americans and this idea finds a echo in the novel. Dr Leete denounces the act of aggrandizementâ€Å"Are they France, England, Germany, or hunger, cold, and nakedness? In your day governments were accustomed, on the slightest international misunderstanding, to seize upon the bodies of citizens and deliver them over by hundreds of thousands to death and mutilation, wasting their treasures the while like water. † The American society was facing a lot of upheavals and industrial revolution brought urbanization and a variety of problems . The publishing of Darwin’s origin of species had raised many uncomfortable questions and many movements arose to establish the kingdom of God upon earth .These movements also brought changes in the established religions and creeds. Solomon Washington Gladden sermons can be seen as the earliest example of The social gospel movement . It tried address the problems of the slums of Ohio and brought the workers of 1877 strike to a peaceful negotiation. The proponents of this movement believed in a confluence of Christian dogma with politics . They predicted a brighter picture of tomorrow. Looking back seems to be presenting the same kind of mixture of morality and politics and a prospect of a perfect future.Like the social gospel movement the novel gives a concrete shape to the hope of a better tomorrow. The concept of brotherly love and helping the poor is not an anathema to the Christian doctrine but rather it was revived as the Victorian society was facing excess of moral violation of individuals in industrial capitalism . Bellamys combination of socialism and religiosity can be as seen an offshoot of the social gospel reform movement as any individual is a product of its time . The thought process of literary artists are shaped by the distillat ion of ideas his period.The thought process of an individual is not shaped in vacuum . They are either a result of the reaction of doctrines that are prevalent in that period or an influence of other contemporary writers and philosophers. Genius don’t produce ides out of blue but it unique process of synthesis of ideas floating through that particular age . Early century and the great depression saw different intellectuals trying to lay the principles on which the society could get rid of its problem and the kingdom of god was to be established which would transcend competitive and exploitative industrialism of the contemporary American society.Looking is an endeavor on part of Bellamy to show that such ideas are viable and practical. It is practical guide to establishment of a society based on the postulate of the egalitarian principles o social Christianity. The social reform movements from 1820 to 1860 show a distrust of establishes social systems. The gospel reform moveme nt saw that for the first time the various denomination of the church came together in a joint venture to eradicate the problems of society . This dream of unification of various sects of Christianity is realize in the novel Looking back .Julian asks Mr Barton about the reason of disappearance of various sects The answer was that passionate impulse of brotherly love was responsible for the founding of a nobler social order as the root cause of this unification Crisis in the American society was seen as initiative to accomplish the necessary changes . The whole novel can be seen as an attempt to forsee and how to practically implement those changes in society. The turn of the century saw massive problems like unemployment, abuse of corporate powers, poverty, crime, and corruption, influx of immigrants, child labor and massive depression.These problems gave rise to a reform movement which was termed as the progressive movement. Progressive movement was a natural succession to the prog ressive movement. The youth of middle class rose to the occasion with a firm faith in fact that every problem has a solution. These problems can be put to end by the educated class . Education and specially women education received special stress . Consequently women rights were promoted and they started entering the job market as clerks and did other menial duties . Edward Bellamy in his novels gave women a lot of rights by the contemporary standards.They received equal pay despite the fact that they were working for fewer hours . Another hallmark of this period is the demand of voting rights by women. The social order of Bellamy’s utopian world assigns equal but different roles to women. The feminist of the contemporary period like Charlotte Perkins Gilman agree with is assessment. The whole progressive movement resolved around that man has a inherent quality in him to improve his lot . It was rejection of the social Darwinism. The other problem that the progressives tried to address was the end of slavery .The abolitionist movement tried to eradicate this problem . The utopian model stresses equality as the focal point and it is achieved through the equal pay for all the individuals. It is very important to note that the progressive movement is accused of not addressing the problems of racial discrimination And Bellamy was under the influence of Herbert Spencer who saw the whites as superior race as result of it being the fittest and the most ablest race . The progressive s believed that the state can play a pivotal role in solving the numerous problems that the American society is experiencing .The authors are sensitive to trails and the tribulations of society and hence this is exactly the reason hat the fiction is trying to present a solution which is representative of the progressive ideology that state can help in the establishment of the heavenly state . The novel also presents the idea of the unification of the various denominations of Christi anity and it is reflection of the fact that various creeds of Christianity rose under this reform movement to address the problems that was destroying the moral fabric of the society.Frederick Winslow Taylor can be best described as synthesizer of the thoughts of his times and he gave a solution to the problem of optimizing the productivity of the workers. There was almost a mechanical stress on using scientific precision to improve the skills needed to perform a task in the industry . Years of apprentice ship is replaced by this mechanical process. This has a fleeting similarity to the Edwardian concept of building an army of workers. The dramatic improvement in the productivity was result of his innovation in the field of industrial engineering . He is accused of dehumanizing the modern industries .There needs a change in the attitude of the workers to optimize the industrial production according to him change â€Å"consists of the complete revolution in the mental attitude and t he habits of all those engaged in the management, as well of the workmen†(Taylor . pg131) Bellamy’s utopia presents the concept that the productivity is going to increase as result of passion for nation. Edward Bellamy has been unnecessarily been accused of being influenced by the Marxist concept of utopian world and he was for quite sometimes rolling the idea of the perfect state of life in his mind .It was published 40 years before the it . The author himself had a disliking for the class conflict and a Godless society In one of his public lectures he gave vent to his urge to write about his passion for heavenly existence â€Å"It is an undiscovered country, no community of men has ever essayed its elysian climes, no human foot step has ever trod its shores. The faith of humanity points to its existence. But I know that it exists, and we must find it. †¦ † (Taken from Bellamy’s 2nd lyceum address of 1872). He gave a concrete shape to all his ideas o f an ideal society in his novel â€Å"looking backward†.The impact of the novel on the minds of men can be gauge from the fact that this novel gave rise to a nationalist movement . Columbia university requested philosopher John Dewey historian Charles Beard and editor of The Atlantic monthly Edward Week to prepare a list of writers who exercised a huge influence on society Edward Bellamy’s Looking back came second on all the three list and it was preceded by Marx’s Das capital. The novel brought about a change in the thinking of men in all walks of life . The ideas in the novel acted as spring board for other writers to develop and broaden the horizon of human intellect.The idea that social injustice is caused by human struggle for physical as well as economic need for a better status launched Veblen's provocative and creative career. Allen white the renowned American News Paper editor himself admitted to being shaped by the intellectual outpourings of this nove l. â€Å"He feels indebted to the thrill that he encountered while reading the novel when he was young and the change of heart from the being a conservative to being open minded about the various problems plaguing the contemporary society. He also acknowledges the fact that many youngsters of his time had a similar experience .It was the talk of the town The list of individuals effect by Bellamy’s monumental work Looking backwards is endless . It not only affected the individual members of society but also infused fresh blood into the intellectual thought process of his times . The ideas of social injustice derived from a race for economic betterment came into the forefront. He is a writer who inspires people and draws lines on which others can move forward on their intellectual journey. The novel is a presentation of social and economic order which is given serious consideration by experts in the respective fields.The economist H. Stanley Jevons says: â€Å"I have gained m ore from Bellamy than from any single author. He deserves more attention from economists than he has received. The economic system he outlines does stand a rigid examination for workability in its essential features in his treatise. † The novel presents economic equality in the co-operative commonwealth Despite the fact that the novel deals with utopia it has been not whisked away to be a wishful thinking but has been put to a practical implication The nationalist movement started with the formation of the first nationalist club of Boston in 1888 .The chief characteristics of this movement were unselfishness and it invigorates an enthusiasm for humanity. The individuals of society don’t compete with each other rather they co-operated with each others. It adopted a tolerant attitude towards people who would be critical of this movement. Patriotism was a highly cherished ideal of this movement . Social reforms had to taken up by a nation so as to reap its harvest. Works C ited Auerbach Am Lit Hist. (1994); â€Å"The Nation Organized†: Utopian Impotence in Edward Bellamy's Looking Backward. Retrieved March 17, 2008 from: http://alh. oxfordjournals. org/cgi/reprint/6/1/24Boland joseph(1995)U. S political thought . retrieved http://www. uoregon. edu/~jboland/lect_12. html Richard A. Spurgeon (1997). The Religious Ethics of Edward Bellamy and Jonathan Edwards. Journal of Utopian Studies. Vol 8. Retrieved March 17, 2008 from: http://www. questia. com/googleScholar. qst? docId=5000543586 Bellamy, Edward. (2000) Looking Backward. Applewood books. ISBN-10: 155709506X Native Americanism† (Brownson's Works, 10:17-37). retrieved Sumner, William Graham. Essays of William Graham Sumner. Ed. Albert G. Keller and Maurice R. Davie. Vol. 1. New Haven: Yale UP, 1934 retrievedhttp://www. encyclopedia. com/doc/1G1-56061945. html Wilmot Chester,the struggle for Europe 1954 pg 477 SCOTT McLEMEE â€Å"Back to the Future† December 24, 2000. Retrieved Mar ch 17, 2008 from: http://www. nytimes. com/books/00/12/24/bookend/bookend. html Vergillus, Ferm, (1936), First Adventures in Philosophy (New York: Charles Scribner & Sons). Retrieved March 17, 2008 from: http://www. apologeticspress. org/rr/reprints/Impact-of-Evolutionary-Philosop. pdf W. Taylor, Frederick Scientific Management, pg 131. Retrieved March 17, 2008 from: http://www. skymark. com/resources/leaders/taylor. asp