Our Dad had the idea of analyzing current issues for the underlying moral values, then analyzing Roman history to compare the effects of those morals in ancient times. It took us a year to write and research. As it was difficult for us to decide upon a thesis, our Dad helped us write both our thesis and our conclusion. He also read and commented on several sections to exemplify what he expected. We read most of the books in their entirety, some we read for pertinent information due to time constraints.
You showed an interest in my paper ‘Seven Stars for Aslan,’ some six years ago, so I thought I would ping you to this one.
Your conclusion seems like another familiar country but I can't put my finger which one that is...
Seriously though, I couldn't read all of it but it looks to be a comprehensive look at what happened.
Why did you write it? As a HS project?
You guys seemed interested in my paper “Seven Stars for Aslan” six years ago, so I thought you might like this one too.
Carry_Okie had better watch out, these younguns are going to rule the planet.
That nitpicking however is not at odds with your conclusions that the Patricians bought off the rest of society with "a government that functions" to turn a phrase. The period after the Republic was full of attempts from members of the Empire to appeal to Republican virtue and forms and thereby gain legitimacy for their maintaining a firm hold on power.
Thanks for posting this. A welcome diversion.
Just one correction I’d like to make. Constantine didn’t create the papacy, Jesus did when he annointed Peter as the person who would serve as the rock who his church would be built upon
The statement I just made is not a statement that can conclusively be made to be an objective statement of fact, and neither is the one I responded to. The official position of the church is my position, Peter was the first pope, and in general, we’re given the liberty of it. For political reasons, non-Catholic denominations, have to say that Constantine created it, or else they run a real theological risk in not following what is the original denomination
That one statement should have subjectivity noted, other than that though, seems to describe the United States.
WOW! You did it! It will take me two days to read all that. I’m so proud of you me girls. Dad has to be very proud of you both. I can tell just by scanning that you have done college level work on this. I’ll be in and out on this thread. Will mark it.
But the choice of the progress of Virtue within its history is a thread that many of the great commentators have settled upon. May I suggest one such to you? He is Niccolo Machiavelli and his treatise is Discourses On The First Ten Books Of Titus Livy, commonly shortened to The Discourses. People who know him only as the author of the occasionally frightening The Prince are only hearing a minor part of his story.
The topic is Virtue, or more precisely Virtù - his theme is your theme, his subject material yours as well. For Machiavelli this incorporated the relations between citizen and government as well as those between individuals. His focus was on the role played by Virtù in the decay and downfall of the Republic in favor of the Caesarean monarchy to follow. Livy himself was writing during the accession of Augustus and so had to be very circumspect about direct criticism; Machiavelli was under no such restriction.
It helps to know that Machiavelli was a fierce defender of his own Florentine Republic (its Minister of Defense at one point) and so was most interested in the maintenance of representative government and its host society, and why both tend to decay and fall into despotism. Since Florence did precisely that under the Medici and it cost him, in order, dismissal, impoverishment, and a turn on the rack, you might suspect that his thoughts on the topic were a very personal matter indeed.
It's just a thought if this sort of thing continues to interest you. Now close your ears a minute while I tell your Dad how proud of you he ought to be. ;-)
You all posted on that thread, so I thot you'd be interested in the girls' progress.
Outstanding! Bookmarking for further reading.
Thanks for the ping, Dad.
A very good summary of the rise and fall of Roman society.
May God save America from the same fate.
Congratulations, Carry-Okie, for schooling these young ones so very well. I'd stand this paper up against anything on this subject written by a Harvard senior.... Possibly the latter's work would not measure up to this standard.
All, keep up the great work!
A couple questions:
what is virtue?;
what is morality?.
bump for later read.
Congrats. Well done.
Wow! You young ladies did one heck of a job! Congratulations.
I must admit much ignorance in this subject. I’m afraid my public school education many moons ago doesn’t hold a candle to the depth and breadth of subject-matter you two are exposed to. I see certain success in your future, whatever you choose to pursue.
Carry_Okie: my sincere apologies for not having seen this ping in my inbox until now.
I am sure you are very proud, as you should be. Thank you for pinging me.
Ping for later reading
I don’t have time to read this but I’m fascinated. Bump for later and kudos to an amazing family.
bookmark