The Successes of European Imperialism free essay sample

At the height of their power, the British Empire consisted of half the world. But how did it get there, and where exactly is â€Å"there†? With Europe having just undergone the Industrial Revolution, it needed resources to fuel its economy. The fact that Europe had gone through an Industrial Revolution and nowhere else had gave them an advantage over the rest of the world. The successes of European imperialism were many. It gave a few power over many, it fuelled Europe’s economy, and it spread Western influence across the globe. Above all, it Westernized the world, a fact that remains today, while the rest do not. It is easy to tell at a glance, how much the world has been Westernized. The easiest way to tell is the widespread English language. Once upon a time, there was only one country who spoke this language – an island in Europe. But now, you’d be hard-pressed to find a country where no one speaks English. We will write a custom essay sample on The Successes of European Imperialism or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Even in China, you can easily get English interpreters. English is one of the official languages of dozens of countries around the globe. Another influence from Europe that has now proceeded to sweep the globe is Christianity. It started out as a predominantly European religion, and is now the most common religion in the world. This was another marvelous success of the spreading of western influence. There was also a flood of other, minor, western influences that have traversed the planet. People all over the world dress like Westerners, do business like Westerners, do science like Westerners, and many other things. This is significant because it unified the world to a degree. Why? Because of imperialism. These few Europeans spread their way of life to the many around the world. Secondly, it is astonishing how a few small countries in Europe could hold sway over dozens of larger countries around the globe. This in itself is a remarkable success. Controlling the world the way the Europeans did is no easy feat. Regardless of how powerful the army, if enough people rebel, they will break free. Eventually it happened. After WWII, the British hold on their empire, especially their African one, crumbled, and with it, all of European colonialism collapsed. But for a hundred years, Europe was the boss. Why Europe is a question for another time, but the fact is that they did, for better or worse. To begin with, it is hard enough to imagine that a small island in the western part of Europe could control even one large country like India. But control it they did. Furthermore, they controlled many other places as well. Africa to name but one. While they didn’t control all of Africa, the Europeans controlled almost the entire continent. Again, they lost it after WWII, but for many years, the owned it. They needed the resources of half the world to fuel their factories and their economies. Lastly, fuelling their economy in and of itself is an achievement. Their colonies gave Europe vast markets to sell to, and the colonies’ resources gave Europe the fuel it needed. The Industrial Revolution was driving imperialism, and imperialism was driving it. This relationship between the Industrial Revolution and imperialism was making Europe the masters of the world. They sold opium to China, driving their economy, and China complained. So they crushed them. No country had yet succeeded at resisting. After WWII, the African countries rebelled, and eventually they broke free, but for a long time, Europe had succeeded at fuelling its economy with the riches of its colonies. Leaf subsides to leaf So Eden sank to grief So dawn goes down to day Nothing gold can stay. –Robert Frost While there is a difference of opinion on weather or not European imperialism was gold, it certainly didn’t stay. WWII caused its demise, and it hasn’t come back since. China bounced back, is a major world power, and is set to overtake the US economically. India is independent, and also has a large economy. Africa threw off European rule, and is now a patchwork of independent countries from Angola to Zimbabwe. Japan managed to industrialize in time, and has a strong, modern economy. And, lastly, South East Asia became independent and is playing an ever-larger role in the world’s economy and politics. European imperialism was enormously successful while it lasted, and its effects live on to today.

Platos Apology

Platos Apology Platos  Apology  is one of the most famous and admired texts in world literature.  It offers what many scholars believe is a fairly  reliable account of what the Athenian philosopher Socrates (469 BCE - 399 BCE) said in court on the day that he was tried and condemned to death on charges of impiety and corrupting the youth. Although short, it offers an unforgettable  portrait of Socrates, who comes across as smart, ironic, proud, humble, self-assured, and fearless in the face of death.  It offers not just a defense of Socrates the man but also a defense of the philosophical life, which is one reason it has always been popular with philosophers! The text and the title The work was written by Plato  who was present at the trial.  At the time he was 28 years old and a great admirer of Socrates, so the portrait and the speech may be embellished to cast both in a good light.  Even so, some of what Socrates detractors called his arrogance comes through. The  Apology  is most definitely not an apology: the Greek word apologia really means defense. Background: Why was Socrates put on trial? This is a little complicated.  The trial took place in Athens in 399 BCE.  Socrates was not prosecuted by the statethat is, by the city of Athens, but by three individuals, Anytus, Meletus, and Lycon.  He faced two charges: 1) corrupting the youth 2) impiety or irreligion.   But as Socrates himself says, behind his new accusers there are old accusers. Part of what he means is this.  In 404 BCE, just five years earlier, Athens had been defeated by its rival city state Sparta after a long and devastating conflict known ever since as the Peloponnesian War. Although he fought bravely for Athens during the war, Socrates was closely associated with characters like Alcibiades who some blamed for Athens ultimate defeat.   Worse still, for a short time after the war, Athens was ruled by a bloodthirsty and oppressive group put in place by Sparta, the thirty tyrants as they were called.  And Socrates had at one time been friendly with some of them.  When the thirty tyrants were overthrown in 403 BCE and  democracy was restored in Athens, it was agreed that no-one should be prosecuted for things done during the war or during the reign of the tyrants. Because of this general amnesty, the charges against Socrates were left rather vague.  But everyone in court that day would have understood what lay behind them. Socrates formal refutation of the charges against him In the first part of his speech Socrates shows that the charges against him dont make much sense. Meletus in effect claims that Socrates both  believes in no gods and that he believes in false gods.  Anyway, the supposedly impious beliefs he is accused of holdinge.g. that the sun is a stoneare old hat; the philosopher Anaxagoras makes this claim in a book that anyone can buy in the market place.  As for corrupting the youth, Socrates argues that no-one would do this knowingly.  To corrupt someone is to make them a worse person, which would also make them a worse friend to have around. Why would he want to do that? Socrates real defense: a defense of the philosophical life The heart of the Apology  is Socrates account of the way he has lived his life.  He recounts how his friend Chaerephon once asked the Delphic Oracle if anyone was wiser than Socrates.  The Oracle said that no -one was.  On hearing this Socrates claims to have been astounded, since he was acutely aware of his own ignorance.  He set about trying to prove the Oracle wrong by interrogating his fellow Athenians, searching for someone who was genuinely wise.  But he kept coming up against the same problem.  People might be quite expert about some particular thing such as military strategy, or boatbuilding; but they always thought themselves expert on many other things, particularly on deep moral and political questions.  And Socrates, in the course of questioning them, would reveal that on these matters they didnt know what they were talking about. Naturally, this made Socrates unpopular with those whose ignorance he  exposed.  It also gave him the reputation (unjustly, he says) of being a sophist, someone who was good at winning arguments through verbal quibbling.  But he stuck to his mission throughout his life.  He was never interested in making money; not did he enter politics.  He was happy to live in poverty and spend  his time discussing moral and philosophical questions with anyone who was willing to converse with him. Socrates then does something rather unusual. Many men in his position would conclude their speech by appealing to the jurys compassion, pointing out that they have young children, and pleading for mercy.  Socrates does the opposite.  He more or less harangues the jury and everyone else present to reform their lives, to stop caring so much about money, status, and reputation,  and start caring more about the moral quality of heir souls. Far from being guilty of any crime, he argues, he is actually gods gift to the city, for which they should be grateful.  In  a famous image he likens himself to a gadfly that by stinging the neck of a horse keeps it from being sluggish. This is what he does for Athens: he keeps people from becoming intellectually lazy and forces them to be self-critical. The Verdict The jury of 501 Athenian citizens proceed to find Socrates guilty by a vote of 281 to 220.  The system required the prosecution to propose a penalty and the defense to propose an alternative penalty.  Socrates accusers propose death.  They probably expected Socrates to propose exile, and the jury would probably have gone along with this.  But Socrates wont play the game.  His first proposal is that, since hes an asset to the city, he should  receive free meals at the prytaneum, an honor usually given to Olympic athletes.  This outrageous suggestion probably sealed his fate. But Socrates is defiant. He rejects the idea of exile.  He even rejects the idea of staying in Athens and keeping his mouth shut. He cant stop doing philosophy, he says, because the unexamined life is not worth living. Perhaps in response to the urgings of his friends, Socrates eventually proposes a fine, but the damage was done. By a larger margin, the jury voted for the death penalty. Socrates is not surprised by the verdict, nor is he phased by it.  Hes seventy years old and will die soon anyway. Death, he says, is either an endless dreamless sleep, which is nothing to fear, or it leads to an afterlife where, he imagines, he will be able to carry on philosophizing. A few weeks later Socrates died by drinking hemlock, surrounded by his friends.  His last moments are beautifully related by Plato in the  Ã‚  Phaedo.

Alternatives to the Erection of Additional Transmission Lines Assignment

Alternatives to the Erection of Additional Transmission Lines - Assignment Example These poles are made of either wood or metal. Introduction The erection of transmission lines is usually a very disadvantageous affair. It is very essential for an alternative means to be sort after. Most power generation sites are usually put up in places far away from the points of consumption of electricity. These are places like riverbanks, sea shores, lake side and waterfalls. This makes it necessary for the transmission lines to be very long. In this regard, it becomes a very expensive activity to carry out. Considering that the lines also carry high voltages, they are themselves a hub of danger cutting across community land. The lines also hamper transportation in certain areas. In addition, a lot of the generated power is lost in the long transmission lines as heat energy leading to unnecessary loss to the society. It is therefore important where possible to avoid additional transmission lines and employ the use of alternative means. Discussion One of the major ways of avoidi ng the erection of additional transmission lines is effective management of the mode of consumption of electric energy. This should be aimed at reducing the dependence on electric energy. It should also be aimed at reducing the wastage of electric energy. By so doing, the magnitude of electric power consumed by the community is reduced. In turn, the need to transmit more electric power or install additional transmission lines is alleviated. ... There are new Light Emitting Diode bulbs that have been developed which consume only 15 Watts each. If a mechanism can be put in place to ensure that every house hold installs these new bulbs, the energy consumption shall be tremendously reduced. It shall with no doubt follow that there will be absolutely no need to erect additional transmission lines. Another mechanism that can be used to reduce the amount of electric energy that is consumed by the community is radical sensitization. A sensitization and awareness program can be held that educates the community on the importance of conserving electric power. Most consumers of electricity usually put electric power into waste simply because they are ignorant of the implications of their actions. They simply use electric power haphazardly without much care. Electricity is wasted out of ignorance in numerous ways. These include leaving electrically powered lights on in rooms that are not used; leaving electrically powered appliances suc h as radios and televisions running while one is out on a journey or at work; plugging in and powering electric irons while one is still engaged in other activities such as showering or choosing the items of clothing to wear before finally embarking on ironing; reheating food several times using an electric source of heat before finally deciding to eat. These ignorant and avoidable ways of life can be eliminated. They are practiced out of ignorance and shear irresponsibility. They lead to huge wastage of electric power consumption in overall. Upon raising of awareness, these behaviors can be completely done away with. There are several ways in which awareness can be enhanced. Public rallies can be held where high profiled and popular personalities are