Personal Responsibility and the Gods’ Role in the Odyssey Essay Example For Students

Personal Responsibility and the Gods’ Role in the Odyssey Essay The gods play an important part in Odysseus’ journey home, bringing him closer and farther from his homeland. They constantly intervene in the lives of the many characters in The Odyssey. Though Odysseus is a hero, the gods control his life. It is as if he were the main character in a video game and the gods are fighting over who controls his life. Personal responsibility is overshadowed by the gods’ eagerness to grab the controller. Homer disregards personal responsibility by showing how the gods take care of everything for Odysseus. It was ultimately Athena who begged Zeus to let Odysseus go home by saying Father Zeus†¦.. never let any sceptered king be kind and gentle now, not he ruled remembers Odysseus now, that godlike man, and kindly as a father to his children. Now, he’s left to pine on an island, racked with grief in the nymph Calypso’s house†¦ He has no way to voyage home to his own native land†¦. (Homer pages 152-153) End block quote Odysseus was not the one who convinced the gods that he should go home. In fact, he would â€Å"†¦.. sit on the rocks and beaches, wrenching his heart with sobs and groans and anguish, gazing out over the barren sea through blinding tears†(Homer page 157) or â€Å"†¦. In the nights, true, he’d sleep with her in the arching cave†¦. †(Homer page 157)]. However, he is not physically capable of getting himself home with all the powers of Poseidon against him for â€Å"†¦.. every god took pity, all except Poseidon. He raged on, seething against the great Odysseus till he reached his native land )(Homer page 78) and no crew or boat. So, with nothing to do, he is left to leave his fate to the gods, as personal responsibility is apparently out of the question. Another example that supports Homer’s lack of regard for personal responsibility as the cause of what our future brings, not the gods, is when Odysseus is shrouded in mist by Athena to walk through the busy streets of Phaeacia to the king’s palace. S ince the Phaeacians were xenophobes, they may have hampered Odysseus’ trek to the palace. But, Athena leads him to the palace with a mist that keeps the Phaeacians from noticing Odysseus, thus avoiding confrontation. She kept the controller away from Poseidon, protected Odysseus, and sped his journey home fully realizing that Poseidon wanted Odysseus to pay for the many injuries he committed against himself and his son, Polyphemus. Athena’s navigational skills and quick thinking made Odysseus’ victory feasible. She provided a disguise for Odysseus, came up with a battle plan, and kept his anger in check by letting the suitors continue their taunts against him. Athena â€Å"had no mind to let the brazen suitors hold back now from their heart-rending insults-she meant to make the anguish cut still deeper into the core of Laertes’ son Odysseus† (Homer page 419). Additionally, she helped Odysseus battle the suitors, â€Å"looming out of the rafters high above them, brandished her man-destroying shield of thunder, terrifying the suitors out of their minds, and down the hall they panicked† (Homer page 448). Saving Odysseus’ and his servants’ lives, Athena acted against the suitors and, undoubtedly, won the battle for him by scaring off the suitors who were not already dead. Though Athena takes the prize for interfering with Odysseus’ life the most out of the rest of the gods, Poseidon also fights and claims the controller, but he prevents Odysseus from reaching Ithaca instead of helping him (please refer to the quote from page 78). Because of Odysseus’ actions against Poseidon’s son, Polyphemus, Poseidon rages against Odysseus for his â€Å"immoral† actions. Athena and Poseidon are the main players in the game that is Odysseus’ life, but Zeus ambivalently picks up the controller and begins to toy with Odysseus. .u7ded92419f1ff5f8408a7da810c8e357 , .u7ded92419f1ff5f8408a7da810c8e357 .postImageUrl , .u7ded92419f1ff5f8408a7da810c8e357 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u7ded92419f1ff5f8408a7da810c8e357 , .u7ded92419f1ff5f8408a7da810c8e357:hover , .u7ded92419f1ff5f8408a7da810c8e357:visited , .u7ded92419f1ff5f8408a7da810c8e357:active { border:0!important; } .u7ded92419f1ff5f8408a7da810c8e357 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u7ded92419f1ff5f8408a7da810c8e357 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u7ded92419f1ff5f8408a7da810c8e357:active , .u7ded92419f1ff5f8408a7da810c8e357:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u7ded92419f1ff5f8408a7da810c8e357 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u7ded92419f1ff5f8408a7da810c8e357 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u7ded92419f1ff5f8408a7da810c8e357 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u7ded92419f1ff5f8408a7da810c8e357 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u7ded92419f1ff5f8408a7da810c8e357:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u7ded92419f1ff5f8408a7da810c8e357 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u7ded92419f1ff5f8408a7da810c8e357 .u7ded92419f1ff5f8408a7da810c8e357-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u7ded92419f1ff5f8408a7da810c8e357:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Essay On Shakespeare SonnetsZeus, although Odysseus never meets him face to face, plays an active, yet neutral part in Odysseus’ journey back to Ithaca. He sends signs from the heavens that are used to predict Odysseus’ return Farseeing Zeus sent down a sign. He launched two eagles soaring high from a mountain ridge†¦. wild onslaught of wings and banking down at the crowd’s heads-a glaring, fatal sign†¦.. ‘Clearly Odysseus won’t be far from loved ones any longer†¦. ’ (Homer page 98) End block quote Zeus forces Calypso to free Odysseus. Hermes tells Calypso that â€Å"†¦.. Zeus commands you send him off with all good speed: it is not his fate to die here, far from his own people† (Homer page 156), and â€Å"mounted a thunderhead above our hollow ship†(Homer page 283) to punish Odysseus and his crew for slaughtering the cattle of the son. Zeus helps Athena bring Odysseus home, but he also fulfills his obligations to the other gods by punishing him when needed. He could not interfere with Odysseus’ life, but he chooses to become involved and do what is necessary to get Odysseus home (when he feels inclined to). It becomes clear that Zeus and Athena do not think Odysseus could get home by himself without their help when they call a meeting with the other gods to address the issue of Odysseus’ return without Poseidon being present . He did not â€Å"†¦. forget Odysseus? Great Odysseus†¦. No, it’s the Earth-Shaker, Poseidon, unappeased, forever fuming against him for the Cyclops whose giant eye he blinded†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã¢â‚¬ (Homer page 79). More or less, the gods’ interference in Odysseus’ journey has shaped the entire story. Athough control was passed back and forth between Athena, Poseidon, and Zeus, Odysseus still managed to make his way home. While personal responsibility is a wonderful way to get from Point A to Point B, Homer disregards personal responsibility by hi-lighting the gods’ part in the story. Personal responsibility apparently does not play an important role in The Odyssey, but every one wins the game in the end regardless of the lack of personal responsibility (except Poseidon). Bibliography: Homer. The Odyssey. Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin Books, 1996.

The Necklace Essays - The Necklace, Necklace, Elizabeth IIs Jewels

The Necklace The Necklace The theme of Guy de Maupassant story The Necklace seems to be suggested by the line, What would have happened if Mathilde had not lost the necklace?. Mathilde Loisel grew up in poverty and had no expectations in life. When she got married, her and her husband would sit around the dinner table and imagine they were eating a luxurious meal. They would imagine using shiny silverware and eating their meal on marvelous plates. Together, they had nothing. Mathilde had no clothes, no jewels, and only one friend. One day her husband came home from work and handed her an invitation they had received to attend a ball. Her husband thought that she would be enthusiastic about it, however she busted out in tears. She wanted to attend, yet she had no dress to wear. After digging in to money they had been trying to saved, Mathilde purchased a dress for the ball. As the ball drew near, Mathilde decided she still needed something more to finish off the dress they had just spent so much money on. The next day, Mathilde visited her only friend to see if she could barrow some of her jewelry for the evening of the ball. After about an hour of deliberating with her friend about what to jewelry to wear, Mathilde found it. Under all the other pieces of jewelry lied a diamond necklace. Mathilde was ecstatic. Never before had she seen such a beautiful piece of jewelry. She decided this was what she was going to wear. The entire way home she dazzled the necklace. She knew that she would stand out in the crowd at the ball. The night of the ball came and Mithilde looked great. Her and her husband showed up at the ball and everyone was amazed at how good Mithilde appeared. Mithilde was not used to all the attention she received that evening, after all she just a poor young lady. The evening ended and everyone went home. Mithilde decided that one last time she would look at herself in the mirror before getting out of the clothes. When she did, she noticed the necklace in which she admired so much was gone. Weeks went by and no trace of the necklace showed up. Mithilde and her husband had to borrow thirty-six thousand francs from people they knew to buy another just like it. Mithilde put the new necklace in a box and gave it to her friend. Her friend never looked in the box, so she did not know the necklace was not the same she let Mithilde borrow. Mithilde and her husband were deeply in debt. For ten years they worked day in and day out until finally the debt was paid off. Mithilde looked as if she was a very old lady, however she was not. One day Mithilde was walking in a park and stumbled across a lady walking with a child. When she took a second glance at the lady, she noticed it was her friend, in which so long ago let her borrow the diamond necklace. When she approached the long time friend, the lady did not even recognize who it was. After moments of conversing, Mithilde decided to tell her friend of the incident that happened so long ago concerning the necklace. Her friend was appalled to hear of it and told Mithilde that the necklace that she let her borrow was only paste. It was only worth at most five hundred francs. No one really knows what would have happened if Mithilde would have been honest with her friend to begin with and told her about the problem. All the ten years that Mithilde and her husband spent working to pay back for the necklace, they could have been using that money to better themselves. The point the author was trying to get to the reader was that you should be honest. If you are not, then you may have a harder problem on your hands in the end. In Mithildes case, she did not want to tell her friend of losing the necklace in fear that her friend would betray her. Her consequence for not telling her friend was working everyday for ten years. Honesty in the present

Good Writing Essay Sample

Good Writing Essay SampleThe writing essay is a written research project designed to allow students to evaluate the worth of their knowledge and to gauge their writing skills. The writing assignment is composed of an essay, which must be divided into paragraphs, and the first three sections are known as the introduction, research and conclusion.A good student's essay should not be lengthy or complex. Instead, it should be brief, concise and directly to the point. It should provide enough information to make the reader want to continue reading and should cover each topic with sufficient detail.The essay must be well organized, both structurally and in terms of the order in which the information has been presented. It must be clear, so that the reader will know exactly what they are supposed to gain from the material being presented.The best place to find sample good examples of the style of the essay is online, where many websites offer samples free of charge. They often come in the f orm of short, clear, grammatically correct articles, which can then be adapted to fit the needs of the student.Of course, there are some differences between essay and persuasive essay. To better understand this distinction, let us consider two different types of essays: first, personal essays, which are made by someone about himself, and second, formal essays.In a personal essay, the writer reveals his inner thoughts, experiences and emotions, and is careful to stay as objective as possible. However, his writing style is more opinionated than it is factual.In a similar vein, a formal essay may seem quite simplistic and bland, but when properly written, is the most powerful form of argumentative writing. The formal essay author, on the other hand, is not concerned with truth and transparency, but rather with precision and coherence.The essay sample available online is a great way to get started writing your own essay. Make sure that you also practice editing and proofreading your wor k before you submit it for publication.

Ethnoarchaeology - Cultural Anthropology Archaeology

Ethnoarchaeology - Cultural Anthropology Archaeology Ethnoarchaeology is a research technique that involves using information from living cultures- in the form of ethnology, ethnography, ethnohistory, and experimental archaeology- to understand patterns found at an archaeological site. An ethnoarchaeologist acquires evidence about ongoing activities in any society  and uses those studies to draw analogies from modern behavior to explain and better understand patterns seen in archaeological sites. Key Takeaways: Ethnoarchaeology Ethnoarchaeology is a research technique in archaeology that uses present-day ethnographic information to inform remains of sites.  Applied first in the late 19th century and at its height in the 1980s and 1990s, the practice has decreased in the 21st century.The problem is what its always been: the application of oranges (living cultures) to apples (ancient past).  Benefits include the amassing of huge quantities of information about production techniques and methodologies. American archaeologist Susan Kent defined ethnoarchaeologys purpose as to formulate and test archaeologically oriented and/or derived methods, hypotheses, models and theories with ethnographic data. But it is archaeologist Lewis Binford who wrote most clearly: ethnoarchaeology is a Rosetta stone: a way of translating the static material found on an archaeological site into the vibrant life of a group of people who in fact left them there. Practical Ethnoarchaeology Ethnoarchaeology is typically conducted by using the cultural anthropological methods of participant observation, but it also finds behavioral data in ethnohistorical and ethnographic reports as well as oral history. The basic requirement is to draw on strong evidence of any kind for describing artifacts and their interactions with people in activities. Ethnoarchaeological data can be found in published or unpublished written accounts (archives, field notes, etc.); photographs; oral history; public or private collections of artifacts; and of course, from observations deliberately made for archaeological purposes on a living society. American archaeologist Patty Jo Watson argued that ethnoarchaeology should also include experimental archaeology. In experimental archaeology, the archaeologist creates the situation to be observed rather than taking it where he or she finds it: observations are still made of archaeological relevant variables within a living context. Edging Towards a Richer Archaeology The possibilities of ethnoarchaeology brought in a flood of ideas about what archaeologists could say about the behaviors represented in the archaeological record: and a corresponding earthquake of reality about the ability of archaeologists to recognize all or even any of the social behaviors that went on in an ancient culture. Those behaviors must be reflected in the material culture (I made this pot this way because my mother made it this way; I traveled fifty miles to get this plant because thats where weve always gone). But that underlying reality may only be identifiable from the pollen and potsherds if the techniques allow their capture, and careful interpretations appropriately fit the situation. Archaeologist Nicholas David described the sticky issue pretty clearly: ethnoarchaeology is an attempt to cross the divide between the ideational order (the unobservable ideas, values, norms, and representation of the human mind) and the phenomenal order (artifacts, things affected by human action and differentiated by matter, form, and context). Processual and Post-Processual Debates The ethnoarchaeological study reinvented the study of archaeology, as the science edged into the post-World War II scientific age. Instead of simply finding better and better ways to measure and source and examine artifacts (a.k.a. processual archaeology), archaeologists felt they could now make hypotheses about the kinds of behaviors those artifacts represented (post-processual archaeology). That debate polarized the profession for much of the 1970s and 1980s: and while the debates have ended, it became clear that the match is not perfect. For one thing, archaeology as a study is diachronic- a single archaeological site always includes evidence of all the cultural events and behaviors that might have taken place at that location for hundreds or thousands of years, not to mention the natural things that happened to it over that time. In contrast, ethnography is synchronic- what is being studied is what happens during the course of the research. And theres always this underlying uncertainty: can the patterns of behavior that are seen in modern (or historical) cultures really be generalized to ancient archaeological cultures, and how much? History of Ethnoarchaeology Ethnographic data was used by some late 19th century/early 20th century archaeologists to understand archaeological sites (Edgar Lee Hewett leaps to mind), but the modern study has its roots in the post-war boom of the 1950s and 60s. Beginning in the 1970s, a huge burgeoning of literature explored the potentialities of the practice (the processual/post-processual debate driving much of that). There is some evidence, based on the decrease in the number of university classes and programs, that ethnoarchaeology, although an accepted, and perhaps standard practice for most archaeological studies in the late 20th century, is fading in importance in the 21st. Modern Critiques Since its first practices, ethnoarchaeology has often come under criticism for several issues, primarily for its underpinning assumptions about how far the practices of a living society can reflect the ancient past. More recently, scholars as archaeologists Olivier Gosselain and Jerimy Cunningham have argued that western scholars are blinded by assumptions about living cultures. In particular, Gosselain argues that ethnoarchaeology doesnt apply to prehistory because it isnt practiced as ethnologyin other words, to properly apply cultural templates derived from living people you cant simply pick up technical data. But Gosselain also argues that doing a full ethnological study would not be useful expenditure of time, since equating present-day societies are never going to be sufficiently applicable to the past. He also adds that although ethnoarchaeology may no longer be a reasonable way to conduct research, the main benefits of the study has been to amass a huge amount of data on production techniques and methodologies, which can be used as a reference collection for scholarship. Selected Sources Cunningham, Jerimy J., and Kevin M. McGeough. The Perils of Ethnographic Analogy. Parallel Logics in Ethnoarchaeology and Victorian Bible Customs Books. Archaeological Dialogues 25.2 (2018): 161–89. Print.Gonzlez-Urquijo, J., S. Beyries, and J. J. Ibà ±ez. Ethnoarchaeology and Functional Analysis. Use-Wear and Residue Analysis in Archaeology. Eds. Marreiros, Joo Manuel, Juan F. Gibaja Bao and Nuno Ferreira Bicho. Manuals in Archaeological Method, Theory and Technique: Springer International Publishing, 2015. 27–40. Print.Gosselain, Olivier P. To Hell with Ethnoarchaeology! Archaeological Dialogues 23.2 (2016): 215–28. Print.Kamp, Kathryn, and John Whittaker. Editorial Reflections: Teaching Science with Ethnoarchaeology and Experimental Archaeology. Ethnoarchaeology 6.2 (2014): 79–80. Print.Parker, Bradley J. Bread Ovens, Social Networks and Gendered Space: An Ethnoarchaeological Study of Tandir Ovens in Southeastern Anatolia. American Antiquity 76.4 (2011 ): 603–27. Print.Politis, Gustavo. Reflections on Contemporary Ethnoarchaeology. Pyrenae 46 (2015). Print. Schiffer, Michael Brian. Contributions of Ethnoarchaeology. The Archaeology of Science. Vol. 9. Manuals in Archaeological Method, Theory and Technique: Springer International Publishing, 2013. 53–63. Print.

Compare the representation of the Victorian woman in The French Essay

Compare the representation of the Victorian woman in The French Lieutenant's Woman and Dracula - Essay Example Social class structures were beginning to break down as common men were able to make fortunes in industry and landowners found it more and more difficult to keep the idyllic life they’d constructed alive. Women, too, were beginning to question their allotted place in society as more and more opportunities opened for them in the urban centers of the country, providing them with a means of supporting themselves and freeing themselves from the yoke of male domination. However, at the same time, these positions were not the equal rights positions of modern times, so it was often difficult to determine whether one wanted to sacrifice freedom for comfort or comfort for freedom. Rarely was it possible to attain both. All of these social and economical concerns can be found in the novels written during this time period. â€Å"The Victorian novel, with its emphasis on the realistic portrayal of social life, represented many Victorian issues in the stories of its characters† (Gre enblatt, 2005). Two of these novels, The French Lieutenant’s Woman by John Fowles and Dracula by Bram Stoker, portray similar tales of women, Sarah and Lucy, who deviate from the expected behavior as they compare to Ernestine and Mina, who have upheld the social norms, yet each finds drastically different conclusions partially as a result of the different perspectives offered by the authors, one having lived in the Victorian period itself and the other writing within a historical framework from a more modern world. In both novels, the reader is introduced to a similar figure in Victorian society, that of the unmarried, young, educated yet penniless woman who fits into no specific social class. Sarah Woodruff in The French Lieutenant’s Woman is quickly understood to be an ex-governess who has no independent income and depends upon others for her well-being while Mina Murray in

Analysis of the poor country Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Analysis of the poor country - Essay Example Pakistan does not have a well-developed industrial sector but some of the important industries are Cotton Textile, Woolen Textile, Cement, Sugar factories, Fertilizers, Leather, and paper industries (F. K. Khan). Political History of Pakistan Pakistan came into being on 14 August 1947, with two parts. West Pakistan constituted NWFP, Punjab, Baluchistan and Sindh, whereas East Pakistan constituted of East Bengal. The founder of the nation, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, was the first Governor General. Pakistan was declared as the Islamic Republic of Pakistan (official name) with the adoption of parliamentary democratic system of government in 1956 when the first constitution was promulgated. From 1956-1965, the political situation remained unstable with the country’s first Martial Law enforced in 1958. In 1965, Pakistan and India engaged in war over the Kashmir dispute for the first time (Afzal). Pakistan and India fought again in 1971, which resulted in East Pakistan declaring itself as an independent nation to be called Bangladesh. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto formed Pakistan People’s Party and became President of Pakistan and a new Pakistan Constitution was formed in 1973. 1n 1977, Gen. Muhammad Zia-ul Haq promulgated Marshall Law and became the president and Z.A Bhutto was hanged. From 1985, when the Marshall Law was lifted to 1999 Pakistan saw two political leaders become prime ministers alternatively twice. Military Rule was one again established in 1999, and the Army General Musharraf declared himself President in 2001. In 2008, Musharraf stepped down and democracy was restored (H. Khan). Economic History of Pakistan Soon after independence Pakistan’s economy went into recession. The economy suffered in the 1950’s due to weak industrial base and lack of private organizations. By 1960’s, the economy started recovering but in 1970’s the economy fell again due to separation of East Pakistan. It took 12 years to recover from the second recession but that too was short lived. The reason behind this is the corruption and communal unrest (Jaffrelot). In 1998, economic sanctions by the West as Pakistan conducted its first nuclear test also affected the economy. During the time, when General Pervez Musharraf assumed his power he devoted his team to manage the economic crises. During this period, there was considerable progress in achieving macro-economic stability. There was a positive GDP growth rate, fiscal deficits improved, external debts, revenues, exports, and foreign exchange reserves all showed improvement. However, poverty and unemployment increased. The overall picture that emerges from a dispassionate examination of these indicators is that the country made significant economic achievements but had a disappointing record of social development (S. Khan). After 2008, Musharraf resigned a new Government led by Asif Ali Zardari was established. The GDP growth, which had been 5.0 % dropped to just 0.4 % (2008-09) . By October 2008, the inflation reached the highest level of 25 percent. The oil and other commodities prices showed an unprecedented increase. In addition to this, the natural climate in 2010 and 2011 also added to the economic suffering. Extreme power shortages were causing huge losses. Even though, the growth rate of the economy was 6%, there were the worst crises in public enterprises, energy sufferings, and economic mismanagement during these years (United Nations) Current Economy Pakistan’

Individualism and Communilism Essay Example for Free

Individualism and Communilism Essay How far can a person go in life without the need of others? Is it possible for him or her to achieve success without having any sort of social dynamic to aid in the progress of their lives? Does having strong social connections aid a person in shaping his or her character to achieve their goals and can these achievement be defined as his or her own if there was intervention of any sort from a social group? It is possible to deduce answers to such notions upon a better understanding of the distinction of community and the individual and the effects of these ideas on each other. The following essay will try to define the distinction between the ideas of communalism and individualism. It will try to isolate the characteristics of each ideal in order to better comprehend their influence on a person life and try to provide an argument on why these two ideas may need to work together in order for a person to lead a fulfilling life. Communitarianism defines the idea where the individual needs of a person are secondary to the overall development of the social group he or she communes. The social group can be represents as any group of people that share common goals and ideals. Possible factors that define ideals of the group include ethnic background, social or economic status, religious and cultural beliefs. Constant social interaction is important with this ideal. It is communitarian teleology that humankind is social by nature and that this idea grows naturally to this end. Aristotle was a proponent of communitarianism and – according to class lectures on the subject – believed that being part of a community eased the burden of everyday living. He provided an example on the natural development of speech as a direct result of the necessity of humans to interact with each other to participate in a community. He also hypothesized that in order for human development to flourish there needs to be a sharing of skills and ideas within the social group. The contrasting idea to communitarianism is individualism. Individualism focuses on the idea of the promotion of an individual thoughts and desires before those of a social group. This idea believes that external involvement from others is unnecessary when trying to achieve an individual’s goals, unless the external interference aids in the achievement of the individuals goals. Advocating social isolationism is not a necessary factor under this ideal; rather the individualist is often part of a social group and adheres to the communal laws and practices set forth upon them in order to promote their own personal gain. Thomas Hobbes defines an extreme extend of complete individualism. He states, that under individualism, humans care only about themselves and have no regards for the necessity of others and have no moral concern for their actions. Under this state of reality, it seems highly unlike for human development to expand as all focus lie on achieving individual goals for the sake of individual gain rather than sharing the results of intellectual, social, economic, etc. endeavors. Hobbes realized that such a state of reality cannot naturally exist and deduced that the individualist enters society and agrees to abide by its rules and regulations with the sole purpose of expanding their own personal goals; he coined this compromise â€Å"the social contract. † Based on the interpretations of the ideals of communitarianism and individualism it is possible to obtain an idea on how these ideals shape the individual’s outlook on life. Communitarianism appears to promote the well-being of all, the question to this is at what cost? The idea that the needs of the many are more important than the needs of the one fails to account for moral responsibility. If we explore individualism further and do not use the extreme representation of the term, we realize that being an individual actually means being free to make choices outside of what other people expect or dictate. In other words, by being an individual you are free to choose and are directly responsible for your actions and their moral implications. Being an individualist is to have free will. It is impossible to deny that humans tend to gravitate toward the state of a social-collective and in fact, there is evidence that social interaction is necessary. For example, as children we tend to obtain knowledge from many others. We do not learn from one person or one experience, rather we continue to expand our knowledge and thereby our self. In this sense, communitarianism works by providing the individualist with the tools to make choices and commit to actions, but it does not dictate how this person will use the knowledge. It is up to the individual and his singular choice to decide how to use this knowledge. Communitarianism may hinder personal development. If the individual considers the needs of his community, before his own how can he or she expect to develop as a person? In fact, in some cases, the community will try to keep an individual from growing. For example, in certain communities poverty is the prevalent norm. If the person acts to try to remove him or herself from such a community through his own achievements, some in such community may see him in a different light, not wanting to be part of the group anymore. This sense of guilt can weight on the individual and create doubt on his achievements and on himself. Although he or she was free to make the conscious choice to get out from poverty, the community still has an indirect control over the person. Communitarianism may also interfere with a clear sense of moral judgment. In general, a person’s self-worth and values are defined by their individual actions. In some cases, communitarianism blurs the distinction between the values of the individuals and the values of the group. In such instances, wrongful generalizations of a person values and choices can be made based solely on the choices and values of the community they belong to; this is called stereotyping and/or racism. It is unclear how the will of others can influence the moral decisions of a person. Communitarianism can server a person in the early stages of life (when individual thought and reasoning are not fully developed) to provide the tools necessary to shape their life. However, in the end, the individualistic actions of a rational, independent, free-to-choose individual that define a person.