For this assignment, I choose to write about Kaladin Son of Lirin, or Kaladin Stormblessed, as he comes to be called. He is one of the main characters from one of my favorite book series. I realize that there is a very good chance that you, as the reader will have not yet been introduced to Kaladin, or his story. Therefore, I will try to only briefly summarize particular events detailing his moral development, so that I do not spoil a story, that is definitely worth reading. In the second book of The Stormlight Archive, Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson, Kaladin Stormblessed begins in the story in the second level of Kohlberg’s Moral Development, specifically the 4th stage: law and order. As a newly minted radiant Kaladin lives …show more content…
by a set of rules, also known as the ideals, by which the knights radiant live by. Kaladin has spoken two of the five ideals held by his order, the windrunners. The first ideal: “Life before death, strength before weakness, journey before destination” and “I will protect those who cannot protect themselves” (Sanderson 2017). Assigned as Captain of the Honor Guard, it his job to protect the king and his family. Kaladin does not care for the king he is sworn to protect. However, he believes that the king and his laws are necessary in order for the kingdom to run smoothly, even if he does not believe in the validity of all laws currently employed. “Societies are strengthened by the moral behavior of their members“ (Dubas, Dubas & Mehta 2014), as such Kaladin sees it as his his duty to protect and obey these laws. In his current stage of moral development Kaladin believes that the society, in which he lives in, dictates what is right and wrong. He follows these dictates, without question or even consideration as to whether or not they should be changed. As the book progresses and the plot thickens, Kaladin transitions in to the postconventional level, with stage 5: social contract. At this point, Kaladin has begun to question many of the societal rules and laws that govern the kingdom he lives in. The radiants have returned, eye color no longer seems to be a good indicator of who should hold power, war is already upon them and there is yet another enemy, the voidbringers, that they must prepare to fight. In Kaladin’s mind the laws and societal rules should be seen as more of a set of guidelines, rather than being considered absolute. He recognizes that with the many changes, the rules and laws they live by should change to better serve the society they live in. In this level of moral development, Kaladin begins to believe that the king he is sworn to protect and obey, is no longer serving the best interest of the kingdom. He begins to believe that the king, and some of this laws with him, should be eliminated. Kaladin believes that High Prince Dalinar Kholin, the king’s uncle, would be better suited to rule the kingdom since he “holds in high regard principles and values such as liberty, freedom, equality, unity, justice, and welfare of people” (Dubas, Dubas & Mehta 2014). In the event of the king’s death, the high prince would take his place as ruler of the kingdom. This line of reasoning allows Kaladin to agree to steer clear of the Ghost Bloods and their plans to assassinate the king he now despises. After Kaladin has made the decision to allow the king’s assignation, he undergoes some changes that cause him to lose his bond with his spren Syl (a fairy like being from the cognitive realm), which in turn interferes with his ability to surge bind, super powers that lend strength, healing powers, stamina, speed, and the ability to surge (fly).
During this time Kaladin struggles with the loss of his spren and his powers but continues to do his duties. Although Kaladin had never liked the king, with recent events the he has begun to see the king in a new light. The king in a moment of weakness, confides in Kaladin that he is not a good king but that he would like to be a better king. He even goes so far as to ask Kaladin to teach him how to be a good leader, a leader that inspires people. Kaladin begins to see that while he does not like the king, he can see that the king is earnest in what he is saying. He begins to understand that has a right to pursue becoming a king. Kaladin realizes that he must go against his own word to allow the Ghost Bloods to assassinate the king and instead answer to his conscience that will not allow him to have a man unjustly killed. Kaladin arrives at the sixth stage of moral development, universal ethical principle, just as he realizes the king is in a vulnerable position, and that the assassination plan is about to be executed. Kaladin is then able to speak the third ideal: “I shall protect even those I hate, so long as it is right” (Sanderson 2017), doing so reinstates his bond with his spren and returns his ability to surge bind. Thus, allowing him to fight to protect the king, as well as reach a level of moral development that is often considered
idealistic. According to Walker (1982) “there are prerequisites for moral-reasoning development, specifically in terms of cognitive and perspective-taking stages, and that transitions in moral development can be affected if these prerequisites have been attained”. This can be seen in Kaladin journey of moral development. As he learns what it means to be a knight radiant and Captain of the Honor Guard he encounters many new situations, that force him to take new perspectives. It is only after he has had these experiences he is able to evolve in his moral development. It is unlikely that he would have been able to go directly from the fourth stage to the sixth stage of moral development. Kaladin needed to live those experiences and make those decisions in order, to truly understand, and be willing to live by universal principles. References Dubas, K. M., Dubas, S. M., & Mehta, R. (2014). Theories Of Justice And Moral Behavior. Journal of Legal, Ethical and Regulatory Issues,17(2), 17-35. Sanderson, B. (2017). Words of radiance. New York: TOR. Walker, L. J. (1982). The Sequentiality of Kohlbergs Stages of Moral Development. Child Development,53(5), 1330.
One single moment or event during the course of an individual’s life can effectively alter their priorities and transform their identity drastically. In The play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, Shakespeare introduces the readers to the protagonist Hamlet who is draped in anger and emotions and has a new-found mission in life. Initially, Hamlet is portrayed as an individual in mourning over his father's death and his mother's haste in remarrying to her brother-in-law and Hamlet's uncle, Claudius. However, Hamlet’s character and personality were drastically altered after meeting the Ghost and discovering the true nature of his Father’s death. Hamlet is now a man with a lust for revenge and a willingness to do anything that will enable him to accomplish this goal. When burdened with the task of killing Claudius, Hamlet chooses to sacrifice all he holds dear by transforming his identity in a noble effort to avenge his father’s death.
The subject of Homer’s epic poem, the Iliad, is very clearly stated--it is “the rage of Peleus’ son Achilles.” The reader remains continually aware of the extent of Achilles’ rage, yet is never told the reason why Achilles remains angry and unreconciled. There is no definitive answer to this question. Achilles is not a static character. He is constantly changing; thus the question of why he remains angry solicits different answers at various stages throughout the poem. To find an answer, the reader must carefully examine Achilles’ ever-changing dilemma involving the concepts of mortality and honor. At its simplest, Achilles’ dilemma is that if he goes to war, he will die. But he will die with glory.
Aristotle and Jean-Baptiste Clamence have two distinct views on human nature and reason for happiness. Human nature for Aristotle is that we are the rational and political animals that have a soul. As for Jean-Baptiste, human nature is absurd and that we will fail. Happiness for Aristotle is the rejection of nihilism which is that nothing in this world has real meaning. The greatest form of happiness for Aristotle is what he calls Eudaimonia, which is highest form of life or the life of rationally governed life of contemplation. On the contrary, Jean-Baptiste sulks in the fact that we all have flaws so we fail to be truly happy and the things that we do aren’t really making us happy. Clamence is misinformed with the telos
In his Metaphysics, Aristotle defines essence as “what the thing is said to be in its own right” without qualification (1029b14). Essence includes the fundamental or necessary properties of a substance, the properties that if taken away would cause the substance to cease existing as that substance. Essence also ignores accidents whose existence is contingent upon a primary substance. Essence is found in a species (secondary substance) and is not indicative of particular referents of that species (primary substance). In order for a thing to qualify as being part of a certain species, its qualities must meet the definition or criteria of this species; these qualities are its essence. Essence is the most fundamental quality of a substance that
The storm is the main metaphor in this story; it is seen as the lust that stomps through their lives like the storm rages through a single d...
Oedipus is a story about a few basic human emotions. Among them are rage, passion, humility, and guilt. The Ancient Greeks understood these emotions well; their society was based upon the logical emotions, but always threatened by the violent ones. Oedipus was at first told that he was destined to kill his father and marry his mother. Fearful of himself, he fled showing a lack of humility away from his home, thinking that his problems would be solved. Later on, he gets into a tumultuous fight with a passerby on the road to Thebes. Enraged, he kills the man and his servants; this turned out to be a big mistake. After saving the city of Thebes from the Sphinx, he marries and then passionately sleeps with the queen. Towards the end of the play, he realizes that he has indeed killed his father and married his mother, thus echoing the lack of humility that first drove him away from his adopted parents.
References to eyesight and vision, both literal and metaphorical, are very frequent in all three of the Theban plays. Quite often, the image of clear vision is used as a metaphor for knowledge and insight. In fact, this metaphor is so much a part of the Greek way of thinking that it is almost not a metaphor at all, just as in modern English: to say “I see the truth” or “I see the way things are” is a perfectly ordinary use of language. However, the references to eyesight and insight in these plays form a meaningful pattern in combination with the references to literal and metaphorical blindness. Oedipus is famed for his clear-sightedness and quick comprehension, but he discovers that he has been blind to the truth for many years, and then he blinds himself so as not to have to look on his own children/siblings. Creon is prone to a similar blindness to the truth in Antigone. Though blind, the aging Oedipus finally acquires a limited prophetic vision. Tiresias is blind, yet he sees farther than others. Overall, the plays seem to say that human beings can demonstrate remarkable powers of intellectual penetration and insight, and that they have a great capacity for knowledge, but that even the smartest human being is liable to error, that the human capability for knowledge is ultimately quite limited and unreliable.
The play begins with a request to Oedipus by the townspeople to rid Thebes of the plague, since he had so heroically solved the riddle of the Sphinx in the past. He sends Creon, his brother-in-law and uncle, to the oracles at Delphi. Creon returns with the cause for the plague; the murderer of the former King Laius was never punished for his crime. So Oedipus pledges himself to seek the killer and punish him as the gods wish.
Oedipus being shown in an updated version is a very effective and understandable way to present it to audiences. The play that was viewed in class was a good adaptation of the original play. Although modern versions of Oedipus are far different today than the way they were performed during Sophocles’s time, I think he would be impressed with the way that modern versions of his play are performed.
Through Aristotle’s specific definition of a tragic hero, it can be concluded that Oedipus is a tragic hero. Oedipus The King was written by a well-known tragic dramatist named Sophocles. This story is considered to be one of the greatest tragedies of all time. In fact, the Marjorie Barstow of the Classical Weekly says that it “fulfills the function of a tragedy, and arouses fear and pity in the highest degree” (Barstow). It is also very controversial because of the relationship that Oedipus has with his mother, although it was unknown at the time that they were related. The qualifications of a tragic hero, according to Aristotle, include coming from a royal family and falling from power due to actions that only the protagonist can take responsibility for. The main character must also have a tragic flaw, which is defined as a “weakness in character” (Gioia). There have been many protagonists in other plays that represent a tragic hero, but none exemplify Aristotle’s tragic hero traits quite as well as Oedipus does because of many reasons including his royal history, his tragic flaw, his hamartia, and his his fall from power.
Writing, particularly story writing, is an art. When a person sets out to create a painting, there are certain rules of composition that need to be followed. In the art of writing, it is the same. There are rules of composition for writing and they must be followed by the writer. Some of these rules date back to Aristotle, who set down some rules for classical drama in his Poetics, a collection of class notes in which Aristotle attempted "to treat of Poetry in itself and of its various kinds" (1028). These rules, adhered to by great writers for centuries, were preceded by at least one great classical work: Sophocles' Oedipus the King. Interestingly, even though Oedipus the King came before Poetics, Sophocles' play illustrates Aristotle's rules for classical drama. Oedipus the King particularly displays a tragic emotion, a tragic character, and a tragic fall according to Aristotle's rules.
Courageous and admirable with noble qualities defines a heroine. In Aristotle’s Poetics he describes a tragic hero as a character who is larger than life and through fate and a flaw they destroy themselves. Additionally, Aristotle states excessive pride is the hubris of a tragic hero. The hero is very self-involved; they are blind to their surroundings and commit a tragic action. A tragedy describes a story that evokes sadness and awe, something larger than life. Furthermore, a tragedy of a play results in the destruction of a hero, evoking catharsis and feelings of pity and fear among the audience. Aristotle states, "It should, moreover, imitate actions which excite pity and fear, this being the distinctive mark of tragic imitation." (18) For a tragedy to arouse fear, the audience believes similar fate might happen to them and the sight of the suffering of others arouses pity. A tragedy's plot includes peripeteia, anagnorisis, hamartia and catharsis. Using Aristotle’s criteria, both characters in Oedipus The King and The Medea share similar qualities that define a tragic hero such as being of noble birth, having excessive pride, and making poor choices. They both gain recognition through their downfall and the audience feels pity and fear.
According to Aristotle, a tragedy must be an imitation of life in the form of a serious story that is complete in itself among many other things. Oedipus is often portrayed as the perfect example of what a tragedy should be in terms of Aristotle’s Poetics. Reason being that Oedipus seems to include correctly all of the concepts that Aristotle describes as inherent to dramatic tragedy. These elements include: the importance of plot, reversal and recognition, unity of time, the cathartic purging and evocation of pity and fear, the presence of a fatal flaw in the “hero”, and the use of law of probability.
Why is the concept of the rule of law an important aspect within society to have an integral understanding of? The rule of law is a facet of our society that affects and serves our lives on a daily basis because rules and laws dictate the underlying basis of our social interactions. One basic understanding of the idea of the rule of law is that society should be ruled by law, and not by men. At perhaps the most rudimentary level, the rule of law has been used to explain a type of governance that is founded upon universal and neutral rules. Endicott argues that communities can never adequately achieve the rule of law because “it requires, among other things, that government officials conform to the law. But they may not do so, and presumably there is no large community in which they always do so” (Endicott, 1999, p.1). Consequently, an area of rule of law is explored by Aristotle’s critique of Plato’s philosopher-rulers theory and his defence and understanding of the rule of law.
Aristotle made contributions to logic, physics, biology, medicine, and agriculture. He redesigned most, if not all, areas of knowledge he studied. Later in life he became the “Father of logic” and was the first to develop a formalized way of reasoning. Aristotle was a greek philosopher who founded formal logic, pioneered zoology, founded his own school, and classified the various branches of philosophy.