Dream Analysis Essay

John [customer may change/remove his/her name here] has a military background and has spent his childhood in a boarding school. Overall, his childhood was happy and content and his favorite toys to play were trucks which he sometimes even wanted to build out of stray wooden logs and old tires. For the past couple of days John has been having a few recurrent dreams. In the following discourse of dream analysis and analysis on the basis of psychoanalytic personality theory, it will be examined how the fascinating world of the unconscious portrays to the conscious world a glimpse of that infinite universe that resides within each and every one of us. Every night John dreams that he is being chased by a figure in a hooded cloak and long hair that suddenly fades into a door which he cannot open. Bizarre as it may seem, John walks into the door and there is darkness everywhere – but as soon as there is enough light for him to see, he realizes that he is walking on water and there are ships all around him. Without furtherance, the dream ends and John wakes up confused and worried. John can neither comprehend the worry he has nor can he understand the odd turn of events in his dream. It is often said that each human being is a tiny universe within himself or herself. Each person has within him/her a great constellation of ideas, feelings, emotions, wants, needs and many other such aspects which make the person unique and individual and thus even a single case study can prove to be a study of a lifetime. â€Å"The dream is a little hidden door in the innermost and most secret recesses of the soul, opening into that cosmic night which was psyche long before there was any ego-consciousness, and which will remain psyche no matter how far our ego-consciousness extends. † These words belonged to this very noted and lauded psychoanalyst, Carl Gustav Jung, a proponent of Analytical Psychology and the inventor of the famous terms of today such as ‘collective unconscious’, ‘archetypes’ and ‘persona’. In the therapy, Jung’s methodology of treatment worked on the profound principles of word associations, free associations, dream analysis, transference and counter-transference. Dreams remained, however, one of the most significant works of Jung since there had been little work done on it since Freud. Jung’s therapeutic techniques and analysis of dreams provide a much more culturally rich and avid interpretations that cover a great breadth of subjects and ideas. Whereas Freud would interpret dreams as a ‘royal road to the unconscious’ that mostly leads to sexual discussions of a male-dominated structure, Jung’s discussion would profit the reader more in terms of how rich his theory is with motifs from all across the world. He had the cultural and cognitive openness to absorb ideas and patterns from cultures which belonged to distant lands as well as to designs which were close to his own religion, nation and race. His theory of personality speaks of not simplistic desires of sex and aggression; rather it takes a comprehensive look at the various types of personality in terms of their functions. According to Jung’s theory, personalities are categorized in both extroverted and oriented toward subjective experiences (Miller 2004). Dreams are not looked up by a codebook, dictionary or even an almanac. You cannot have a standard glossary of dreams (Coolidge, 2006) which can simply pinpoint to you the exact source and destination of your dream. Even the most simplest of psychoanalysis would require a complete case study of the person and delve into the backgrounds and relationships of the dreamer – rather than arbitrary guesswork. â€Å"Nobody doubts the importance of conscious experience; why then should we doubt the significance of unconscious happenings? They are also the part of our life, and sometimes more truly a pert of it for weal or woe than any happenings of the day† (Jung, 1970). Jung wrote a variety of articles, developing and perfecting his theory over a period of time (Adams 2004) which led to the collection of all his articles under a book called Dreams (1974). For John’s case we will discuss the two basic categories of dreams given by Jung: (1) Reactive (2) Compensatory Reactive dreams are coming as a reaction to some kind of trauma or repression faced by the individual. Most dreams fall, however, in the compensatory category, where the present moment attitudes or compromises of the ego are reflected back. Compensatory dreams present alternative perspectives that have been repressed, dissociated or otherwise defensively excluded by the ego (Addams 2004). Jung’s theory of personality suggested that there exists the ‘collective unconscious’, a set of influences that we inherit from our own particular ancestors, the whole human race, and even animal ancestors from the past. This collective unconscious is shared by everyone and is displayed by behavior that is shown as common across all cultures. Loving your mother, belief in a supreme being, fear of dark, cold places, and perceiving certain images as positive and certain images as negative are all results of the collective unconscious of which the entire race is a part of. Jung believed that the collective unconscious has ‘archetypes’ which were the universal symbolic representations of a particular person object or experience (Feldman, 1993). One of these archetypes is the ‘mother archetype’, a symbolic representation of a mother-figure present across all cultures, religions, literature, myths and even fairy tales (Virgin Mary, Mother Hubbard, Kali, fairy godmother etc. ). In John’s case the dreams seem to be of the second kind, which is the most common kind. Owing from John’s history that was taken prior to analysis (as per rule of psychoanalysis itself), it is seen that John has not been in any kind of traumatic experience lately which could lead to show that his dreams are in any way a reactive phenomenon to some event. It seems as if the ego, which is conducting the job of maintaining the deep secrets of the collective unconscious which tries to seep through our dreams, feelings, premonitions and behavioral idiosyncrasies. John’s history reveals that his favorite passion as a child was building tracks, as mentioned before, and he would often use his mother’s stray clips and pins while trying to make trucks. Once, he recalls, during his free association sessions, that his mother had gone out for the afternoon for a little while and he was left alone with his toys. John had sneaked into his mother’s room and taken all the clips and pins he could find to build a tiny engine for his truck out of the old cardboard boxes lying around in the attic. It did not thus struck as odd to the therapist when John responded with the word ‘road’ with the word ‘pins’. Word association technique, also propounded by Carl Jung, was a technique where the individual is given a list of words. To these set of words, the individual is asked to respond to the first response that comes to the mind. In modern day interpretation, reaction time and expressions are also noted. In Jung’s original version the main practices were focused on the response the individual gave to the words. In John’s case, the response to the word ‘road’ came as ‘pins’ which could have explained his recollection of his childhood methodology of building trucks through borrowing the pins from his mother’s dresser. John also remembers being scolded by his mother very sternly regarding the stealing of pins. He remembers his mother telling him that although what he stole was not of much significance, it did however matter that he stole something which was wrong on every account. John remembers crying and repeating the word ‘sorry’ many times and considers this to be one of his more memorable events in his childhood. The military set up, of which John is a part of, also establishes a certain emphasis on rule-abiding and a formidable outlook on immoral practices. Discipline and control are a big part of John’s life, so it is not surprising that such an event in childhood where his moral qualities were called into question continue to remain vivid in his memories. Although John’s energies have been channelized constructively, he does report feeling more inclined towards construction and manual labor oriented tasks, which speak of his childhood pastime of building trucks. In his dream John is chased by a figure which has long hair and a cloak, easily represented by an evil mother archetype. John may be harboring feelings in his personal unconscious, which is different from the collective unconscious. The personal unconscious is the combination of the residue of the personal events and experiences of the individual’s life, whereas the collective unconscious is the collective residue of the events and lives of the ancestors’ of the individual which is shared by all members of the society. Here since the archetype is professed as the evil mother archetype (given in the form of various myths and religions such as Kali, the Death Goddess, Evil Enchantress, Vivien and the Witch in Hansel and Gretel (Fox, 1994), we can understand John’s residual and unconscious fear of his mother. The dream can be further interpreted in terms of his fear and overall overpowering sense of moral code and ethics which guides his childhood memories as well as present day ambitions. This fear of childhood and present day fear of judgment may be symbolized as the evil mother since the ‘shadow’ may have a will of its own. The concept of ‘shadow’ by Carl Jung is synonymous to the concept of ‘id’ by Sigmund Freud, which represents all the carnal and basic desires of the person. The Greeks separated the mother archetype in both good and bad ways, whether it was the sexual version of Aphrodite, the virgin Artemis, the motherly Demeter and the dominating Hera (Fox, 1994). The mother figure symbolized as evil in John’s dream does not necessarily mean that John hates his mother or considers her as evil. It is simply a symbolic representation and interpretation of ideas and themes that are considered as overwhelming or powerful which have taken the connection of childhood memories, themes and ideas. The door and the sea both represent an initiation into a world that is unknown and thus a voyage into the unknown is found in this particular sequence of the dream. The sea has various interpretations in terms of archetypes and expresses a vast majority of meanings including an initiation, a voyage, an uneasy division between order and chaos, the eternal mother, etc (Carlson, 1986). A study was conducted on the archetype of doors and it was found that doors represent safety and keep bad things from getting in or help in escape if danger threatens. A door may represent a way out, a way to safety (Hatala, 1992). This dream could possibly mean that the door symbolizes a certain escape and balance that was brought from the uncertainty in life. The uncertainty that could have arisen from the difference in ambition and the difference in the current profession is absolved through the doorway of channelizing the energies into a positive way, for example, by joining the military. For the process of deindividuation, which Jung called the process of discovering the deepest of potentials of a person, dreams provide as powerful tools and cues in order to discover and fulfill the calls of the inner psyche. In John’s dreams the call of the unconscious seems to be towards the ego and the persona (synonymous to the Freudian ‘ego’ or reality principle) which absolves the conflicts of the ego. John seems to doubt his ego which the ego in turn does not want it to do. It wants John to make peace with the investment of his energies. The dream starts with the evil mother archetype and seems to end with the ‘sea’ or the eternal mother archetype. This means that there is peace within the system of John’s unconscious, yet this peace needs to be maintained, accepted and realized by the individual himself. Works Cited: Addams, M. V. (2004). The Fantasy Principle: Psychoanalysis of the Imagination. New York: Brunner-Routledge. Carlson, P. A. (1986). Literature and lore of the sea. Costerus, new ser. , v. 52. Amsterdam: Rodopi. Coolidge, F. L. (2006). Dream interpretation as a psychotherapeutic technique. Oxford: Radcliffe. Feldman, R. S. (1993). Psychology. [New York]: McGraw-Hill. Fox, R. (1994). The challenge of anthropology old encounters and new excursions. New Brunswick, N. J. , U. S. A. : Transaction. Hatala, L. J. (1992). Incredibly American releasing the heart of quality. Milwaukee, Wis: ASQC Quality Press. Jung, C. G. (1953). Psychological reflections an anthology of the writings of C. G. Jung. London: Routledge and K. Paul. Miller, C. A. , & Miller, C. A. (2004). Nursing for wellness in older adults: theory and practice. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Analysis of Sound of Silence

Lack of communication: An analysis of â€Å"The Sound of Silence† â€Å"Sounds of Silence is an album by Simon and Garfunkel, released on January 17, 1966† [ (wikipedia) ]. This is a beautiful song composed with wonderful choices of words. Behind this beautiful song with melodious rhythm, there is a big message in the lyrics. In this poem, Simon presents the speaker who speaks about communication. The idea of lack of communication builds up throughout this poem. This poem conveys a message that there is a lack of real communication in the people.The poet multiple uses of words in this poem have a significant meaning and strongly support the thesis above. The multiple uses of â€Å"I† imply that he wants the reader to be the particular person he is referring to in the poem. â€Å"I’ve come to talk with you again. † and â€Å"Left its seeds while I was sleeping† in the beginning of the poem relates silence with the speaker (lines 2-4). The dark ness meaning silence in this poem is speaker’s old friend. He knows the silence very well. Similarly, the multiple use of ‘and’ provides reasoning and supports for the writer’s argument.For example, in the lines â€Å"And the vision that was planted in my brain†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. the sound of silence†, the speaker argues that the environment he has created is still inside his brain and thus is not exposed yet (5-7). The speaker also uses the word ‘people’ many times. â€Å"People† in this poem refers to all the common people without being concerned to any individuals (17-19). In this context, people refer to those mass who are communicating with each other without any emotional feelings. The poem describes people’s way of communicating in several lines.Through the lines below, Simon wants the speaker to know how people are sharing information with no value. The following section is most important because they con vey the speaker’s main message: â€Å"People talking without speaking People hearing without listening People writing songs that voices never share And no one dared Disturb the sound of silence† (17-21). In this stanza, â€Å"People† being used three times indicates that the speaker is talking about common people of a nation where they are ruled by some dictators or harsh leader where public opinions have no any value and the freedom is snatched from the people.People are talking but they do not know what they are talking about. Their speech does not have any meaning and they are uttering words just because they are told to do so. They hear the words without interpreting them and are ready to accept whatever the leader commands without realizing the results. They know this fact, and can distinguish between right and wrong but they confine their emotions within themselves never sharing those ideas to others. They fear that silence which is their old friend will b e broken. Throughout the essay, Simon wants the speaker to know how people are really lacking communication and how it going to affect them.The speaker blames people for not having real communication. By characterizing common people as â€Å"Fools†, the speaker argues that the people are going dumb without having a good communication media (22). Lack of communication make people stupid because they are unaware what is going on in the world. Using the word fool, speaker stresses how important communication is. People really turn numb without communication. It is only through communication, knowledge is shared and people are aware of many things happening in the world.The narrator continues â€Å"Silence like a cancer grows† (23). The use of this phrase suggests us that no communication is as dreadful as cancer. When someone is silent for a long time, it becomes a habit and the victim may not even notice that. Like there is no any treatment for cancer, it is very hard to convince the people who are living without any communication for a long time. Thus, the speaker’s suggestions do not work in this case too. He tries to convince the people and bring an awareness in them as he says â€Å"Hear my words†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. reach you† (24-25).But nobody accepts the speaker’s suggestions and these suggestions come back to him like he says in his poem â€Å"And echoed In the wells of silence† (20-21). In the lines, â€Å"And the people bowed†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦neon god they made† (29-30), the poet presents Neon God as a technology. People depend on technologies thinking they are more important because they make their work easier. People today spend much time in text messages, cell phones and chatting, and these are all what the narrator points as talking without speaking and hearing without listening. People have forgotten the real communication. The real ommunication is when there are feelings, when people share ide as face to face. But people are busy in enjoying the technology without thinking about its harmful consequences. Through this poem, the speaker creates the environment where there is silence everywhere. He dramatizes a community of people where people do not communicate actually. Lack of communication creates an illusion in people. People always worship technologies but never put an effort for real communication. This poem can be a good media to show the importance of real communication and bring awareness among the general people.

College Freshman Survival Kit

College Freshman Survival Kit Going off to college is an exciting time. Youre looking forward to your freedom and beginning your life as an adult. However, inside, you may secretly be dreading this major change. And thats okay! Without parental guidance, youll have many hurdles to navigate on your own. Nobody wants to come home for winter break with several extra pounds, an unfortunate injury from a hazing prank gone wrong, or a report card full of Fs. Our tips will help keep you on track. Here’s what to pack in your college freshman survival kit. 1. Freshman 15 Fighters All-nighters, parties, and unlimited access to food can take their toll on your health - and your waistline. Dont go off to school with a tote full of candy and soda. Pack healthful, nonperishable snacks instead, such as pretzels, crackers, nuts, dried fruit, and protein bars. Have a refillable water bottle on hand, too. Take advantage of your dorm kitchen’s refrigerator, or purchase a mini version for your room. You will find more helpful tips in our ultimate guide - Â  How to Avoid Freshman 15. 2. Sleep Aids The likelihood of being woken up by someone in your room or hall (or a maintenance worker) is about 100 percent on a daily basis. If you want to maintain your own regular sleep schedule, youll no doubt want to pack some highly rated earplugs and a sleep mask. A fan will keep you comfortable and provide white noise for better sleep. A stuffed animal or favorite pillow will make bedtime more familiar and relaxing. 3. Doctor’s Bag Aside from good nutrition and sleep, basic health care should be a focus when packing for college. You’ll surely have access to a campus health center, but many ailments don’t warrant official medical treatment. Always pack a mini first aid kit: Pain Reliever Alka-Seltzer Cough Drops Tissues Bandages Hydrogen Peroxide or Rubbing Alcohol Cotton Swabs or Squares Tweezers You might consider taking a daily multivitamin if you don’t already. 4. Laundry Loot Good old Mom won’t be around to wash your clothes anymore, so be prepared. Of course, detergent is a must, as is fabric softener if you use it. The most fun college activities often lead to stains, so be sure to take a stain treatment of some type. You’ll also want a travel-size sewing kit to take care of missing buttons and other minor wardrobe malfunctions. And, of course, hangers and a laundry basket or bag. If you have room for it, a drying rack saves money and the environment. 5. Office Supplies In today’s digital world, it’s easy to forget good old-fashioned stationery supplies. Things go wrong, and devices fail. You’ll still want some notebooks or paper, pens and pencils, highlighters, sticky notes, and a stapler. Take a journal with you, too. Write in it whenever you’re stressed or homesick. A journal is a great portable and low-budget therapist. (Just be sure to keep it safe from your nosy roommate!) 6. Organizational Basics You’ll need a few basics to keep everything neat: a power strip or two, a shower tote, Command hooks, duct tape, and Super Glue. You should also pack a few basic cleaning supplies. Mr. Clean Magic Erasers are awesome. Cut up an old T-shirt so you’ll have a few rags for dusting and wiping up spills. And you’ll certainly want some type of air freshener! Just be sure your roommate doesn’t have allergies or hate the scent. 7. Party Picks We know that partying is a part of the college experience. Therefore, you shouldnt leave home without a few fun extras. Playing cards, dice, Ping-Pong balls, a shot glass, Mad Libs, and other small items should be readily available whenever an impromptu party occurs. Surviving is only one side of life of the first-year student. To get tips on other aspects of student life, such as studying and networking, check out this awesome infographics with useful tips for freshmen students. If you missed anything or have limited room for transporting your personal belongings, you can always pick up what you need locally once you arrive at school. But taking care of as much as you can up front leaves you free to focus on more important things.

Financial statment analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Financial statment analysis - Essay Example An attempt is also made to correlate the performance of the companies and the share price movements at the stock exchange. The profitability of a firm is usually evaluated in terms of the gross margin, net margin, earnings per share and payment of dividend. Over the last three years the gross profit of the company has been showing both upward and downward trend. In the first year (2006), gross profit has shown a decrease of 1.12 percent from that of the year 2005. In the next year also, the profit has shown a significant setback, which accounts for around 79 percent. However, it was corrected in the third year, where the firm could achieve an increase of around 29 percent when compared to the year 2007. This is because of the reason that in the first and second year (2006 and 2007), cost of goods sold has shown a significant increase which is not in proportion to the change in sales. However, the net profit figures over the period show a different picture. The firm could achieve a positive figure in all the three years which indicate that the firm is in a position to meet the interest of all its stakeho lders, particularly that of shareholders. The profit after tax, which represents the amount available to ordinary shareholders (investors) for all the three years, shows an increasing trend. ... It is given in the Task II that how good is the return on capital employed of the firm. It is evident from the table (please include table No. Here) that return on capital employed has been good for the form for the last three years. Apart from not being it stable, return on capital employed shows an increasing trend. From the year 2005 to 2006, there is an increase of about 7 percent. From the year 2006 to 2007, it is further increased by another 8 percent. It was again increased from 8 percent to 11.6 percent in the year 2008. This state of affairs is really a green signal for the investors to ensure themselves that they will be assured a happy return. Analysis of Financial Status Financial status of a firm is the financial position or condition that the firm has on a particular date as a result of business operations. Financial position of a firm is usually described the balance sheet and other analytical tools like common size balance sheet, balance sheet ratios etc. When balance sheet exhibits the list of assets a business owns and liabilities that the business owes, common size balance sheet and balance sheet ratios provide a detailed picture of the financial position of the concern. Therefore, it is better to describe the common size balance sheet and important balance sheet tools to know more about the firm's financial condition. In the common size statement all important items in the balance sheet are expressed as a percentage of shareholders' equity. The statement reports that current liabilities are regularly paid out by the firm as it shows a decrease from year to year. In the first year, current liabilities accounts for around 50 percent of the shar eholders' equity. However, it was reduced to 47 percent and then to 32 percent in the

Enhancing Occupational Health and Safety Term Paper - 1

Enhancing Occupational Health and Safety - Term Paper Example Occupational hazard and occupational diseases are the inevitable; they will be there in the present environment of work environment where corrosive chemicals, heat and many other factors are involved. The manufacturing unit is the worst hit where many people are losing their lives due to many accidents. However, it is very much important to reform the health related programs in the recent organizations as the expectations of the employees are changing with the changing working time and working environment. The financial relives are not the only effective factor for the satisfying job, in the recent time the leave structure, flexibility of work time, the health insurance packages and internal medical supports have become the great issues. The new generation of employees has new expectations from the employees and practically it is the responsibility of the employers to take care of the health of the fellow employees as far as they are working in the same company. This particular paper will focus on the recent scenario of the occupational hazards and with respect to that the safety measures will be discussed intensely. The concept of occupational health safety was evolved in the Europe in the early nineteenth century. The rapid reformation of the occupational health reformation was seen in the Europe and eventually the new trends of the safety measures were shifted to America from the Europe (Taylor, Easter & Hegney 2). The changing in the legislation has helped many poor women and children to stay out of the occupational accidents and occupational hazards. However, the occupational disasters and accidents have a great impact over the local publics too. The laws related to the occupational hazards and standard of safety must be strict enough to have great implications over the present work culture. A great organization has different degrees of satisfactions. According to many motivational

Theatre history Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Theatre history - Essay Example One of these elevated stages will represent Olivia’s house and will be found at the upper right side of the arena. The lower stage, a foot lower from the other, represents the front of her house. At the extreme right of the lower stage looks like an alley where characters enters and the other end where they exit. Lights flood the stage as each character enters and delivers his or her lines. We see gothic designs in the facades (I suggest that it would be a minimalist stage, perhaps columns to represent the foundations of Olivia’s house and steps that lead to the front of her house). A tree or two (short-growing trees or shrubs, may be placed at one or opposite ends of opposite sides of the road, perhaps some props resembling a hawthorn tree, with apple-shaped, bright red resemblance of its fruit hanging on its branches). Most likely, this part of the play will take place later in the evening, perhaps a little after dinner time, that we will observe characters in the play are like having their relaxing time, in one of the dialogues Olivia reveals that she and Sebastian (mistaken as his twin Viola, who will disguise herself as Cesario) have just been married a couple of hours ago, and Toby will later be seen already drunk. Colorful medieval costumes that are common during the Elizabethan and the Renaissance theatre will be seen worn by the actors, except for Malvolio who should be wearing all black which is evocative of his character’s mood throughout the play. Music is an element predominantly present throughout the play; it is through music that the love of Orsino is magnified, the irony as well as comedy is amplified in the portrayals of Feste, Malvolio and his tricksters, and in the drunkenness and merriment of Sir Toby Belch. Music, as one of the underlying themes of the play suggests the comic as well as the tragic episodes or scenes in the play. Fast music is played every now and then, which becomes louder when a climactic episode is

Political Philosophy and Machiavelli Essay Example for Free

Political Philosophy and Machiavelli Essay And if all men were good, this teaching would not be good; but because they are wicked and do not observe faith with you, you also do not have to observe it with them (69). Niccolo Machiavellis The Prince is arguably the most famous and controversial political science book of all time. Many think of Machiavelli as synonymous with evil. The father of the idea that the ends will always justify the means, the term Machiavellian has become connected with selfish, brutal, or immoral actions. Machiavelli has long been associated with totalitarianism, conquest, and tyranny. But is this label deserved? Is The Prince a book that expresses evil? Many argue that Machiavelli is not a teacher of evil, but bases his teachings on a pragmatic realism that has long been a part of politics. He would certainly not be the first to have such a view, and he is certainly not the last. In promoting his realistic view of power and politics, Machiavelli does not teach evil, instead, he uses necessity and practicality as the criteria in which his thought is based on. In this way we see that he does not put the matter of good or evil as a priority in his actions, but uses practical methods to make his choice in each instance as to what is necessary and beneficial. Through the exploration of the basis for Machiavellis treatment of ethics and his agenda for writing The Prince we see that his teachings are not evil, but based on political pragmatism and necessity. He himself makes it clear as he advises the Prince on how to be able to do what is necessary whether it is good or evil. And so he needs to have a spirit to change as the winds of fortune and variations of things commanded him, and as I said above, not depart from good, when possible, but know how to enter into evil, when forced by necessity (70). Machiavelli treats morality and prudence not as guides for a Prince, but as tools to use for political gain. In this way we see that Machiavelli is not preaching evil, which would be to encourage the opposite of virtue and morality, but to use them in different ways depending on the situation. Virtue is a key concept when discussing moral living and actions, and vice is the opposite of virtue. The concepts of virtue and vice are age-old ideas ingrained within human society. But the traditional view of virtue and vice, laid out by such thinkers as Aristotle and Plato, is changed to fit the pursuit of power in Machiavellians The Prince. Classic virtue comes from a criterion based on just and beneficial interaction, while pursuing an end, within a civil society. This interaction can involve the impact of an individual on another individual, a citizen and a state, or even an impact an individual has upon himself. Thus a man who sacrifices his life to save his friend, city, or beliefs is thought of as virtuous. On the other hand the reciprocal of this action would be vice, a man who sacrifices his friend, city or beliefs to preserve his life may be viewed as possessing a vice. Virtue finds its anchor in morality and ethics, and upholds that, it is focused on preserving qualities like justice and harmony. The change in the Machiavellian code of morality comes as a result as result of an entire shift in what the foundation of this morality is built on, namely the ends being pursued. The Machiavellian concept of virtue not only divorces virtue completely from its ethical foundation, but places it on a foundation of ability to execute what is necessary in order to achieve what is desired. In this case what is desired is power, which is to be strictly maintained and used to achieve glorious ends, whatever they may be. From this foundation of the pursuit and maintenance of power comes the Machiavellian outlook on everything else, and is the reason in which he is able to separate ethics from politics. Morality in its classical sense would only serve to get in the way of power and prudence; it creates unnecessary dilemmas between what is politically necessary and morally correct, interfering with being a wise ruler. Therefore the Prince must take the necessary actions regardless of their moral ramifications. ? [If] one considers everything well, one will find something that appears to be virtue, which if pursued would be ones ruin, and something else appears to be vice, which if pursued results in ones security and well-being (62). Machiavelli removes the foundation of prudence and virtue from morality, and reinterprets them in regards to necessity and power. Correct policy within The Prince is based on the Machiavellian conception of virtue and prudence. Stemming from this, Machiavelli at times refers to virtue and prudence in their classical definitions, pertaining to high morality, and just actions. But at other times in The Prince, he refers to them as directly pertaining to the proper execution of power. For example he often compares a rulers success, not morality, with virtue. No matter how brutal the ruler, if he is able to hold power well then he is virtuous. Prudence is thought of as being careful, observant and logical in the classical sense. But Machiavelli uses it to describe a ruler who is very sharp, decisive, and makes the correct choices. A prudent lord, therefore, cannot observe faith, nor should he, when such observance turns against him, and causes that made him promise have been eliminated (69). It therefore would be prudent for a ruler to massacre a rebellion, if it meant the ultimate preservation of power. In this case necessity calls for action, even if those actions go against classical morality. A ruler, who has correct judgment and knows what is the best course of action, would take the proper measures to stop the rebellion and pay no attention to the morality of his actions. The ends in this case change the conception of the codes in which the means are to be judged by; no longer is the end such universally beneficial ideas of peace and justice, but power and conquest. Virtue and prudence to Machiavelli hold meaning only in the sense of ability and accomplishment. To Machiavelli cunning would be a virtue, as would decisiveness while wielding power. A vice for a ruler would be stupidity, or ignorance of ones own subjects. Something that is virtuous in the classical sense would only be followed if it were deemed compatible with the situation, and did not in anyway undermine the ends being pursued. The Machiavellian view is based on and around a realism seen in politics and history, and is amoral. The entire intent of the book was to write a pragmatic and realistic approach to dealing with power, not a lesson in high virtue and morality. He states, But since my intent is to write something useful to whoever understands it, it has appeared to me more fitting to go directly to the effectual truth of the thing than to the imagination of it (61). He finds that necessity is what guides most actions. ? [Because] men will always turn out bad for you unless they have been made good by a necessity(95). A military training manual written on the best way to execute killing would not go into a debate on whether or not killing is right or wrong. The manual would be almost amoral and not go into the debate, those who have already settled that debate in their minds would read it, and the same follows for The Prince. One should not associate the teachings of The Prince as something that Machiavelli himself feels is moral, just and proper, but rather what history has shown to be the ideal and efficient way to handle power. Survivor in the political world creates certain necessities, and forces individuals to undertake certain actions in order to ensure success. ? [for] it is so far from how one lives to how one should live that he who lets go of what is done for what should be done learns his ruin rather than his preservation (61). The purpose of The Prince is not a guide to being a moral Prince, but how to abide by necessity and pragmatism. Just as a purpose of the war manual would not be the ethics of killing. The manual would not debate war as a just or unjust means to an end, but instead would accept it as reality, and try to approach it with the same harsh reality. In fact the entire purpose of The Prince was to serve as a guide to restore Italy to greatness, a path that can only be achieved by power. He uses examples from throughout history of rulers who acted successfully when faced with a situation, drawing from these examples he shows the correct actions that a Prince should follow. There is no room for being a virtuous and honest ruler, as it will be at odds with the reality of political life. Because he uses realistic examples from history, we see his true pragmatic nature; his ultimate goal is the achievement of his ends, not the correct actions. Machiavelli uses the actions of past rulers whether or not they are just, as long as they prove successful for the ends being pursued. Machiavelli himself states that he has taken a realist approach, and outlines the reason as to why he has taken this approach, as being necessary and efficient. If one were to examine the way in which Machiavelli looks towards allowing freedom towards his subjects, or the treatment of honesty toward his subjects, one would conclude that Machiavelli himself was not in favor of these things. It would be a mistake to reach this conclusion, it is not so much that he is against freedom or truth, but he realizes that these things will damage and undermine ones power the goal and focus of The Prince. For a man who wants to make a profession of good in all regards must come to ruin among so many who are not good (61). Machiavelli is not favoring things that we would view as brutality, deception and in many cases evil; instead he is using them as tools in an act to obtain what he desires. Machiavelli spends much time on the behavior that a Prince should follow in order to be successful. Although Machiavelli goes through many different traits and practices a ruler should follow, the two that he deems very necessary are to be loved and to be feared. Machiavelli stresses that a ruler should seek to be loved, but above all make sure that he is not hated, because if he is hated it will ultimately be his undoing. This follows the Machiavellian line of pragmatism and necessity; it is not motivated by a lust for evil or deceit, but is something that many people who are appalled by his amorality would agree with. If Machiavelli were a teacher of evil he would never make such a statement. A leader who is feared will ultimately deter any action against him by his ability to control the actions of the people with his fear. . Morality will only serve to hamper a princes abilities. This has to be understood: that a prince, especially a new prince, cannot observe all those things for which a men are held good, since he is often under a necessity, to maintain his state, of acting against faith, against charity, against humanity, against religion. And so he needs to have a spirit disposed to change as the winds of fortune an variations of things command him? (70). The most efficient way to deal with a problem is usually not the moral way, and Machiavelli time and time again points to this as the reason in which he chooses the path he does. His book is not for idealists, and as he states idealists rarely accomplish what they want. His book is for the guidance of a Prince towards power, and the ability to maintain that power. All of these things follow the strict Machiavellian criteria of necessity for power. Whether these things are good or evil in our eyes is not the topic of discussion for Machiavelli, therefore it does not concern him, what he seeks is the necessary actions to gain and maintain power. Hence it is necessary to a prince, if he wants to maintain himself, to learn to be able not to be good, and to use this and not use it according to necessity (61). This doctrine of pragmatism within The Prince was not invented by Machiavelli, one can look at it as merely an expression of the practical political ideas of his time, and perhaps forever. We see that Machiavelli puts forth an ethics of political convenience. It does not hold to or allow itself to be hampered by morality, virtue, or Christian values, but allows them only when opportune and beneficial. The Princes doctrine supports actions including murder, deceit, and betrayal given that the Prince will benefit from it. The ethics found within Machiavelli is entirely based upon a realistic outlook upon the political world and caters to political convenience. To Machiavelli this moral code of convenience and pragmatism is a political necessity. He states that when it is politically necessary to act in accordance with a vice then one must do so in the interest of power. And furthermore one should not care about incurring the fame of those vices without which it is difficult to save ones state? (62). He holds that the world will swallow up idealists, and that it is unrealistic to expect someone to exercise morality when dealing with a political situation, or their enemies. Through the exploration of the basis for Machiavellis treatment of ethics and his agenda for writing The Prince we see that his teachings are not evil, but based on political pragmatism and necessity. Machiavelli treats morality and prudence not as guides for a Prince, but as tools to use for political gain. By removing the foundation of prudence and virtue from morality, he reinterprets them in regards to necessity and power. The amoral Machiavellian view centers on a realism seen in politics and history. The entire purpose of The Prince is not a guide to being a morally, but a guide to necessity and pragmatism. This doctrine of pragmatism within The Prince was not invented by Machiavelli, but used masterfully by him to craft a powerful instructional book on power. The concept of morality is not attacked or thrown away, but put aside and only referred to or used when necessary. In the real world few will be honest, or moral, so it becomes necessary for one to also set these things aside as it will conflict with ones ends. This is the reality of politics and Machiavelli recognizes this and refers to it many times in the book as the reason to why he chooses the path he does and not out of evil or some wish for deceitful actions. Political reality deems his method necessary, thus it is a realistic and pragmatic way to approach the subject.