Brief Political Ideologies

Brief Political Ideologies Modern Liberalism The ideology of modern liberalism is a recent thought which has been developed by borrowing views and ideas from other theories to form a huge body of ideology from the works of renounced scholars and philosophers such as Theodore Roosevelt, J.F Kennedy, Woodrow Wilson and Lyndon Johnson.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Brief Political Ideologies specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These people came up with powerful theories which have been incorporated together to form the ideology of modern liberalism. This ideology addresses issues like government entitlements like health care, education, abortion, voting and gay rights. Modern liberalism borrows ideas from several sources. According to the works of Roskin (2009) the modern liberation ideology combines both social liberalism and progressivism to meet the needs of the society and the economy. It is therefore the duty of the federal governmen t to ensure that high level of employment are maintained, to oversee the life and labor standards of its citizens as well as establishing universal social security patterns and to regulate business competition methods within the state (Roskin, 2009). Arthur Schlesinger in 1956 stated that the United States encompasses a laissez-faire and government form which aimed at achieving equal opportunities for every person, but the means employed to achieve this vary under different circumstances. He also pointed out that the concept liberalism has varying interpretations as its application is different in various parts of the globe. In Europe, it is referred to as classical liberalism, whereby it is characterized by features of restricted government and laissez-faire economy (Heywood, 1998).  American liberalists are described as receptive to change and new ideas as they accept ideas from science such as evolution that are by conservatives (Roskin, 2009). Liberalism is against socialism, the ownership of distribution and ownership means, as they belief that political opposition basses and freedom cannot survive if all power was vested on the state. If the there can be obtained equal and wide variety of opportunities got from mixed enterprises, there would be no need to have oppressing and rigid bureaucracy. They argue further that if the available markets were regulated efficiently there could be no need for the central control and the top-down programs because they can offer better solutions. According to the argument which was presented by Paul Krugman, there should be a high degree of efficiency in state owned corporations such as health, education, security and so on. He also supported the monetary policy, saying it approaches the policy of stabilization, which is to give demand in a way it does not disrupt resource allocation. Thomas Friedman was in unison with these ideas especially the one regarding to free trade.Advertising Looking for research paper on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More He believed that through its application, the gap between the rich and the poor will decrease. He believed that the role of the state is to act as a major splitting point among liberalist. Defining the state’s growth has significant importance to modern liberalism. Liberal constitutions create constraints on power of a public official, government branch and the whole state as well (Roskin, 2009). According to the theory of liberal philosophy, there exist five different categories of morality. The first category is concerned with fairness and promotion mainly emphasizing on empathy. The second category is concerned with helping the needy and nurturing the spirit of good among all the individuals in the society. The third category is concerned with the protection of those people who are defenseless. The fourth category is concerned with the fulfillment of one`s des ires in life by achieving his/her objectives in life and living life to the fullest. The fifth category is concerned with self caring, an important ideology since this is where the foundation of caring for others is built on (Schlesinger, 1956). Fascism Fascism is a political ideology where leadership of a state is vested under one individual or a group of individuals. This ideology of was founded during the First World War in Italy by leaders of trade unions together with political leaders to form the political right wing. Fascists feel like the economic, social and political sectors of a state should be organized in a corporatist manner. Under fascism, the government system is characterized by having a tyrant as the President, use of fear in order to undermine opposition in all sector of the Economy. It has heavily borrowed for the social ideologies that were present during the French Revolution as well as the slogan â€Å"Equality, Liberty, and Fraternity†. The ideology be lieves that a nation should be viewed as one huge family under a central leadership. The society should have a common feature of identification and have love for their nation to the extent that they can go to war to protect their country. Democracy is viewed as a setback to social and economic development of the society. Under this system all of the important sectors of the economy are owned by the state. The state makes all the laws and in most cases it cannot be questioned on the decisions it makes.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Brief Political Ideologies specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Armed violence and combat are the main elements in the running of government affairs which aim at instilling discipline and shaping the character of citizens with the help of the army. According to fascists war, violence and aggression is viewed as means of creating the spirit of togetherness among the citizens of the n ation and at the same time they gain respect from other nations. They argue that the state should create and maintain a strong hold on its citizens (Roskin, 2009). Fascism does not embrace equity, rationalism or the right to own property by individuals. They are against liberalism since they feel that it mainly concentrates on economic development. This ideology is also against the concept of social stratification into classes since individuals who are stable economically might become the political leaders of the society even though they are not eligible for that position. Leadership should only fall in the hand of the elite people in the military who will rule with a strong hand, maintain the sovereignty of the state and organize the factors of production in the best way possible to maximize production of goods and services within the country (Schlesinger, 1956). Conclusion Modern Liberalism would suit the United States government in the various realms that exist in the society. Vi ews from this ideology that are essential in attaining and maintaining high standard political, social and economic aspects of the nation should be adopted by the policy makers of the government. Liberalism has proved to be very adaptive to the rapidly progressive world. The United States government has citizens that are of diverse racial origins, and to integrate them into one unified population; it needs to borrow some concepts from the ideology of liberalism. The policy of democracy that is the core principle of the government is addressed as a major aspect of liberalism. It is best for the government not to undermine its principles that it stands for. References Heywood, A. (1998). Political Ideologies. An Introduction. Houndmills. Macmillan Press. Pp54-93. Roskin, G. Cord, L. Medeiros, A. James. J Walter .S. (2009). Political Science. An Introduction (11th Ed.). New York. LongmanAdvertising Looking for research paper on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Schlesinger, A. (1956). Liberalism in America: A Note for Europeans: The Politics of Hope. Boston: Riverside Press

Arthurian Romance

Arthurian Romance King Arthur has been an important figure in English literature since singers and story-tellers first described his great exploits in the 6th-century. Of course, the legend of   King Arthur has been appropriated by many story-tellers and  poets, who have embellished upon the first, most modest tales. Part of the intrigue of the stories, which became part of Arthurian romance, though, is the mixture of myth, adventure, love, enchantment, and tragedy. The magic and intrigue of these stories invite even more far-fetched and elaborate interpretations. While these stories and bits of  poetry depict a utopian society of long ago, though, they also reflect the society from which they were (and are being) created. By comparing Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Morte dArthur with  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Tennysons Idylls of the King, we see the evolution of the Arthurian myth. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Defined as narrative, written in prose or verse and concerned with adventure, courtly love and chivalry, Arthurian romance derived the narrative verse form from 12th-century France. The anonymous 14th-century English romance Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is the most widely recognized example of Arthurian romance. Although little is known about this poet, who we may refer to as the Gawain or Pearl-Poet, the poem seems fairly typical of Arthurian Romance. Here, a magical creature (the Green Knight) has challenged a noble knight to a seemingly impossible task, in the pursuit of which he meets fierce beasts and the temptation of a beautiful woman. Of course, the young knight, in this case, Gawain, displays courage, skill and chivalric courtesy in overcoming his foe. And, of course, it seems fairly cut-and-dried. Beneath the surface, though, we seem some very different features. Framed by the treachery of  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Troy, the poem links two main plot motifs: the beheading game, in which the two parties agree to an exchange of blows with an ax, and the exchange of winnings, in this case involving temptation that tests Sir Gawains courtesy, courage, and loyalty. The Gawain-Poet appropriates these themes from other folklore and romance to accomplish a moral agenda, as each of these motifs is linked to the quest and ultimate failure of Gawain. In the context of the society in which he lives, Gawain faces not only the complexity of obeying God, King, and Queen and following all of the overlapping contradictions which his position as knight entails, but he becomes a sort of mouse in a much bigger game of heads, sex, and violence. Of course, his honor is constantly at stake as well, which makes him feel as though he has no choice but to play the game, listening and trying to obey as many of the rules as he can along the way. In the end, his attempt fails. Sir Thomas Malory: Morte DArthur The chivalric code was slipping away even in the 14th-century when the anonymous Gawain-Poet was putting pen to paper. By the time of Sir Thomas Malory and his Morte DArthur in the 15th-century, feudalism was becoming even more obsolete. We see in the earlier poem a fairly realistic treatment of the Gawain story. As we move to Malory, we see a continuation of the chivalric code, but other features demonstrate the transition that literature is making at the end of the Medieval period as we move into the Renaissance. While the Middle Ages still had promise, it was also a time of great change. Malory must have known that the ideal of chivalry was dying out. From his perspective, order falls into chaos. The fall of the Round Table represents the destruction of the feudal system, with all its attachments to chivalry.Although Malory was known as a man of violent temperaments, he was the first English writer to make prose as sensitive an instrument of narrative as English poetry has always been. During a period of imprisonment, Malory composed, translated, and adapted his great rendering of Arthurian material, which is the most complete treatment of the story. The French Arthurian Prose Cycle (1225-1230) served as his primary source, along with the 14th-century English Alliterative Morte dArthur and the Stanzaic Morte. Taking these, and possibly other, sources, he disentangled the threads of narration and reintegrated them into his own creation.The characters in this work stand in stark contrast to the Gawain, Arthur, and Guinevere of earlier works. Arthur is much weaker than we usually imagine, as he is ultimately unable to control his own knights and the events of his kingdom. Arthurs ethics fall prey to the situation; his anger blinds him, and he is unable to see that the people he loves can and will betray him. Throughout Morte d Arthur, we notice the Wasteland of characters that cluster together at Camelot. We know the ending (that Camelot must eventually fall into its spiritual Wasteland, that Guenevere will flee with Launcelot, that Arthur will fight Launcelot, leaving the door open for his son Mordred to take over – reminiscent of the Biblical King David and his son Absalom – and that Arthur and Mordred will die, leaving Camelot in turmoil). Nothing–not love, courage, fidelity, faithfulness, or worthiness – can save Camelot, even if this chivalric code could have held up under the pressure. None of the knights are good enough. We see that not even Arthur (or especially Arthur) is not good enough to sustain such an  ideal. In the end, Guenevere dies in a nunnery; Launcelot dies six months later, a holy man. Tennyson: Idylls of the King From the tragic tale of Lancelot and the fall of his whole world, we jump to Tennysons rendition of Malorys tale in Idylls of the King. The Middle Ages was a time of glaring contradictions and contrasts, a time when chivalric masculinity was the impossible ideal. Jumping forward so many years, we see the reflection of a new society upon Arthurian romance. In the 19th-century, there was a resurgence of Medievalist practices. Extravagant mock-tournaments and pseudo-castles took attention away from the problems that society was facing, in the industrialization and disintegration of cities, and the poverty and marginalization of vast numbers of people.The Medieval period  presents chivalrous masculinity as an impossible ideal, while Tennysons​  Victorian approach is tempered with a great deal of expectation that ideal manhood could be achieved. While we see a rejection of the pastoral, in this era, we also notice a dark manifestation of the ideology governing the separate sphe res and the ideal of domesticity. Society has changed; Tennyson reflects this evolution in many of the ways he presents problems, passions, and strife. Tennysons version of the events that shroud Camelot is remarkable in its depth and imagination. Here, the poet traces the birth of a king, the building of the Round Table, its existence, its disintegration, and the final passing of the King. He traces the rise and fall of a civilization in scope, writing about love, heroism, and conflict all in relation to a nation. Be he is still drawing from Malorys work, so Tennysons details only embellish upon what we already expect from such an Arthurian romance. To the story, too, he adds an emotional and psychological depth that was lacking in earlier versions. Conclusions: Tightening the Knot So, through the gap of time from the Medieval literature of the 14th and 15th-century to the Victorian era, we see a dramatic change in the presentation of the Arthurian tale. Not only are the Victorians much more hopeful that the  idea  of proper behavior will work, but the whole frame of the story becomes a representation of a falling/failing of the Victorian civilization. If women would only be more pure and faithful, it is surmised, the ideal presumably would hold up under the disintegrating society. It is interesting to see how these codes of behavior evolved over time to fit the needs of writers, and indeed of the people as a whole. Of course, in the evolution of the stories, we see an evolution in characterization. While Gawain is an ideal knight in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, representing a more Celtic ideal, he becomes increasingly mean and conniving as Malory and Tennyson sketch him with words.Of course, this change in characterization is also a difference in the n eeds of the plot. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Gawain is the individual who stands against chaos and magic in the attempt to bring order back to Camelot. He must represent the ideal, even if that chivalric code is not good enough to stand up completely to the demands of the situation.As we progress onward to Malory and Tennyson, Gawain becomes a character in the background, thus a negative or evil character that works against our hero, Lancelot. In the later versions, we see the inability of the chivalric code to stand up. Gawain is corrupted by anger, as he leads Arthur further astray and prevents the king from reconciling with Lancelet. Even our hero of these later tales, Lancelet, is not able to hold up under the pressures of his responsibility to both the king and the queen. We see the change in Arthur, as he becomes increasingly  weak, unable to hold the kingdom together with his human powers of persuasion, but more than that, we see a dramatic change in Guinevere, as she is presented a s more human, even though she still represents the ideal and thus the cult of true womanhood in some sense. In the end, Tennyson allows Arthur to forgive her. We see a humanity, a depth of personality in Tennysons Guinevere that Malory and the Gawain-Poet  were  not able to accomplish.