What do these quotes mean??? Please, it's really urgent! 10 pts, chosen by me, please help!?

Question

1. "On the one side we have the free personality: by definition it is not neurotic, for it has neither conflict nor dream. Its desires, such as they are, are transparent, for they are just what institutional approval keeps in the forefront of consciousness; another institutional pattern would alter their number and intensity; there is little in them that is natural, irreducible, or culturally dangerous. But on the other side, the social bond itself is nothing but the mutual reflection of these self-secure integrities. Recall the definition of love. Is not this the very picture of a small academic? Where is there a place in this hall of mirrors for either personality or fraternity?"

2. "All the ‘best people’ from the gentlemen's clubs, and all the frantic fascist captains, united in common hatred of Socialism and bestial horror at the rising tide of the mass revolutionary movement, have turned to acts of provocation, to foul incendiarism, to medieval legends of poisoned wells, to legalize their own destruction of proletarian organizations, and rouse the agitated petty-bourgeoise to chauvinistic fervor on behalf of the fight against the revolutionary way out of the crisis."

Even if you don't know them, could you just take a guess maybe, please? I've beat myself up for the past few hours trying to figure these out and it just isn't working, so please. I'd really, really appreciate it.

Answer 1

I'm going to guess that you're taking psychology.

the first one is talking about the part of a persons psyche that is formed by our surroundings, and influences. It says "institutional approval keeps in the forefront of consciousness". Think of that as your shoulder angel telling you what is good according to society.

#2 is talking about hypocritical people who dislike 'the flow/system/norm' and then go and try to fix/model it but end up just making it either worse or a parallel evil. Think of Hitler, or the whole society in the book 'The Giver'

Hope I could help ^.^

Answer 2

my guess would be:

1. Talking about personality where on one side we are free to be what ever we choose to be and think whatever we choose to think which isn't crazy and is the reason we have rights. The implementation of something that would restrict our natural rights for example in a law would have an obvious effect. However our surroundings and things like the media subtly almost take our freedom of expression away because they mold our minds to thinking a certain way and affect the way we see things and react to things. Although we are each individuals we are being programed to think and act in similar ways; hence a hall of mirrors where everything is duplicated, every gesture and every face.

2. Leaders who are supposed to be the 'best' of us and looking out for the common good are really just wanting attention and to fulfill their own desires, they hate the idea of things being run by the majority and fear being overthrown by a revolutionary movement. In order to keep their power they have instilled fear, provoked anger towards past failures and away from themselves. In a sense they have created their own "revolution" for change to enlist others to partici[ate in their own somewhat selfish causes.  

Answer 3

These quotes mean that you waited until the last possible moment to get started on your homework and, apparently, were daydreaming(?) in class when they were being discussed.

!. Sounds like a lot of BS, a very wordy excuse for being a "socially acceptable" free spirit, border line libertine even (but also possibly an irresponsible 'airhead') versus being conventional. It could also be the argument (aka line) a guy might give a young woman so he could "have his way with her" without having to make it legal through marriage.

2.Since I think many of the "best people from the gentlemen's clubs" are quite possibly fascist, this could be referring to one big group of narrow-minded upper class twits united against that doctrine -- socialism (and its proponents) -- which (who) would greatly reduce, if not eliminate, their privileges and advantages over the lowly masses. People in positions of power may and will do anything, however heinous, to keep what they think is solely theirs. Greedy, greedy, greedy.  

Answer 4

Sorry I don't have a clue!