Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State Essay

This article argues that the first domestic institution in human history was not the family but the matrilineal clan. Engels here follows Lewis H. Morgan’s thesis as outlined in his major book, Ancient Society. Morgan was an American business lawyer who championed the land rights of Native Americans and became adopted as an honorary member of the Seneca Iroquois tribe. Traditionally, the Iroquois had lived in communal longhouses based on matrilineal descent and matrilocal residence, an arrangement giving women much solidarity and power. When nonhuman primate society and earliest human society, identifying sexual competition and the â€Å"jealousy of the male† as the vital issue that needed to be overcome to allow the emergence of the oldest form of family involving â€Å"group marriage†. Primitive communism was based in the matrilineal clan where women lived with their classificatory sisters – applying the principle that â€Å"my sister’s child is my child†. This kinship solidarity empowered women to take action against uncooperative males. Engels identified the â€Å"world historic defeat of the female sex† – the switch from what he called â€Å"mother-right† to â€Å"father-right† – with the onset of farming and pastoralism. This shift from matrilocality to patrilocality manifested itself in men’s increased control in the home. Engels wrote: â€Å"The man took command in the home also.† The book begins with an extensive discussion of Ancient Society which describes the major stages of human development as commonly understood in Engels’ time. In contrast to other contemporary essays on the subject, Engels emphasizes the importance not of primitive psychological development but rather of soc ial relations of power and control over material resources, sometimes related to the development of new technologies. Morgan, whose account of prehistory Engels largely accepts as given, focuses primarily on the first two stages  of Savagery and Barbarism but only ventures as far as the transition into Civilization. The terms Savagery and Barbarism as used by Morgan were meant to be objective and not terms of derision or disparagement as they might be assumed to be then or now. The Pairing Family, first indications of pairing are found in families where the husband has one primary wife. Inbreeding is practically eradicated by the prevention of a marriage between two family members who were even just remotely related, while relationships also start to approach monogamy. Property and economics begin to play a larger part in the family, as a pairing family had responsibility for the ownership of specific goods and property. Polygamy is still common amongst men, but no longer amongst women since their fidelity would ensure the child’s legitimacy. Women have a superior role in the family as keepers of the household and guardians of legitimacy. The pairing family is the form characteristic of the lower stages of barbarism. However, at this point, when the man died his inheritance was still given to his gens, rather than to his offspring. Engels refers to this economic advantage for men coupled with the woman’s lack of rights to lay claim to possessions for herself or her children (who became hers after a separation) as the overthrow of mother-right which was â€Å"the world historical defeat of the female sex†. For Engels, ownership of property created the first significant division between men and women in which the woman was inferior. It develops from the pairing family, as we have already shown, during the time of transition from the middle to the higher stage of barbarism. Its final victory is one of the signs of beginning civilization. It is founded on male supremacy for the pronounced purpose of breeding children of indisputable paternal lineage. The latter is required, because these children shall later on inherit the fortune of their father. The monogamous family is distinguished from the pairing family by the far greater durability of wedlock, which can no longer be dissolved at the pleasure of either party. As a rule, it is only the man who can still dissolve it and cast off his wife.

It is never too late to give up our prejudices

People have always been and always will be prejudiced. There are prejudices of all kinds. Some have prejudices about skin color or religion, others about nationality or sexuality or something else. And other people are prejudiced about everything that they do not consider normal. Henry David Thoreau said: â€Å"It is never too late to give up our prejudices†. And for some people It Is true: they outgrow their prejudices and learn to be more unbiased.Then there are those who retain their prejudices all theirs life. People do not like to admit that they are wrong, so the latter are unfortunately the majority In our world. We can all agree that most prejudices are taught to us by our parents and the environment we grow up In. In the period of Nazism children In Germany and other Nan countries were taught from birth to hate Jews and Gypsies. It was the policy of government and It was dangerous to behave differently. Nowadays the majority of those people's descendants do not have t hese prejudices.They have learnt from their forefathers' mistakes and now are a lot more tolerate. Of course, there are still those who hate people of different nationality in different countries. There are still a lot of hate crimes, in which the victim is targeted because of his or her race, religion, sexuality and so on. While it is true that there are people so bigoted they can never let go of their prejudices, there are others who change theirs views and abandon their prejudiced ways. People are usually biased against things they have no idea about.So for them to let go of these prejudices they must learn about different things, get to know all kinds of people, make friends and try to see things from their point of view. Then they will be able to understand that different does not mean weird or freaky. Normality is overrated anyway. Everybody is deferent in one way or another. We are not robots after all to be the same. To be different, not like everybody else is wonderful. It does not make you a freak. Unfortunately people are afraid of those who are not like them and we usually hate something we fear.There was the UK Klux Klan in the USA. It was a secret organization of White Protestant Americans, mainly in the South, who used violence against Blacks, Jews, and other minority groups. They used to terrorize those they did not like. And these minority groups could very rarely find protection and Justice: if o were Black you had little to no rights. There are a lot films made and books written about this. Now the USA government proclaims tolerance: all people are equal under the law, have the same rights and responsibilities.Things change, people are too. It is the way of life. In my opinion, all people should be equal. We are all human beings at the end of the day. We all can and must learn to be as open- minded as possible. We must learn to live without hate and fear. These feelings nobody ever made happy. Therefore a life with no prejudices Is better th an with them. Our prejudices†. And for some people it is true: they outgrow their prejudices and unfortunately the majority in our world.We can all agree that most prejudices are taught to us by our parents and the environment we grow up in. In the period of Nazism children in Germany and other Nazi countries were taught from birth to hate Jews and Gypsies. It was the policy of government and it was dangerous to behave different in one way or another. We are not robots after all to be the same. To be Unfortunately people are afraid of those who are not like them and we usually hate nobody ever made happy. Therefore a life with no prejudices is better than with

The Crucible Essay Essays - Literature, Creativity, Film

The Crucible Essay Essays - Literature, Creativity, Film The Crucible Essay It is a play with tremendous feelings with many inside twists hidden in the archives of the true story. It is a play with emotional feelings, feelings of anger, hate, evil, manipulation, good, and pureness. It is the The Crucible. In the play, Arthur Miller develops the idea that powerfully held beliefs direct peoples behaviour, Abigail Williams who accuses others to escape from punishment, Mary Warren who chooses to lie to keep herself out of trouble, and John Proctor who chooses to sacrifice his life to save the lives of other innocent people. Arthur Miller develops Abigail Williams as an evil character. She tempts Proctor into lechery, and come its illegal acts which all are against the Puritan religion. To escape punishment for dancing, she deflects the actions and blames them on someone else, and does not care how many lives she destroys. Later when she grows into power and influence, she seems to enjoy sending these innocent people their deaths. She also uses evil actions disguised as good by admitting who was with the devil, She sends her spirit on me in church; she makes me laugh at prayer! (P.44) Obviously the people she accuses are actually innocent, but she has the ability to manipulate Judge Danforth into believing that she is doing the right thing and telling the truth. Mary Warrens intentions at the beginning of the story were to do good and justice. But she sees that when she is in trouble, she also needs someone to deflect the punishment on. This greed results in her saying that John Proctor was associated with Satan, and that he possessed her and made her do all of wrong actions, You are the Devils man! Ill not hang with you! I love God, I love God.(P.118) Her intentions were first good, but then her actions turned into evil, just like Abigail Williams. John Proctor is the protagonist in the play. He is a hero at the end of the play, when he falsely admits that he was with Satan all a long. He then refuses to tell the judge and accuse anyone of being with Satan too like Abigail did. Therefore he may be considered a hero, for dying for a cause of saving the lives of other innocent people. John Proctor also tries to defend his wife, and attempts to make the judge realize how Abigail Williams is manipulating him. In conclusion, Arthur Miller develops the idea that powerfully held beliefs direct peoples behaviour. The forces of good always tried to do what was the best for everybody, even if it meant breaking some Puritan laws. The evil group did whatever was best for themselves. They were greedy, and had no consideration of others. Bibliography english and Social Studies Department

Free Essays on Art, Literature, And Music Of The 1990s

Art, Literature, and Music of 1990’s Society had a great affect on the art, literature, and music of the nineties. When a person who grew up in the nineties looks back on that decade, they remember things such as rap music about sex and drugs. They may remember all of the gang rivalry between rappers, and the murders that resulted. They may recall Beverly Hills 90210, and how it was cool and sexy to wear daisy dukes and shirts that showed off the belly. As far as fashion went in the nineties, tight jeans, mini skirts, and short shorts were all the craze. It seemed to be that the shorter and tighter, the hotter you were. If you preferred a more comfortable look, you could throw on a pair of â€Å"Guess?† jeans, a flannel shirt and a pair of Birkenstocks. Girls in the nineties seemed to think that a cute baby doll dress went great with a pair of Doc Martens and their new Jennifer Aniston haircut. You could never leave the house without adding those accessories to your already great outfit! Berets, bandanas, or baby barrettes completed any outfit. For guys it was shorts way below their waistline (of course with their boxer shorts hanging out for all to see!), baggy shirts, and their chain wallets. Society had a great effect on what everyone wore in the nineties. Everyone wore what they saw in the magazines and stores because they wanted to fit in. Most people will wear whatever it is that everyone around them is wearing so that they feel accepted. Body piercing became real popular in the nineties, also. From tongues to belly buttons and noses. The more piercings and tattoos one had, the cooler they became. Body piercing and tattoos, which were looked upon by the teenagers as a great form of art, was becoming an everyday argument between parents and their children! In the nineties, there was an increase in books written on terrorism. More movies that accompanied the books on the subject followed. Some people b... Free Essays on Art, Literature, And Music Of The 1990's Free Essays on Art, Literature, And Music Of The 1990's Art, Literature, and Music of 1990’s Society had a great affect on the art, literature, and music of the nineties. When a person who grew up in the nineties looks back on that decade, they remember things such as rap music about sex and drugs. They may remember all of the gang rivalry between rappers, and the murders that resulted. They may recall Beverly Hills 90210, and how it was cool and sexy to wear daisy dukes and shirts that showed off the belly. As far as fashion went in the nineties, tight jeans, mini skirts, and short shorts were all the craze. It seemed to be that the shorter and tighter, the hotter you were. If you preferred a more comfortable look, you could throw on a pair of â€Å"Guess?† jeans, a flannel shirt and a pair of Birkenstocks. Girls in the nineties seemed to think that a cute baby doll dress went great with a pair of Doc Martens and their new Jennifer Aniston haircut. You could never leave the house without adding those accessories to your already great outfit! Berets, bandanas, or baby barrettes completed any outfit. For guys it was shorts way below their waistline (of course with their boxer shorts hanging out for all to see!), baggy shirts, and their chain wallets. Society had a great effect on what everyone wore in the nineties. Everyone wore what they saw in the magazines and stores because they wanted to fit in. Most people will wear whatever it is that everyone around them is wearing so that they feel accepted. Body piercing became real popular in the nineties, also. From tongues to belly buttons and noses. The more piercings and tattoos one had, the cooler they became. Body piercing and tattoos, which were looked upon by the teenagers as a great form of art, was becoming an everyday argument between parents and their children! In the nineties, there was an increase in books written on terrorism. More movies that accompanied the books on the subject followed. Some people b...

Hermes, God of the Word

Hermes, God of the Word Hermes, God of the Word Hermes, God of the Word By Maeve Maddox In Greek myth Hermes [hà »rmÄ“z], son of Zeus [zÃ… «s] and Maia [mÄ Ã‰â„¢, mÄ «Ã‰â„¢], was not just the patron god of thieves, merchants, and boundaries. He was also a god of science, art, speech, eloquence, and writing. Hermesson of Zeus and Maia, which is, of mind and sense. For the word is engendered from mind and sense. On account of this they also make him winged, as if to be swift. For nothing is swifter than a word. And [that is why] Homer [says] winged words. Suidas [syÃ… «Ã„ ­dÉ™s], Greek lexicographer. Hermes and the goddess Aphrodite [ÄÆ'frÉ™dÄ «tÄ“] had a son whose name is a combination of theirs: Hermaphroditos [hÉ™r-mÄÆ'frÉ™-dÄ «tÉ™s]. According to Ovid in his Metamorphoses, this son of Hermes was attacked and raped by an unconventional naiad (female nature spirit) named Salmacis. The attackers prayer that they not be parted resulted in the permanent fusion of their two bodies. Most of the stories in Metamorphoses[mÄ•tÉ™-mà ´rfÃ… -sÄ“z] are retellings of traditional tales, but Ovid probably made up the story about Salmacis [sÄÆ'l-mÄ sÄ ­s]. Another name for Hermes, or a perhaps a god derived from him, is Hermes Trismegistus[trÄ ­smÉ™-jÄ ­stÉ™s, trÄ ­z-] Hermes Thrice-blessed. This concept of Hermes was a combination of the Greek god and Thoth [thÃ… th, tÃ… t], the Egyptian god of wisdom. Various magical and alchemical writings came to be associated with Hermes Trismegistus who, it was believed, invented a magic seal to keep air out of vessels containing magical compounds. We owe several English words to Hermes: herm [hà »rm] a four-sided pillar used to mark boundaries. Sometimes it was surmounted by the head of the god. hermetic [hÉ™r-mÄ•tÄ ­k] an adjective meaning airtight or impervious to outside influences. The adverb is hermetically. The word is used both literally and figuratively: The scientist closed the flask with a hermetic seal. The survivalist compound was a a hermetic community, insulated from the world at large. hermeneutic [hà »rmÉ™-nÃ… «tÄ ­k] from Greek words meaning interpreter and to interpret. A hermeneutic approach to literature would seek meaning according to methodological principles of interpretation and explanation. hermeneutics [hà »rmÉ™-nÃ… «tÄ ­ks] from the same source as hermeneutic, deriving ultimately from Hermes in his capacity of patron of speech, writing, and eloquence. Hermeneutics is the methodological study of the Bible according to certain established principles of interpretation. Hermione [hÉ™rmÄ «Ã‰â„¢nÄ“] the feminine form of the name Hermes. hermaphrodite [hÉ™r-mÄÆ'frÉ™-dÄ «t] one sense of the word is an abnormal human being who combines male and female reproductive organs in the same body. In science, hermaphrodites are plants or animals for which it is normal for both male and female reproductive parts to exist on the same individual. By extension, hermaphrodite may be applied to inanimate objects that combines disparate parts, for example, a hermaphrodite brig. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Direct and Indirect Objects50 Idioms About Arms, Hands, and FingersBail Out vs. Bale Out

Egyptian architecture Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Egyptian architecture - Research Paper Example A deep delineation and an in-depth analysis of the structural study of the great pyramids, monuments, temples and tombs remaining along with little domestic structure shall focus considerable light on the pertinent characteristics inherent in the Egyptian architecture. The most potent characteristics of the Egyptian architecture were its consistent nature. With very little scope of variation or alteration, the set designs and forms were repeated in the designs of almost all the periods. As regards to the building materials of the structure, one can notice the use of sun-baked mud bricks and use of plenty of stones specially sandstone, granites and limestone in all the architectures. This was because of scanty availability of wood. The architecture comprises symmetry; walls are generally thick and are generally not broken due to fenestration. The use of rectangular shapes is very prominent in the form of architecture and the walls are highlighted with colorful decorations upholding walls and columns. The visual metaphors are very strong displaying hierarchy and power game prevalent in the society. Motifs of the Egyptian architectural detail comprise Egyptian ornaments of spiral, papyrus and circles. Tomb structures are very common in the Egyptian architecture and the cut temples where various religious ceremonies and rituals were held is their traditional form of building structures commonly found (Arnold 2-203). Egyptians had generally constructed three types of tombs. Among them, Mastabas or the funerary mounds and the Pyramids constructed during the initial period of the 4th dynasty are the iconic symbol of Egypt captivating within them the mummies of the great kings symbolizing eternal power and divinity (Harwood, May and Sherman 1-210). There is no end to the study of the architecture of Egypt, like the mummy of the Tutankhamen or the pyramids, their motif, structure and most importantly use of science and comprehension of geometry at that

Genetic Screening Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Genetic Screening - Essay Example Genetic testing does not reveal if you have a disease. It can only show that you are predisposed to getting an ailment. Barring a worker because they may one day develop a fatal disease is like throwing someone in jail because they may someday steal a car. There is no certainty that the disease will ever develop just as there is no way to profile who may become a thief. According to the American Medical Association (AMA), "Genetic tests alone do not have sufficient predictive value to be relied upon..." ("Genetic Testing"). Our limited knowledge of the complex interactions of numerous genes and our environment makes this new science little more than guesswork. If employers begin guessing who may have a genetic marker for a physical ailment, it won't be long before they look at brain scans for a predisposition of a personality trait. Medical ethics would dictate that, "Genetic privacy, like medical privacy in general, involves notions of the dignity and integrity of the individual" (Bereano).