scholarly journals “What a Man Does Not Know Is Greater than He”: Analyzing Noos, Thymos and Akrasia in Achebe’s Arrow of God

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Owen G. Mordaunt ◽  
Samrand Avestan

This paper is an exposition of how Chinua Achebe’s Arrow of God (1964) is engaged with philosophical concepts of thymos, noos, eros, and akrasia. The focus of this study is principally on Ezeulu’s thymos. To achieve this end, Francis Fukuyama’s notion of thymos or “desire for recognition” has been considered to provide a more tangible description of the term. This study explores that when a person’s body formation is mostly dominated by thymos, which has run out of control, the result is akrasia. Subsequently, it will be discussed that Ezeulu’s akrasia or “weakness in will” is the result of his ambivalent quest for self-worth. This article also seeks to examine the ways in which Ezeulu, the Chief Priest of Ulu, struggles to maintain his dignity to remain Umuaro’s cynosure. Ezeulu’s old age, his poor eyesight, his conflicts with his people, his insistence on revenge, and his desire for higher values provide some of the major sources of akrasia. By applying these aforementioned philosophical concepts to this novel, it is hoped that this article will contribute to a new conceptualization in terms of psychic disposition in Achebe’s Arrow of God.

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (10) ◽  
pp. 1636-1644
Author(s):  
Amanda Ravary ◽  
Emma K. Stewart ◽  
Mark W. Baldwin

2009 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 1003-1014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ehud Bodner

ABSTRACTBackground: Ageism is apparent in many social structures and contexts and in diverse forms over the life cycle. This review discusses the development and consequences of ageism toward elderly people by others of any age, according to the Terror Management Theory (TMT) and the Social Identity Theory (SIT).Method: A systematic search of the literature was carried out on the social and psychological origins of ageism in younger and older adults.Results: Studies on the reasons for ageism among older adults point to attitudes that older adults have toward their own age group, while studies on ageism in young adults explain it as an unconscious defensive strategy which younger adults use against death anxiety. In other words, TMT can serve as a suitable framework for ageism in younger adults, and SIT appears to explain ageism in older adults.Conclusions: A dissociation of the linkage between death and old age in younger adults can be achieved by changing the concepts of death and old age. For older adults, it is recommended to improve self-worth by encouraging social contacts in which older adults contribute to younger adults, weaken the effects of age stereotypes in TV programs, and prepare middle-aged adults for living healthy lives as older adults. However, these conclusions should be regarded with caution, because several key areas (age related cues, activated cognitive processes, impact of death awareness on ageism) need to be investigated in order to validate this understanding of the origins of ageism among younger and older adults.


Author(s):  
A. R. Crooker ◽  
W. G. Kraft ◽  
T. L. Beard ◽  
M. C. Myers

Helicobacter pylori is a microaerophilic, gram-negative bacterium found in the upper gastrointestinal tract of humans. There is strong evidence that H. pylori is important in the etiology of gastritis; the bacterium may also be a major predisposing cause of peptic ulceration. On the gastric mucosa, the organism exists as a spiral form with one to seven sheathed flagella at one (usually) or both poles. Short spirals were seen in the first successful culture of the organism in 1983. In 1984, Marshall and Warren reported a coccoid form in older cultures. Since that time, other workers have observed rod and coccal forms in vitro; coccoid forms predominate in cultures 3-7 days old. We sought to examine the growth cycle of H. pylori in prolonged culture and the mode of coccoid body formation.


2009 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 72-78
Author(s):  
Rebecca L. Nelson Crowell ◽  
Julie Hanenburg ◽  
Amy Gilbertson

Abstract Audiologists have a responsibility to counsel patients with auditory concerns on methods to manage the inherent challenges associated with hearing loss at every point in the process: evaluation, hearing aid fitting, and follow-up visits. Adolescents with hearing loss struggle with the typical developmental challenges along with communicative challenges that can erode one's self-esteem and self-worth. The feeling of “not being connected” to peers can result in feelings of isolation and depression. This article advocates the use of a Narrative Therapy approach to counseling adolescents with hearing loss. Adolescents with hearing loss often have problem-saturated narratives regarding various components of their daily life, friendships, amplification, academics, etc. Audiologists can work with adolescents with hearing loss to deconstruct the problem-saturated narratives and rebuild the narratives into a more empowering message. As the adolescent retells their positive narrative, they are likely to experience increased self-esteem and self-worth.


2011 ◽  
Vol 81 (4) ◽  
pp. 238-239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manfred Eggersdorfer ◽  
Paul Walter

Nutrition is important for human health in all stages of life - from conception to old age. Today we know much more about the molecular basis of nutrition. Most importantly, we have learnt that micronutrients, among other factors, interact with genes, and new science is increasingly providing more tools to clarify this interrelation between health and nutrition. Sufficient intake of vitamins is essential to achieve maximum health benefit. It is well established that in developing countries, millions of people still suffer from micronutrient deficiencies. However, it is far less recognized that we face micronutrient insufficiencies also in developed countries.


GeroPsych ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 161-166
Author(s):  
Hana Stepankova ◽  
Eva Jarolimova ◽  
Eva Dragomirecka ◽  
Irena Sobotkova ◽  
Lenka Sulova ◽  
...  

This work provides an overview of psychology of aging and old age in the Czech Republic. Historical roots as well as recent activities are listed including clinical practice, cognitive rehabilitation, research, and the teaching of geropsychology.


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