Beauty in Dante and Augustines Journey Into God Essays

The Role of Desire/Beauty in Dante and Augustines Journey Into God Essays The Role of Desire/Beauty in Dante and Augustines Journey Into God Essay The Role of Desire/Beauty in Dante and Augustines Journey Into God Essay Essay Topic: Light in August The Role of Desire/Beauty in Dante and Augustines Journey Into God BY cfl?100 The Role of Desire/Beauty in Dante and Augustines Journey Into God In both Confessions and The Divine Comedy, Augustine and Dante are depicted as very creative and intelligent men. Both of them have a love for the beauty in life. These beautiful things that are put in front of them cause both men to yield sinful desires. Augustine and Dante both know that certain desires, when not recognized as being created by God, can lead to their own damnation. Dante and Augustine come o realize that, despite being human and having desires, they must be fully dependent on Gods grace and love to make the Journey to him. From a very young age Augustine presents as a person who loves beauty. In Confessions, the reader is exposed to Augustines love for physical beauty during his adolescent years. He is distracted from a young age by the physical beauty of women and seems to be constantly thinking about them, which keeps him from his studies. He alludes to this in Book 3 when he says and more sweet still when I was able to enjoy the body of my lover (Augustine, 1. 2). Augustine has a love for the beauty in knowledge as well as the beauty of women, but as a young boy and young man, his desire for the love of knowledge and language takes a back seat to his desires involving women (his desire for women precede his desire for love of knowledge and language). This is exhibited throughout Confessions when Augustine acquires a mistress. This mistress i s taken from him and he misses her greatly, yet not enough so that he abstains from relations with other women and remains faithful to her. Augustine takes more mistresses throughout Confessions and even when converted, e struggles with his ongoing physical desire for beautiful women. He struggles both consciously and unconsciously to keep from thinking about them, but fails when he has sexual flashbacks during his days and erotic dreams during his nights. He writes, These images, have such an effect on my soul, my flesh, that false images in my sleep obtain from me what true visions cannot when I am awake (Augustine, 10. 0. 237). Augustine knows that both his love for these beautiful women and his desires for them are misguided. Augustines soul is heavy with these desires and they bring him arther and farther away from the grace of God. He is so caught up in the beauty of these women that, even when converted, his mind turns to them constantly. His whole being longs for them so gravely that even while he lies dreaming, the women come to him and guide his unconscious mind away from God. Augustine is lost in a sea of desire and is struggling to fgure out how he is supposed to live a life that is dependent on Gods grace and His love, while still appreciating the beauty that God has put in front of him in the form of women. Augustine comes to realize that not all hysical beauty is necessarily sinful. He understands that God created beautiful things because beauty in itself is goodness. He looks at the world around him and says, The eyes love beautitul shapes ot all kinds, glowing and delignttul colors. These things must not take hold of my soul; that is for God to do. Certainly God made these things very good, but it is He Himself, not these things, who is my good (Augustine, 10. 34. 243). Thus, Augustine decides that all of his love should be for God, and anything that is beautiful has to be loved with connection to God. He goes on about is theory in Confessions when he discusses how to love all things cohesively with God. He says If bodies please you, praise God for them and turn your love back from them to their maker, lest you displease Him in being pleased by them (Augustine, Book 4, Chapter 12, 81). He means that if you are to fall into your desires of beautiful women, you must thank God and love God for creating that beautiful women or else you are Just pleasing your desires and displeasing God. This illustrates the concept of idolatry, which is essentially worshipping a physical image and not the idea behind t. Like Augustine, Dante is depicted as a lover of physical beauty in The Divine Comedy. Dante, like Augustine, is human, and is prone to the same desire of women and their physical beauty. Beatrice is mentioned throughout The Divine Comedy and is meant to represent all that Dante believes to be beautiful and desirable. Though Dantes soul desires the love of Beatrice, it does not stop him from seeing and appreciating other women and their beauty. Dante sees and desires these beauties that have been placed in front of him by God. In Inferno, Dante is exposed to others ho have wrongly expressed their love of beauty in the Second Circle, where the Lustful are eternally punished for their misdirected love. The souls that are trapped there are blown back and forth by terrific winds of a violent storm, which represent how powerful lust, can be. And how it can Just violently and aimlessly take you from here to there whenever it pleases. In the Second Circle, Dante meets the couple Francesca and Paulo. Francesca tells Dante the story of how they came to be in the Second Circle of Hell. She tells Dante their story in a very seductive manner, hich can sway the reader from what she is actually saying: Love, that can quickly seize the gentle heart, took hold of him because of the fair body taken from me, (Dante, Inferno, 5. 00-107). She tells the tale in such a romantic way that Dante feels immense pity for the couple that he faints after hearing their story. He did not realize initially that though it all sounds beautiful and romantic, Francesca really told a story of love that stemmed from nothing but physical attraction. She clearly says that Paulos love for her is only because of the fair body/taken from me (Dante, 01-102). Also, her love for Paulo was only formed through his beauty (Dante, 104). Clearly these two people did not have love for each others souls and for God, but were merely treating each other as two pleasurable objects, not connecting themselves with God. Like Augustine, Dante realizes that though their story may be pitiful, they are rightfully in the Second Circle because they have offended God by not loving each other on a deeper theological level?they must love and depend on God to really love each other. What Francesca and Paulo essentially did was put themselves and their esires before the one who created them. For them, their desires overshadowed their appreciation and love for God; they took advantage of the beauty that God put in front of them (each other) and did not love Him for creating said beauties. Dante explains that Francesca and Paulo were indulgent in their desires tor one another, and he says, In the moment each of the lovers had delight in the image of the other, and both of them had a mutual delight in their love. But lussuria cannot stop there; the mutual indulgence is bound too soon to become two separate single indulgences (Dante, 119). Dante means that although Paulo and Francesca did love each other, their love was only based upon the physical beauty of the other, therefore their love was deemed sinful. So by saying this, Dante rightfully places them in the Second Circle of Hell. In both Augustine and Dantes Journey into God, they were faced with multiple struggles. A main struggle was the understanding of beauty and all of the desires that come along with it. For both men, finding the balance between appreciating the beauties of the world, including women, and their desires for these beauties was necessary in their Journey into God. Through Confessions and The Divine Comedy, Augustine and Dante come to realize that beauty is not a sin in itself, and God made beautiful things and beautiful people to represent His goodness. They come to the conclusion that in order to appreciate the beauties set in front of them, they must be fully dependent on Gods grace and His love. If they did not love the creator of these beautiful things, how could they love the things at all? They would be damned if they ignored the creator, they would be lost in their own desires and stray far away from their path of their Journey into God.

Overview of Crime Mapping and Analysis

Overview of Crime Mapping and Analysis Geography is a field that is ever-changing and ever-growing. One of its newer sub-disciplines is crime mapping, which uses geographic technologies in order to aid in crime analysis. In an interview with Steven R. Hick, a leading geographer in the field of crime mapping, he gave a thorough overview of the state of the field and what’s to come. What Is Crime Mapping? Crime mapping identifies not only where the actual crime took place, but also looks at where the perpetrator â€Å"lives, works, and plays† as well as where the victim â€Å"lives, works, and plays.† Crime analysis has identified that the majority of criminals tend to commit crimes within their comfort zones, and crime mapping is what allows police and investigators to see where that comfort zone might be. Predictive Policing Through Crime Mapping The use of predictive policing is a much more cost-effective approach to policing than past policies. This is because predictive policing not only looks at where a crime is likely to occur but also when the crime is likely to occur. These patterns can help police identify what time of day it is necessary to flood an area with officers, rather than flooding the area twenty-four hours a day. Types of Crime Analysis Tactical Crime Analysis: This type of crime analysis looks at the short-term in order to stop what is currently taking place, for example, a crime spree. It is used to identify one perpetrator with many targets or one target with many perpetrators and provide an immediate response. Strategic Crime Analysis: This type of crime analysis looks at the long-term and on-going issues. Its focus is often on identifying areas with high crime rates and problem-solving ways to decrease the overall crime rates. Administrative Crime Analysis This type of crime analysis looks at the administration and deployment of police and resources and asks the question, â€Å"Are there enough police officers at the right time and place?† and then works to make the answer, â€Å"Yes.† Crime Data Sources Crime Mapping Software ArcGIS MapInfo Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design CPTED Careers in Crime Mapping There are classes available in crime mapping; Hick is one professional who has been teaching these classes for several years. There are also conferences available for both professionals and beginners in the field. Additional Resources on Crime Mapping International Association of Crime Analysts The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is a research agency of the United States Department of Justice that works to develop innovative solutions to crime.

Rehabilitate don't incarcrate Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Rehabilitate don't incarcrate - Essay Example One reason for the impracticality is that the inclusion of drug users among the prisoners will simply result in overcrowding of prison, which is what the Californian State Prison is going through at this point. However, another impractical reason and one which is actually more important is that people who were jailed for drugs will not really reform drug users: â€Å"Charging those individuals with a felony doesn’t reduce illicit drug use† (Knafo). Putting drug addicts in prison will also not contribute to his own recovery as a drug user. Based on data from the Federal Bureau of Prisons, drug treatment studies for drug users in prison often make them reduce relapse, criminality, inmate misconduct, and behavioral disorders (â€Å"Substance Abuse Treatment†). Nevertheless, as long as a drug user is in prison, then he will never be able to have the environment that is conducive for his recovery. This means that as long as the drug user remains incarcerated, his beha vior and conduct and his recovery will always be challenged by his fellow inmates, who can abuse him at anytime. Thus, instead of recovering from the abuse, he will continue to be violent as the prison itself has a plethora of threats and abuses of all kinds. Placing prisoners in rehabilitation programs instead of prisons will hopefully reduce recidivism. In fact, according to Cape Cod Times, this is basically the goal of American Representative Randy Hunt’s current program that favors the rehabilitation of drug users in prisons. The basis for the purpose of reducing recidivism somehow lies in the fact that undergoing treatment, drug testing as well as counseling will definitely take care of the pressing problem of drug addiction sooner than incarcerating the drug user (Barber). This is somehow similar to the idea of taking care of the drug abuse problem more readily so that it can actually be dealt with. Otherwise, the same kind of person will get arrested and jailed sooner or later. Moreover, subjecting the prisoner to the nadir of existence in jail, then common sense will tell us that they will never be able to recover from the drug problem. Furthermore, based on information from the International Penal and Penitentiary Foundation, prisoners with drug and alcohol related problems can only possibly recover in a â€Å"therapeutic unit† (Wrobel). As this therapeutic unit may allow leaving the cells open, may allow prisoners to receive outside volunteers or may allow the family of the patient to participate in the therapy as well (Wrobel). Although this can actually appear dangerous, it is an error on the side of kindness. Moreover, what is missing here and what should be known before a drug user is sent for rehabilitation is the idea that the drug user will undergo strict assessment first as well as strict monitoring. Strict assessment means that those who are extremely violent will not be able to walk freely during or may not even be sent for re habilitation in order to reduce risks of causing violence. Moreover, strict monitoring means that throughout every phase of treatment that these drug users have to go through, they are strictly supervised by the police. This means that if the drug user has a history of violence, they he is less likely to participate in any rehabilitation program. Moreover, as long as these are true statements about the benefit of rehabilitation for drug users instead

Women and the Peace Movement in Britain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Women and the Peace Movement in Britain - Essay Example The essay "Women and the Peace Movement in Britain" analyzes the reasons why women did not make an individual contribution to British peace activist until the late 20th century.Though women have been quite instrumental in bringing the changes that led to movements for peace not just in Britain but across the world in the 20th century. The major reform that the Brits had achieved was the abolition of slavery in all the British colonies in the year 1833. This reform was particularly supported by the Christian women who had resolved to aid the movement by boycotting the usage of sugar which was the main export from the slave countries as they believed in the Christian philosophy of equality to all humans. This movement was the result of a long effort by William Wilberforce and Brougham along with their accomplices and Christian women in Britain and America as well. It is important to note that this movement to enforce the reform to end slavery in the world, particularly the British colo nies, had saved over a half a million African slaves. Another development was in the war front which has been quite active because of some major forces like Britain, Russia, France, Germany and almost all other countries of the world. War was on the verge of becoming the concept for social, political and economic strength for almost all of the countries of the world. Different countries and their respective allies had been taking to war increasingly and aggressively thereby changing the social and political scenarios in the world. and thus impacting the economic scenario the most which is the major factor effecting the people, their thinking and their life standards. By the mid - nineteenth century, political reforms had gained much momentum and some of them saw the light of the day after long periods and these reforms had been instrumental in giving the women some freedom from their earlier days of suppression. But still the conditions and the freedom of women was far from being si gnificant [1]. Not all women had been emancipated and the few who were enjoying freedom from the oppressive laws were miniscule even when the 'Custody of Children' bill had been passed in 1839 with much efforts by a much influential Caroline Norton and the then Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne. This bill gave the rights to custody of the child below seven years and permission to see the older ones' above seven to the mother

appearance vs reality Essay -- essays research papers

Appearance vs. Reality   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Things are not always as they appear. You may think someone is a certain way because of how they dress and carry themselves this is called stereotyping. Many people stereotype without even noticing that they are doing it. Everyone has his or her right to first impressions, but stereotyping is wrong. There are many examples of this topic in literature as well as in our society today. The main population accused of stereotyping is teenagers; they are seen as rude and judgmental. For example, in high school the people are divided into groups by how they dress and whom they hang out with. There are the skaters, freaks, preps, snobs, cheerleaders, jocks and nerds. No one person set up these different groups, they came along as the years went by. It is not fair to automatically say someone is a prep or freak by just looking at them; the people in different groups have many of the same characteristics and the same friends. So, how can they be stereotyped if all the groups mingle anyways? Although the teenagers are usually accused of stereotyping, it occurs no matter what age you are. For example, if an adult sees another one dressed in cheaper clothes, they might assume they are poor. Or if someone sees another with real expensive clothes, they assume they are rich. This is a false accusation, because one cannot tell if another is rich or poor by how they dress or what kind of house they live in. Some people like to save money ...

Expository – Unpolished Gem

Expository Essay Prompt: The power of the group is often the cause of losing our individual identity â€Å"Our identities have no bodies, so, unlike you, we cannot obtain order by physical coercion. We believe that from ethics, enlightened self-interest, and the commonweal, our governance will emerge. † – A quote from John Perry Barlow. This quote describes how our identity will emerge through the different ethic influences as well as our self – interests. Personal identity is about knowing who you are and what you are the eyes of others. Every different person is different in their own persona.We all come from different families and cultures as well as social groups who influence the way our individual identity is sculpted. Being part of a group can change and/or influence our identity as well as the choices we make. This is commonly known as peer pressure. During adolescence we experience an insurmountable number of changes to our social well-being including th e way we interact with others and what peer groups we associate ourselves with. Throughout this time we learn from many mistakes that usually evolve around our social life including what actions we undertake as a part of our peer group.As depicted in today’s society, a large amount of these groups have negative effects on the individuals that are part of these groups and are therefore judged by society not knowing the individual identity of the people in that group. This is the time where identity is discovered and maintained throughout our maturity into adulthood. Individuality is something all people naturally have that develops into an identity. The definition of â€Å"identity† is the collective aspect of the set of characteristics by which a thing is definitively recognizable or known.Throughout the course of life, people encounter many obstacles that they must overcome and conquer in order to complete the process of learning. Your reputation is determined by the actions that you complete as a result of an association with certain social groups. That reputation translated to a key part of discovering your individual identity. Family groups can complete change the way you express yourself and showing your identity. Every family is different and expect many different characteristics in your identity which include appearance, personality and beliefs.A person can have two separate identities, one they use for family groups and culture and the other for their social groups. How you interact with people from your family group can sometimes interfere and change the way we interact with our social groups making it a negative and positive effect. The cultures in which we live in also alter how we express ourselves and interact with others. Many people with the same cultural background usually form their own group together and sometimes dislike or do not accept other groups because of their cultural backgrounds.In conclusion, the power of groups can c ompletely alter a person’s individual identity through Social group influences and family/cultural influences. The different influences can alter decisions you make as well as the way you act around certain people of society. All around the world people make assumptions and conclusions on a person’s identity through the different groups they are associated with. These different assumptions lead to the world problems of racism, religious wars and also in some aspects war itself.This alone displays the power of the group identity can have over a development of an individual’s sense of identity. Reflective response This essay was basically a replication of how my individuality was/is determined and developed throughout my life. I included the many different influences that had a heavy effect on my personal identity which included the most powerful influence of a group. Being part of a group pretty much disintegrated my identity unless I was identified on my own wit h people from another group.The audience is basically anyone who wants to learn more about how their Individual identity may be developed without knowing when or in what way it had developed. Many adolescences can relate to these influences as they are my fellow peers who are experiences many of these things that shape who we are and aren’t. However it was quite a challenge to try include these influences and explain them so many people who be the audience of this will have to have some sort of understanding about identity in general so that they can relate to the purpose and context of the text.

Essay on Victims Still - 705 Words

Robert Elias book, Victims Still;, presents a very controversial stance that the victims movement is, perhaps, not at all. Elias suggests that all the programs, laws, and institutions that have been created in the 1980s and 1990s have done absolutely nothing to help the victim. Elias also offers explanations as to how the victims movement doesnt help victims, what the real causes of crime are, and how crime should be controlled. The victims movement that sprung up during the 1980s and early 1990s seemed to be a step in the right direction for helping the victims instead of the offenders. However, as pointed in Victims Still;, this movement did not and has not helped the victim. The victim movement consisted of new legislation,†¦show more content†¦In order to stop crimes from happening, everyone needs to fell equal to one another. Hate crimes are common against women and minorities. However, if all people thought that no one was better than anyone else was, crime, such as hate crimes, would decrease dramatically as would their victims. Also suggested by Elias is that if laws would focus on all victims, not just those who were involved in a serious crime, it is possible that the number of victims of serious crimes would go down. The same idea would work for domestic abuse as well, if it is handled the first time it happens, there would be a lesser chance of things escalating and ones spouse becoming a victim. However, in Victims Still;, the crimes have already taken place and now the victim needs justice. As suggested by Elias, many victims do not want revenge, they just want the offender to receive help that he or she needs. There are many different ways for a victim to have say in what happens to the offender, such as victim opinions. Victims may send in a statement or even talk directly to a judge at the sentencing. Elias feels that a victims statement should have something to do with the sentencing, but that sentencing should fit the harm and not the person. He also feels that criminal penalties should be reduced, because imprisonment only generates more crime. Most important Elias feels strongly against the war on drugs. He feels that drugShow MoreRelatedAntony And Cleopatra Relationship Essay1088 Words   |  5 Pagesthis reading, Cleopatra is described in a very negative light, being referred to as ‘’that accursed woman’’. It seems to show that Antony was quite easily manipulated by her and had less control over his own actions. Antony is portrayed as being a victim who was manipulated by a woman to go against his own beliefs and his country to fight with Cleopatra against Octavian and Rome. One of the main similarities between these two passages would be that in both writings Antony is described as ‘unmanned’Read MoreIn his 2006 film, Still Life, Jia Zhangke creates an enigmatic case study of alienation and700 Words   |  3 PagesIn his 2006 film, Still Life, Jia Zhangke creates an enigmatic case study of alienation and displacement. Through the use of space, both literal and figurative, and long, extended takes that expand the perception of time Zhangke tells the story of a people who are victims of their own environment. What is perhaps most striking of the film, beyond even the existential and political undertones, is the division drawn between the cold and demonstrative attitude the government adopts towards its citizensRead MoreProsecution Intimidation And Witness Intimidation895 Words   |  4 Pagesare many reasons victims do no want to testify in court. Legal cynicism and witness intimidation are a couple of the top reasons. One reason I feel is overlooked is witness intimidation. Witness Intimidation is when threats are made by defendants to discourage victims or witnesses of a crime from reporting or testifying. (Connick and Davis 439) If a victim feels threatened, they often become hesitant to testify sometimes even to report the crime. With the right incentives, victims and witnesses wouldRead MoreThis Way for the Gas Analysis Essay1239 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen† various characters have been deceived into their own executions. The thought of being led to one’s own death without even knowing is what went through the minds of many Jews during the Holocaust. These victims had no control or say in their fates and faced the judgment without any sympathy or remorse from their executers. Although the victim’s futures were for the most part condemned, as they got closer and closer to death, few never lost hope that someRead MoreThe Effects Of Crime On The Victim Essay1728 Words   |  7 Pagesthe advances with DNA evidence among other things. Although the effects on the exonerated are more than substantial the victim is usually under represented. In 2013 the ICF International analyzed several cases to show impacts of crime on the victim and what goes on during an exoneration. Influences experienced during a crime can range from physical to psychological for a victim. Physical affects can range from gunshot wounds, broken bones, and lacerations that leave scares for the rest of his orRead MoreThe United Nations Declaration Of Basic Principles Of Justice For Victims Of Crime And Abuse1521 Words   |  7 PagesPrinciples of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power (REF 1) defines victim as â€Å"persons who individually or collectively, have suffered harm, including physical or mental injury, emotional suffering, economic loss or substantial impairment of their fundamental rights, through acts or omissions that are in violation of criminal laws operative within Member States, including those laws proscribing criminal abuse of power†. Victimisation is the process and state of being a victim, and the study ofRead MoreThe Prevalence Of Human Trafficking1520 Words   |  7 Pagesenforcement and policy makers are attempting to address. Unfortuna tely, this crime is growing in number of incidents despite these efforts. This analysis examined the victims of human trafficking, showing how there are a broad range of victims in human trafficking. This addresses the misconception that only persons outside of the U.S. are victims of human trafficking. Also discussed is the need for better training amongst local law enforcement officers, due to the role they have will confronting cases ofRead MoreCyber Bullying is a Big No No 717 Words   |  3 Pagesarea or around the world and form friendships worldwide. It all well and good but sometimes the world of the internet hits you back in the face. In the world of the internet, there are people who will say anything to upset youths to the point of the victims hurting or killing themselves. Mostly on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter are playing grounds for cyberbullying. Cyberbullying has been a growing problem over the year in Central Florida especially in high schools and t he only way it couldRead MoreThe Effects Of Rape On Women And Society1608 Words   |  7 PagesHHoward Olivia Howard ENC1101 (155691) 11/13/15 ​​​​Impacts of Rape Rape is when a person is forced into sex and does not agree to it. Almost, two-thirds of America’s rape victims know their attacker. According to rccmsc.org, the closer the relationship is, between the victim and the attacker; the greater the likelihood that the incident will not be reported.Rape happens every 107 seconds in The United States of America. Rape has a major impact on women, society and the community, some thingsRead MoreWhat About The Victims Of North America. And Slavation?1536 Words   |  7 Pagesone wants to talk about and that is †What about the Victims of North America conquerization and slavation?† Our understanding of early history doesnt raise our understandig of what about the suffering of our earliest ancicetors. The early English Americans exploresrs who were here before us; like the spanish or the french exploited for their own gain. Our violating or mistreatmeant of Early Native americans.History doesnt show with ther victims, the dar k side of a society where slavery is prevalent