Without objective morality, we could not be held more accountable for our actions than could a flying piece of shrapnel from an explosion.﻿

The existence of morality proves that we are innately valuable as image bearers of God. Thus we have a moral duty to love God and neighbor which is the ultimate summary of the 10 commandments. Jesus shows it here in Matthew 22:36-40 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Why It Is CRUCIAL

A system of morality which is based on relative emotional values is a mere illusion, a thoroughly vulgar conception which has nothing sound in it and nothing true.

What’s Wrong With Subjective Morality??

Criminals pray for a universe where they can make up the rules. After all, if morality is up to the individual, who is to say that what they do is wrong? Furthermore, who is to say that a society is wrong if they have all agreed upon something? This is why slavery was a massive problem. When a society turns away from a standard of right and wrong, you will have a nation that dehumanizes anyone who’s skin color isn’t white for their selfish gain. Thank God for Christian abolitionists that stood up to the law makers and plantation owners in order to put an end to the evil that was taking place.

Subjective Morality Always Fails

Morality is truth in full bloom.

In conclusion, a standard of morality can also be used as a mirror to hold up to yourself and see how you compare.The bad news is that no one is perfect. All have fallen short and broken the moral code that God has given us. However, the good news is that Jesus was perfect and He made a way back to the Father. Romans 3:23-24 states that:“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Christ fulfilled the Law and sacrificed Himself so that we can have salvation through His perfect work. Amen.

So You Haven’t Been Perfect…

There must be a standard that we hold ourselves to! God is the eternal creator of all things, which includes right and wrong.

philosophy

Philosophy

religionandspirituality

Religion & Spirituality

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

writing

Reading & Writing

artsandculture

Society, Arts & Culture

Morality

Explore the turbulent five months between Lincoln’s election and the Civil War’s start, where hubris, heartbreak, and heroism clashed, culminating in the assault on Fort Sumter.

Lincoln’s unexpected election win on November 6, 1860, set the stage for national unrest, with Southern extremists calling for secession.	•	“Could I have anticipated them, I would not have believed it possible to survive them,” Lincoln later reflected.

Lincoln's Unforeseen Victory

Southern states began seceding from the Union, with South Carolina leading the way. The movement was fueled by fears about slavery’s future.

The Fire of Secession Ignites

The focal point of the looming conflict was Fort Sumter, a federal stronghold in Charleston Harbor that symbolized Union authority in a seceding South.

Fort Sumter: The Flashpoint

Ruffin, a radical secessionist, fueled pro-secession sentiment through fiery speeches and literature, pushing for Southern independence.

Edmund Ruffin: The Fanatic Firebrand

Outgoing President Buchanan’s indecision and refusal to act decisively allowed Southern states to strengthen their secessionist stance.

James Buchanan's Passive Leadership

Tensions arose between Lincoln and his Secretary of State, William Seward, as the new administration struggled to maintain the Union.

Internal Division in Lincoln's Cabinet

The commander of Fort Sumter, Anderson, was a former slave owner sympathetic to the South but loyal to the Union, making him a pivotal figure in the crisis.

Major Robert Anderson: A Man of Two Loyalties

Tragic miscommunications and mixed signals from both Union and Confederate sides intensified tensions, propelling both sides closer to war.

The Role of Miscommunication

The Union’s defensive positions in Charleston Harbor, including Fort Moultrie, were inadequately prepared to withstand a Southern assault.

Charleston Harbor's Weak Defenses

Southern leaders like James Henry Hammond justified slavery as essential to the Southern economy and social structure, promoting the idea that certain groups must perform menial labor.

The Mudsill Theory of Slavery

Wife of a prominent planter, Chesnut provided a personal perspective on the conflict, reflecting on both marriage and slavery’s moral implications.

Mary Boykin Chestnut: A Witness To History

Efforts for a peaceful resolution ultimately failed, with Lincoln’s attempts to avoid war thwarted by the secessionists’ determination.

The Final Days of Diplomacy

On April 12, 1861, Confederate forces opened fire on Fort Sumter, marking the official start of the Civil War.

The Bombardment of Fort Sumter

The attack on Fort Sumter galvanized public opinion, transforming the conflict from a political dispute into a national crisis.

Public Sentiment Erupts

Lincoln’s appeal for 75,000 volunteers to suppress the rebellion led to mass enlistment and escalated the path to all-out war.

Lincoln's Call For Troops

Erik Larson masterfully chronicles the chaotic months that led to the Civil War, offering a gripping narrative filled with flawed leaders, conflicting loyalties, and the relentless march toward a war that would define a nation.

Dive into the chaotic months before the Civil War, where hubris, division, and miscommunication ignited America’s deadliest conflict.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The author of The Splendid and the Vile brings to life the pivotal five months between the election of Abraham Lincoln and the start of the Civil War in this “riveting reexamination of a nation in tumult” (Los Angeles Times). “A feast of historical insight and narrative verve . . . This is Erik Larson at his best, enlivening even a thrice-told tale into an irresistible thriller.”—The Wall Street Journal On November 6, 1860, Abraham Lincoln became the fluky victor in a tight race for president. The country was bitterly at odds; Southern extremists were moving ever closer to destroying the Union, with one state after another seceding and Lincoln powerless to stop them. Slavery fueled the conflict, but somehow the passions of North and South came to focus on a lonely federal fortress in Charleston Harbor: Fort Sumter. Master storyteller Erik Larson offers a gripping account of the chaotic months between Lincoln’s election and the Confederacy’s shelling of Sumter—a period marked by tragic errors and miscommunications, enflamed egos and craven ambitions, personal tragedies and betrayals. Lincoln himself wrote that the trials of these five months were “so great that, could I have anticipated them, I would not have believed it possible to survive them.” At the heart of this suspense-filled narrative are Major Robert Anderson, Sumter’s commander and a former slave owner sympathetic to the South but loyal to the Union; Edmund Ruffin, a vain and bloodthirsty radical who stirs secessionist ardor at every opportunity; and Mary Boykin Chesnut, wife of a prominent planter, conflicted over both marriage and slavery and seeing parallels between them. In the middle of it all is the overwhelmed Lincoln, battling with his duplicitous secretary of state, William Seward, as he tries desperately to avert a war that he fears is inevitable—one that will eventually kill 750,000 Americans. Drawing on diaries, secret communiques, slave ledgers, and plantation records, Larson gives us a political horror story that captures the forces that led America to the brink—a dark reminder that we often don’t see a cataclysm coming until it’s too late.

history

History

books

Books

politics

Politics

leadershipandmanagement

Leadership & Management

Erik Larson

The Demon of Unrest

“Be scared. You can’t help that, but don’t be afraid.”

“There are always more of them before they are counted.”

“One cannot find a great exemplar except in misfortune.”

“Fear determines what is or isn’t possible. If you think something is too scary, it’s too scary for you. If you don’t think you have any power…you don’t. If you aren’t the captain of your fate… then fate is the captain of you.”

“Our fears point us , like a self-indicating arrow, in the direction of the right thing to do.”

“If you wish to improve, be content to appear clueless or stupid.”

“There’s a great expression: Whatever you’re not changing, you’re choosing.”

“One man with courage makes a majority.”

“The bill comes due eventually, with interest attached.”

“Imagine that your own ancestors - of blood and bravery - are standing here, watching you, protecting you. Remind yourself what they would do right here and right now. You can’t let them down.”

“Every prophet has to come from civilization, but every prophet has to go into the wilderness. He must have a strong impression of a complex society… and he must serve periods of isolation and meditation. This is the process by which psychic dynamite is made.”

“A life is meaningless except for it’s impact on others.”

“Our duty was never just to be the best version of ourselves, but to help others realize their best.”

“Character, is above all the ability to disregard insults or abandonment by one’s own people. One must be willing to lose everything. There is no such thing as half a risk.”

“No power on earth can govern a human being, however feeble, who withholds his or her consent.”

Insightful and inspiring quotes hand selected from Ryan Holiday’s first book of his most recent stoic virtue series.

The instant New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestseller! Ryan Holiday’s bestselling trilogy—The Obstacle Is the Way, Ego is the Enemy, and Stillness is the Key—captivated professional athletes, CEOs, politicians, and entrepreneurs and helped bring Stoicism to millions of readers. Now, in the first book of an exciting new series on the cardinal virtues of ancient philosophy, Holiday explores the most foundational virtue of all: Courage. Almost every religion, spiritual practice, philosophy and person grapples with fear. The most repeated phrase in the Bible is “Be not afraid.” The ancient Greeks spoke of phobos, panic and terror. It is natural to feel fear, the Stoics believed, but it cannot rule you. Courage, then, is the ability to rise above fear, to do what’s right, to do what’s needed, to do what is true. And so it rests at the heart of the works of Marcus Aurelius, Aristotle, and CS Lewis, alongside temperance, justice, and wisdom. In Courage Is Calling, Ryan Holiday breaks down the elements of fear, an expression of cowardice, the elements of courage, an expression of bravery, and lastly, the elements of heroism, an expression of valor. Through engaging stories about historic and contemporary leaders, including Charles De Gaulle, Florence Nightingale, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Holiday shows you how to conquer fear and practice courage in your daily life. You’ll also delve deep into the moral dilemmas and courageous acts of lesser-known, but equally as important, figures from ancient and modern history, such as Helvidius Priscus, a Roman Senator who stood his ground against emperor Vespasian, even in the face of death; Frank Serpico, a former New York City Police Department Detective who exposed police corruption; and Frederick Douglass and a slave named Nelly, whose fierce resistance against her captors inspired his own crusade to end slavery. In a world in which fear runs rampant—when people would rather stand on the sidelines than speak out against injustice, go along with convention than bet on themselves, and turn a blind eye to the ugly realities of modern life—we need courage more than ever. We need the courage of whistleblowers and risk takers. We need the courage of activists and adventurers. We need the courage of writers who speak the truth—and the courage of leaders to listen. We need you to step into the arena and fight.

motivationandinspiration

Motivation & Inspiration

Ryan Holiday is media strategist for notorious clients like Tucker Max and Dov Charney. After dropping out of college at 19 to apprentice under the strategist Robert Greene, he went on to advise many bestselling authors and multi-platinum musicians. He is the Director of Marketing at American Apparel, where his work in advertising was internationally known. His strategies are used as case studies by Twitter, YouTube, and Google, and have been written about in AdAge, the New York Times, Gawker, and Fast Company. He is the author is *Trust Me, I'm Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator*, which is due out in July. He currently lives in New Orleans, with his rebellious puppy, Hanno.

Ryan Holiday

Courage Is Calling

In The Second Treatise of Government, John Locke begins by addressing the reader directly, expressing his hope that his work will support King William’s rightful claim to the throne of England. He argues that the only legal way to run a government is through the agreement of the people, and that King William’s rule is based on this principle

Introduction: Locke’s Purpose and Critique of Filmer

Locke also criticizes Sir Robert Filmer’s ideas, dismissing them as doubtful expressions and nonsensical rhetoric. He warns that incorrect ideas about government are among the most dangerous beliefs, though he remains open to reasonable critiques. However, he emphasizes that valid arguments do not lead to unnecessary complaints or conflicts.

Locke refutes Filmer’s claim that God gave Adam natural authority over the world or the right to rule as a father. Locke argues that even if Adam had been granted such power, it would not extend to his descendants, and since Adam lived long ago, it is impossible to prove his offspring still exist. Thus, political power cannot originate from this supposed divine grant.Instead, Locke defines political power as the right to create and enforce laws for the protection of the commonwealth, safeguarding property, and promoting the public good. He distinguish political power from other form of power.

Refuting Filmer’s Divine Authority of Adam

To explain political power, Locke delves into the state of nature, a condition where individuals are free and equal, yet bound by natural law, which prohibits harming others' lives, liberties, health, or property. In the absence of government, everyone has the right to punish those who violate this law, but Locke acknowledges that people may punish excessively.

The State of Nature and Natural Law

Civil government, therefore, arises to mitigate these violent tendencies. Locke differentiates between a peaceful state of nature and a state of war, which occurs when individuals seek complete control over others, threatening self-preservation. He asserts that individuals have the right to defend themselves against such threats.

Locke argues that society was formed to avoid the violence of the state of war, with individuals agreeing to appoint a single judge to resolve disputes. He asserts that everyone has a natural right to self-preservation and to resources provided by nature, which become personal property when mixed with labor. For example, gathering acorns from a tree makes them the gatherer’s property. Similarly, land cultivated by an individual becomes their property.However, Locke imposes limits, stating that people should only take what they can use before it spoils.

Formation of Society and Private Property

Men being, as has been said, by nature, all free, equal and independent, no one can be put out of this estate, and subjected to the political power of another, without his own consent.

Locke also discusses parental power, which he describes as the authority parents hold over their children until they can reason independently. This power is shared by both parents and is limited because it does not extend to the child’s life or possessions. Locke criticizes the idea that kings rule as fathers, arguing that granting absolute power to rulers eliminates personal freedom. Political power, Locke insists, can only arise through the consent of the governed.

Parental Power and Critique of Monarchical Authority

Locke describes the formation of democratic societies, which require clear laws, impartial judges, and mechanisms to enforce these laws. When individuals leave the state of nature to join a commonwealth, they relinquish their personal rights to self-preservation and punishment, transferring these powers to the commonwealth.

The Role of Democratic Society

The legislative power, as the highest authority, creates laws to protect the commonwealth, while the executive enforces these laws, and the federative handles external affairs like war and peace. These powers, derived from the people, must always work for the public good and require the people’s consent.

Locke warns that governments can fail due to external forces like conquest and tyranny or internal issues like corruption and the abuse of legislative authority. He argues that when a government stops serving the commonwealth or enforces arbitrary laws, it loses its legitimacy. If a king abdicates or the government becomes dysfunctional, the power returns to the people, who then have the right to rebuild the government.

Causes of Government Failure and the People’s Right to Resist

Locke maintains that it is up to the people to judge whether their government is acting against their interests, and if it is, they have the right to resist and establish a new government that serves the public good.

Full Summary of Second Treatise of Government by John Locke

"[Presents] one of the great classics of political philosophy, widely regarded as the foundational text of modern liberalism ... [Also includes] 'A letter concerning toleration' aimed to end Christianity's wars of religion and called for the separation of church and state so that everyone could enjoy freedom of conscience"--Provided by publisher.

John Locke

Second Treatise of Government

Huck's internal struggle between societal norms and his own moral compass highlights the importance of individual judgment and the courage to defy societal expectations.

Individual Conscience

Twain satirizes the hypocrisy of a society that claims to be civilized while perpetuating slavery and racism. Huck's journey exposes the stark contrast between societal ideals and reality

Society

The river symbolizes freedom and the escape from societal constraints. Huck and Jim's journey on the river represents a search for personal liberty and the rejection of societal expectations.

Freedom

Huck's evolving relationship with Jim challenges racial stereotypes and explores the complexities of friendship, loyalty, and empathy.

Human Relationships

Through his experiences with Jim, Huck learns to empathize with others and question the prejudices he has been taught. This underscores the importance of understanding different perspectives and challenging preconceived notions.

Empathy

Huck Finn, a young boy yearning for freedom, escapes society's constraints and embarks on a dangerous river journey with a runaway slave, Jim, confronting moral dilemmas and societal prejudices along the way.

The classic boyhood adventure tale in a beautiful Deluxe Edition illustrated by Lilli Carre Mark Twain's tale of a boy's picaresque journey down the Mississippi on a raft conveyed the voice and experience of the American frontier as no other work had done before. When Huck escapes from his drunken father and the 'sivilizing' Widow Douglas with the runaway slave Jim, he embarks on a series of adventures that draw him to feuding families and the trickery of the unscrupulous 'Duke' and 'Dauphin'. Beneath the exploits, however, are more serious undercurrents - of slavery, adult control and, above all, of Huck's struggle between his instinctive goodness and the corrupt values of society, which threaten his deep and enduring friendship with Jim. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

education

Learning & Education

Mark Twain

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Scarlett O'Hara's ability to overcome adversity and adapt to changing circumstances is a central theme. Despite facing war, poverty, and personal loss, she demonstrates remarkable resilience and resourcefulness.

Resilience and Adaptation

The novel vividly portrays the devastating effects of the Civil War on the Southern society, particularly the lives of plantation owners and enslaved people. It highlights the economic, social, and cultural upheaval caused by the conflict.

The Impact of the Civil War

The characters in "Gone with the Wind" are multifaceted and often contradictory. Scarlett, for example, is both charming and ruthless, loving and self-centered. This exploration of human complexity adds depth to the story.

The Complexity of Human Nature

The novel reflects the changing societal expectations for women during the 19th century. Scarlett's journey from a sheltered Southern belle to a strong, independent businesswoman challenges traditional gender roles.

The Changing Role of Women

Despite the turbulent times, the bonds of love and family remain central to the story. The characters' unwavering devotion to their loved ones provides a sense of hope and continuity amidst the chaos.

The Enduring Power of Love and Family

A woman's journey of survival and love in the turbulent aftermath of the Civil War.

Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read. Margaret Mitchell's epic novel of love and war won the Pulitzer Prize and went on to give rise to two authorized sequels and one of the most popular and celebrated movies of all time. Many novels have been written about the Civil War and its aftermath. None take us into the burning fields and cities of the American South as Gone With the Wind does, creating haunting scenes and thrilling portraits of characters so vivid that we remember their words and feel their fear and hunger for the rest of our lives. In the two main characters, the white-shouldered, irresistible Scarlett and the flashy, contemptuous Rhett, Margaret Mitchell not only conveyed a timeless story of survival under the harshest of circumstances, she also created two of the most famous lovers in the English-speaking world since Romeo and Juliet.

Margaret Mitchell

Gone with the Wind

“Manga is virtual. Manga is sentiment. Manga is resistance. Manga is bizarre. Manga is pathos. Manga is destruction. Manga is arrogance. Manga is love. Manga is kitsch. Manga is sense of wonder. Manga is … there is no conclusion yet.”

"One face is given to us by god. The other, we make ourselves"

"The only thing we're allowed to, is to believe that we won't regret the choice we made."

"Nothing goes perfectly for us. But... being incomplete is what pushes us onward to the next something... If we were even perfectly satisfied, what meaning would the rest of our lives hold, right?"

“I still don't know what it really means to grow up. However, if I happen to meet you, one day in the future, by then, I want to become someone you can be proud to know.”

“Children are much better at bringing out what they have imagined in their heads. İt's much more straightforward. They don't try to do a good job. It's nice, isn't it? Because it's pure, innocent. İt's a part of me that's been lost.”

"A path is something you create as you walk it. The ground you've trodden hardens, and that's what forms your path. You're the only one who can create your own path. Walk on your own. If you haven't given up yet, that is."

“I’ve become skeptical of the unwritten rule that just because a boy and girl appear in the same feature, a romance must ensue. Rather, I want to portray a slightly different relationship, one where the two mutually inspire each other to live - if I’m able to, then perhaps I’ll be closer to portraying a true expression of love.”

“Too much FANTASY loses REALITY, too much HOPE may seem somehow EMPTY.”

“Hate is a place where a man who can't stand sadness goes.”

“Being empty, means anything can fit inside you. if you want to be reborn, empty's the best way to be.”

"I realized at that moment that there are some whose dread of human beings is so morbid they yearn to see monsters of ever more horrible shapes."

Because they deserve to be heard too! (▀̿Ĺ̯▀̿ ̿)

sciencefiction

Science Fiction

movies

Movies & Shows

entertainment

Entertainment

anime

Anime

Impactful quotes from Anime/Manga creators

“Nothing is right if we’re not doing what is right.”

“The phrase ‘I am not responsible’ has become a standard response in our society to complaints of a job poorly done.”

“Whenever you are to do a thing tho’ it can never be known but to yourself, ask yourself how you would act were all the world looking at you.”

“Loyalty does not mean protecting people from the consequences of their own actions.

“The man who is just and firm of purpose can be shaken from his stern resolve neither by the rage of the people who urge him to crime nor by the countenance of the threatening tyrant.”

We cannot fix what we won’t face. We cannot stop what we refuse to acknowledge.

“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil… God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”

“No one ever became poor by giving.”

Inspiring and insightful quotes pulled from Ryan Holiday’s third book of his most recent stoic series over Justice, one of the four cardinal virtues of stoicism.

In his New York Times bestselling book, Discipline Is Destiny, Ryan Holiday made the Stoic case for a life of self-discipline. In this much-anticipated third installment in the Stoic Virtues series, he argues for the necessity of doing what’s right – even when it isn’t easy For the ancients, everything worth pursuing in life flowed from a strong sense of justice—or one’s commitment to doing the right thing, no matter how difficult. In order to be courageous, wise, and self-disciplined, one must begin with justice. The influence of the modern world often tells us that acting justly is optional. Holiday argues that that’s simply untrue—and the fact that so few people today have the strength to stand by their convictions explains much about why we’re so unhappy. In Right Thing. Right Now., Holiday draws on fascinating stories of historical figures such as Marcus Aurelius, Florence Nightingale, Jimmy Carter, Gandhi, and Frederick Douglass, whose examples of kindness, honesty, integrity, and loyalty we can emulate as pillars of upright living. Through the lives of these role models, readers learn the transformational power of living by a moral code and, through the cautionary tales of unjust leaders, the consequences of an ill-formed conscience. The Stoics never claimed that living justly was easy, only that it was necessary. And that the alternative—sacrificing our principles for something lesser—was considered only by cowards and fools. Right Thing. Right Now. is a powerful antidote to the moral failures of our modern age, and a manual for living virtuously.

Understand yourself and those around you.

psychology

Psychology

Right Thing, Right Now

The Social Contract to address two central questions in social philosophy: 1. How people can remain free while living under the control of a state2. What makes a state's power legitimate

Introduction

He states that people create nations by uniting their individual powers through a social contract, agreeing to govern themselves collectively and protect each other's rights.To form a country, individuals must relinquish certain freedoms they possessed in the state of nature. However, these are replaced by the more significant civil freedom of living in society, which fosters moral and intellectual growth.

Rousseau states that a state is only legitimate when people govern themselves an idea he calls authority. People make laws and delegate the enforcement of those laws to a government, which represents the executive power.

Book I

Man is born free; and everywhere he is in chains

He delves into the concept of sovereignty, which Rousseau defines as the collective authority of the people over themselves. He emphasizes that the ruler, as a collective entity, must prioritize the public interest over private goals and avoid benefiting some citizens at the expense of others. Rousseau critiques political parties for potentially undermining the general will, arguing that legitimate authority must serve the common good. He also asserts that laws must be abstract and impartial, applying equally to all.

Book II

Every man has a right to risk his own life in order to preserve it

Rousseau examines different forms of government like democracy, aristocracy, and monarchybased on how executive power is organized. He clarifies that his use of these terms differs from modern definitions. For Rousseau, a democracy involves citizens both making and enforcing laws, which he sees as impractical. Monarchy, where one individual holds all executive power, risks tyranny and inefficiency.

Book III

Instead, Rousseau favors aristocracy, where a small, chosen group oversees governance, provided it serves the people's interests. He also notes that the structure of government should adapt to the size and needs of the state, with larger states requiring more hierarchical systems.Rousseau argues that governments inevitably decline when they encroach upon the people's sovereignty. He suggests that citizens regularly assemble to discuss laws and limit governmental power. Roman Republic as an example of a system where citizens directly participated in lawmaking, ensuring the sovereignty of them.

Rousseau addresses challenges to maintaining a just government. He stresses that the general will must reflect the collective good, though individuals often prioritize personal interests over communal ones which is a sign of societal decay. Rousseau supports the idea of tribunals to check governmental overreach and, in extreme cases, endorses the Roman concept of a temporary dictatorship during crises.

Book IV

He concludes that cultivating civic virtues is essential for sustaining a healthy state, proposing a civil religion to instill moral values and respect for the social contract. While Christianity focuses on salvation in the afterlife, Rousseau’s civil religion emphasizes principles that promote societal harmony and adherence to the law.

Full Summary of The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rousseau

The eighteenth-century philosopher’s landmark treatise against monarchy that inspired the French and American Revolutions.  “Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains.”   With these stirring words, Jean-Jacques Rousseau begins The Social Contract—the first shot in a battle of ideas that would set the stage for the American War of Independence and the French Revolution. In the feverish days of the Enlightenment, Rousseau took aim squarely at the all-powerful French monarchy, proclaiming that no despot, no matter how powerful, had the right to terrorize his people. He laid out a plan for a new kind of government—an idea that was radical then, and remains so now.   The Social Contract is a landmark document from a fascinating period in world history and an invaluable guide to the foundations of modern democracy.   This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

The Social Contract

“English did not just borrow words from other languages; it was stuffed to the brim with foreign influences, a Frankenstein vernacular. And Robin found it incredible, how this country, whose citizens prided themselves so much on being better than the rest of the world, could not make it through an afternoon tea without borrowed goods.”

Translation isn’t neutral—it’s a tool of control. In Babel, language wields magical, tangible power.	“Translation means more than language. It means power.”

Language as Power

Enchanted silver bars amplify the power of mistranslations, symbolizing wealth, industry, and exploitation.	“Magic lives in the untranslatable, in the space between words.”

The Magic of Silver

Unlock the hidden power of language, magic, and rebellion in R.F. Kuang’s Babel—where words rule.

Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller from the author of The Poppy War  “Absolutely phenomenal. One of the most brilliant, razor-sharp books I've had the pleasure of reading that isn't just an alternative fantastical history, but an interrogative one; one that grabs colonial history and the Industrial Revolution, turns it over, and shakes it out.” -- Shannon Chakraborty, bestselling author of The City of BrassFrom award-winning author R. F. Kuang comes Babel, a thematic response to The Secret History and a tonal retort to Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell that grapples with student revolutions, colonial resistance, and the use of language and translation as the dominating tool of the British empire.Traduttore, traditore: An act of translation is always an act of betrayal.1828. Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. There, he trains for years in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, all in preparation for the day he’ll enroll in Oxford University’s prestigious Royal Institute of Translation—also known as Babel.Babel is the world's center for translation and, more importantly, magic. Silver working—the art of manifesting the meaning lost in translation using enchanted silver bars—has made the British unparalleled in power, as its knowledge serves the Empire’s quest for colonization.For Robin, Oxford is a utopia dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. But knowledge obeys power, and as a Chinese boy raised in Britain, Robin realizes serving Babel means betraying his motherland. As his studies progress, Robin finds himself caught between Babel and the shadowy Hermes Society, an organization dedicated to stopping imperial expansion. When Britain pursues an unjust war with China over silver and opium, Robin must decide…Can powerful institutions be changed from within, or does revolution always require violence?

Babel

Find 100+ Facts about Art - Curated by others from trusted sources like Books, Podcasts & Articles - Genuine Insights from like-minded Users like You!