Presidents Without a College Degree

There are very few presidents without college degrees in American history. Thats not to say there havent been any, or that its impossible to work in politics without a college degree. Legally, you can be elected president of the United States  even if you didnt go to college.  The U.S. Constitution  does not set forth any education requirements for presidents.   But its a  pretty extraordinary achievement for a president without a college degree to be elected today. Every chief executive elected to  the White House in modern history  has held at least a bachelors degree. Most have earned advanced degrees or law degrees from Ivy League schools. In fact, every president since George H.W. Bush has held a degree from an Ivy League university.   Bush was a graduate of Yale University. So was his son, George W. Bush, the 43rd president, and Bill Clinton. Barack Obama got his law degree from Harvard University. Donald Trump, the billionaire real-estate developer and businessman elected president in 2016, graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, another Ivy League school. The trend is clear: not only do modern presidents have college degrees, but theyve also earned degrees from the most elite universities in the United States. But it wasnt always common for presidents to have earned degrees or even attended college. In fact, educational attainment wasnt a prime consideration among voters. Education of Early Presidents Fewer than half of the nations first 24 presidents held college degrees. Thats because they just didnt need to. For much of the nation’s history a college education was a prerequisite for the rich, well-connected or both; of the first 24 men who became president, 11 had not graduated from college at all (though three of those had attended some college without earning a degree), wrote  Drew DeSilver, a senior writer at the Pew Research Center. The most recent president without a college degree was Harry S. Truman, who served until 1953. The 33rd president of the United States, Truman attended business college and law school but graduated from neither. List of Presidents Without College Degrees George Washington: The nations first president never took college courses but did earn a  surveyors certificate.James Monroe: The nations fifth president attended William Mary College but didnt graduate.Andrew Jackson: The seventh president did not attend college.Martin Van Buren: The nations eighth president did not attend college.William Henry Harrison: The ninth president of the United States  attended both  Hampden-Sydney College and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine; he didnt graduate from either.Zachary Taylor: The nations 12th president did not attend college.Millard Fillmore: The 13th president did not attend college.Abraham Lincoln: The 16th president did not attend college.Andrew Johnson: The 17th president did not attend college.Grover Cleveland: The 22nd president did not attend college.William McKinley: The 25th president took courses at both Allegheny College and Albany Law School but did not graduate from either.Harry S. Truman: The 33rd presiden t took courses at Spaldings Commercial College  and the University of Kansas City School of Law but didnt earn degrees from either. Why Presidents Need College Degrees Now Even though nearly a dozen U.S. presidents - including some very successful ones - never earned degrees, every White House occupant since Truman has earned at least a bachelors degree. Would the likes of Lincoln and Washington be elected today without degrees? Probably not, wrote  Caitlin Anderson on CollegePlus, an organization that works with students to earn degrees.  Our information saturated society believes education must take place in the traditional classroom setting. Having a college degree makes candidates attractive. It makes anyone attractive. It’s essential.

Essay on Plato and the Forms - 508 Words

nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Plato’s notion of the Forms vs. the physical realm is quite and interesting topic. I believe something very similar to what Plato thinks about the Forms and our physical reality. Plato says that there is nothing that is perfect in this reality that we live in. And the Forms are the perfect ideals or thoughts that we are striving to achieve throughout our lives. Plato says it is impossible to reach the Forms in our current reality and that it is only possible to achieve perfect knowledge and truth after our soul leaves our body and goes to the next realm where we can become or attain the Forms. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Now I believe like Plato, that we can’t attain perfection while here on Earth, but†¦show more content†¦As we grow we age and become old, and will die eventually where our soul will continue to live until there is a resurrection. Our bodies and spirits or souls however you want to describe them will join together as a perfect body and we will finally have a perfect knowledge of all things and the â€Å"Forms† as Plato describes them. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Part of this test while here on Earth is to see if we can follow certain laws given to us by God. I believe that these laws are the Forms Plato talks about. What we are all trying to become and that these laws will help us to gain the perfect knowledge that we desire. I don’t believe however that all knowledge is innate with in us. I do believe that we had a great deal of knowledge and that we understood many things before we came to this Earth. However before we came here I don’t think we had bodies, and without bodies how could we know or have perfect knowledge of all things physical? It is impossible to have perfect knowledge and understanding of something that you have never experienced. So in the sense that we are trying to get back to or remember the perfect understanding of the Forms Plato describes I can’t agree with what Plato thinks in that regard. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Plato’s notion that we have perfect knowledge in the realm of the forms without a body, come to Earth and receive a body and forget all our knowledge, then spend our livesShow MoreRelatedPlato and Aristotle on Form and Matter794 Words   |  3 PagesPlato and Aristotle on Form and Matter Plato: Form and Matter Platos idea of form is also called eidos the ideal, idea, or inherent substance of the matter. To Plato, the ideal was the immanescent substance in the matter. It was always there even when the matter had expired. It was something that the matter could cling to and, sometimes, become like. It was the potential of the matter. To exemplify: the acorn tree was the matter. The acornness (or the potential for the tree to grow intoRead MorePlato s Theory Of The Forms1704 Words   |  7 Pages Plato’s Theory of the Forms Travis Meyer PHI 1090 Introduction to Philosophy 12/16/2015 Plato was a Greek philosopher, mathematician, and theologian who lived from 424 BC to 348 BC in Athens, Greece. Plato was born into a high class family in Greece and therefore was very active in the Athenian community since he was from a high status family. He was the founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. He is known to be one of the bestRead MorePlato s Theory Of Forms Essay1427 Words   |  6 Pages Plato was a standout amongst the most innovative and persuasive masterminds in Western philosophy, his impact all through the historical backdrop of philosophy has been monumental. Born around 428 B.C, he researched an extensive variety of topics; however, his Theory of Forms, found in The Republic, is an essential piece of Plato s philosophy. This is the center thought behind Plato s theory of forms, from this thought he moves towards clarifying his universe of forms or ideas. While tryingRead MorePlato Theory of Forms Essay1115 Words   |  5 PagesTheory of Forms is not something that is easy to understand. According to him the forms are a class concept that is a perfect example of the form itself. To anyone scanning through the forms they might not grasp the full concept Plato is trying to get across. However, if time is taken to examine Platos theory it can make sense. For Plato everything has a pure form. If you take any property of an object and separate it from the object itself, you are left contemplating a form. Plato splits upRead MorePlato s Theory Of Forms1629 Words   |  7 Pagesphilosophical theories are as essential as the theory of Forms. This is besides the fact that it is generally overlooked in many of Plato’s writings even though it lays the foundations to many other theories of his. The Republic is where the theory is first mentioned, followed by discussion in Phaedo and criticized in Parmenides and Timaeus thereafter. (These works will be further discussed later throughout the essay.) Plato’s theory of Forms, (sometimes referred to as the theory of Ideas) states basically:Read MorePlato s Theory Of Forms1556 Words   |  7 Pagestheory of Forms as presented in the Phaedo. Plato has an idea that all ideas are merely abstract thoughts, and what we perceive with our senses is actually an imperfect version of these abstract thoughts. This is the basic idea of Plato’s theory of the Forms. To best illustrate the theory of the Forms to others, Plato explains his famous Allegory of the Cave. From the groundwork of the Forms, Plato goes on in Phaedo to argue the immortality of the soul. He intertwines the theory of the Forms with hisRead MorePlato s Theory Of Form1111 Words   |  5 PagesPlato coined the term â€Å"Socratic questioning† to encourage the open discussion of philosophical theory for the purpose of improving said theory. Aristotle took advantage of the practice of Socratic questioning to inquire about Plato’s theory of Form and its explanation of causality in comparison to Aristotle’s own theories of causality and being. Aristotle criticizes Plato’s theory of Form because it only accounted for a one-dimensiona l explanation of what things are made up of and what identifiesRead MorePlato and Aristotle’s Forms of Government2292 Words   |  10 PagesPlato and Aristotle’s Forms of Government Throughout history, the idea of government has always been altered, discussed, and argued due to the many variation philosophers have created. Plato, a well- known philosopher is known for his book The Republic in which he discusses politics and the way society should run in order to achieve a just society. Plato was born into a aristocratic and dominant family. He lived from 428 B.C to 48 B.C. (Dale 22). Throughout his life, Plato never ceased to expandRead MoreForm and Meaning of Happiness in Plato2749 Words   |  11 PagesAn Analysis of the Form and Meaning of Happiness in Plato’s Republic I. Introduction One of the central claims of Plato’s Republic is that justice is not only desirable for its own sake, but that it maximises the happiness of those who practice it. This paper examines Plato’s arguments in support of this thesis to determine (a) what he means by happiness, (b) to what extent it exists in his proposed ideal state, and (c) whether this in any way substantiates his claims about the benefits of justiceRead More Platos Forms Essay examples1996 Words   |  8 Pagesarguments about his theory of Forms. Aristotle, along with others, cross-examines Platos proposals. Yet, I happen to see the potential of his point of view and would like to take a deeper look into his theory. The purpose of this paper is to critically analyze the theory of Platos Forms from his perspective and that of several others, including Aristotle. Topics nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The topics in which I will mainly focus on will be Forms as universals, Forms as separate entities (substances)

Snow Day free essay sample

GernhartGernhart 1 English Composition ENG 121 14 May 2013 Narrative Essay #1 I awaken, my feet cold under the sheets . The room is strangely quiet as I slip out of bed and realize the sea of white snow. I hurry to get dressed and start bolting for the back door of our beautiful, city home in Tualatin. Today I will walk through my snow-covered yard as if I am swimming through the ocean. I stopped at the door that faced Nelson Street aligned with beautiful fall colored trees, silently watching the snowfall. The tiny ice crystals drift peacefully down from the sky. As the door slowly creeps open, I carefully step onto the front porch so as not to slip and fall. I now have a full view of Nyberg Woods, a wintry paradise on top of the hill that is covered in the whitest snow. As I walk down the steps and to the sidewalk, the chatter and play of the children, combines with the crunch of the snow under my feet like two instruments in an orchestra. We will write a custom essay sample on Snow Day or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The white, cottony powder covers every inch of the new car. While I carefully approaching my dad’s brand new Dodge truck, I feel a snowball hit me as if it was throw by an all-star baseball player. I slowly turn around to find my little brother , Dalton laughing so hard he is about to tear up. Dalton was the darndest little, blonde boy with the personality of a clown. He always had me cracking up at the silliest thing that I remembered him joking about. As we continue to enjoy the snow and play in the driveway, I seemed to have a brilliant Gernhart 2 dea that would not be such a great idea in reality. Standing on the driveway wondering what to do, I noticed the jam packed snow and ice on my the truck. I thought to myself, â€Å"Maybe my dad would love it if I helped him in de-icing his car. † Now thinking back, this probably was not the best decision. I presented this plot to my little brother, who I never really bonded with as a child. It was interesting , yet exciting that he wanted to spend the day with me in the snow, instea d of his friends! As I wander around the car, I examine the car and tried to think which tool would do the job. Certainly a credit card was too flimsy and a hockey stick would scratch the windows and paint. I didn’t know it at the time, but thinking a chizzle would do the job, while not breaking the car in any way was the wrong way of going about this. I continue encouraging my brother to engage with through this want to help my dad. Although, he did not think it was the greatest idea. He said worriedly, â€Å"What if we mess up or scratch the color off, or even break a window?! † Not caring about what might happen and the consequences that would come along with that, I convinced him otherwise to partake in this adventurous task. As I raise the chizzle towards the window of the truck, I begin to get excited for what my dad will come outside and see. Starting to get to work, my brother and I heard a slight crack that sounded like the ice beneath us breaking. We started to panic! There would be no easy way out of this one. Looking at Dalton through a hole in the window make me realize that a chisel was not the best utensil. Gernhart 3 We both were running around like chickens with our heads cut off trying to make sense of what just happened and how we were going to explain this. â€Å"Maybe, we will just say that someone threw a rock at,† Dalton expressed with a worried look on his face. I was pondering that thought of how my dad might react to this particular instance, â€Å"Will he be mad that we broke his window, or will he be happy that we tried to help? † Feeling more worried now than ever, we decided to go back inside to â€Å"Wait it out†. As I reach the front door, I encourage my brother to act like nothing appened and maybe he won’t notice. Running full speed back up the steps into the house, we shake the snow off of us like we were never even near the truck. Not knowing what would happen, the anticipation was killing us more and more and the minutes on the clock seemed like hours. Peering through the office door, we notice my dad starting to make his way outside to his beautif ul, new baby. As we dashed up the stairs we heard the door shut and the ever so deep tone of my father’s voice, â€Å"Taylor, Dalton come downstairs. † I think we know what we had coming our ways.