Briefly Explain the Idealist Approach to International Relations

Topic: Briefly explain the Idealist approach to International Relations. To get an insight of what realism and liberalism is all about four (4) questions must be asked and answered and before asking- What is Liberalism/Idealism? Those questions are: what is a theory? Why theories are necessary? What is hypothesis? And how many types of theories are there? All these questions will give basic knowledge about the three theories of international relations; but the topic sets a limit to how many theories to cover and that theory is liberalism/idealism. What is a theory? According to gavilan, a theory simplifies reality.It is a perspective which tells you where to look. A statement of cause and effect/outcome- what correlates? Why does this regularity occur? The cause and effect underlined above implies the independent or explanatory variable and dependent variable respectively. Why are theories necessary? (1) Too much information available to be able to process it without guidance about w hat is relevant or irrelevant. (2) No rational action without hypothesis about cause and effect. What is hypothesis? Every theory brings out hypothesis. A hypothesis is a testable implication of a theory. Evidence supports a theory but does not prove it.How many types of theories are there? There are three major theories; these theories are: Realism, Liberalism, and Constructivism. Constructivism is divided into Marxism and Post- modernism and Post- structuralism. After knowing all these, the question- what is idealism/liberalism? Can be asked, but, due to the relation of liberalism/idealism with reciprocity principle the definition of collective goods problem should be stated. Collective good problem is how a group of nations serve the/its group interest or collective interest by doing so members to forfeit their individual interest.In other words, it is the problem of shared interest versus competing interest. It solves the problem of how to provide something that benefits every m ember regardless of what each member contribute. Idealism/liberalism: According to Goldstein et al, â€Å"like any other international relation theory has no general definition, but it sees the rules of IR as gradually evolving through time and becoming more passive- such advancement results chiefly from the gradual build up of international organizations and mutual cooperation (reciprocity) and secondarily from change in norms and public opinion (identity). The definition in the continuing note is in accord to gavilan â€Å"According to Kegley and Wittkopt (2006: pg28), ‘liberalism is known as a paradigm anticipated on hope that the appliance of reason and universal principles to international relations can lead to a more organizes, impartial, and cooperative world, and that international anarchy [lack of world government] ad war can be supervised by institutional reforms that empower international organizations and laws’† Liberal theories of IR try to explain how peace and cooperation are possible.It gives instances of how realism offers mostly the principle of dominance to solve the collective goods problems of IR, while it (idealism) draws its solution mostly on the reciprocity and identity principle. Assumptions of Liberalism/Idealism According to jefferyfields (n. d) [Online], the following are assumptions of idealism. 1. â€Å"Human nature is effectively good or humane: People are capable of mutual aid and collaboration through reason and ethically inspired education. † Jefferyfields (n. d) [Online] 2. â€Å"The fundamental human concern for others’ welfare makes progress possible. jefferyfields (n. d) [Online] 3. â€Å"Bad human behaviour, such as violence, is the product not of flawed people but of evil institutions that encourage people to act selfishly and to harm others. † jefferyfields (n. d) [Online] 4. â€Å"War and international anarchy are not inevitable and war’s frequency can be reduced by s trengthening the institutional arrangements that encourage its disappearance. † jefferyfields (n. d) [Online] 5. â€Å"War is a global problem requiring collective or multilateral, rather than national, efforts to control it. jefferyfields (n. d) [Online] 6. â€Å"Reforms must be inspired by a compassionate ethical concern for the welfare and security of all people, and this humanitarian motive requires the inclusion of morality in statecraft. † jefferyfields (n. d) [Online] 7. â€Å"International society must reorganize itself in order to eliminate the institutions that make war likely, and states must reform their political systems so that self-determination and democratic governance within states can help pacify relations among states. † jefferyfields (n. d) [Online]Prisoners Dilemma Giving an example of two prisoners who are incarcerated; noting that they are meeting for the first time- the options given to them would either be to turn on each other or coope rate with each other. The two prisoners are likely to turn on each other or not cooperate with each other because of the condition of their meeting. The given example displays the nature of countries in the international system when approached with similar problem or decision. The self protecting nature of states renders cooperation impractical.This is in line with the prisoners who decline to cooperate with one another because they either do not trust one another or want to protect their interest. Conclusion In conclusion, the international relation theory called liberalism is an argument against the realist view. According to Goldstein et al (2012 pg86)A, if dominance solution is offered mostly by the realist or realism to solve the collective goods problems of I. R. , alternative theories draw mostly on the reciprocity and identity principles. These theories are more optimistic than realism about the prospect of peace.Goldstein et al (2012 pg86)B said, â€Å"realist see the law of power politics as relatively timeless and unchanging, while liberal theorists view I. R. rules as gradually evolving through time and becoming more peaceful- such advancement results chiefly from the gradual build up of international organizations and mutual cooperation (reciprocity) and secondarily from change in norms and public opinion (identity). Liberal theory among others holds that we are not doomed to a country of recurring war but can achieve a more peaceful world. † In addition, in accord with Goldstein et al (2012 pg86) liberal theory eviews domestic politics and foreign policy making, unlike realism, which places importance on domestic and individual levels of analysis in explaining state behaviour. All this display the peaceful nature/motive of the liberal theorist. BIBLOGRAPHY Goldstein, S. J. Pevehouse, J. C. (2012) International Relations (Tenth Edition) United States: Pearson. http://hhh. gavilan. edu/mturetzky/pols4/TheoreticalPerspectivesLiberalismRealism . htm http://jeffreyfields. net/427/Site/Blog/3C90C230-B47B-4894-8E8E-F4C5078BDD88_files/Rourke-Realism,%20Liberalism,%20Constructivism. pdf http://www. princeton. edu/~amoravcs/library/preferences. pdf

Cempoala - Totonac Capital and Ally of Hernan Cortes

Cempoala - Totonac Capital and Ally of Hernan Cortes Cempoala, also known as Zempoala or Cempolan, was the capital of the Totonacs, a pre-Columbian group that emigrated to the Gulf Coast of Mexico from the central Mexican highlands sometime before the Late Postclassic period. The name is a Nahuatl one, meaning twenty water or abundant water, a reference to the many rivers in the region. It was the first urban settlement encountered by the Spanish colonization forces in the early 16th century. The citys ruins lie near the mouth of the Actopan River about 8 kilometers (five miles) in from the Gulf of Mexico. When it was visited by Hernan Cortà ©s in 1519, the Spaniards found a huge population, estimated at between 80,000-120,000; it was the most populous city in the region.   Cempoala reached its fluorescence between the 12th and 16th century AD, after the previous capital El Tajin was abandoned after being invaded by Toltecan-Chichimecans. The City of Cempoala At its height during the late 15th century, Cempoalas population was organized into nine precincts. The urban core of Cempoala, which includes a monumental sector, covered a surface area of 12 hectares (~30 acres); housing for the citys population spread far beyond that. The urban center was laid out in the way common  to Totonac regional urban centers, with many circular temples dedicated to the wind god Ehecatl. There are 12 large, irregularly shaped walled compounds in the city center that contain the main public architecture, temples, shrines, palaces, and open plazas. The major compounds were composed of large temples bordered by platforms, which elevated the buildings above the flood level. The compound walls were not very high, serving as a symbolic function identifying the spaces which were not open to the public rather than for  defense purposes. Architecture at Cempoala Cempoalas central Mexican urban design and art reflect the norms of the central Mexican highlands, ideas which were reinforced by the late 15th-century Aztec dominance. Most of the architecture is built of river cobbles cemented together, and the buildings were roofed in perishable materials. Special structures such as temples, shrines, and elite residences had a masonry architecture built of cut stone. Important buildings include the Sun temple or Great Pyramid; the Quetzalcoatl temple; the Chimney Temple, which includes a series of semicircular pillars; the Temple of Charity (or Templo de las Caritas), named after the numerous stucco skulls that adorned its walls; the Cross Temple, and the El Pimiento compound, which has exterior walls decorated with skull representations. Many of the buildings have platforms with multiple stories of low height and vertical profile. Most are rectangular with broad stairways. Sanctuaries were dedicated with polychrome designs on a white background. Agriculture The city was surrounded by an extensive canal system and a series of aqueducts which provided water to the farm fields around the urban center as well as the residential areas. This extensive canal system allowed water distribution to fields, diverting water from main river channels. The canals were part of (or built onto) a large wetland irrigation system that is thought to have been built during the Middle Postclassic [AD 1200-1400] period. The system included an area of sloping field terraces, on which the city grew cotton, maize, and agave. Cempoala used their surplus crops to participate in the Mesoamerican trade system, and historic records report that when famine struck the Valley of Mexico between 1450-1454, the Aztecs were forced to barter their children to Cempoala for maize stores. The urban Totonacs at Cempoala and other Totonac cities used home gardens (calmil), backyard gardens which provided domestic groups at the family or clan level with vegetables, fruits, spices, medicines, and fibers. They also had private orchards of cacao or fruit trees. This dispersed agrosystem gave the residents flexibility and autonomy, and, after the Aztec Empire took hold, allowed the homeowners to pay tributes. Ethnobotanist Ana Lid del Angel-Perez argues that the home gardens may also  have acted as a laboratory, where people tested and validated new crops and methods of growing. Cempoala Under the Aztecs and Cortà ©s In 1458, the Aztecs under the rule of Motecuhzoma I invaded the region of the Gulf Coast. Cempoala, among other cities, was subjugated and became a tributary of the Aztec empire. Tributary items demanded by the Aztecs in payment included cotton, maize, chili, feathers, gems, textiles, Zempoala-Pachuca (green) obsidian, and many other products. Hundreds of Cempoalas inhabitants became slaves. When the Spanish conquest arrived in 1519 on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, Cempoala was one of the first cities visited by Cortà ©s. The Totonac ruler, hoping to break away from Aztec domination, soon became allies of Cortà ©s and his army. Cempoala was also the theater of the 1520 Battle of Cempoala between Cortà ©s and the captain Pnfilo de Narvaez, for the leadership in the Mexican conquest, which Cortà ©s handily won. After the Spanish arrival, smallpox, yellow fever, and malaria spread throughout Central America. Veracruz was among the earliest regions affected, and the population of Cempoala sharply declined. Eventually, the city was abandoned and the survivors moved to Xalapa, another important city of Veracruz. Cempoala Archaeological Zone Cempoala was first explored archaeologically at the end of the 19th century by Mexican scholar Francisco del Paso y Troncoso. American archaeologist Jesse Fewkes documented the site with photographs in 1905, and the first extensive studies were conducted by Mexican archaeologist Josà © Garcà ­a Payà ³n between the 1930s and 1970s. Modern excavations at the site were conducted by the Mexican National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) between 1979-1981, and Cempoalas central core was recently mapped by photogrammetry (Mouget and Lucet 2014). The site is located on the eastern edge of the modern town of Cempoala, and it is open to visitors year-round. Sources Adams REW. 2005 [1977], Prehistoric Mesoamerica. Third Edition. Norman: University of Oklahoma PressBruggemann JK. 1991. Zempoala: El estudio de una ciudad prehispanica. Coleccion Cientifica vol 232 INAH Mexico. Brumfiel EM, Brown KL, Carrasco P, Chadwick R, Charlton TH, Dillehay TD, Gordon CL, Mason RD, Lewarch DE, Moholy-Nagy H, et al. 1980. Specialization, Market Exchange, and the Aztec State: A View From Huexotla [and Comments and Reply]. Current Anthropology 21(4):459-478.del Angel-Pà ©rez AL. 2013. Homegardens and the dynamics of Totonac domestic groups in Veracruz, Mexico. Anthropological Notebooks 19(3):5-22.Mouget A, and Lucet G. 2014. Photogrammetric archaeological survey with UAV. ISPRS Annals of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences II(5):251-258.Sluyter A, and Siemens AH. 1992. Vestiges of Prehispanic, Sloping-Field Terraces on the Piedmont of Central Veracruz, Mexico. Latin American Antiquity 3(2):148-160.Smith ME. 2013. The Aztecs. New Yo rk: Wiley-Blackwell. Wilkerson, SJK. 2001. Zempoala (Veracruz, Mexico) In: Evans ST, and Webster DL, editors. Archaeology of Ancient Mexico and Central America: An Encyclopedia. New York: Garland Publishing Inc. p 850-852. Edited and updated by K. Kris Hirst

Free sample - Should local sales tax be increased or decreased. translation missing

Should local sales tax be increased or decreased. Should local sales tax be increased or decreasedContent of the problem Currently, taxes added on top of prices of goods or services that are purchased within a country are either being increased or decreased depending on the country. Sale tax is a consumption that is displayed as a percentage of the sale price. It is vital to assess sale taxes in every state, county or municipal level in order to determine the amount that is being taxed and can help in knowing whether to increase or to decrease. The biggest problem with sales tax evaluation is the state-local tax burden due to increasing population and changes in the tax policies is also another area that is supposed to be considered. In the past it was a bit different since most of the states’ population was not so high and thus it was easy to determine whether sales tax be increased or decreased. But as time has moved, this has been witnessed to have taken another different direction and the states’ population must be put into consideration since most of this has to determine the increase or decrease of sale tax in every state (Frederick, 315). Statement of the problem In the today’s world, employment has hit and most of the people graduate and do not get job and thus imposing sales tax on such people may deem to be the biggest problem. The tax imposed on property is also important on the other hand as it helps in ensuring that it is used in curing the budget. This is due to the fact that revenue gotten from corporate net is usually viewed as volatile, especially in cases whereby recession and therefore it will be unworthy to states to lean heavily on it. Even though the income tax increase helps in budget deficit, raising the income tax by even just 5% would lead to a drop on the tax Foundation’s Tax Climate Index. This may also lead to not having lower personal income tax in such regions.   This may also lead to the corporate income tax to drop even further. And also, in increasing the tax of corporate income may set a state an even bigger fall in the future and that is really a demerit. This paper will look at the barriers of sales tax increase and decrease since this is a tool that will in turn help in determining whether to increase or decrease sales tax in any state. This can be done through in co-operating some programs into the scheme of sale tax evaluation system. Research question Given that it is important to determine whether to increase or decrease the sales tax in any given state; there are a number of questions that must be put into consideration. Since sale tax is also important to the government, it is vital for the government to treat those contributing to tax revenue as important figures in the society. This in turn will make not to appear as a burden to those contributing to sale tax (Merriman, 21). Nonetheless, in order to gather the required information regarding sales tax increase or decrease it is vital to address the following questions during the research process: a)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   How imperative is tax reduction or increase to both the government and the citizens? b)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Are there some economy tax credit programs that can be employed instead of just increasing or decreasing the sales tax and how is it helpful to the common man? c)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What is the purpose of considering change in tax policy and can this help in tax expenditure justification? d)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What are the cautions for both tax increase and tax decrease?  Ã‚  Ã‚      Significance of the study According to research carried by Arnold in 2004, (228) in both the United States and the whole world at large it is vital not to impose so much tax on the common man as this will have tremendous effect in future, either positive or negative. Even though most citizens suffer from high taxation, it is vital not to increase the sales tax to the common man and impose tax on goods and services rendered internationally. This proposal aims at looking into ways in which sales tax can be imposed without causing any havoc to the common man and thus improves the economy of the country. This must also focus on developing a positive attitude to those imposing tax on property without experiencing state-local tax burden. This is important since it is used to determine how Tax Foundation yearly calculation concerning how heavy the state-local tax burden is for the population in any given state (Rodgers, 229). Objectives of the study Just like any incentive program, it is vital to look at the objectives, basically in numeric terms. This specifically helps in determining the final result such as increasing sales, or purchase by your reseller. Some of the objectives include:    i)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Obtaining a certain percentage of shares for a new product in its full year. ii)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Increasing the percentage of sales. iii)  Ã‚  Ã‚   Increase the number of showroom displays in both local and international market. iv)  Ã‚  Ã‚   Increase the number of people participating in product training programs.      Research Design and Methodology This research study will focus on both the quantitative and qualitative approach since it requires collection of data and carrying out of surveys in relation to the past sales tax estimations and calculations. Another approach will be the descriptive since it will require first hand information from previous research in order to avoid misunderstanding. Finally the research will carry our surveys by interviewing the concerned using semi-structured questioners.   Conclusion It is vital to look at the disadvantages and advantages associated with sales tax increase and decrease. This is likely to help determine which one is the most appropriate option. All in all it is also significant to understand the limitation of the research process since it can be applied as a cautionary measure before deciding on which way to go. It is vital to understand that fiscal problems should not be addressed by tax alone (Arnold, 229).    Work Cited Arnold, Raphaelson, "The Property Tax," in J. Richard Aronson and Eli Schwartz, eds., Management Policies in Local Government Finances, 3rd edition, (2004) p. 229 Frederick, Stocker. "Diversification of the Local Revenue System: Income and Sales Taxes, User Charges, Federal Grants," National Tax Journal, September (2006), p. 315 Merriman, David. The Control of Municipal Budgets: Toward the Effective Design of Tax and Expenditure Limitations. (New York: Quorum Books, (2001), pp. 20-23 Rodgers, James. "Sales Taxes, Income Taxes, and Other Nonproperty Revenues, " in J. Richard Aronson and Eli Schwartz, eds., Management Policies in Local Government Finance, Third Edition (Washington, DC: International City Management Association, (1997), p. 229. Sherwood-Call, "The Labor Tax as an Alternative Revenue Source," Proceedings of the Seventy-Ninth Annual Conference (Columbus, OH: National Tax Association, (2002), pp. 86-93

How the battle of Brandywine was a successful win for the British, but Research Paper

How the battle of Brandywine was a successful win for the British, but a tactical win for the US - Research Paper Example The Brandywine battle was a truly decisive war between the "Great Britain and its thirteen North American colonies". This battle saw the Great Britain emerging the successful winner while the United States had a tactical win.1 During the battle, the US forces were under the command of George Washington while the British forces were under the command of William Howe. At the time Washington was getting into this battle, he had just suffered a serious defeat in New York, which meant that a win in the Brandywine battle was highly essential in order to revive American strength and morale. On the other hand, Howe was highly inspired 1by the Philadelphia Campaign, which was mainly a British objective to capture Philadelphia during the American Revolutionary War. Howe and Washington were both significant and prestigious men in determining the outcomes of the American Revolution.1 The Battle of Brandywine The battle began in an early morning after the British, 2and the Hessian soldiers depart ed from Kennett Square. Their departure followed a walk along the Brandywine Creek with an aim to enclose the American soldiers across Jeffries’ ford. This emanated from the need to capture Philadelphia. ... The other squad of Howe’s men, which was made of the majority, was to march north of Wistar’s Ford, then cross the river at a location unknown to Washington. Having superior tactics and good knowledge of the battle ground enabled the British troops to defeat Washington and his troops on their own battle ground.2 In 1777, the British launched an attempt to wipe out the flickering revolt in its North American colonies. Its main objective was to split the colonies with converging expeditions focused upon the Hudson valley. During this period, General Howe refused to take part in the Saratoga battle and instead, moved into Pennsylvania where he defeated Washington in the battle of Brandywine. In Brandywine, Howe took over Philadelphia and defeated Washington’s attack on Germantown. American’s win in the battle of Saratoga came along with diplomatic assistance from France and other European nations. At some point, the battle at the Middle Atlantic region had co me into a standstill, but later foreign aid came to save the situation. The Battle of Saratoga motivated France to get into an alliance with the United States whereby Franklin and the French foreign minister of that time signed a treaty. Later, Spain got into war against Great Britain in 1779. However, the assistance given by the Spanish to the Americans was not of much help to the United States. On the other hand, the French offered immense assistance in terms of soldiers, sailors, supplies, and money, which were highly crucial for America’s success in the Saratoga battle. The 3Americans continued to fight valiantly, but, unfortunately, the British troops had outwitted them on the rolling hills in the Brandywine. The win did not stop the British troops from arriving at the battle ground, but

End of Confederacy and Efforts of Lincoln and Johnson Essay

End of Confederacy and Efforts of Lincoln and Johnson - Essay Example But at the same time there were views favoring the solution based on limited role of federal government in restructuring process while ensuring unity and nationwide healing policy. This suggestion was against the policy of Radical Reconstruction which was being viewed as the one based on hatred against the Southerners. The main concern of the government was that of defining its role in shaping the political, economic and social integrity of the southern states as the union forces had freed nearly four million slaves. The possibility of co-existence of freed slaves with the rest of white population in a resentful environment was more problematic than the war as it was the issue of slavery that spurred secession among southern states. In Congress, Democrats and moderate Republicans were favoring the lenient policing while the Radical Republicans were pushing for harsher program and complete intervention of federal authority in the restructuring process that should include total equality of newly freed slaves with the remaining white population. But President Lincoln was in favor of the lenient approach as he was in believe that the war itself has changed the states dramatically and more punishment would actually hinder the healing process and forward movement of the nation as a whole.

Early Victorian Prisons Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Early Victorian Prisons - Essay Example Prisons are considered to be institutions used for imprisonment or incarceration and in England today accommodation for prisoners in these institutions are divided into wings that are usually identified by a name, number, or letter. Today there are an estimated nine million people imprisoned worldwide, with the United Kingdom alone accounting for approximately 73 000 inmates in its facilities. This high proportion of prisoners has been associated with many things, such as better funded criminal justice systems, a more strict approach to law and order, and a larger gap between the rich and the poor. There are numerous differences between the prisons of today and those of years ago; one major change being that in early Victorian England people were imprisoned and often sentenced for lengthy periods of time for seemingly important things such as 'picking oakum', whereas in today's world that is certainly not the same situation. Victorian prisons were seen as unpleasant and rundown places with a main goal to keep the surroundings as miserable as possible in an attempt to deter people from committing crimes. The prisons were small, old, and badly-run. London and its suburbs held over a dozen prisons in all, and debtors and convicts, those to be rehabilitated and those simply to be detained all had no trouble finding a place to wait out their days. By the 1860s there were two distinct types of Victorian prisons: the local and the convict prisons. The older, which dated back from as far back as the Saxon times, was called the local prison. This itself was made up of two equally distinct parts: the jail (or gaol) and the House of Correction. Prisons in England during the early Victorian era are of particular interest and subjectivity, and in order to be able to come to a clearer and more cognitive view on this subject matter, the following questions must be addressed: 1. What are prisons 2. To what extent did early Victorian prisons in England deter and reform criminals 3. What are some conclusions that can be made on early Victorian prisons in England By discussing these four questions, we can come to a more knowledgeable and understanding opinion on this subject of interest. This is what will be dissertated in the following. What are Prisons Prisons are literally defined as places where persons are confined and usually deprived of a range of personal freedoms, as punishment for particular and often various crimes. Prisons are also often times used as a tool of political repression, particularly in times of heightened war or conflict. "A prison system is the organizational arrangement of the provision and operation of prisons." The United Kingdom has the highest incarceration rate among all of Western Europe, with an approximated 109 out of every 100 000 people imprisoned in the present day; today there are 139 prisons in England and Wales, with 19 of those having been built rather recently - 1995 or beyond. The rise in the prison population in England has been primarily attributed to changes in terms of sentencing. Crimes such as shoplifting and other forms of petty theft have overtly harsher sentences in the present day than years ago; in 1995 alone over 129 people were in prison for shoplifting, and in 2001, 3 000 people were sent to prison for petty theft for a first time

Socrates And Aristotle On Virtues

Socrates And Aristotle On Virtues Socrates and Aristotle are both ancient philosophers. In their work they both taught on the idea of ethics and virtues. They believed in virtues but their understanding of what is means to be virtuous were different (Lutz, 1998). This is why their teaching on virtue as well as their lives and decisions contradicted. This paper is a critical comparison between Aristotles account of virtue and Socrates account of virtue. The similarity that exists in these teachings is that they believed in existence of virtues and taught their students on what is means to be virtuous only from their different understanding. The two philosophers believed in individuals possessing intellectual virtues. The common thread on the teachings of the two was the fact that people possessed certain virtues (Lutz, 1998). The virtues represent the most significant qualities for a person to possess. The two philosophers taught that having virtues was advantageous. Nevertheless, there are various differences on the way each understood and approached the subject. The differences in the accounts of virtues by the two philosophers are not only revealed in their teachings but also their way of life. Both Aristotle and Socrates were charged with impiety, but their differing understanding of what is virtuous and right led them to different actions. When Socrates was convicted to death, he accepted it and allowed himself to be executed. When he was offered to pay a fine for his crime he refused. He also refused to honour the pleas of Plato and his other students to run away in a boat they had ready for that purpose. Socrates is known to be a man who lived what he preached (Sherman, 1997). He refused to break the law even in the face of death and wanted to set a good example to his students. In a way through his act, he answered some of the questions he had posed to his students on virtue and courage. His actions also lived up to the fact that he advocated for friendship and true sense of commonality. This is what led Socrates to willingly accept hi s death sentence when most people thought he would flee. Socrates believed that running away from the authority amounted to going against his communitys will. As a pursuit of personal happiness, Aristotle on the other hand refused to accept his charges and fled. This is because Aristotles thinking was based on individual happiness and pleasure (Sherman, 1989). Unlike Socrates, when Aristotle was charged with impiety, he took the easy way out. He ran away rather than stay to face the charges. This tells us a lot about Aristotle. This is also evident in his argument that the final goal of human beings is happiness. He argued that living a virtuous life is something pleasurable. In his argument, the virtuous man takes pleasure in living a virtuous life. In his argument, it seems like devoid of virtues, a person cannot achieve happiness. It is like virtue is the linking aspect to happiness. This is in contrast with the theory of Socrates who argues that the best way of life is focusing on self-development instead of pursuing material things (Lutz, 1998). In his teachings, Socrates never revealed answers, nor did he reveal the truth. Socrates never taught the truth but taught his students how to find the truth by themselves. He just taught his students to discover. Socrates knew that no person could answer the questions concerning courage, virtue and duty to his satisfaction. People just claimed to be virtuous and courageous without really knowing what this meant (Sherman, 1989). On the part of Aristotle, being virtuous was a thing that people could not only understand but also achieve. Aristotle disagrees with Socrates in arguing that ethics is primarily about virtues. Socrates also argues that a person can have virtues without necessarily having the kind of knowledge that typifies mathematics of nature science. Aristotle is capable of demonstrating that ethics and personal interest may be related, that ethics is well-suited to common sense, and that a virtuous person is capable of achieving rational decisions. Aristotle also made a distinction between two kinds of virtues; ethical and intellectual. Ethical virtues come about through habitual actions. He argued that people are born with the capacity to live a virtuous life. He also argues that education is essential in establishing human capability to make virtuous acts habitual. Aristotle believed that people have to act virtuously as much as they can and by doing so they make a step in becoming virtuous. He also believes that ethical virtues need to be attended with pleasure. He believed that human beings cannot be exposed to pain when they are acting virtuously. If a person is exposed to pain as a result of an action, then he cannot be considered virtuous (Sherman, 1989). Unlike Socrates who believed in doing what is right, Aristotle believed that too much and too little are always wrong. He argued that virtuous acts are always midway states between the contrasting vices of excess and deficiency. This is unlike the idea of Socrates where there was no compromise or flexibility in being good. Aristotles theory of virtues allows for flexibility. Socrates stresses that virtue was the most important possession and that life must be lived in pursuit of good (Sherman, 1997). While both of the philosophers believed in the benefit of having virtues, it is Socrates who stresses more than Aristotle the importance of the virtues. In his Socrates view there is no go between; people had to be good. In Socrates theory the idea of happiness and pleasure brings in an aspect of compromise. Between the two philosophers, it is Socrates who forms the best example of living a virtuous life.