Thomas Homer-Dixon

(which was “Techno-Hubris”), the author mainly discussed issues on the technical and the technological ingenuity gaps. As we looked further in the book, the author give us valid examples of each ingenuity gap that make his views coincide those of the Clay Shirky. The link between these two concepts are that the ingenuity gap would be easier to solve if not only we follow what the author said, but also add in what Shirky said. To start off, Homer-Dixon clearly out lines…

Nikayla Dahl Professor Vogelpohl ENG 201 24, September 2015 Battlefield As time progresses, the world modernizes and individuals adapt to the changes in its surroundings, but innately as a whole people remain constant in their characteristics and actions. There is a reason why a smile is a universal sign of happiness, and tears are a universal sign of pain; they’re emotions that people felt thousands of years ago and will continue to feel thousands of years from now. The emotions that war and…

At heart, Agamemnon is little more than a confused and self-centered child. The Achaean king refuses to acknowledge let alone accept that the authority-type position he finds himself in requires responsibility and that his desires and personal whims should be secondary to the needs of his community. We can see that, even in the beginning of The Iliad, Agamemnon often allows his emotions to govern major, country-altering decisions. Multiple times he refused to return Chryseis to her father. He…

On one side, the Achaean’s vastly benefited from Achilles’s relationship with Patroclus. Not only did Achilles train Patroclus, thus making him a powerful force during the war, but Achilles also only returned to the war upon hearing of Patroclus’s death. Motivated by his love for his friend, Achilles went on to wreak havoc on the Trojan army. However, on the other hand, the Achaeans were devastated due to Achilles’s relationship with Agamemnon. Their dispute was the reason the Achaeans…

A Hope for the Future Do victims of society really wish for peace on earth and good will to all men; or would they rather forcefully take away from others and crown themselves a king in their own right? Homer presents a fantastic abstract on this subject through an artistic medium, the shield of Achilles, in book 18 of The Iliad. He creates a prognostication; depicting an entire world and the activities of its inhabitants. This predicted evolution contemplates the future of how justice and…

In his epic poem The Iliad, Homer portrays Hektor in a seemingly different light compared to other prestigious Greek and Trojan warriors. Although a large majority of the poem focuses on the glories associated with the brutalities of war and the aspirations of the warriors for glory, the importance of Hector and Andromache’s farewell represents important aspects of life lost in the wake of the war. Elements related to the theme of goodbyes can be seen through other Greek poets, in particular…

Literature plays an essential role in enhancing our knowledge about a civilization’s core values and cultural beliefs. Myths, written works, and oral stories are all different forms of literature. Two central themes in Homer’s epic poem, The Iliad, provide us with many insights to ancient Greece as a civilization. Throughout The Iliad, the glorious pursuit of war preeminently serves as a driving force behind the whole poem. The poem’s heavy emphasis on pride, honor, and bravery illustrates that…

Due to the nature of an epic, the epic hero will be given a task that most people wouldn 't survive. The epic poem of a nation or people must have a protagonist, and that protagonist must embody the best elements from the most important elements of that culture. As such, he must have an epic journey fraught with danger and trials that challenge these elements to their very core. As the epic hero meets these challenges, performs honorably, and ultimately succeeds, he affirms his possession of the…

interact with their god and the overall understanding of each individual culture. The most important relationships within ancient Hebrew and Greek culture are, in Exodus, between God and Moses, and in The Odyssey, between the goddess Athena and Odysseus and Telemachus. Both of these relationships are similar in the way the gods individually chose Moses and Odysseus/Telemachus. In Exodus, God chooses Moses because he is seen as the purest, hence most God-like. In The Odyssey, Athena wants to…

Few relationships encourage the motivation to take action as that of rivalries. The struggle to best a contemporary that seeks the same, or a similar, goal produces emotions that inspire rivals to go the extra mile; for better or for worse. In the best of situations, a healthy rivalry produces a system where the competitive nature of both parties influences the one another to better themselves in an attempt to gain the upper hand. Both sides are allowed to prosper and grow under these situations…