Philosophy and Science Essay

Philosophy, science, art and religion are all major achievements of the human mind. Like science, philosophy calls for careful reasoning and exact language. The nature of philosopher and science are somewhat similar in that they have both relied on logical thinking and a quest for deeper truths regarding life and human nature. There have been great philosophers who have become scientists such as Copernicus and there have been scientists like Albert Einstein who have later become philosophers. Thus there is a subtle relationship between science and philosophy. In ancient times all fields of study including religion, science and art were accepted as parts of philosophy. Science particularly, has been considered very important in every philosophic system. But with the rapid advance of knowledge the sciences and the humanities separated from philosophy (Grolier, 1979). They developed their own methods of investigation and their own vocabularies. Philosophers in recent times tend to focus on general ideas common to different fields. Thus we find that natural philosophy took its root in scientific investigation and later evolved into modern science. Philosophy can be understood in either a popular way or a technical way. In the popular sense, any set of deeply held beliefs about man, nature, society and God is called a philosophy. Everyone who has wondered about the meaning of life and found an answer that satisfied him as his own philosophy. In its more technical sense, philosophy means a highly disciplined and reasonable method of criticizing fundamental beliefs to make them more clear and reliable. This method was first developed by the ancient Greeks in the 6th century B. C. Thales, Anaximander, Anaximenes, Pythagoras, and other learned men began to speculate about the underlying causes of natural phenomena like birth and death, rainfall and drought, the perfectly regular motions of the planets, the reach of fire toward the sky, and the fall of heavy objects toward the earth. In the world of today, science is regarded as an activity based on the experimental gathering of facts, the mathematical modeling of its results, and the framing of hypotheses. Philosophy on the other hand deals with unanswerable ultimate questions about ethics and metaphysics, the meaning of life, or the nature of truth. Today’s philosophers and scientists travel along different paths, it is interesting to note that science and philosophy have had a common background and history. Till the emergence of special scientific branches in the 19th and 20th centuries, ‘natural philosophy’ covered all scientific activity. Isaac Newton called himself a â€Å"natural philosopher†, and telescopes and air pumps used to be classified as â€Å"philosophical instruments†. Natural philosophy or â€Å"philosophia naturalis† referred to the exploration and analysis of all things under the sky including stones to human mental functions and the winds and the stars. The natural philosophy evolved into modern scientific thought through the years 1200 to 1700. This period includes the introduction of Aristotle’s works into the nascent universities to the establishment of stable scientific institutions such as the Royal Society or the Acadà ©mie des Sciences. Science as is kno wn today is   were characterized by experimentation, mathematical modeling, the publication of research results, and the sponsoring of scientific collaboration. Science is usually associated with acquisition of knowledge and more specifically science is connected to theoretical knowledge compared to practical knowledge. The word â€Å"science† has its roots from the word â€Å"Scientia† originally meaning knowledge (Ross, 1996). Modern dictionaries define science as â€Å"the observation, identification, description, experimental investigation, and theoretical explanation of phenomena through methodological activity, discipline, or study.† The true nature of science is best understood by focusing on its methodology. Fundamentally, then, science can be characterized as a method of obtaining reliable – though not infallible – knowledge about the universe around us. This knowledge includes both descriptions of what happens and explanations of why it happens. The knowledge is reliable because it is continually tested and retested – much of science is heavily interdependent, which means that any test of any scientific idea entails testing other, related ideas at the same time. The knowledge is not infallible; because at no point do scientists assume that they have arrived at a final, definitive truth. Science is mostly about natural processes and natural events. It involves both description and explanation. Description tells what has happened whereas explanation tells why it happened. According to Science, future events may be predicted only based on knowledge of such events. The ancient Greeks formed the word ‘philosophy’ from ‘philos’ meaning ‘lover’ and ‘sophia’ meaning ‘wisdom’. A philosopher according to them was a person who devoted his lfie to the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake without regard for its practical uses. The kind of knowledge that interested Thales and other philosophers of the 6th century B.C. was knowledge of nature and its laws. Philosophy on the other hand deals with the fundamental nature of existence, of man and of man’s relationship to existence. Whereas science tries to take a microscopic perspective in problem solving, philosophy tends to take a macroscopic perspective in problem solving. In general, philosophy questions often are a series of â€Å"why-questions,† whereas science is often said to ask â€Å"how-questions.† In the words of Ayn Rand: â€Å"In the realm of cognition, the special sciences are the trees, but philosophy is th e soil which makes the forest possible.† (Ayn Rand in â€Å"Philosophy: Who Needs It†) Generally speaking philosophy is an attitude, an approach, or even a calling to answer or to ask or to comment upon certain peculiar kinds of questions. Science and philosophy have always supported each other. While philosophy utilizes scientific discoveries to give it strength and a basis for generalizations, science utilizes philosophy to get a world view and perceive things from the framework of universal principles. It is a well known fact that early scientific ideas came from philosophers. The atomic structure of things was first expressed by Democritus and later expanded on by Lucretius and Diderot. What was hypothetically conceived by them was declared a scientific fact two centuries later. The Cartesian reflux as it is known in science was proposed by philosophers to explain conservation of motion in the universe. Spinoza hypothesized determinism based on a general philosophical perception. The idea of the existence of molecules as complex particles consisting of atoms was developed in the works of the French philosopher Pierre Gassendi and also Russia’s Mikhail Lomonosov. The hypothesis of the cellular structure of animal and vegetable organisms, the idea of the development and universal connection of phenomena and the principle of the material unity of the world were all obtained through philosophical thought. Lenin as a philosopher formulated the principle of the inexhaustibility of matter which scientists consider as a firm methodological base (Spirkin, 1983). Just as science progressed through philosophical thought, philosophy was also enriched by science. The philosophical world view and methodology was impacted greatly with every major scientific discovery.   Philosophical theories, statements and conclusions are deduced on the basis of scientific facts. Moreover, philosophical propositions, principles, concepts and laws are discovered through the generalization of these facts. Euclidian geometry and the mechanics of Galileo and Newton are scientific discoveries that impacted human reasoning in a significant manner. Copernicus’ heliocentric system changed the whole conception of the structure of the universe and Darwin’s theory of evolution, changed the general perception of man’s position in nature. Mendeleyev’s table of chemical elements enhanced understanding the structure of matter. Einstein’s theory of relativity exposed the relationship between matter, motion, space and time. The theory of higher nervous activity evolved by Sechenov and Pavlov deepened the philosophers’ understanding of the material foundations of mental activity, of consciousness. The creation and development by Marx, Engels and Lenin of the science of the laws of development of human society contributed further to philosophy in the realm of natural and social vortex of events (Spirkin, 1983). The history of natural and social science shows that scientists, on several occasions have leaned on world-views and methodological principles, categories and logical systems evolved by philosophers in the process of their researches. All scientists who think in terms of theory have expressed their gratitude in their writings and in their speeches. Thus, we find that the connection between philosophy and science is mutual. But this statement is found to be debatable among experts. There is a strong argument among scientists and philosophers that the two disciplines of science and philosophy do not necessarily need each other for growth. But there are others who feel that science can be informed by philosophy. Philosophy is highly valued due to its interconnection with life. But then, there are others who argue that philosophy is based on vague theorizing and it should not have any link to science. However, it is significant to note that there is no such warning for philosophers to keep away from science. The specific sciences cannot and should not break their connections with true philosophy (Spirkin, 1983). Most scientists, especial those who work with theories would agree that creative activity is closely linked with philosophy and that without serious knowledge of philosophical culture the results of that activity cannot become theoretically effective. Scientists with a powerful theoretical grasp, have always accepted the significance of philosophy to the growth of science. Philosophy does not replace the specialised sciences and does not command them, but it does arm them with general principles of theoretical thinking, with a method of cognition and world-view. In this sense scientific philosophy legitimately holds one of the key positions in the system of the sciences. Truly scientific thought is philosophical to the core; just as truly philosophical thought is profoundly scientific, rooted in the sum-total of scientific achievements. Philosophical training gives the scientist a breadth and penetration, a wider scope in posing and resolving problems. Sometimes these qualities are brilliantly expressed, as in the work of Marx, particularly in his Capital, or in Einstein’s wide-ranging natural scientific conceptions. The interconnection between science and philosophy that has existed through the years has only grown stronger with time. It is impossible to achieve complete understanding of theories related to global problems without a broad grasp of inter-disciplinary and philosophical views. There are some people who argue that science has no need of philosophy. It is their contention that science is in itself philosophy. They hold that scientific knowledge is sufficient to provide answers to all problems including philosophical problems. But the â€Å"cunning† of philosophy lies in the fact that any form of contempt for it, any rejection of philosophy is in itself a kind of philosophy. It is as impossible to get rid of philosophy as it is to rid oneself of all convictions. Many scientists who have maintained the positions of crude empiricism and scorned philosophy have eventually fallen into mysticism. Absence of philosophical assumptions leads to intellectual narrowness. Science needs philosophy due to its diversified branches. As Science has become so ramified, no can today master any particular subject such as medicine or biology or mathematics. Scientists are trying to know as much as possible about as little as possible. This kind of specific specialization is both good and bad. Without narrow specialization there can be no progress in science and at the same time, such specialization must be constantly filled out by a broad inter-disciplinary approach, by the integrative power of philosophical reason. Narrow specialization has no breadth of vision and can thus lead to empiricism, to the endless description of particulars. While science requires researchers to look externally, philosophers tend to look both internally and externally – at the world around man and man’s place in that world. This wholesome perception provided by philosophical consciousness is reflective in its very essence. Philosophy is not only an abstract science. It also deals with moral principles, ethics, and conscience. Today, advances in science have brought many kinds of conflict to society. For example, there is the question regarding nuclear bomb. Is it wrong for a nation to acquire nuclear bomb? Only ethical thinking combined with scientific thinking can provide the right answer. Such questions as this one cannot be answered by science alone. While there are many examples showing that philosophical thought was behind many scientific discoveries, Bernal conceived that science was the starting point for philosophy; it was the very basis of philosophy. Marxist social theory emerged within this process. For Bernal, there was no philosophy, no social theory, and no knowledge independent of science. Science was the foundation of it all (Sheehan, 1985). As Bernal saw the transition to the future, scientific and socialist philosophical thinking played a key role.   For a long time, philosophers as diverse as David Hume, Karl Marx, and Edmund Husser felt that philosophy was â€Å"scientific.† But, Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) felt that there are some problems that science alone can deal with and others it couldn’t. Science and philosophy are both different paths taken by different people who desire to explore the truth. Scientists and philosophers can be considered as seekers of true knowledge. These two subjects differ today in the nature and methodology. Despite these differences, true scientific theories are based on philosophy and true philosophical statements have their foundation in science.

Industrial tour Essay

Last Thursday, the 17th of January year 2013, we went to EPZA and FCIE for our industrial tour. We visited the companies Macro Wiring Technologies Co. Inc., NSG Pilipinas NM and KLT Fruits Inc. Let me discuss to you my insights for each company. First off we have the Macro Wiring Technologies Co. Inc. They manufacture Wire Harnesses and Assemblies and is the main supplier of the APC company. Their mission is to be the Top Mind choice of customers in providing products and services and is committed to deliver on time with quality products defined by their customer. They vision their company to be a progressive manufacturer of Wire Harnesses and Assemblies for export and domestic markets in an environmentally friendly, economically, viable and globally competitive industry. Additional to that, they aim to provide more jobs to Filipinos. Since they are the major supplier of APC, they do not practice advertising. Though they subcontract with other local companies, they say that these companies were obtained as their client through word of mouth (referrals). Their raw materials are imported from China, Taiwan, US, UK and other countries. They use the JIT (just-in-time) as their delivery system. They only have one plant which is located at EPZA Rosario Cavite and they earn in dollars which is forecasted to be around 14M for this year. They operate 24/7 with 2 shifts. According to Ma’am Joan, the production head, most of their workers are students from NCST and are trained for a maximum training of one week. The second company, on the other hand deals with glass mats, glass fibers and PG separators. The company is Pilipinas NM (under NSG) that is located in FCIE. Their slogan is â€Å"Let’s raise our individual sensibility for quality to grain customer’s trust.† This company is 100% Japanese owned and started its operation dated back on July 1, 1995. There are 120 employees for their 35,763 square meter factory. Their products are for export though there is a 10% supply locally. Most of their clients are from Taiwan, India, China, Turkey and a lot more. The factory that we went to is in charge for the manufacturing of the products. They receive orders and complaints but for the sales and promotions, they have what they call a middle-company (like a middleman) so they are not fully aware of the advertising and other promotions their company is practising except that they know they join business/industry exhibits. The same goes for the delivery; the delivery of the products depends on sales agents. They said that the volumes of orders are seasonal. The same as the first company, since their products are for export, their sales as in dollars. The last company we went to is the KLT Fruits Inc. Established in 1984, KLT Fruits, Inc. manufactures tropical fruit purees, concentrates, red bean jams as well as preserves for markets in the US, Japan, Asia- Pacific, Europe, and the Philippines. They pride themselves by not only providing quality products but by also rendering technical services such as client product formulation, client process parameters, and new product development. Through their knowledge of the industry, production know-how, and our commitment to quality, they are able to establish life-long partnerships with their clients. Their team of experts and skilled associates guarantees the best customer service and more importantly, products of the highest quality. Their production process is fully automated. There is what they call a central unit where only one person manages the entire process. The other employees are into packaging and other manual process needed before and after the production. Their sales are by container which is about 20 tonnes per container. And just like the first company, they do not have any advertising practices though they join expos or exhibits like the second company. Most of the partnerships of KLT are foreign companies located abroad and again, they earn in dollars too. The basis of their pricing, just the same as the first two aforementioned companies, are the raw materials, manufacturing, production and overhead costs which also dictates their market percentage. After discussing each of the information shared to us by the companies we went to, I’ve noticed a few things they all have in common. 1. They are exporting their final products because most of their clients are foreign. 2. They do not do advertising. 3. Each of them has a focus: quality (Macro Wiring Technologies Co. Inc.), safety (Pilipinas NM), and long-term relationships (KLT Fruits Inc.) 4. They are a major supplier of a company. 5. Their company has only one plant. Upon knowing these similarities, I was able to realize that there really is a huge difference of business-to-business from business-to-consumer in terms of sales, promotions, and relationships. I understood that in business to business, management is more focused in building relationships with large accounts rather than trying to persuade other small-medium enterprises because targeting and serving the large companies yield greater profits. Another learning I had from the tour is that in b2b, selling isn’t just about knowing who your customers and what your objectives are. But one must also understand each of the process the product goes through and the delivery system the company uses so that when conflicts arise, the management will then be able to create solutions faster. Why? Well, since business to business rely more on business relationships, then it is a must to deliver a good and competitive customer/client service. Business to business marketing is really quite confusing for we have been focused with consumer marketing for almost four years. But after being able to personally witness and hear the process, the strategies and operations of the manufacturing companies we have been to last Thursday, I had a clearer view of b2b.

Performing a Business Impact Analysis for an IT Infrastructure Essay

Overview Answer the following questions, specific to the creation and focus of Business Impact Analysis as well as BCP documentation. Lab Assessment Questions & Answers 1 What is the goal and purpose of a BIA? To identify which business units, operations, and processes are crucial to the survival of the business. 2 Why is a business impact analysis (BIA) an important first step in defining a business continuity plan (BCP)? BIA identifies what is crucial which sets the path for what will be included in the BCP. 3 How do risk management and risk assessment relate to a business impact analysis for an IT infrastructure? Risk Management/Risk Assessment identify risks/vulnerabilities to the 7 domains of an IT infrastructure. BIA is basically doing the same thing but at the entire organization level. 4 True or False – If the Recovery Point Objective (RPO) metric does not equal the Recovery Time Objective (RTO), you may potentially lose data or not have data backed-up to recover. This represents a gap in potential lost or unrecoverable data. False 5 What questions would you have for executive management prior to finalizing a BIA report? What is the Maximum Acceptable Outage of a specific server or service? What are some critical business functions? What are the recovery objectives? 6 How does a BCP help mitigate risk? Mitigates risk by ensuring the organization is better prepared for disasters. 7 What kind of risk does a BCP help mitigate? Â  It is mitigating the risk of disaster that either destroys the server or building the server is in. 8 If you have business liability insurance, asset replacement insurance, and natural disaster insurance, do you still need a BCP or DRP? Why or why not? Yes you still need a BCP/DRP as insurance will reimburse you money to help rebuild, but they cannot provide you company data and that is what is needed for survivability. 9 What does a BIA help define for a BCP? Defines what systems and services are critical to the survival of an organization. 10 Who should participate in the development of BCP within an organization? IT Personnel and top level management. 11 Why does disaster planning and disaster recovery belong in a BCP? BCP ensures that the entire business can continue to operate in the event of a disruption, this includes disaster planning and recovery as loss of systems or services affects the organization. 12 What is the purpose of having documented IT system, application, and data recovery procedures and steps? So in the event something happens IT is not scrambling to try and figure out what to do. They set clear guidelines and instructions on what to do and when. If this is not clearly documented the RTO could be impacted which will result in UNHAPPY management and possible loss of revenue. 13 Why must you include testing of the plan in your BCP? Having a BCP is great but testing it proves that it works. You would not want to be in a situation when you need to failover and it is not working and this could have been resolved prior to the actual outage if it was tested. 14 How often should you update your BCP document? This should be updated at a minimum annually, semi-annually is probably a better target to shoot for.

International Business Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

International Business Project - Essay Example Recommendations are given at the end on the viability of the business opportunity. As this project is on identification of a business opportunity for an American consumer product in a foreign country, it will analyze this opportunity for an American burger chain, The Counter, for its custom-made burgers for the leading emerging market country, India. It will discuss the viability of introducing a yet another burger type, distinct with its unlimited variation range. The Counter’s custom-made burgers are a unique concept in the fast-food chains of burgers because their combination range offered to consumers is quite vast – more than 312,000 – to appease to customers’ taste-buds with their endless range of combinations. The concept is very challenging. The idea itself is innovative in the sense that The Counter dares to give a tryst to new delicacies by experimenting. Their menu offers Build Your Own Burgerâ„ ¢ Sheet, with various Market Selection and Signature Burger/Bowl alternatives in their restaurants (The Counter, 2015). Currently, The Counter is operating from North America, Ireland, and Saudi Arabia, offering various reward points to the member customers on their purchases. Considering the appreciative remarks by the GQ magazine, as â€Å"one of the 20 Hamburgers to eat before you die† and â€Å"Best Burger† on OPRAH ®, The Counter is expanding its outlet numbers all across the U.S. It is the right time that expansion happens further in foreign locations as well of this fast food and quick service restaurant chain (The Counter, 2015). Indian food market although boasts of consumers’ localized tastes but people have a liking for trying brands, and love to taste a range of products at various costs irrespective of the fact they can afford it or not. Most of such people belong to middle class. Incidentally, Indians spend nearly 40 percent of their average household income on food and transportation, while

Discussion Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion Response - Essay Example A comparison of sub cohorts by involvement in physical activity however identified lowest relative risk, in odds ratio, at 0.74 among women who involved in active physical activity and relatively high risk factor of 1.02 among women who engaged in less or no physical activity at all. This led to a conclusion that involvement in physical activity by women reduces their relative risk of postmenopausal breast cancer, though this relationship is not significant. A comparison of the relationship among cohorts by body weigh however identifies a significant difference with lean or normal weights associated with relatively lower risks. The post accurately reviews the article, though the figure 32269 was before the exclusion criteria and the actual participants were 1506. The post’s definition of relative risk is also accurate but restricted to the scope of disease susceptibility (Dishman, Heath and Lee, 2012). Its report on the likely relationship between the type of cancer and women’s weight is also consistent with the research findings (Leitmann, 2008) and is supported by published literature that identifies an indirect proportionality between body weight and a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer after her menopause (Courneya and Friedenrich, 2010; Irwin, 2012). The class of women has also reported an inverse relationship between postmenopausal breast cancer and involvement in exercise (Fritz and Speroff, 2010). Leitzmann, M., Moore, S., Peters, T., Lacey, J., Schatzkin, A., Schairer, C., . . . Albanes, D. (2008). Prospective study of physical activity and risk of postmenopausal breast cancer. Breast Cancer Research, 10(5),

New Venture Creation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

New Venture Creation - Essay Example The creation was undertaken by employing a team effort for three years. Business and economic decisions were made throughout this period, with a successful financial position being achieved. By the end of the three years, the SimVenture Creation had accumulated a total profit of ?20191. The venture was making a sale of up to 60 units every month. The closing year therefore depicted a strong business portfolio for the venture. Financial Achievements The simulation started with a default start-up capital of ?10,000. Over the next three years, the running of the venture was to be done by all team members, and annual results filled at the end of every year. This process engaged numerous activities that when combined would determine the financial position of the SimVenture Creation. The underlying interest was to take advantage and exploit emerging business opportunities, while accounting for the welfare of the firm. The entrepreneurial position of the venture was highly dependent on the decisions made by the team members. All the members embraced the fact that a successful financial position is dependent on the firm’s culture. ... By the end of the second year, the venture had been fully operationalized. In the same period, financial stability had been realized as income levels surpassed business expenditures. In the final year of simulation, entrepreneurial opportunities had been fully exploited. Legal, social and economic factors in the operational environment had been accounted for in the two previous financial periods. Year one and two had fully integrated market research to determine the market loops that the venture sought to account for. Business-customer interaction had been enhanced in the process, aided by the strong relationship that the venture realized with its suppliers, advertisers, business contractors and creditors. Production and sales performance was matched with the outcome of market research undertaken by the entrepreneurial team. As a result, sales increased, subcontracting was alleviated, customers accessed sales on credit and operational costs were significantly cut. Cost cut was realiz ed through reduced hours of work and the fact that optimal experiments had been done. Cash flows remained dynamic, with debtors, creditors, sales, revenues and expenses being fully accounted for. Sales had hit highs of 60 units for a month and a profit of ?20191 was recorded by the close of business at the end of the third year. Key Decisions Made Management decisions The management is a critical functional organ of the SimVenture Creation. Since the running of the venture was undertaken by an entrepreneurial team, each team member was charged with a decision making responsibility that was subject to the approval of the team. The functional areas of the venture were the primary basis

Philosophy--Freedom, Responsibility, and Human Action (please see the Essay

Philosophy--Freedom, Responsibility, and Human Action (please see the attachment for detail) - Essay Example Eventually, the researcher will discuss whether or not the recent empirical evidences related to the major causes of human action or the variable status of certain moral intuitions undermines the role of intuition in philosophical discourse on human freedom and responsibility. Regardless of whether the researcher agrees or disagree with the claims that these recent empirical evidences weakens the role of intuition in philosophical point-of-view on human freedom and responsibility, the researcher will provide examples or possible alternatives as a way of defending the researcher’s answer to the question. Even though most of the human actions are controlled by environmental and genetic factors, intuition also has a role in controlling some of our actions. Basically, intuition serves as our inner higher guidance. Even before we perform an action, intuition tells us to whether or not to proceed with our intended action. Based on a person’s final judgment or decision, his or her moral responsibility as a human being will be greatly affected by his own actions. For example: A man who needs a large sum of money for his child’s heath care needs and surgery bill may end up thinking about robbing a bank or stealing something that costs a large sum of money from a stranger. Even before the man decides on whether to push through with his plan, the man will have to undergo a mental balancing between the benefit and consequences as well as the moral issues behind his intended action. At this point, intuition would normally hold the man from doing something that is morally unacceptable. Another example will be a student who is in danger of failing a subject at the end of the semester. In order to avoid failing the subject, the student may end up either choosing between copying his or her seatmate’s paper or simply put in extra

Tragedy of Mariam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Tragedy of Mariam - Essay Example Today many wives always want to have same position with their husband, so that they always have conflict with each other. Why they always have conflict? There are number of answers for this question, but it very difficult for us to come on a final conclusion. When we look towards sixteenth century's society or even before that time it is seen wife and husband lived together very well. They had lesser conflicts. Many wives would obey their husband when their husbands order them to do everything. What different images of the wife between sixteenth centuries and today? In most societies during the twentieth Century, new ways of analyzing traditional gender roles have begun to evolve out of a variety of movements both within art and culture studies and communications. Semiotics, or the study of signs has emerged as one of the most "powerful cultural analysis tools of the twentieth Century†. Semiotics has been used to document and support traditional gender roles within a variety of cultures. The signs of Husband and Wife respectively, have undergone huge ideological shifts in some parts of the world, however within American society they still often used to represent a system of values and a distribution of power that have remained relatively unchanged despite recent eras of social progress. This is illustrated fairly well in the movie "Amores Perros" as the terms Husband and Wife are utilized throughout the movie as signs that represent and suggest traditional values and gender roles that are still based on signified characteristics from the time of the Conquistadors.

Galileo's Interventionist Notion of Cause Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Galileo's Interventionist Notion of Cause - Essay Example In Galileo's Interventionist Notion of "Cause", Steffen Ducheyne has deliberated on Galileo's development of a "new notion of causality" (p.443), which was primarily based on interventionist school. Steffen used respective studies and analyses from past and current researchers and presented his point of view after contrasting it from pro and con views, thus, highlighted his own point of view in an oblique way. Steffan said that Galileo believed that in order to find a causal link, one should be able to manipulate changes and the resultant changes should be reflected as effects of original changes. Thus, if A causes B and changes in A also affect B, causal relationship is established. Galileo, like a seeker, was looking for the hidden and accidental causes of effects. He was more interested in the "root" than in the "how" of a cause.Analysts have been divided by the question of whether Galileo really presented causal inquiries in his explanations of nature's phenomena as causal explan ations are more easily found in Galileo's earlier works than later ones. An analysis by Ernan supported Galileo by reinterpreting this absence of "cause" in Galileo's later works as an increasing focus on kinematics, which was a precursor of dynamics, since only after properties of motion were described fully, can the respective causal explanations follow. Peter Machammer, however, believed that Galileo's unconcern for causes was reflected by the fact that he was not concerned with extrinsic causes but with "formal and final causes, and sometimes material causes" (Ducheyne, p.446). Galileo in his earliest work De Motu explicitly stated his quest not to seek for apparent causes of observable facts. Galileo's usage of causal language may be analogous to Aristotelian reflection of causes as laid down in Aristotle's Posterior Analysis, and typified by a procedure involving analysis and deduction from observed effect to possible cause and reverse composition from cause to the effect. According to Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Galileo had achieved a remarkable feat of breaking away from traditional stereotyped Aristotelian concepts to scientific concepts that were used as a basis of "new sciences" and the foundation stone of new philosophy. (Peter Machamer, Encyclopedia of Philosophy). It is how Galileo used causal explanation, Steffan believed, would help unravel Galileo's reasoning thread and allow the novel features, the interventionist element, in Galileo's causal explanations to come through. True causes, according to Galileo, should be closest or most efficacious in producing the effects. If an effect is not produced then the concerned element is not the true cause. Discussion Julian Reiss in Causal Instrumental Variables and Interventions argued against taking causal inferences on the basis of causal claims as reliable if these were based on instrumental variables. He said that taking a set of assumptions to fulfill an instrument analogous to James Woodward's intervention and causal inference might be permissible. However, he argued that for the relationship to hold, the set of assumptions might have to be very strong (Julian Reiss, Causal Instrumental Variables and Interventions). Galileo on the other hand is shown to be quite eager to proclaim his universal causality theory for all true causes. Galileo's explanations seem to have improved over his predecessors (Aristotle), however in hindsight specific lacunas or flaws can now be identified. However it goes to Galileo's credit to have improved thinking from set compartmentalized way into what he believed to better and truer explanation. Galileo believed that the phenomenon of tides was the principle proof that the Earth moved. He set out to prove his theory by postulating that an appropriate model could largely reproduce the effect of the tides, whereas other causes (of the tides) that were promulgated at that time could not produce the desired effect. Galileo can be credited with laying seeds of scientific analysis and being able to study

Philosophy-Great Works of Western Philosophy Essay

Philosophy-Great Works of Western Philosophy - Essay Example Euthyphro features a logical argumentation on the notion of piety between Socrates and Euthyphro, a self-proclaimed religious expert. The situation of the dialogue is based on Euthyphro’s ensuing prosecution of his own father for the charge of murder. The argumentation in the Euthyphro is largely based on the topic’s ‘definition by division’ in order to come to a mutual understanding as well as a more distinct definition of piety. Euthyphro’s notion of piety is derived from his certain knowledge of the gods - what they love and what they don’t. Throughout the dialogue, Socrates positions himself as the ignorant student of Euthyphro eager to understand the profound meaning of piety. At the beginning of the dialogue, Socrates criticizes Euthyphro’s definition of piety claiming that piety is what is pleasing to the gods. The difference between piousness and impiousness as argued by Euthyphro claims that This argument is not free of ambiguity. Difference of opinions among the gods on the same things can create a situation under which the same things would be both pious and impious, which is a logically impossible condition. What is characteristically unique about the dialogue of Plato’s Euthyphro is that Socrates uses the technique of analogy in order to explain the definitions made by Euthyphro. The analogies are used by Socrates in his effort to make himself clear while questioning Euthyphro with regard to the doubts about Euthyphro’s definitions of piety. Above all, Socrates, by means of the expounding argumentation, wishes to come to a universally true answer about the definition of piety. The definition of piety, in order to be considered universally true, logically requires to include the essence of the term. As mentioned earlier, Socrates rejects Euthyphro’s religious definition of piety arguing that disputes among the gods on the piousness and

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Essay Example for Free

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Essay Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is a set of physical and mental birth defects that can result when a woman drinks alcohol during her pregnancy. When a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, such as beer, wine, or mixed drinks, so does her baby. Alcohol passes through the placenta right into the developing baby. The baby may suffer lifelong damage as a result. FAS is characterized by brain damage, facial deformities, and growth deficits. Heart, liver, and kidney defects also are common, as well as vision and hearing problems. Individuals with FAS have difficulties with learning, attention, memory, and problem solving. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) is an umbrella term describing the range of effects that can occur in an individual whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. These effects may include physical, mental, behavioral, and/or learning disabilities with possible lifelong implications. The term FASD is not intended for use as a clinical diagnosis. FASD covers other terms such as: Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) the only diagnosis given by doctors. Alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND) reserved for individuals with functional or cognitive impairments linked to prenatal alcohol exposure, including decreased head size at birth, structural brain abnormalities, and a pattern of behavioral and mental abnormalities Alcohol-related birth defects (ARBD) describes the physical defects linked to prenatal alcohol exposure, including heart, skeletal, kidney, ear, and eye malformations Fetal alcohol effects (FAE) a term that has been popularly used to describe alcohol-exposed individuals whose condition does not meet the full criteria for an FAS diagnosis What are the Statistics and Facts about FAS and FASD? FASD is the leading known preventable cause of mental retardation and birth defects. FASD affects 1 in 100 live births or as many as 40,000 infants each year. An individual with fetal alcohol syndrome can incur a lifetime health cost of over $800,000. In 2003, fetal alcohol syndrome cost the United States $5. 4 billiondirect costs were $3. 9 billion, while indirect costs added another $1. 5 billion. Children do not outgrow FASD. The physical and behavioral problems can last for a lifetime. FAS and FASD are found in all racial and socio-economic groups. FAS and FASD are not genetic disorders. Women with FAS or affected by FASD have healthy babies if they do not drink alcohol during their pregnancy. Can I drink alcohol when I am pregnant? No. Do not drink alcohol when you are pregnant. When you drink alcohol, such as beer, wine, or mixed drinks, so does your baby. Alcohol is a substance known to be harmful to human development. When it reaches the blood supply of the baby, it can cause permanent defects to the major organs and central nervous system. Is there any kind of alcohol that is safe to drink during pregnancy? No. Drinking any kind of alcohol can hurt your baby. Alcoholic drinks can include beer, wine, liquor, wine coolers, or mixed drinks. What if I am pregnant and have been drinking? If you drank alcohol before you knew you were pregnant, stop drinking now. Anytime a pregnant woman stops drinking, she decreases the risk of harm to the baby. If you are trying to get pregnant, do not drink alcohol. You may not know you are pregnant right away. What if I drank during my last pregnancy and my baby was fine? Every pregnancy is different. Drinking alcohol may hurt one baby more than another. You could have one child that is born healthy and another child that is born with problems. What if a friend, partner, spouse or family member is drinking while pregnant? Many women are unaware of the consequences of drinking during pregnancy. Some women believe wine or beer is not alcohol. In many cases, she may be suffering from alcoholism. She may need to know what effects alcohol can have on the baby. She also may need help getting into treatment. In such cases, you should contact a treatment professional at a local addiction center for advice on how to help. http://www. nofas. org/faqs. aspx? id=5 Copyright 2001-2004 National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome An individuals place, and success, in society is almost entirely determined by neurological functioning. A neurologically injured child is unable to meet the expectations of parents, family, peers, school, career and can endure a lifetime of failures. The largest cause of neurological damage in children is prenatal exposure to alcohol. These children grow up to become adults. Often the neurological damage goes undiagnosed, but not unpunished. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE), Partial Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (pFAS), Alcohol Related Neurodevelopmental Disorders (ARND), Static Encephalopathy (alcohol exposed) (SE) and Alcohol Related Birth Defects (ARBD) are all names for a spectrum of disorders caused when a pregnant woman consumes alcohol. There are strategies that can work to help the child with an FASD compensate for some difficulties. Early and intensive intervention and tutoring can do wonders, but the need for a supportive structure is permanent. Studies on addiction in Ontario have shown about a 10 12% alcohol addiction rate among adults, with another 20% drinking to a level that places them at high risk. Legally intoxicated is defined as a Blood Alcohol Level of . 08%. A 100 lb (45 kg) female consuming 5 standard drinks (A drink equals a 12 oz. regular beer, 1 oz. shot of 100 proof liquor, 1. 5 oz. shot of 80 proof liquor, or 4 oz. glass of regular table wine) will reach a BAL of . 25% three times the legal limit. BAL reduces . 01% per hour. The Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey, 2000/01 found that: 6. 8% of girls ages 12 to 14 19. 8% of girls age 12 to 19 26. 0% ages 20 to 24 19. 9% ages 20 to 34 consumed 5 or more drinks on each occasion 12 or more times per year. An additional: 32. 2% ages 15 to 34 13. 8% of girls ages 12 to 14 consumed 5 or more drinks on each occasion 1 to 11 times per year. Copyright  © 2005 Journals and Procedural Research Branch Office of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Most girls are 2 to 3 months pregnant before they find out. Given the prime childbearing age range, the odds are very high that about 20% of babies have been exposed to multiple binges in high levels of alcohol in the first trimester, before the girl even knew she was pregnant. It is Party Hearty Time. The vast majority of these girls are NOT alcoholics. About 50% of pregnancies are unplanned. If you are drinking, stay out of the backseat as well as the drivers seat! Maternal prenatal alcohol consumption even at low levels is adversely related to child behavior. The effect was observed at average exposure levels as low as 1 drink per week. The Canadian Centre for Childrens Research at McMaster University Hospitals (Hamilton Ontario) states that 20% of Canadian children have serious mental health issues. Typical of school boards in Canada, a major southwestern Ontario School Board (urban / rural mix) with 28,000 Elementary and Secondary School students, has 6,000 students receiving services from the Special Education Department. Of the 6,000, only 250 are classified as Gifted with the balance having significant disabilities (20. 6%). While not all the individuals with disabilities are identified as the disabilities having been caused by prenatal exposure to alcohol, the vast majority of the disabilities are of types known to be caused by prenatal alcohol exposure. FASD is so grossly under-reported that the FAS statistics are almost meaningless. There are very few doctors who have received any training in diagnosing FASD and most prefer to use non-judgmental diagnoses such as ADD, ADHD, LD, MR, RAD, ODD, Bi-Polar, Tourettes, etc.. These diagnoses dont imply the mother has done something that could have affected her baby during pregnancy. However, they can also lead to inappropriate treatment and a lifetime of pain. Failure to identify the real source can lead to more children being born with the same issues to the same mothers and the cycle continuing into the next generation FASD children having FASD babies. Alcohol, hormones, a twitch in the kilt, poor impulse control and inability to predict consequences are a deadly combination. Accidents cause people. FASD is not a threshold condition. It is a continuum ranging from mild intellectual and behavioural issues to the extreme that often leads to profound disabilities or premature death. Denial is not just a river in Egypt. Alcohol as a Teratogen on the Baby ? http://www. acbr. com/fas/. Problem: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is a pattern of mental and physical defects which develops in some unborn babies when the mother drinks too much alcohol during pregnancy. A baby born with FAS may be seriously handicapped and require a lifetime of special care. Some babies with alcohol-related birth defects, including smaller body size, lower birth weight, and other impairments, do not have all of the classic FAS symptoms. These symptoms are sometimes referred to as Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE). Researchers do not all agree on the precise distinctions between FAS and FAE cases. Cause of the Problem: Alcohol in a pregnant womans bloodstream circulates to the fetus by crossing the placenta. There, the alcohol interferes with the ability of the fetus to receive sufficient oxygen and nourishment for normal cell development in the brain and other body organs. Possible FAS Symptoms: Growth deficiencies: small body size and weight, slower than normal development and failure to catch up. The fact sheets below were developed by many different authors. In some cases, the fact sheets were placed on the web by a different organization than the one that wrote the document. However, all of the fact sheets are in the public domain to encourage wide distribution. You are free to copy and use these fact sheets. The following list of abbreviations was used to indicate the source of the document in the links provided on this page. Many of the sites listed contain additional information beyond the fact sheets that are listed on this page. We encourage you to explore each site. http://www. well. com/user/woa/fsfas. htm RSmith:02-15-94 MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse 1706 East Elm; P. O. Box 687 Jefferson City, Missouri 65102 The following Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) are caused by drinking alcohol during pregnancy: FAS: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Symptoms include small head/body, facial characteristics, brain damage FAE: Fetal Alcohol Effects Symptoms usually not visible, such as behavior disorders, attention deficits ARBD: Alcohol Related Birth Defects. Anomalies such as heart defects, sight/hearing problems, joint anomalies, etc. ARND: Alcohol Related Neurodevelopmental Disorders Disorders such as attention deficits, behavior disorders, obsessive/compulsive disorder, etc. FASD: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders All of the disorders named above are contained in the spectrum. Full FAS comprises only about 10% of the spectrum. The other 90% may have fewer physical symptoms but are at greater risk for developing serious secondary conditions later. (Streissguth, 1997) FAS is the leading cause of mental retardation in western civilization. But Most persons with FAS have an IQ in the normal range. (Streissguth, 1997). The incidence of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome in America is 1. 9 cases per 1,000 births (1/500). Incidence of babies with disabilities resulting from prenatal alcohol exposure: 1/100! FAS/FAE is a major health issue in western civilization today. More American babies are born with FAS than with Down Syndrome, MD, and HIV combined. Alcohol causes more neurological damage to the developing baby than any other substance. Lecture Summary Fetal alcohol syndrome is among the most common known causes of mental retardation and as such, it is a major public health problem. The purpose of this lecture is to provide a basic overview of what we know about the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure. It is certainly not meant to be comprehensive but rather to give a broad overview of current knowledge in the area, and of ongoing human and animal research in the area. Heavy prenatal alcohol exposure can result in the fetal alcohol syndrome and both changes in brain structure and behavior have been reported in these children. Importantly, current data indicate that individuals exposed to heavy doses of alcohol in utero, but without the facial characteristics of FAS, can also suffer from similar brain and behavioral changes. Animal models have proven to be an excellent research tool in this field, as there appears to be good concordance between the animal and human data. The animal models provide a means to examine mechanisms of alcohol damage, to control for factors not possible in most human studies, and to help answer important clinical questions. Fetal alcohol effects are preventable, and every child born with a defect related to prenatal alcohol exposure indicates a failure of the health care system. Lecturer Dr. Ed Riley http://rsoa. org/lectures/07/index. html Background Fetal alcohol syndrome is among the most common known causes of mental retardation and as such, it is a major public health problem. The purpose of this lecture is to provide a basic overview of what we know about the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure. It is certainly not meant to be comprehensive. For more detailed overview, the following references might be helpful. It is important to remember that as the mother consumes alcohol and her blood alcohol level rises, that alcohol is freely crossing the placenta and the embryo or fetus is being exposed to the same blood alcohol levels. References Stratton, K. , Howe, C. , Battaglia, F. (1996). Fetal alcohol syndrome: Diagnosis, epidemiology, prevention, and treatment. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. Streissguth, A. P. (1997). Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: A Guide for Families and Communities. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co. Background Fetal alcohol syndrome is among the most common known causes of mental retardation and as such, it is a major public health problem. The purpose of this lecture is to provide a basic overview of what we know about the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure. It is certainly not meant to be comprehensive. For more detailed overview, the following references might be helpful. It is important to remember that as the mother consumes alcohol and her blood alcohol level rises, that alcohol is freely crossing the placenta and the embryo or fetus is being exposed to the same blood alcohol levels. References Stratton, K. , Howe, C. , Battaglia, F. (1996). Fetal alcohol syndrome: Diagnosis, epidemiology, prevention, and treatment. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. Streissguth, A. P. (1997). Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: A Guide for Families and Communities. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co. Background What each of these papers described was a common set of features that could occur in the offspring of mothers who drank heavily during their pregnancies. This constellation of features was named the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome in 1973 by Jones and colleagues. In order to be diagnosed as having FAS, the individual MUST meet all three criteria. There is a specific pattern of facial anomalies, which will be shown shortly. There is pre and or postnatal growth deficiency. Usually the children are born small (7drinks/week 5 or more drinks per occasion). The data on the left side of the slide come from Louise Floyd of the CDC. The first four studies were sponsored by the CDC and the other two estimates on the left side come from the IOM report (Stratton, 1996). AI/AN stands for American Indian/Alaska Native. The numbers on the right side are from a recent study by Sampson et al. , (1997). They demonstrated rates of FAS of at least 2. 8/1000 live births in Seattle, 4. 6/1000 in Cleveland, and between 1. 3 and 4. 8/1000 in Roubaix, France. Interestingly, in this study they estimate the prevalence in Seattle for FAS and ARND at 9. 1/1000 births. This would mean that nearly 1 in every 100 children is affected by prenatal alcohol exposure. The last number from South Africa is from recent work done by Phil May and colleagues. References Egeland G, Perham-Hester KA, Gessner BD, Ingle D, Berner JE,Middaugh JP. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome in Alaska, 1977 through 1992: An administrative prevalence derived from multiple data sources. American Journal of Public Health. 1998. 88(5): 781-786. Aberdeen IHS Area (1995) MMWR. vol 44(#):253-261. BDMP (1995): MMWR Vol. 44(13):249-253. Atlanta, Ga. (1997) MMWR Vol. 46(47): 1118-1120. Sampson, P. D. , Streissguth, A. P. , Bookstein, F. L. , Little, R. E. , Clarren, S. K. , Dehaene, P. , Hanson, J. W. , Graham, J. M. , Jr. (1997). Incidence of fetal alcohol syndrome and prevalence of alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder. Teratology, 56(5), 317-326. Stratton, K. , Howe, C. , Battaglia, F. (1996). Fetal alcohol syndrome: Diagnosis, epidemiology, prevention, and treatment. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. Institute of Medicine: 1996 Clinic-based (page 89), American Indian/Alaskan Native (page 88) May, P. , Viljoen, D. , Gossage, J. , Brooke, L. , Croxford, J. (1999). An epidemiological analysis of data from children with fetal alcohol syndrome and controls in Wellington, South Africa. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 23 (5), 110A. May, P. , Viljoen, D. , Gossage, J. , Brooke, L. , Croxford, J (1999). An update on the maternal risk factors associated with the prevalence of fetal alcohol syndrome in Wellington, South Africa. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 23 (5), 91A Background It must be stressed that the facial characteristics basically define FAS. Without these facial features, one cannot be diagnosed with FAS. In particular, the discriminating features are short palpebral fissures (the length of the eye opening), a flat midface, an indistinct or flat philtrum (the ridge under the nose), and a thin upper vermilion (lip). While each of these can occur in a variety of disorders, the combination of these features appears to be consistent with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure. Children with FAS can also have other facial features, such as epicanthal folds (tiny folds of tissues along the eye opening), a low nasal bridge, an underdeveloped jaw and minor ear anomalies. These individuals can also have a variety of associated features. Heart defects, skeletal anomalies, altered palmar creases (those creases on your hands), and urogenital anomalies are among the anomalies found more frequently in FAS. Reference Streissguth, A. P. (1994). A long-term perspective of FAS , Alcohol Health Research World (Vol. 18, pp. 74-81). image Facies in fetal alcohol syndrome Background The brain on the left was obtained from a 5-day-old child with FAS while the brain on the right is a control. The effects are obvious. The brain on the left suffers from microencephaly (small brain) and migration anomalies (neural and glia cells did not migrate to their proper location in the brain, but instead many of them simply migrated to the top of the cortex). Although it cannot be seen here, there is also agenesis of the corpus callosum and the ventricles are dilated. The corpus callosum is the major fiber tract connecting the two hemispheres of the brain (more on this later). Major findings of other autopsies of children with FAS have found microcephaly, hydrocephaly, cerebral dysgenesis, neuroglial heterotopias, corpus callosum anomalies, ventricle anomalies, and cerebellar anomalies. It must be pointed out, however, that these autopsies have typically been conducted only on the most severe cases, since these children often have enough problems that they do not survive. The interested reader on the pathological changes that occur in FAS is referred to the following articles. References Clarren, S. K. (1986). Neuropathology in fetal alcohol syndrome. In J. R. West (Ed. ), Alcohol and Brain Development (pp. 158-166). New York: Oxford University Press. Roebuck, T. M. , Mattson, S. N. , and Riley, E. P. (1998). A review of the neuroanatomical findings in children with fetal alcohol syndrome or prenatal exposure to alcohol. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 22 (2),339-344. Image brain damage resulting from prenatal alcohol Background The image on the left is a normal midsaggital MRI scan of the human brain with the cerebrum and cerebellum pointed out. The data on the right show the reduction in size of the these two areas in children with FAS and PEA. PEA stands for Prenatal Exposure to Alcohol, and includes children with known histories of heavy prenatal alcohol exposure, but who lack the features necessary for a diagnosis of FAS. As can be seen, the extent of reduction in the volume of both the cerebrum and cerebellum is significant. While the PEA group shows a reduction in volume, with these sample sizes, this is not a significant difference. Other brain imaging studies indicate disproportionate size reductions in the basal ganglia, cerebellum, and corpus callosum. The data are presented as percent of normal matched controls. References Mattson, S. N. , Jernigan, T. L. , Riley, E. P. (1994a). MRI and prenatal alcohol exposure. Alcohol Health Research World, 18(1), 49-52. Archibald, S. L. , Fennema-Notestine, C. , Gamst, A. , Riley, E. P. , Mattson, S. N. , and Jernigan, T. L. (submitted, 2000). Brain dysmorphology in individuals with severe prenatal alcohol exposure. image change in brain size Background One anomaly that has been seen in FAS is agenesis of the corpus callosum. While not common, it occurs in FAS cases (~6%) more frequently than in the general population (0. 1%) or in the developmentally disabled population (2-3%). In fact it has been suggested that FAS may be the most common cause of agenesis of the corpus callosum. In the top left picture, is a control brain. The other images are from children with FAS. In the top middle the corpus callosum is present, but it is very thin at the posterior section of the brain. In the upper right the corpus callosum is essentially missing. The bottom two pictures are from a 9 year old girl with FAS. She has agenesis of the corpus callosum and the large dark area in the back of her brain above the cerebellum is a condition known as coprocephaly. It is essentially empty space. Most children with FAS do have a corpus callosum, although it may be reduced in size. The reduction in size occurs primarily in the front and rear portions (genu and splenium). One interesting item is that this same pattern of reduction in the genu and splenium has been found in ADHD children. The behavioral problems seen in FAS frequently are similar to those seen in ADHD. References Mattson, S. N. , Jernigan, T. L. , Riley, E. P. (1994a). MRI and prenatal alcohol exposure. Alcohol Health Research World, 18(1), 49-52. Mattson, S. N. , Riley, E. P. (1995). Prenatal exposure to alcohol: What the images reveal. Alcohol Health Research World, 19(4), 273-277. Riley, E. P. , Mattson, S. N. , Sowell, E. R. , Jernigan, T. L. , Sobel, D. F. , Jones, K. L. (1995). Abnormalities of the corpus callosum in children prenatally exposed to alcohol. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 19(5), 1198-1202. Background There have been over a dozen retrospective studies of children with FAS (total N = 269). Overall, these studies, such as the Seattle studies or studies out of Germany, reported an overall mean IQ of 72. 26 (range of means = 47. 4-98. 2). The data presented here were collected in San Diego, CA as part of a project at the Center for Behavioral Teratology. The mean IQ performances of children with FAS were compared to alcohol-exposed children with few if any features of FAS. All children in this study were exposed prenatally to high amounts of alcohol, however only the FAS group displayed the craniofacial anomalies and growth deficits associated with the diagnosis. The other group was designated as having prenatal exposure to alcohol (PEA) and had documented exposure to high levels of alcohol but were not dysmorphic, microcephalic, or growth-retarded. In comparison to normal controls, both groups of alcohol-exposed children displayed significant deficits in overall IQ measures as well as deficits on most of the subtest scores. While the PEA subjects usually obtained marginally higher IQ scores than those with FAS, few significant differences were found between the two alcohol-exposed groups. These results indicate that high levels of prenatal alcohol exposure are related to an increased risk for deficits in intellectual functioning and that these deficits can occur in children without all of the physical features required for a diagnosis of FAS. Our PEA subjects may be somewhat similar to individuals identified by other groups as having FAE, however individuals with PEA display few if any of the facial features of FAS, and are not growth retarded or microcephalic. References Streissguth AP, Aase JM, Clarren SK, Randels SP, LaDue RA, Smith DF (1991). Fetal alcohol syndrome in adolescents and adults. Journal of the American Medical Association 265:1961-1967. Mattson, S. N. , Riley, E. P. , Gramling, L. , Delis, D. C. , and Jones, K. L. (1997). Heavy prenatal alcohol exposure with or without physical features of fetal alcohol syndrome leads to IQ deficits. Journal of Pediatrics, 131 (5), 718-721. Mattson, S. N. and Riley, E. P. (1998). A review of the neurobehavioral deficits in children with fetal alcohol syndrome or prenatal exposure to alcohol. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 22 (2), 279-294. image general intellectual performance Background. This was a study of a broad range of neuropsychological tests, such as: The Wide Range Achievement Test- which assesses academic skills, the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test and the Boston Naming test-both assessment of basic language functioning, the California Verbal Learning Test-a list learning and memory test, the Visual-Motor Integration Test which measures basic visual-perceptual skills, the Grooved Pegboard test-a test of fine-motor speed and coordination, and the Childrens Category Test-a measure of nonverbal learning. Along the x-axis are the tests included in the battery; for comparison purposes, all scores were converted to standard scores with a mean of 100 and an SD of 15. Children with FAS or PEA showed deficits in comparison to controls and they were very similar to each other. There does seem to be some indication that the nonverbal measures (on the right of the slide) are not as impaired as the verbal and academic measures, which are on the left and center of the slide. The take home message is that children with FAS and those exposed to high amounts of alcohol, but without the characteristics required for a diagnosis of FAS, are similarly impaired. The FAS children tend to be a bit worse than the PEA children, but the pattern of behavioral deificits is fairly similar over a wide range of tests. References Mattson, S. N. , Riley, E. P. , Gramling, L. , Delis, D. C. , Jones, K. L. (1998). Neuropsychological comparison of alcohol-exposed children with or without physical features of fetal alcohol syndrome. Neuropsychology, 12(1), 146-153. image neuropsychological performanceBackground In addition to the abilities already discussed, a few studies have documented other specific neuropsychological deficits in individuals with FAS. Children with prenatal alcohol exposure, with and without FAS, have demonstrated various deficits on measures of executive functioning. These measures have revealed problems in areas such as planning (tower task-shown above), cognitive flexibility (trails test), inhibition (stroop test), and concept formation and reasoning (word context tests). Generally, performance on these measures is characterized by increased errors and more difficulty adhering to rules. Therefore, children are less successful overall. For example, on the tower measure shown above (Tower of California-similar to Tower of London), children with FAS and PEA passed fewer items overall and made more rule violations than controls. The only two rules were to never place a larger piece on top of a smaller one and to move only one piece at a time. As can be seen the alcohol exposed children had many more rule violations. In addition, deficits have been found on the WCST (Wisconsin Card Sort Test), a nonverbal measure of problem solving. The WCST test requires both problem solving and cognitive flexibility and has been proposed to be sensitive to frontal system dysfunction. This test is a gold standard in the measure of executive functioning in neuropsychology. Children with prenatal exposure to alcohol made more errors and had more difficulty with the conceptual nature of the task than controls. New data indicate that they have trouble identifying and defining concepts. Finally, tests of planning ability are also thought to be sensitive to frontal systems dysfunction although few such studies have been done in individuals with FAS. On the Progressive Planning Test which is similar to the Tower of London test children with FAS/FAE had difficulty with planning ahead and tended to perseverate on incorrect strategies. So far the results could be summarized as: 1) Heavy prenatal alcohol exposure is associated with a wide range of neurobehavioral deficits including visuospatial functioning, verbal and nonverbal learning, and executive functioning 2) Heavy prenatal alcohol exposure causes microcephaly and disproportionate reductions in the corpus callosum, basal ganglia, and cerebellum 3) Children with and without physical features of the fetal alcohol syndrome display qualitatively similar deficits References Carmichael O. H. , Feldman JJ, Streissguth AP, Gonzalez RD: Neuropsychological deficits and life adjustment in adolescents and adults with fetal alcohol syndrome. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 16:380, 1992 Kodituwakku PW, Handmaker NS, Cutler SK, Weathersby EK, Handmaker SD: Specific impairments in self-regulation in children exposed to alcohol prenatally. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 19:1558-1564, 1995 Mattson, S. N. , Goodman, A. M. , Caine, C. , Delis, D. C. , Riley, E. P. (1999). Executive functioning in children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure. Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research, 23(11), 1808-1815. Background Secondary disabilities are those disabilities that the individual is not born with, and hopefully with appropriate intervention could be ameliorated. This slide illustrates the extent of these secondary disabilities as a function of age. These are individuals with FAS and FAE. As can be seen over 90% of these individuals have mental health problems and about 50% of those over the age of 12 have disrupted school experiences, trouble with the law, which is frequently severe enough to require confinement. They also engage in relatively high rates of inappropriate sexual behavior and a significant number have alcohol and drug abuse problems. Interestingly, the factors that are protective against these secondary disabilities are: Being raised in a stable, nurturant home, diagnosis before the age of 6, no sexual or physical abuse, not changing households every few years, not living in a poor quality home, and receiving Developmental Disabilities services. References Streissguth, A. P. , Barr, H. M. , Kogan, J. , Bookstein, F. L. (1996). Final Report: Understanding the occurrence of secondary disabilities in clients with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and fetal alcohol effects (FAE). Seattle, WA: University of Washington Publication Services. Image secondary disabilities Background. Much of what we know about FAS and the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure is the result of work on animal models. After FAS was identified it became important to demonstrate that the effects were indeed the result of alcohol exposure and not due to factors such as other drugs, maternal conditions, or nutritional variables. The development of appropriate animal models was very important in this regard. Models were developed for assessing physical features of FAS as well as the behavioral, neuroanatomical, and neurochemical profiles of prenatal alcohol exposure. The ideal test animal would absorb, metabolize and eliminate alcohol similar to human, transport alcohol and metabolites across.

United Grain Growers Essay Example for Free

United Grain Growers Essay United Grain Growers Limited (UGG) is the third-largest grain handler and distributor of crop inputs (seed, fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides) in Canada. UGG was formed in 1906 and, until 1993, operated as a farmer-owned cooperative whose primary business and income came from grain handling in western Canada. Western Canada has more than 100,000 farms, and in 1997, farm expenditures on crop inputs and feed totaled approximately C$4 billion. In the late 1990s, Canadas share of world wheat trade was 22 percent, virtually all produced in western Canada. UGG fulfills a key role in the â€Å"seed-to-supermarket† food system. It provides a reliable supply channel, with on-time delivery to exacting specifications. Canadian law requires that all wheat and barley destined for human consumption be sold through the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB). These are known as â€Å"Board grains,† for which UGG is paid a preestablished handling tariff per tonne. UGG also buys â€Å"non-Board grains† (e. g. , canola, flax, linola, peas, feed barley, and other grains not subject to the CWB monopoly) and markets them domestically and internationally. UGG earns a margin on non-Board grains based on the efficiency with which it markets and manages inventory and hedges its positions on world futures markets. UGG serves as the link between the CWB and the farmer for handling Board grains, and between the farmer and the market for non-Board grains. UGG delivers Board grains, purchased on behalf of the CWB, to meet CWB sales contracted on domestic and international wheat and barley markets. UGG sells non-Board grains, purchased directly from farmers, on its own account in domestic and international markets. United Grain Growers Ltd. (UGG), a Canadian grain distributor, audited its exposure to a number of key risks, especially the impact of weather on grain volumes and operating income. Understanding these risks was crucial because the company was in the midst of a major modernization and diversification program. But although UGG already managed traditional risks through a variety of control processes, it was still faced with the problem of how to deal with the biggest risk; the weather.

Racial Profiling Ethics

Racial Profiling Ethics Racial profiling is the practice of viewing certain characteristics such as race, ethnicity, religion or national origin as indicators of criminal behavior. It is a practice that has been used by law enforcement officials when targeting specific crimes or those suspected of potentially committing crimes (Pollock, 2012). Police Officers utilize their discretion when deciding whether to stop an individual or not; but, when the Officers beliefs and ideals are immortal or unethical then their judgment may be distorted (Savive, 2012). Racial profiling is the product of unethical and immoral ideals and beliefs in action (Savive, 2012). Racial profiling violates both the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States (U.S.) Constitution. The Fourth Amendment states that individuals have the right to be secure in their persons against unreasonable searches without probable cause. The Fourteenth Amendment guarantees equal protection of the law to all its citizens however; those who are subjugated to racial profiling are not being treated to the same justice and searches as their white counterparts (Head, 2012). For instance, in New York City, Police Officers conduct stop and frisk of pedestrians (Spitzer, 1999). Stop and frisk occurs when an officer detains an individual and runs his hands over the individuals outer garments to determine whether that person is carrying a concealed weapon. A 1999 study revealed that Blacks were targeted a majority of the time but only 10.5 percent resulted in arrest. Whites however, were targeted the least amount of times but resulted in the greatest percentage of arrest at 12.6 percent (Spitzer, 1999). When New York City Police Officers relied solely on racial profiling, they found weapons less frequently on the racial groups that they profiled. Racial profiling becomes a less effective way of targeting suspected criminals and decreases the overall mission. Racial profiling actually diverts the Officers attention from using actua l, objective signs of suspicious behavior to effectively assess situations (ACLU, 2010). Many Americans would agree that racial profiling is wrong and immoral. They would even agree that individuals should not be targeted as suspected criminals simply because of their race. But, many of these same Americans would agree to racial profiling if the focus was on catching suspected terrorist. However, when law enforcement officials concentrate on those of Muslim or Arab heritage they miss a lot of prospective terrorist. Just as focusing solely on African Americans as drug traffickers, law enforcement would fail to focus on the individuals who are transporting and selling drugs (mainly White Americans). When the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City was bombed, law enforcement officials immediately began focusing on Arab Americans when the perpetrator actually ended up being Timothy McVeigh, a young white male who was an Army veteran (CNN, 2001). Law enforcement continues to focus on those of Arab or Muslim decent when tracking terrorist but has not extended their profiles to include young white male veterans. Why not? Another young white American who would not have been caught utilizing racial profiling is John Walker Lindh. Mr. Lindh had joined Al Qaeda, fought with Taliban soldiers, and was captured in Afghanistan along with two other American men by American Soldiers (CNN, 2001). Mr. Lindh nor his two co-conspirators were not and would not have been stopped or detained through racial profiling even though they were members of a terrorist organization. They had even made statements in support of the September (9/11) bombing of the World Trade Centers. A more effective means of profiling would be behavioral profiling. Law enforcement officials should look for behaviors that do not fit a particular environment. Ronald Burns (2009) alludes to those in security looking for things that do not fit. For example, someone waiting to go through security checks at the airport who is sweating profusely even though it is cold; those who are walking in a manner which may lead you to suspect that they are wearing an explosive belt; or some other bulky item underneath their clothes which interferes with the way they are walking. According to Yuval Bezherano, Vice President of New Age Security Solutions, this behavioral pattern recognition which is modeled after methods used in Israel is much more effective and could be taught (Burns, 2009). This method was used to catch Anne-Marie Murphy, an Irish female who was five months pregnant and carrying explosives in her carryon bag even though she had previously cleared three security checkpoints at Londons Heathrow Airport (Burns, 2009). The Security Guards questioned why a woman so far along in her pregnancy would be traveling without a companion and where would she be staying? Anne-Marie provided the name of the Hilton Hotel in Bethlehem which did not exist at that time. Behavioral profiling instead of racial profiling is more effective because terrorist organizations often recruit outside of th eir race to individuals or groups who are sympathetic to their cause and who can elude racist profiles (Harcourt, 2006). The three White American men captured in Afghanistan working with Al Qaeda serves as an example. One can only imagine the harm these individuals could have caused had the Military not caught them since they were not listed as terrorist. To further their cause, Al Qaeda will collaborate with other nationalities to circumvent the tendencies that the American law enforcement officials have of utilizing racial profiling. Studies on racial profiling confirm that it is a less effective way of apprehending would be criminals or terrorist; it alienates officers with the very members of the community who could help them (Head, 2012). Racial profiling is a blatant violation of the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments yet it is commonly used by Law Enforcement as a tool for targeting suspected criminals regardless of whether the individuals are actually engaged in criminal activities. Individuals are subjected to unlawful search and seizures based upon their ethnicity, not upon their behaviors. We have seen that those of color are treated differently from their white counterparts. When White America is subjected to the same biases of racial profiling then, we will see an end to this violation of the U.S. Constitution. Law enforcement official would do better and probably be more successful should they adopt behavioral profiling instead of racial profiling as a more reliable means of apprehending would-be crimin als and terrorist. References ACLU. (2010, June 29). Racial profiling is ineffective, distracting, and detrimental to public safety. Retrieved September 28, 2012, from American Civil Liberties Union: http://www.aclu.org/print/blog/racial-justice/racial-profiling-ineffective-distracting-and-detrimental-public-safety Burns, R. G. (2009). Critical issues in criminal justice. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Prentice Hall. CNN. (2001, March 29). Special Forces: Timothy McVeigh. Retrieved November 28, 2010, from CNN U.S.: http://articles.cnn.com/2001-03-29/us/profile.mcveigh_1_timothy-mcveigh-oklahoma-city-bombing-religion-basic-training-fort-bragg/2?_s=PM:US CNN, N. (2001, December 19). John Walker Lindh profile: The case of the Taliban American. Retrieved November 28, 2012, from People in the news: http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/people/shows/walker/profile.html Harcourt, B. E. (2006). Muslim profiles 9/11: Is racial profiling an effective counterterrorist measure and does it violate the right to be free from discrimination? Chicago: The Law School University of Chicago. Head, T. (2012, April 09). Why racial profiling is a bad idea: Top 7 arguments against racial profiling. Retrieved October 04, 2012, from About.Com Civil Liberties: http://civilliberty.about.com/od/lawenforcementterrorism/tp/Against-Racial-Profiling.htm Pollock, J. M. (2012). Ethical Dilemmas Decisions in Criminal Justice (7th Edition). Belmont: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Savive, W. (2012, January 12). Dimensions of racial profiling institutionalized racism in the U.S. Retrieved November 28, 2012, from Savives Corner: http://willsavive.blogspot.com/2012/01/dimensions-of-racial-profiling.html Spitzer, E. (1999). The New York City Police Department stop and frisk practices: A report to the people of New York. New York: Attorney General of the State of New York.

The American Clock Essay -- Literary Analysis, Arthur Miller

Arthur Miller is a social dramatist who reflects his outlook on the US government, in many of his plays. The Great Depression had a lasting influence on him, which he portrays in â€Å"The American Clock†. Because he was so deeply impacted by the Depression and the government’s role in it, Miller mocks the idealism of the American dream in â€Å"Death of a Salesman† and â€Å"A View from the Bridge†. Due to his unjust condemnation as a Communist during the McCarthy Era he accuses the faulty court system as culpable. Miller creates John Proctor in, â€Å"The Crucible† as a victim during the Salem Witch Trials, to represent himself during the Red Scare. In his plays, Miller’s characters deal with injustices in order to express Miller’s view that American law is artificial. Miller exploits law as a common theme in his plays to express his outlook about its corruption. He portrays injustice done to the ‘common man and the confinement of America in â€Å"All My Sons† and â€Å"Death of a Salesman†. Miller reflects his political views in his works, by writing about individualism and his experiences. In many of his works, Arthur Miller expresses contempt for the government, which he holds responsible for his childhood poverty, during the Great Depression, and adult persecutions. The Great Depression had an immense impact on Arthur Miller, which he reflects in â€Å"The American Clock†, among other works. After the stock market crash of 1929, the Miller family’s financial comfort drastically changed. Lannone illustrates their extreme change in lifestyle, â€Å"The Depression struck the family hard†¦the garment business of Miller’s father began to decline†¦the family relocated to a dead-end street in the Gravesend neighborhood of Brooklyn, where their once-prosperous life became ... ...rays injustice done to the ‘common man and the confinement of America in â€Å"All My Sons†. In â€Å"All My Sons†, Joe attempts to defend his actions during the war, â€Å"Who worked for nothing in that war? It’s dollars and cents, war and peace†¦ half the goddamn country is gotta go if I go† (Miller 150). Here, Miller portrays his view that society is corrupt. This, he explains, is due to big businesses and the government’s negative influence and failure to aid small businesses, like his father’s during the Great Depression, which failed. Joe says, â€Å"That’s the way they do George. A little man makes a mistake and they hang him up by the thumbs. The big ones become the ambassadors† (Miller 411). The ‘big ones’ represent big businesses and the government, which is evident in Miller’s intentional use of the word ‘ambassador’ to create a governmental connotation.

The Second Republic and Its Fall Essays -- Nigeria Federal Government

The Second Republic and Its Fall One of many hurdles that Nigeria had to overcome in the attempt to return to civilian rule, and then to have such a new system entrenched, was the fact that competitive politics encouraged recourse to sectional identification. On the one hand, there is need for a understanding of the nature of the dynamics of Nigerian society, especially with regard to the phenomenon of ethnicity. On the other hand, the theoretical formulations which already exist concerning the nature of politics in segmented societies must be confronted so that a closer approximation between such themes and the sociopolitical realities of Nigeria can be achieved (Joseph, 1987:43). The American-style constitution of the second Republic (1979-1983) was designed for Nigerians type of democracy where natural affairs rather than state are promoted to avoid the pattern of British parliamentary system where the winner-takes-all pattern. The parties in America conform to the Constitution due to their disciplinary disposition. In Nigeria, political parties were following the British style of politics, where â€Å"distribution of revenues among the politician and their clients at national, state and local levels†, are the order of the day (Shehu, et al; 1999:34). Bitter conflicts abounded within the political parties in both states and the federal level over the distribution of the spoils; hence, the inability of the politicals to manage the conflicts led to the demise of the democratic government in the Second Republic and the return of the military government. In the program of transition to the Second Republic, the military leaders’ primary concern was to prevent the recurrence of the mistakes of the First Republic. They believed that if the structures and processed of government and politics that had proved inappropriate in the First Republic could be changed, a stable and effective civilian government was therefore designed to address those fundamental issues, which were historically divisive, and to establish new political institutions, processes, and orientations. The second aspect of the transition involved the making of a new constitution and appropriate institutions. Decree number 25 of 1978 enacted the 1977 Constitution. It differed from the First Republic in 1963, in that, it introduced a United States type presidential system (Nwoked, 199:73). Previo... ...so was the decline in GDP by and estimated 10 percent. The repressive strategy of Buhari’s military further engendered deep resentment and bitterness among the people who feel that they had been denied of their personal freedom. In addition, according to Othman, â€Å"the military government was increasingly driven by dissension over strategies of economic management, the detention and trials of political detainees and the rising power of Brigadier Tunde Idiagbon, the Chief of staff, supreme headquarters, and the driving force behind the regime’s authoritarian policies, and of the Nigerian Security Organization (NSO)† (Othman, 1999:40). Two factors were instrumental to the final demise of the military regime; one was the risking of what Diamond called â€Å"political convulsion†, an attempt to impose a monolithic order on Nigeria’s vigorously polaristic society (Diamond, 1999:443). The second factor was the regime’s declaration in July, 1985, of their intention or plan to return Nigeria to C ivilian rule. These actions further isolated Buhari and Idiagbon from their military colleagues , including their arrogance in ignoring critical opinion even among its senior military ranks.

Essay --

While it’s not truly the holiday season without hearing Mariah Carey’s â€Å"All I Want for Christmas is You,† you might want to branch out a bit if you plan to do some caroling this season. What’s a caroling group to do? Instead of singing old favorites like â€Å"Frosty the Snowman,† consider shaking things up a bit with the following six Christmas carols that don’t get enough airtime. â€Å"Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella† Take a step back in time with this understated Christmas classic. â€Å"Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella,† is believed to have originated in France in the 16th century and was translated to English in the 19th century by E. Cuthbert Nunn. This Christmas carol includes a playful reminder to those gathered around Jesus to be quiet, so as to let him sleep. The song is upbeat and filled with excitement, as you can hear with the lyrics â€Å"Christ is born, tell the folk of the village/Jesus is sleeping in His cradle.† â€Å"Good King Wenceslas† If you’re looking for a carol with a reminder to help others, then consider adding â€Å"Good King Wenceslas† to the mix. The song was written by John ... Essay -- While it’s not truly the holiday season without hearing Mariah Carey’s â€Å"All I Want for Christmas is You,† you might want to branch out a bit if you plan to do some caroling this season. What’s a caroling group to do? Instead of singing old favorites like â€Å"Frosty the Snowman,† consider shaking things up a bit with the following six Christmas carols that don’t get enough airtime. â€Å"Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella† Take a step back in time with this understated Christmas classic. â€Å"Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella,† is believed to have originated in France in the 16th century and was translated to English in the 19th century by E. Cuthbert Nunn. This Christmas carol includes a playful reminder to those gathered around Jesus to be quiet, so as to let him sleep. The song is upbeat and filled with excitement, as you can hear with the lyrics â€Å"Christ is born, tell the folk of the village/Jesus is sleeping in His cradle.† â€Å"Good King Wenceslas† If you’re looking for a carol with a reminder to help others, then consider adding â€Å"Good King Wenceslas† to the mix. The song was written by John ...

Anti Nature Concept by Nietzsche Essay

The name of Nietzsche occupies one of the leading places among the greatest philosophers till nowadays. His influences can be traced in postmodernism and existentialism. His theories and views are studied by scientists and students; his profound and sharp understanding of reality and human nature attract attention of numerous people all over the world. His most well-known theory is related to â€Å"Will of Power†. The notion of the superhuman – Uebermensh – as a key to understanding of the power, every human being is bearing inside, totally confronts the general philosophic approach , where all reasons and questions are investigated only the in the frames of sole truth. These ides are developed in his work â€Å"The Twilight of the Idols†, where the readers find Nietzsche’s strong confrontation of the Socrates’s approach of rationalism. His strongest critic of the Socrates’s views relates to lack of life appreciation and resistance of the human instincts, because he states, that â€Å"Resisting instincts is just a sickness and not at all a way back to virtue or happiness.† (Bailey 2002). Here we are coming closer to the major point of our research, namely to the understanding of morality. One of the most vital concepts of Nietzsche was his suggestion, that morality builds the serious obstacle for enjoying of most of life passions and desires, or how he formulated it – â€Å"morality as anti-nature†. In his work Morality as Anti-Nature Nietzsche is discussing the ways, how religion and morality, spread via religion, are able to change and suppress human nature. Nowadays a lot of people are living according to some biblical rules and precepts. During the times, when Nietzsche lived, the church was considered to be even a stronger mentor for most individuals, who made their choices and selected their life directions only based on the rules, preached by the priests. Nietzsche was absolutely against it; he insisted that religion did not consider the nature of humanity. According to the church all people were to fight against their bad sides, where according to Nietzsche all people were born initially good and they did not need the religious rules to follow them, but rather follow their own desires and  passions. The highest potential in development throughout the whole life can be reached, as Nietzsche stated, only with the help of inside passions, and never the ideals of church. T he church demanded from its followers to suppress all the passions in order to become real Christians. In this way the church was exchanging the natural passions of individuals with morality. The idea of free will was also understood by Nietzsche not in the way as it was presented by the church. The believers were supposed to follow all the God’s rules as he was the most powerful being, at the same time, they were to carry responsibility for their decisions and actions. â€Å"Today we no longer have any pity for the concept of â€Å"free will†: we know only too well what it really is — the foulest of all theologians’ artifices, aimed at making mankind â€Å"responsible† in their sense, that is, dependent upon them. Here I simply supply the psychology of all â€Å"making responsible.† (Bailey 2002). At this point Nietzsche used this theory for explaining his understanding of cause and effect. â€Å"The church’s use of counterfactual causality expands to an imaginary and false perception in the mind, and people ultimately jump to conclusions, giving all the credit to a higher form or being.† (Bailey 2002). Nietzsche a lso criticized the situation when instead of looking for plausible answers. The followers of the church just believed, that the word of God was the only true reason. Thus Christianity, as he wrote, was to bear the responsibility for making its followers closed minded and going against their nature. â€Å"He ultimately believed that religion creates a concept of anti-natural morality which damages our development as humans quite greatly, eventually ending our status and right as individuals once the church gets involved† (Jacobus 13). In Nietzsche’s eyes, it was an attempt to substitute all the intelligence and natural passions, human beings were possessing, with blind and poor spirituality. In this case, he stated, that those, who could invent all such spiritual and moral restrictions, were ill-willed and not able to control their own passions. They themselves were not inclined to further intellectual and moral development, thus they used morality as anti-nature to restrict other individuals in improvement of their lives. Only individuals, who are absolutely not under control of any morality, could be referred to as ideal human beings, because their actions and choices would be based purely upon their natural passions. Their judgments concerning right and wrong things would be under the influence of  their inside passion only. Overall, we have studied the key notions of the Nietzsche’s theory, related to the issues of morality, which according to him is the most serious obstacle in formation of li fe direction, based on the natural instincts and passions. On the one hand, he could be right saying that morality itself is certainly restraining the activities and decisions of people. However, on the other hand our ability to control our emotions and passions is the major feature, which defines us as human beings, not animals. Works cited Bailey, A. First Philosophy: Fundamental Problems and Readings in Philosophy. Broadview Press. 2002 Jacobus L.A. A World of Ideas: Essential Readings for College Writers. Bedford/St. Martin’s. 2013 Hayman, R. Nietzsche: A Critical Life. Oxford University Press (New York), 1980.

An Analysis of “The Klan’s Fight for Americanism” Essay

In 1926, Hiram Wesley Evans, then Imperial Wizard and Emperor of the Ku Klux Klan, published â€Å"The Klan’s Fight for Americanism†, a leaflet that set forth the principles and fundamentals of what many called the revival of the KKK in 1920’s America, a new version of the organization that was originally formed by Nathan Bedford Forrest after the Civil War in an effort to maintain the supremacy of the white man over the recently freed African-American slaves. The researcher will analyze and discuss Evans’ writing in this paper from the standpoint of his views and specific tenets to be found within â€Å"The Klan’s Fight for Americanism†. In addition, the researcher will present views as to whether or not Evans’ views agree with those of the researcher, and ultimately, a response to Evans’ view will be presented. Upon the conclusion of this paper, the reader will have a thorough understanding of Evans’ work as well as some possible alternative viewpoints on it. A Brief Overview of â€Å"The Klan’s Fight for Americanism† In order to fully understand the various elements of Evans’ writing, and to adequately interpret it, a brief overview of the work itself is in order. The previously mentioned revival of the KKK in the early 1920’s came in response to what the group called the â€Å"infestation by aliens† of America in the years immediately following World War I. As a result of the KKK’s revival, by 1926, the organization had over 3 million members. The KKK increased its list of those whom it hated to include Jews, Catholics, Communists, and those who were members of the labor unions that were gaining popularity in America during that time. Hiram W. Evans, upon assuming control of the KKK in 1926, wrote â€Å"The Klan’s Fight for Americanism† as a means to lay the groundwork for what would be a new expansion of the Ku Klux Klan in the 20th century. Americanism as Defined by Evans One of the key terms that Evans uses in his writing is the term Americanism, something that he claims is a hallmark of the KKK. The term Americanism in this context has its roots in patriotism, something that the KKK claims to have in abundance; however, the interpretation of patriotism that the KKK has varied greatly from what one would usually find in the belief systems of someone like Abraham Lincoln, for example. Patriotism, as the cornerstone of Americanism, in this case has some far reaching implications. First, consider the KKK’s definition of the American ideal within Americanism, which will first be presented by use of an actual quote from Evans’ work: â€Å"Americanism, to the Klansman, is a thing of the spirit, a purpose and a point of view, that can only come through instinctive racial understanding. It has, to be sure, certain defined principles, but he does not believe that many aliens understand those principles, even when they use our words in talking about them. . . .In short, the Klansman believes in the greatest possible diversity and individualism within the limits of the American spirit. But he believes also that few aliens can understand that spirit, that fewer try to, and that there must be resistance, intolerance even, toward anything that threatens it, or the fundamental national unity based upon It† (Evans, 1926) . What Americanism is, for the Klansman, is the concept of liberty and justice for all, as Americans recites in their Pledge of Allegiance, but â€Å"all† has its limits along racial, ethnic and religious boundaries. For the KKK, coming right from the pen of its leader at the time, the American Dream was available for those who qualified by being a certain race, nationality or religion, embodied in the KKK credo of â€Å"native, white, Protestant supremacy† (Evans, 1926). Using terms like â€Å"mongrelization† to describe the ethnic diversity that America was experiencing in large part due to the displacement of Europeans after World War I, Evans set up unlimited possibilities for a limited few, not much different from the slavery that America utilized prior to the Civil War. Another element of Evans philosophy was what he defined as â€Å"The American Race†. This race encompasses people who are white descendants from the ancient Nordic tribes of Europe, Protestant in religion. Evans makes a specific religious distinction, saying that â€Å"Rome shall not rule America†, meaning that the Roman Catholic Church, and more specifically the Pope, will not have any hold on what â€Å"The American Race† does in the United States (Evans, 1926). A Response to Evans’ View While Hiram W. Evans, as an American citizen, has the right to express his opinions and views, likewise it is appropriate for the researcher to respond to what Evans wrote and professed in â€Å"The Klan’s Fight for Americanism†. As a response, rather than embarking on a long tirade of random responses, his work will be discussed along the lines of carefully selected main points, which will give a better response to the overall work. Those key points are as follows: †¢ DIVERSITY IS THE BASIS OF AMERICAN GREATNESS- No one can debate that the many contributions made to America in terms of the arts, sciences, humanities, education and more would not have been very significant were it not for those of many different ethnic backgrounds who came to America seeking a better life and ultimately made America a better place for others. If America were only open to Evans’ â€Å"American Race†, the country likely would have been held back from its full potential. †¢ JUDGEMENT BY CONTENT OF CHARACTER- Decades after Evans’ ruled the KKK, Martin Luther King Jr. professed that he dreamed of an America where people would be judged not by the color of skin, but my content of character. By limiting his view of Americans to be only those of the white race, Evans excluded many fine individuals from inclusion in the American Dream. This exclusivity again would have compromised the ability of America to grow and thrive as it has. †¢ ONE NATION UNDER GOD HAS MANY MEANINGS- The belief in God cannot, and should not be available only to those of the Protestant faith that Evans advocates in his teachings and writings. A nation built on many faiths can provide a strong moral foundation and indeed has in the case of America. Aside from whether an individual’s belief in God comes from the Protestant, Catholic, Jewish or any of a number of other theologies, the teachings of respect for other people, peace, integrity and morality has helped to make America great. Agreement With Evans? The researcher has clearly shown that there is definite disagreement with Evans and the content of â€Å"The Klan’s Fight for Americanism†. Having the benefit of viewing the publication in hindsight, it is clearly seen that the American landscape would be vastly different in the 21st century if Evans ruled the 20th. Closing Thoughts It was once said that those who do not learn from history are condemned to repeat it. In the case of Evans’ teachings and writings, this is definitely true. Luckily, the hatred that he professed has not totally dominated the American culture, but does exist today. Therefore, it is important for every American to pay attention to the past to avoid pitfalls in the future. References Evans, Hiram W. (1926). The Klan’s Fight for Americanism. North American Review, 223, 38-39.