Abelard and Heloise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Abelard and Heloise - Essay Example However, they were still people true to their age and perhaps what might be considered liberal may have had a deeper meaning. Both of these scholars were known, from time to time, to deviate from what the norm was concerning gender roles in their societies. Their writings display a characteristic that was particularly common among the writers of that age; they were liberal to a certain extent and their opinions were openly stated. However, when it came to doing something about changing their societies so that they would conform to their liberal views, they took no action. It can, therefore, be said that although Abelard and Heloise, in their writings, showed several instances of being liberal concerning gender roles, they remained remarkably conservative in their actions. Abelard continued to advocate for a male dominated society  while Heloise supported the role of a subservient woman, who had to submit to the will of man. The love affair between Abelard and Heloise also shows the gender issues, which were prevalent in their society. Both of them were profoundly influenced by the opinion of their society when it came to gender roles, and this is clearly shown in their writings. Some instances of their opinions on gender shall be considered and analyzed in this paper. In a majority of his letters, Abelard displays a respect for the competence of women, something that is truly surprising for a man of the middle ages. Most of his works concerning women are based on his religious opinion of them. In some of his work, he states that women are much closer to Christ due to the opinion that women are particularly closely tied to the earth than men. Abelard in general shows a strong admiration for women, and he states that their virtue is much more pleasing to God than that displayed by men. Alongside this admiration is also his belief that women are lesser to men; that men are the better part of humanity while women are the lesser. He states that while women are mor e intimately tied to the earth, men are strongly tied to the spiritual. Because of this, women tend to be more susceptible to sin than men are  because they do not have the spiritual capacity to withstand temptation (Ruys 1). Therefore, his reference to women’s virtue being more pleasing to God may imply that they have to overcome their spiritual advantage over men in order to become virtuous. Abelard’s point of view concerning women is not as liberal as one might think, and instead, he shares the opinion concerning them that was prevalent during his time. He barely deviates from the views of his contemporaries, and, in fact, it can be said that he is a leading proponent of a male dominated society  while women remain in the background. At first glance, Heloise’s writings are extremely liberal because they push the boundary of what was considered proper at that time. She displays a wide knowledge in her work and  her letters to Abelard; she often challenge s him and asks his opinions on various issues. However, despite the liberal views, she is still hugely much influenced by the way of thinking that was common at her time. While addressing Abelard in her letters, she acts as a submissive woman and not as his equal (Zollinger 231). One would argue that it is because they had been married that she would address him with such submissiveness. However, this will be found not to be the case because, in their letters, extremely little is ever mentioned of their married life. It can be said that Heloise displays the medieval society’s belief that women are inferior. She accepts the conclusions, which Abelard makes concerning diverse matters, and more often than not, she is seen seeking his approval or opinion on a large number of subjects. Heloise is an intellectual, and this is something that

The US position in the two Iraq wars Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 7500 words

The US position in the two Iraq wars - Essay Example It is further submitted that in order to discuss the US position in both Iraq wars it is necessary to consider the background to the relationship between America and Iraq preceding the Gulf wars. It is proposed that the fall of the Soviet Union and the changing world order in the aftermath of the cold war triggered a change in the international political framework, thereby altering the traditional theory of international relations as evidenced by Operation Desert Storm. This further marked a turning point in US foreign policy objectives in the Middle East, which was cemented by the events of September 11. To this end, Operation Iraqi Freedom is a prime example of this as a foreseeable end to the US war in Iraq remains precarious, leading to justifications of necessary humanitarian interventions and post conflict peace building. Therefore, in considering the US position in the two Iraq Wars, I shall consider the background to US foreign policy in Section 2, followed by a discussion of Operation Desert Storm in Section 3. In Section 4 I shall undertake a comparative analysis of Operation Iraqi Freedom followed by a discussion of the blurring of the distinction between military operations and legitimate peace building initiatives. In Section 6, I shall consider the Operation Iraqi Freedom in context of the increased role of private military contractors by the US, followed by a conclusion in section 7. If we consider the historical backdrop of US foreign policy, it is evident from the early 1794 the Neutrality Act, which was re-enacted and amended in 1818; that US foreign policy has roots in developing international laws of neutrality, by aiming to secure general acceptance of internal policy pronouncements â€Å"on such matters from the countries of Europe throughout the late eighteenth centuries onwards† (Boyle, 2002 at