universal truth

Azalea Power
English 3 AP
Mr. Soeth
February 9, 2011

REHUGO Analysis: Universal Truth

A."The community which has neither poverty nor riches will always have the noblest principles." This is a quote from Plato, a classical Greek philosopher who wrote many philosophical dialogues.

“They say money doesn’t buy happiness. That phrase should end with ‘just kidding.’” This quote is by Daniel Tosh, an American comedian.


B. The first quote by Plato is suggesting that communities in desperate need for money, or have an abundance of it, are not as dignified as they have the potential to be. A society that does not have "poverty" or "riches" would have noble principles because those hindrances have not been exposed to them. A person raised in a place where all they are accostomed to is money and possessions has no inkling as to what a life of dearth and hardship consists of, and vice versa. The balance of these two lifestyles, which can be classified as the middle class, was Plato's anticipation of an ideal community; he realized how well proportioned it is in the sense that it has no extreme wealth or extreme destitude.

The second quote can be seen as somewhat of an indirect contradiction to the previous one because Plato does not believe a society with money can properly function. Daniel Tosh is ironically stating that contrary to popular belief, money can infact buy a person's happiness. This concept of money having the capability to buy someone's happiness is highly debateable because the definition of "happiness" changes from person to person; different families and communities see happiness in multiple ways depending on their moral values. This quote goes well with the saying "beauty is in the eyes of the beholder" because everyone has and is entitled to their own opinion.


C. Plato's quote is relevant in modern society because he speaks of communities having noble principles, and our culture could benefit from having more nobility. In the United States, there are many people who barely make enough money to feed their families or keep their house, but at the same time, there are those who are extremely well off with an abundance of things they do not need. Most people are too consumed with our fast paced and constantly growing society that they forget some of the most important things in life: family, happiness, and good health.

Daniel Tosh's quote has massive relevance in today's materialistic society because people are always buying the newest technologies for themselves to bring them "happiness". Everyone is exposed to multiple advertisements through television, bilboards, magazines, etc., with the latest and greatest novelties being brandished in their faces. Having the newest items motivates our country because owning high quality items gives people a sense of assurance; most socially integrated people do not want to fall behind on current trends.