Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Follow the instruction and do the questions Essay

Follow the instruction and do the questions - Essay Example In his narrative or pamphlet, Common Sense; he talked about the distinction between the origins of society and origins of government. Paine drew the attention of people towards general facts and common senses by telling them that a society is formed because of their wants. He hoped that people understand that they are all dependent on each other for the satisfaction of their wants, as no person alone is sufficient. There is a chain as one depends on another and that another on some other and so on. They don’t need government for their safety but people themselves can do it. All they need is common consent and clear conscience as, they as a society are independent on each other and these needs never cease to exist. This belief on our own selves and on each other is weak, and that is the reason that people are still under the slavery of government who regulates their lives, rather than them taking charge of their own. 2) In Mark Twain’s â€Å"?1,000,000 Bank Note,† Henry Adams agrees to assist Lloyd Hastings in his investment venture in London. Henry tells Lloyd he does not want to buy mines; instead he wants to â€Å"keep my capital moving, in a commercial center like London† (76). Of course, having no assets, Henry cannot afford any investments. Yet what does it mean in Twain’s short story to keep one’s capital flowing? In fact, Henry amply succeeds in moving his capital, much to Lloyd’s and others’ benefit. How does the story conceive â€Å"capital†? The story â€Å"$1,000,000 Bank Note† by Mark Twain conceives money or capital as the most powerful object which can derive everyone and everything with its power. It can rotate the world on its axis. Henry Adams was a poor, lonely person who didn’t even have enough means to make his ends meet, but this 1000,000 note changes his life from a nobody to a socially high-class man. Even though he could not use or cash this note, just the word about him having such wealth made him an upper class and wealthy person. The story defines capital as a controlling force which gives a fame and era of authority to Henry just with the illusion of him being a wealthy person. Such was the supremacy of money that even others like Lloyd could benefit from this illusion created. The plot of the story is basically teaching the lesson that money is everything for the capitalist world and just the assumption of having wealth is enough for anyone to achieve success, fame, acceptance and love in this society. 3) Explain what Thorstein Veblen means by the term â€Å"pecuniary emulation.† Why does the emulative â€Å"habit of thought† engender â€Å"chronic satisfaction†? Pecuniary means anything related to wealth, and emulation means to make an effort or to have an ability to surpass others. Together the term â€Å"Pecuniary emulation† according to Veblen means to make an effort to surpass others in status as measu red by wealth. Veblen’s theory of the leisure class focused on the distinction of society between two classes, one who exploits and does not work and are called the leisure class, and other, a class of people who works in industry and produces goods. The thirst for wealth is never satisfied and gets only multiplied because of the power of wealth as a status symbol. Wealth brings a sense of accumulation, reputation and honor, which makes it impossible that the desire for wealth or

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.