Analysis Of The Poem La Belle Dame Sans Merci

â€Å"Tis better to have loved and lost / Than never to have loved at all.† Alfred, Lord Tennyson, 1849. Three poems that I have studied that powerfully explore this idea are ‘La Belle Dame sans Merci’ by John Keats (1819), ‘My Last Duchess’ by Robert Browning (1842) and ‘Remember’ by Christina Rossetti (1849). Keats writes about idealised, courtly love and loss through rejection. Browning addresses obsessive and sinister love which is lost through destruction, and Rossetti expresses real love which is lost through bereavement. These poems have contrasting forms, contributing in various ways to the themes of love and loss. ‘La Belle Dame’ is a ballad – a narrative poem of folk origin, meant to be sung – selected by the poet to enhance the idealism of love, elevating the dream-like quality of the language. This form was atypical of the time in which it was written. Keats adopted this form to separate it from his time and place to a time of pure and courtly love. ‘My Last Duchess’ is a dramatic monologue; the speaker reveals his own character more than the subject. As the poem develops, we learn in stages the true nature of the obsessive and jealous love which leads to the implied murder of the Duchess. The Duke’s speech exposes his pompous, obnoxious character and psychopathy. Browning may have been inspired by the dramatic monologue style of poetry written by the metaphysical poets of the 16th Century, similar to Andrew Marvell’s ‘To His Coy Mistress’. The poem also resonatesShow MoreRelatedA Poem from the Romantic Period, La Belle Dame sans Merci by John Keats711 Words   |  3 Pagescouldn’t use math or science to understand human nature. In my opinion the Romantic Movement was a direct reaction to the 18th century Enlightenment The poem â€Å"La Belle Dame sans Merci† written by John Keats is an excellent example of the work of literature from the Romantic Period. This time in literature began in 1798 with the publishing of a book of poems named â€Å"Lyrical Ballads.† This Classic piece of literature was written by the fathers of Romantic literature, William Wordsworth and Samuel ColeridgeRead MoreComparative Analysis of La Belle Dame Sans Merci and The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock2063 Words   |  9 Pages4/30/2013 Comparative Analysis of â€Å"La Belle Dame Sans Merci† and â€Å"The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock† It comes as no surprise that love poems are not a rare commodity. Whether they’re about a lovesick man pining for his soul mate or a general reflection about how one perceives love, these poems offer an analysis of one of the most innate desires of our human nature. Despite inevitable differences in writing style and point of view, there can be times where love poems employ similar strategiesRead MoreJohn Keats : The Five Senses, Reality Departures, And Nature1628 Words   |  7 Pagesnaturally as Leaves to a tree it had better not come at all† (biography). John Keats was an English-born poet who was known for his sonnets, romances, and epics. He was a well-known romantic poet who was criticized because of his style of poetry. In his poems, Keats uses frequent themes such as death, the five senses, reality departures, and nature. As a romantic poet, John Keats uses imagery and emotion based themes as way to display his beliefs in his poetry. Born in London, England on October 31,Read MoreLa Belle Dam Sans Merci Essay1162 Words   |  5 PagesThe poem La Belle Dame Sans Merci by John Keats is a ballad that expresses all of Keats philosophies of happiness and the ideal world while, at the same time, being an enchanting love story on a simpler level. The poem contains his pleasure thermometer which leads to Keats idea of happiness. The poem also contains Keats vision of an ideal world where nothing ends or dies. The poem begins with a narrator questioning a Knight at arms. The Knight is seen wandering around lifelessly and listlesslyRead MoreAn Unknown Girl Analysis1379 Words   |  6 Pages↠ A Passage To Africa. (Narrative Article, Literary  Analysis.) Poetry Analysis: An Unknown Girl- Moniza  Alvi. 28May In the evening bazaar Studded with neon An unknown girl Is hennaing my hand She squeezes a wet brown line Form a nozzle She is icing my hand, Which she steadies with her On her satin peach knee. In the evening bazaar For a few rupees An unknown girl is hennaing my hand As a little air catches My shadow stitched kameez A peacock spreads its lines Across my palm. Read MoreLa Belle Dame Sans Merci Explanation2214 Words   |  9 Pages`La Belle Dame sans Merci or The Beautiful Lady without Pity is the title of an early fifteenth-century French poem by Alain Chartier which belongs to the tradition of courtly love. Keats appropriates this phrase for a ballad which has been generally read as the story of a seductive and treacherous woman who tempts men away from the real world and then leaves them, their dreams unfulfilled and their lives blighted. For all the beguiling simplicity of the surfaces of this literary ballad, it isRead MoreLa Belle Dame Sans Merci Explanation2230 Words   |  9 Pages`La Belle Dame sans Merci or The Beautiful Lady without Pity is the title of an early fifteenth-century French poem by Alain Chartier which belongs to the tradition of courtly love. Keats appropriates this phrase for a ballad which has been generally read as the story of a seductive and treacherous woman who tempts men away from the real world and then leaves them, their dreams unfulfilled and their lives blighted. For all the beguiling simplicity of the surfaces of this literary ballad, it isRead MorePoetry Analysis : Extended Response1593 Words   |  7 PagesPoetry Analysis – Extended Response Worthwhile poetry does make the audience think, it impacts the ways individuals think and how they interpret the hidden messages and morals taught throughout them. Poetry is a point of interest for many people as it informs. This essay aims to explore and discuss two of the following poems that make the audience think about poetry. The essay will also compare and contrast the subject matter, themes, rhyme, forms and the poetic devices and features. These poems toRead MoreFemale And Female Gender Roles3513 Words   |  15 Pages Through the Bloody Chamber, Carter portrays how women are separating these two aspects of sexual intercourse. The protagonist is seen to transgress as she begins to enjoy intercourse instead of viewing it as purely functional. Angela Topping’s analysis of Carter’s work supports the idea of transgression through sexual awakening, as she points out the juxtaposition of the red and white in the girl’s engagement ring. The contrast between the two colours within the Fire Opal become: ‘clearer and more

Mgt 510 Free Essays

People Management, the Mantra for Success: The Case of Singhania and Partner Jameelah Richardson Dr. Finn MGT 510 September 10, 2012 In this paper we will discuss the case of Singhania and Partner. We would examine the case of Singhania and Partners and evaluate the organization’s strategy. We will write a custom essay sample on Mgt 510 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Next we would evaluate each of the five IHRM practices with respect to recruitment and selection, training for cross-cultural adaptation, management development, evaluation, and compensation. Later we will discuss which of the five practices can be approved. Afterwards, we would make recommendations to management to successfully improve the current IHRM strategy. Finally, we would explain how the recommended changes impact the organization in the industry. Examine the Case of Singhania and Partners and Evaluate the Organization’s Strategy Singhania amp; Partners is known as a full service national law firm. This firm is known for being successful with international corporate and commercial, litigation, and arbitration and intellectual property in law. The company was founded by Ravi Singhania and Manju Mohorta. Ravi Singhania was the founder and managing partner while Mohorta was the Chief Executive. Both Ravi and Manu were concerned about the HR practices currently used by the firm and if the company faces human resource risks. It seemed that the firm is facing a high attrition rate in the Indian legal services industry and this is causing an alarming problem. There has been a shift between legal firms and partners. It seems the entry of foreign law firms into India could create more competition between law firms. They should focus more on gaining trust of their employees. Gaining the respect of your employees will create positive work environments and relationships within the firm. It would also deflate stress and uncertainty while being in that work environment. Evaluate Each of the Five IHRM Practices with Respect to Recruitment and Selection, Training for Cross-Cultural Adaptation, Management Development, Evaluation, and Compensation Recruitment of staff should be sought after a complete analysis of the job to be done. An analytical study would focus on the tasks that need to be performed to determine valuable factors. A written job description would be beneficial so the employer would know what physical and mental characteristics one should possess and what qualities and attitudes are desirable. The  Recruitment and Selection Process  is one of the basic HR Processes. Recruitment and Selection is very sensitive as many managers have a need to hire a new employee and this process is always under a strict monitoring from their side. The  Recruitment and Selection Process  must be simple and must be robust enough to operate excellently in the moment of the insufficient number of candidates on the job market and the process must be also able to process a large number of candidates within given time limit (Richards, 2008). Cross-cultural training encompasses a combination of translation, instructional design and cultural adaptation, each of which is required to convey new concepts to a target audience in another country. Simply translating training material will not work, as it fails to take into account the cultural factors that influence the trainees’ perceptions (Smith, 2004). With Management development, you must look at the strategy of the organization and address that there are well trained managers in play to ensure the organization is on the right path of completing their goals. Basically an evaluation / appraisal scheme is a formalization of what is done in a more casual manner anyway (e. g. if there is a vacancy, discussion about internal moves and internal attempts to put square pegs into ‘squarer holes’ are both the results of casual evaluation). Most managers approve merit payment and that too calls for evaluation, made a standard routine task, it aids the development of talent, warns the inefficient or uncaring and can be an effective form of motivation (Richards, 2008). Compensation Strategy  is one of the most important strategies in the HRM function as it influences the costs of the organization and potential bad decision can lead to very serious damages to the organization (Richards, 2008). Discuss which of the Five Practices can be improved In my opinion, both recruitment and selection and compensation could be improved. Today, a lot of people are chosen for a job on how they look or because they know someone which isn’t fair to the person who actually has the experience to complete the job. Even if you don’t have that much experience for the job but your educational background introduces you to what the job entails you should still be giving a chance to perform at your best. Most college students are not giving a chance to start a job in their major because you’re expected to have 5 to 7 years’ experience early on but how do you obtain that if you’re learning the basics of what is expected in that particular field? I feel if you were introduce to what the field entails then you should be given a chance to perform the task either way you will be trained to do that job right? Compensation is the most important factor in HR yet employees work hard and get compensated less. It seems that organizations put so many stipulations into play to get compensated that once you receive it you’re like I did all of this for that what was the point? If you expect your employees to perform at their best level and keep that same drive every month, compensation should be both a reachable and achievable goal so in the end everybody wins the employer, employee, and the organization as a whole. Make Recommendations to Management to Successfully Improve the Current IHRM Strategy International Human Resource Management Strategy (IHRM) is the recruitment, selection, training and development, performance appraisal, compensation, and labor relations (Cullen, 2011). Management needs to be cautious of who they’re choosing to complete the task at hand. Education and experience should play in major part in the recruitment and selection process. With college students, they are aware of what the job is and what it entails but in order for the individual to complete the job the way you want it you must train them. Afterwards, then evaluate them on their performance to determine if they’re a right fit for the organization. Compensation must improve and employees should be acknowledge for the hard work that is put in day in and day out. If employees feel their being treated with the upmost respect, receiving job recognition and compensation for what they’re doing production would be meeting or exceeding the organization’s expectation and everyone wins. Explain how the Recommended Changes Impact the Organization in the Industry Managers can build trust by demonstrating that they are guided by ethical standards and beliefs and then by exhibiting behaviors that are consistent with those standards and beliefs. A variety of conditions and factors can enhance employee trust. Four of the most important are credibility, integrity, reliability, and commitment (Smith, 2004). In conclusion, employee trust is generally something that is earned over time. Building trust can be difficult but it is much easier to lost it through inconsistent behavior and lack of commitment. By enhancing employee trust Singhania ;amp; Partners will become the most consistent firm. References Cullen, John B. ;amp; Parboteeah, Praveen (2011) Multinational Management Richards, Sam (2008) HRM Advice Smith, Jeanine (2006) V ;amp; L International How to cite Mgt 510, Papers

Clayton Industries free essay sample

Declining sales, a global recession, stiff competition from Asian manufacturers, inflated operational costs, and decreasing demand for the product are all reasons why Clayton SpA is forced to reevaluate the Brescia Italy plant and make a sound business decision as to its fate. After discussions and meetings with other plant management and personnel, three options were proposed: invest additional monies into the Italian division and revive operations, target production towards absorption chillers rather than the compression chillers, or wait about six months and observe the activity of the economy before making any type of financial decision. Targeting production towards absorption chillers is the best option for Clayton in order to regain its position financially and its competitive position in the market. INTRODUCTION Clayton Industries, a business based on sales of window mounted air conditioning units sold in residential and small commercial units, was formed in 1938 in Milwaukee, WI. In the 1980s, the company decided to expand into commercial operations in North America and saw an opportunity for growth in the European market. It achieved this growth through the acquisition of four other companies, including Corliss a company that manufactured HVAC units and AeroPuro an Italian manufacturer of compression chillers. Clayton did an organization restructure in order to accommodate the global expansion and developed a new entity, Clayton Europe, to handle the European acquisitions. These acquisitions enabled Clayton to be a dominant force in that market until the global recession in 2009 at which point Claytons international divisions saw a decline in sales. Clayton SpA, the Italian division of Clayton Industries, was the most negatively impacted, suffering a 19% decline in sales and experiencing revenue losses of $1 million per month (Bartlett Barlow,2010,p. 3). Internal mismanagement, an exaggerated workforce, and the view of air conditioning units as an unnecessary American luxury by European citizens all contributed to the rapid decline in sales and loss of revenue. Facing competition from Asian manufacturers that were making the same product more efficient and less expensive also proved to be an obstacle for Clayton SpA. This contributed to the need to offer a better product at a cheaper price for Clayton SpA to remain competitive and profitable in this market. In reaction to all of these issues being faced by Clayton, all country management was asked to participate in a 10/10/10 plan which entailed cutting days receivables and days in inventory by 10 days each and reduce the labor force by 10%. The Top Four in Four initiative was also presented to country management in which they were asked to develop a plan where the product for which their division was responsible for selling would be in the top four of the European market share in four years. In this report are the options being considered and plans presented in order for Clayton SpA division to rally back from the losses it has suffered financially. INTERNAL/EXTERNAL ANALYSIS SWOT ANALYSIS †¢ One strength is that the Clayton European division is now being led by more effective and goal-oriented management. The fact that they were also hired from other more successful sectors of the company enables this division to be led by individuals who already know the business and the company and draw from prior plans in order to make this division more successful. Another strength is that the initial plan put into action by Simonne Buis a few months prior to cut costs immediately freed up some monies needed for immediate restructuring and rebuilding. The ability of management to take ideas from more successful divisions of the company (i. e. Spain) can make the Italian division more profitable in the future. †¢ One potential weakness is that the financial obstacles faced by Clayton SpA due to internal mismanagement and exaggerated labor costs were there for quite some time, therefore the company must come up with a lot of money up front in order to attempt to restructure and rebuild. Another weakness is that the company is expected to jump back up into the top 4 in the next 4 years yet it is currently 5th on the list with only 7% of the market share. This goal will prove extremely difficult with current conditions. †¢ One opportunity for Clayton is that they can develop a more efficient product in order to become more competitive in the market now and in future. Another opportunity is that effectively cutting costs now can enable the company to run more efficiently in the future because it will show that the company can indeed increase profits with reduced operating expenses and liabilities, therefore offering higher shareholder equity in the end. Higher shareholder equity means the increased probability of more investors in the end. †¢ On e threat to Clayton are Asian firms, or possibly any other company that tries to operate in this market, operating more efficiently and offering a better product to consumers. Another threat is the rising costs of materials, as seen with the increase in the price of steel. PEST ANALYSIS Analysis of this firm using PEST, I have determined that the political aspect has played a major role in the business decision making in Clayton SpA. It was due to the major impact that the union had in Italy that caused the high labor costs in that division. The political relationships held by prior management seemed to influence some of the poor decision making on the part of management. The economic factor is that the global recession and slow economy in 2009 is when Clayton began to suffer huge financial losses. Clayton SpA suffered a $15 million dollar loss of stockholders equity in 2009. As seen in Exhibit 2 Clayton Industries income statement, revenues were down 19% and net loss was 12%. The social factors affecting Clayton are that for one, Europeans did not view air conditioning in their homes as a necessity. They saw it as a luxury. Additionally, Europeans were buying from local firms because they were more familiar and better priced. Technological factors affected Clayton in that the compression chillers marketed and sold by Clayton were too expensive as well as lacking in operational efficiency. The Barcelona plant manufactured specialized absorption chillers which proved to be far more profitable than the compression chillers were. The compression chillers lacked several new features that other competitors were using, therefore causing Clayton to fall behind in the market. They were operating 15% less efficiently (Bartlett Barlow,2010, p. 6). Absorption technology is a new trend that has become increasingly popular due to its use of water rather than the harmful chemicals used in compression chillers. Based on Clayton Industries’ forecast sales in exhibit 5, it is predicted that Clayton Italy will experience a growth in sales of between 5 6 % annually if the economic conditions improve. These percentages are relatively small in comparison to the huge losses suffered in 2009, therefore a more aggressive approach should be taken in order to meet the goal of being in the top four by 2013. OPTIONS There are a few possible options for Clayton to successfully attain its goals of rebounding financially and becoming one of the top four competitors in the market. One option is to regain profitability in the Italian division by increasing efficiency at the plant site, revitalization of the current product line of compression chillers through further product development, and a development of a sales and marketing plan so as to expand and increase their market share. The costs of this option are around $5 million, most of which will be spent within the first year of implementation. The pros of this plan are that revitalizing the compression chiller product line may prove profitable since the compression chillers still make up 85% of the market. Another pro is that through development of the sales and marketing team, innovative ideas by new management or a new sales and marketing team can be tested in this time of crisis. A third pro of this option is that increased efficiency at the current plant will keep the company from having to do a full restructure, therefore saving the company money in the long run. Clayton can build upon what they already have rather than tear it down and rebuild it. The cons of this option are that the companys current financial position is poor therefore coming up with the $5 million needed for start-up could prove difficult at this time. There is also a chance that the investment of the $5 million does not yield the profitable results that the company desires, therefore putting the organization in a worse position financially. Using $5 million of the companys funds will also create a diminished cash flow, possibly affecting other divisions in a negative way. Another option is to build upon the already successful market in Spain. This would enable Clayton to also partake in the new technological advancement of the absorption chiller that has given the Barcelona plant its increased profitability. Market growth of the absorption chillers is increasing and this would give Clayton an opportunity to step into a new market and work towards achieving its goal of once again being a top competitor in the market. The costs of this plan would be approximately $15 million over a period of five years. The large part of this investment would come within two to three years of plan implementation. The plan would also involve a lot of restructuring of the organization and removal of old equipment and processes. The pros of this plan are the opportunity to gain entry into a new market that appears to already be profitable for a division of Clayton. In recent years, there has been an increased demand for products that more environmentally friendly so selling the absorption chillers would satisfy that demand and increase profit. Another pro to this plan is that Spain already has licensed technology to support the production of the absorption chillers and they are already familiar with the product. Cons to this option are that it might be risky to phase out the compression chillers, which comprise of 85% of the market to invest in the absorption chillers, which are still only 15% of the market. Investing these funds not expanding or building a new office in Spain would still mean that the office in Italy would still be left in a bad position financially. Having to close the Italy office would also cause an uproar with the union officials that initially showed concern that this would occur. Another downside to this plan is the large investment amount needed to get it up and running with no guarantee that it will prove profitable in the end. If a $15 million dollar investment is made and the absorption chillers do not prove profitable, the company will have lost that investment and the loss of the Italy division. A third option is to wait until the economy becomes more stable, at least six months, before making any type of financial decision or commitment to an alternative plan. If slow economic growth and global recession continue, using millions of company funds to restructure could put the organization in a worst position in the end. The pros of this plan are thought it does allow management and the financial department a little more time before making a decision. This would allow for more research and review of economic conditions and industry trends, therefore enabling a more sensible decision. This will also still allow for the other two options to remain on the table whereas if one of the other two plans are implemented, funds will be depleted and another option will prove difficult of not impossible to attempt. The downsides to this option are that not taking any action for six months may put the company in a worse position financially. If the divisions that are lacking continue to operate in a deficit, it will put the company as a whole in turmoil. If the company is currently experiencing a loss of $1 million a month, six more months of operating in that manner would be a total loss of $6 million more.

Plato And Forms Essays - Platonism, Form Of The Good,

Plato And Forms Platos Forms The influence that Plato, the Greek philosopher born in 427 BC in Athens, has had throughout the history of philosophy has been monumental. Among other things, Plato is known for his exploration of the fundamental problems of natural science, political theory, metaphysics, theology and theory of knowledge; many of his ideas becoming permanent elements in Western thought. The basis of Platos philosophy is his theory of Ideas, or doctrine of Forms. While the notion of Forms is essential to Platos philosophy, over years of philosophical study, it has been difficult to understand what these Forms are supposed to be, and the purpose of their existence. When examining Platos forms and evaluating the theory, some conclusions have proved to be unclear and unanswered. However, the doctrine of Forms is essential to Platos philosophy. Plato came to his view of the Forms based on two premises: first, that knowledge cannot come through the senses; and second, we do nevertheless manage to know thi ngs in mathematics, for instance. Plato believed in two worlds; the empirical realm of concrete, familiar objects known through sensory experience, and the rational realm of perfect and eternal Forms. According to Plato, the empirical realm is not real, as sensory objects are not completely real. Beliefs derived from experience of such objects are therefore vague and unreliable, whereas principles of mathematics and philosophy, discovered by inner, rationalistic meditation on the Forms, constitute the only real knowledge. Such familiar, concrete things as trees, human bodies and animals, which can be known through the senses, are merely shadowy, imperfect copies of their Forms. For every sense object in the empirical world, there is a corresponding perfect Form. These Forms are nonphysical, permanent, eternal, and invisible. How then, you may ask, can one ever know of the Forms if they cannot be known by sense perception? Plato answers this question by stating that the Forms are kn own in thought. They are the objects of thought, therefore, whenever you are thinking, you are thinking of Forms. An important point to note about the Forms is the idea of permanence. The Forms are forever unchanging. An important standard of Platos theory of knowledge was that all genuine objects of knowledge be described without contradiction. Therefore, because all objects perceived by sense undergo change, an assertion can be made that such objects at one time will not be true at a later time. Because what is fully real must, for Plato, be fixed, permanent, and unchanging, he identified the real with the ideal realm of being as opposed to the empirical world of becoming. This all leads to Platos inevitable rejection of empiricism. The true definition of empiricism is, the view that holds sense perception to be the sole source of human knowledge (Jones, 369). It is obvious that this view is highly contradictive with Platos theory of Forms. He thought that propositions derived fro m sensory experience have, at most, a degree of probability; they are not certain. Pure knowledge may only be derived from certain, permanent facts. The argument is really that not only do the things we perceive change, but so do the circumstances in which we perceive them. Take this example, for instance. If I were to hold a cup of hot coffee in my left hand and a cold beer in my right, and then place both hands into a tub of lukewarm water, that same tub of water would feel cold to the left hand, and warm to the right hand. Moreover, things must often seem different to me than they do to anyone else, for the circumstances of others are rarely the same as mine. We are also liable to experience illusions, states of dreaming and hallucination, and our initial judgments are also often influenced by our expectations and biases. As a result of these circumstances, Plato supposes that we can never gain knowledge through our senses. Empiricism is rejected in Platos philosophy, contradicti ng with his theory of Forms to a large degree. Plato conceived the Forms as arranged hierarchically. A dividing line splits the rational realm into C and D. The division of C represents the lower Forms, and D represents the higher Forms,

Iraels Economy essays

Iraels Economy essays 1.) I believe any country should be able to qualify for admission to the World Trade Organization regardless of its human rights policies. Israel has many main human rights. The Government usually respects the human rights of its citizens. Some of Israeli human rights include the following: Due to the lack of major terrorist attacks, which reduced the overall level of tension as well as the number of security related arrests. Israeli security forces abused Palestinians suspected of security offenses. A landmark decision by the High Court of Justice in September stopped the use of different abuse practices, including violent shaking, painful shackling, depriving sleep for extended periods of time, and prolonged exposure to extreme temperatures. The law prohibits arbitrary arrest of citizens. The law prohibits forced exile of citizens, and the Government does not use it. The law provides for an independent judiciary. The law provides for the right to a hearing with repres entation by counsel. The law provides freedom of the press and freedom of religion. The law provides for the right of assembly and the right of association. The law provides freedom of movement within the country and the right to change their government peacefully. The law provides no discrimination on basis of sex or marital status and prohibits forced labor. Prostitution is not illegal and workers have the right to strike and it is exercised regularly. So as you can see from the examples of human rights in Israel, I dont see where these laws would affect qualifying for the World Trade Organization. China is not a member of the World Trade Organization due to its human rights and I dont believe that is fair. This organization is a great opportunity for all countries and should be open to all countries. The World Trade Organization (WTO) is the only international organization dealing with the global rules of trade between nations. Its...

A Research Study On Evolution And Evolution Essay -- Evolution, Creation

According to The Huffington Post, only 66% of adults in the U.S. believe in evolution and about half of the 66% believe that there was a divine being guiding evolution (Kaleem). A lot more people believe in creationism than expected. In order to know the full significance of this statistic, one must first know what it means. We have learned in school that evolution is thought to be a long-term, ongoing process by which single-celled organisms grew to be complicated organisms through natural selection. Natural selection occurs when organisms with the best traits survive to reproduce more, making those traits more common and effectively changing the species over time ("Natural Selection: Charles†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). The rest of the 33% of adults in the previous statistic believe that humans have existed in their current form since the beginning (Kaleem). In other words, these remaining people are likely creationists. Generally, a creationist believes that a god or some divine power created the earth and the heavens out of nothing, through its own will. This creator will interact with his or her world as necessary (Ruse). Using this definition, Christians would be considered creationists. Now, when factoring in the amount of Christians in the United States, that 33% makes more sense. Naturally, these two ideas clash. Their very definitions negate the other’s. Evolutionists and creationists have an ongoing battle about which one is more valid due to the extensive amount of accreditation and history the ideas possess. The study and idea of evolution have been going on for a long time and there is a great deal of history behind the theory. An article reports that even before Charles Darwin, scientists and philosophers the possibility of an â€Å"intelligent being† (â€Å"Creationism Should Be†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ) Teaching evolution would also be bad for students, according to Christians. Some blame modern science for diluting the integrity of God and man. Fighting for creationism in schools is a righteous act in their minds and these creationists must do their best to bring Americans back to a God. (â€Å"Neither Creationism nor†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). There are plenty of reasons why each theory should be taught in school. However, the question still stands of whether or not they should be. From a fair perspective, they should both be taught. However, from a legal standpoint, only evolution should be taught. Perhaps one day the United States will not have to worry about this issue. According to a study, the amount of non-religious youth and adults have been increasing for several generations and this trend will continue (Lipka).

Outline for renewable energy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Outline for renewable energy - Essay Example This also ensures energy security. Renewable energy is, therefore, sustainable. Renewable energy also creates employment opportunities due to the fact that the labor and materials needed to establish and sustain renewable energy facilities need workmanship. This also boosts the economies of regions making use of renewable energy sources. Renewable energy is also considered safer, compared to the safety concerns and risks such as explosions associated with fossil fuels and collapsing of coal mines. Before the development and extensive use of coal as a source of energy in the 19th century, almost all the sources of energy that were used were renewable. Wind and solar energy were among some of the oldest sources of renewable energy in history, apart from biomass. European Union countries are considered number two in the world when it comes to developing and applying renewable energy (Bradford 3). These countries include Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal and Lithuania. 20% of Germany’s energy needs, by the end of 2012, were provided by renewable energy. The largest contribution of this was from wind energy. Portugal also heavily relies on renewable sources. In 2010, more than 50% of the electricity generated in the country came from renewable source, with wind energy taking a significant portion. The same could be observed in Spain, with more that 15% of the energy produced in 2010 coming from wind energy. The entire EU hopes to acquire more than 20% of its energy from renewable sources, at least by 2020. This will enable the region to reduce greenhouse emission and lessen its dependence on imported energy. It will also create more employment opportunities, as well as foster technological creativity and

Smart Phones Beneficial Or Detrimental Research Paper

Smart Phones Beneficial Or Detrimental - Research Paper Example Smart phones are believed to be quite important to the society possessing certain outcomes in the business, education, global as well as in the national sectors. In-spite of certain fathomable advantages, smart phones also comprise certain detrimental aspects, which needs to be taken into consideration before incorporating its use in the social context. Careful use of smart phone needs to be made especially in the education sector and also by the young generation who are regarded as one of the key user segments of such devices. Data secrecy and misuse of personal information needs to be carefully observed as a key detrimental aspect, for the users of smart phone who at times might not be well attuned with the security features of the device (The George Lucas Educational Foundation, 2012). Similarly, in the business context, it is found that smart phones provide beneficial outcomes for the users by assisting them in preparing their business presentations, accessing emails and chatting with concerned authorities among others. Such imperative benefits can facilitate the user with faster accessibility and can also enable to save invaluable time of the user. However, in social context, it can be recognized that at times extensive use of smart phones can make the user engrossed to it all the times, which can further affect the social skills of the person as interaction with other peers or friends in person becomes gradually meager.   Therefore, based on these understandings the entire paper would intend to draw on different viewpoints.

The Cultural Relevance of War and Art in Lysistrata Essay Example for Free

The Cultural Relevance of War and Art in Lysistrata Essay War, it seems, is mans chief preoccupation. Throughout history, as one regards how civilizations thrived and crumbled and flourished and collapsed, how cities rose up, fell, cultures subsumed and assimilated in the process, one notices that before language and art, customs and traditions, in man dwelled conflict, combat, and the pervasive propensity for hostility. On this basis, one may argue the consistency of battle in mans nature; the ever-present presence of this desire to dominate and destroy, for one reason or another: an instinct, it seems, stemming from the savage past where survival meant killing or being killed. But the advent of civilization tempered and somewhat refined mans attitude toward war. Though ever-present still, even to this day, as all base instincts are, many responses to warfare have been devised: often, alongside those who preach in favor of battle, the voices of those opposed to slaughter and bloodshed speak too, through various avenues and paths. And throughout history, no mouthpiece has been used more often than art: paintings and plays, poems and sculptures and displays of oratory: all depict what man feels, what he dwells on: that which batters and bombards his mind and soul, driving him to action. And as war remains a constant in life, so remains the presence of war in many works of art. From 431-399 BC in Ancient Greece the Peloponnesian War was fought. The thirty year conflict changed the entire social structure and landscape of Greece, inciting skirmishes and civil wars aplenty, causing much bloodshed and sorrow and suffering. The cessation of this war is the main theme of the ancient Greek comedy Lysistrata. To achieve this end, the playwright, Aristophanes, pits another base instinct against mans propensity for conflict: sexual intercourse. Aristophanes has the namesake of the play, a strong-willed woman, convince all the women of Greece to withhold all sexual favors from their husbands in order to cease the Peloponnesian War. A bloodless battle ensues between the forces of man and woman; in the end, fueled by an urgent desire to copulate, the men of the warring states of Sparta and Athens as well as their allies establish peace; this sets all aright, and celebration follows. In order to probe more deeply into the nature of the play and the concepts found therein, one must investigate the actual war Aristophanes alluded to and used as backdrop for his play, as well as the Mythology and Religion surrounding its conception. Both are integral to understanding and analyzing the social relevance of Lysistrata in the culture that produced it. When evaluated alongside current western religious inclinations and cultural leanings, one can discern the similarities and differences in the perception of war and its presence in art. The Peloponnesian War was a conflict waged between the forces of Athens and Sparta (and the people of the surrounding areas, either allied to one of the two mentioned states) over a period of approximately 30 years. The aftermath of the war completely transformed ancient Greece, restructuring the distribution of power and inflicting untold horrors upon a multitude of people and cities, in the process wreaking havoc and devastation comparable to the atrocities and mass destruction observed in many contemporary accounts of modern warfare. Aristophanes wrote Lysistrata in 411 BC, at the height of the war, which was brought to a close in 399 BC; thus the comedy was in part a piece of wishful thinking, a satirical look at the atrocity-filled events currently occurring at the time. Greek mythology, comprised of a plethora of gods and goddesses, played a large role in ancient Greek life; this is reflected in the play when Lysistrata and the throng of females, in vowing to halt any sexual activities with their husbands, seal their oath by sacrificing wine to the gods, pledging their resolve to follow through on their self-appointed task. This example portrays religion as a component and constituent of culture and history, a cultural artefact contributing to the social make-up of Greek civilization. Thus does the play begin: the women, bolstered and enforced by religion-as-culture, driven to cease a cultural event in this case, war and bloodshed. Thus do we see Aristophanes affixing a cultural context into his play, assimilating the religious and cultural practices of his time into his art, assigning it an integral role as a driving factor in the action of the play. Culture informs all pieces of art. All works can be seen as offshoots of a particular culture at a particular point in time. Lysistrata can be construed as being the product of Aristophanes, himself a product of Athenian culture and religion, compelled to create the work by the cultural events preoccupying his mind at the time, namely the Peloponnesian War. This action a cultural creation (in this case, Aristophanes) creating Art (a cultural artefact) in response to cultural Events such as war mirrors the countless acts of creation found in the myriad number of books and sculptures, plays, films, poems, and pieces of music man has produced in reaction to cultural entities and events. The brutality provoked by war and the ensuing cultural creations were prevalent in much of twentieth century history. Two world wars and countless civil wars and armed conflicts worldwide have instigated the construction of hundreds of Lysistratas, engendered by countless cultures, comprised of and informed by a multitude of sociopolitical, religious, and cultural activities. The many acts of barbarity and bloodshed have as driving forces sociopolitical and cultural Epistemes: take the Communist-driven Spanish Civil War, or the Cold War waged in the latter part of the twentieth century; take the Nazi-Ideology driven battles fought in World War 2, or the armed campaigns resulting in colonization and appropriation of land and resources and people in various parts of the world, as reflected in the subjugation of Greece by Sparta at the end of the Peloponnesian War, replayed time and time again when Western nations colonized much of Asia and Africa in the name of King, God, or Country. Razed lands and lives led many to create works of art immortalizing the history, outcomes, and consequences of the aforementioned events, contributing to the cultural and historical landscape of their own times. These cultural artefacts allow us to examine how cultural events propagate themselves, and perceive the subtle links between past and present culture and history .

Franklin D. Roosevelt :: essays papers

Franklin D. Roosevelt On January 30, 1882 in Hyde Park, New York Franklin Delano Roosevelt was born.James Roosevelt, Franklin's father, was a prosperous railroad official and landowner(Lawson 25). His predecessors, when they came from the Netherlands, were succes Roosevelt learned from private tutors, not going to school until the age of fourteen. He had already studied German, Latin and French by the time he had started school(Freidel 6). Sailing, bird hunting and stamp collecting were among his hobbies. On his In 1896, at the age of fourteen his parents sent him away to Groton, Massachusetts, to a private, boys only, boarding school. He was not very popular among the students, but was respected by his peers and was never the object of pranks pulled by his fellow students. Roosevelt went on to enter Harvard in 1900. There too Roosevelt remained an average student, making it through with a C average most of the time(Hacker 19). At Harvard, his social activities took preference over his academic pursuit and the In 1903 Roosevelt graduated from Harvard and entered the Columbia Law School. He dropped out in his third year after passing the New York bar examination(Hacker 24). Soon after, Roosevelt started practicing law with a New York law firm. While still in law school, Roosevelt met Anna Eleanor Roosevelt a distant cousin, only a few years younger than him(Alsop 28). They were married on St. Patrick's day, March 17th, 1905(Freidel 13). He was twenty-three and she was twenty-one. Her fathe A few years later in 1910, Roosevelt accepted the Democratic nomination for the New York State Senate(Freidel 17). He won the election, and in the following January he entered the Senate at the young age of twenty-eight(Freidel 18). Later in 1912 he ra In July of 1921, while vacationing at Campobello Island, he went sailing with his children. One day, they saw, what appeared to be a forest fire, on a nearby island they quickly sailed to shore to help put out the fire. It took a couple of hours and w was able to walk in the pool unaided. His disease, poliomyelitis, had affected him on land but in the water he was as quick as anyone. In 1926 he bought Warm Springs for $200,000(Hacker 40). In 1927 he contributed two-thirds of his wealth(Freidel 47) a His physical disabilities didn't hinder his climb of the political ladder.

In Milton’s paradise lost Essay

Aristotle’s tragic hero has certain characteristics which can be applied to Oedipus the King and Milton’s Satan. Aristotle states that a tragic hero can be classified as a person that falls from the state of being happy to one of misery because of his own mistake. This can be seen in both Oedipus and Satan, since they are miserable as a result of their own doing. According to Aristotle, the tragic hero must fall through his or her own error, or hamartia. This term is also interpreted as â€Å"tragic flaw†, usually applied to overwhelming pride, or hubris, which causes fatal error. Satan and Oedipus show that they have hubris and this is probably one of the main contributing factors for their fall. Although, the main characteristic of the tragic hero, as stated by Aristotle, is their ability to make the reader or audience to empathize with them, he wants there to be a sense of fear and mistrust because of their devious nature. In Milton’s Paradise Lost, Satan, one of the main characters in the story, exhibits all the qualities of a tragic hero. He has fallen, literally and figuratively, from grace. Once one of God’s more powerful angels in heaven, Satan questions God’s power and forms an alliance to overthrow Him. Satan’s army fights diligently only to have God â€Å"†¦ cast him out from Heaven, With all his host of rebel angels†¦ † (Paradise Lost, Book1, Line 37). Book One of Paradise Lost describes Satan being cast out of Heaven and down to Hell. This is consistent with Aristotle’s criteria for the tragic hero, â€Å"†¦ suffering a change in fortune from happiness to misery because of a mistaken act†¦ † Satan also possesses hubris; pride or overwhelming self-confidence. â€Å"Here we may reign secure, and in my choice; To reign is to worth ambition, though in Hell; Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven. † (line 261) Here, Satan has so much pride that he would rather rule in Hell than serve God in Heaven. This shows that Satan possesses hubris, which is, as described by Aristotle, â€Å"†¦ pride or overwhelming self-confidence†. Satan’s character as a tragic hero emerges further in later books. Book Four of Paradise Lost is a good example. It begins with Satan’s only soliloquy of the epic. As he awakes in Hell, he stares up at the sun and begins to speak; â€Å"Oh Sun! to tell thee how I hate thy beams, That bring to my remembrance from what state I fell, how glorious once above thy sphere; Till pride and worse ambition threw me down† (Book IV, line 37-40) As he sees the sun, he remembers how high he was in heaven until his pride and ambition brought him down. This is a very important quote as it satisfies the criteria for Aristotle’s description of a tragic hero. It highlights the character â€Å"suffering a change in fortune†¦ because of a mistaken act†¦ † Also, hubris is once again revealed as Satan states that his pride and ambition threw him down. This example is even more profound because it comes directly from the character. Milton is also successful in portraying this super-human character as one with humanistic qualities. This allows the reader to relate to the character, which satisfies yet another criteria for Aristotle’s tragic hero, â€Å"†¦ we recognize similar possibilities of error in our less and fallible selves. † Satan’s human qualities are magnified in his soliloquy as he even contemplates begging for forgiveness. â€Å"Is there no place left for repentance, none for pardon left? † (Book IV, Line 79-80) As Satan contemplates repentance, he decides against it, as he is afraid of the shame that he might draw from his followers, â€Å"My dread of shame Among the Spirits beneath,Whom I seduced with other promises Boasting I could subdue The Omnipotent†. (Line 83-86) Since he has boasted that he can defeat God, Satan now shows fear and doubt as he realises that he really cannot fulfill his promises. Milton reveals a different side to Satan. He depicts a character that shows remorse and shame, and, someone who fears disgrace. The common person can identify with these human characteristics; this allows the reader to evoke some amount of sympathy for Satan as they now see him in a helpless situation; fighting a losing battle for fear of disgracing his followers. This emphasizes Aristotle’s description of recognising â€Å"†¦ similar possibilities of error in our less and fallible selves. † In Oedipus the King, Oedipus is the tragic hero and fits Aristotle’s description almost exactly. Aristotle states that a character should reveal goodness in terms of moral judgment and choices that he makes. Oedipus has compassion for his subjects and seeks the truth to end their suffering, and, continuously strives to be a saviour to the people. When the priests of Thebes approach Oedipus, who is pleading on the behalf of his people who are suffering from famine and death, he agrees. He says that he will do what he can to solve the situation, â€Å"bring everything to light†. Although Oedipus does have some admirable qualities, being the tragic hero, he too possesses hubris. Oedipus’s tragic flaw is that he is stubborn, impulsive, and pretentious. When Oedipus does a self evaluation his talents, beauty, and his own achievements blind him. These traits are similar to Satan who also has hubris, a flaw that leads to his defeat. Another reason for Oedipus’ brutal demise is his lack of judgment and impulsive actions. These attributes are humanistic qualities that the reader can relate to, yet still question. When he leaves Corinth, he meets an entourage on the way to Thebes. There, the ‘leader’ of the horse-drawn carriage orders him ‘out of the way’. Oedipus’ impulsiveness drives him to kill everyone in the entourage; this leads to him being crowned King, where he ultimately suffers. It can be argued that both Oedipus and Satan are tragic heroes according to Aristotle’s definition. However, a question arises; were Oedipus and Satan acting on their own free will or were they destined to do so. According to Christian theology, it is said that God foresees everything that will happen in life. This leads many to speculate that Satan suffers, not because he chooses to, but because he is chosen to. This is another reason why the reader can empathize with Satan because God knows of his betrayal. The same can be said for Oedipus, who has no free will; it is under the control of the Gods. When he is born, Apollo’s oracle predicts that Oedipus will kill his father and marry his mother. This foretelling leads Oedipus’ parents to abandon him on the mountain-side and leave him to die. However, fate intervenes and Oedipus soon finds himself adopted by the King and Queen of Corinth. When he finds out that the King and Queen are not his natural parents, Oedipus leaves Corinth, solves the Sphinx’s riddle, and becomes the successor of King Laius as the King of Thebes. When the gods could ‘no longer brok in silence the affront of Oedipus’s unwitting sins’, they punish the city by sending plague and famine upon the city. When approached by the priests, Oedipus could only promise them his help, which starts the chain of events, eventually leading him to discover his sins and his subsequent downfall. When Oedipus solves the riddle of the Sphinx, he could not have known that he would end up marrying his own mother. When Oedipus meets King Laius, he is unaware as to who killed his father. Eventually, he sets out to find the truth, as the oracle prophesizes. He does the best he could as a ruler, son and husband but is still played out in the end. Therefore, Oedipus is seen as a tragic hero and is comparable to Satan who also has no freewill. The fate or God knew that the actions were going to occur and had the power to stop it. Satan and Oedipus are tragic heroes according to Aristotle. They have characteristics that make them suite their role as a tragic hero. Aristotle said that tragic heroes should suffer a fall of fortune through a mistake of their own. Both Satan and Oedipus suffer this fate. Aristotle also states that a tragic hero will is led by hamartia which is hubris. â€Å"Till pride and worse ambition threw me down† (Milton) this line was spoken by Satan who openly admits that he is proud and ambitious. â€Å"Twit me with that wherein my greatness lies† Milton, John. Paradise Lost Sophocles. Oedipus The King http://www. planetpapers. com/Assets/3330. php.

How to Structure a Dissertation: Chapters & Sub Chapters

The following post includes a concise and in-depth overview of the chapters and subchapters normally contained within a dissertation. These would be very useful when deciding what should go where, and what you should write next. We use this template at our site when assisting students with their dissertations and in particular writing dissertation chapters. We hope you benefit strongly from it as well.Dissertation Chapters & Sub ChaptersDissertations should be structured in the following manner:TITLE PAGEACKNOWLEDGEMENTDEDICATIONABSTRACTTABLE OF CONTENTSLIST OF TABLES (If available) LIST OF FIGURES (if available)INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY ORGANISATION UNDER STUDY PROBLEM STATEMENT RESEARCH OBJECTIVE DISSERTATION STRUCTURELITERATURE REVIEWINTRODUCTION LITERATURE REVIEW FINAL SUBCHAPTERS SHOULD INCLUDE: LITERATURE REVIEW SUMMARY RESEARCH QUESTION Do not be descriptive in your literature review. For every one of 2 reviews on a particular subject, come up with equal critiques by opposing authors to have a balanced critique of the subject you are reviewing.METHODOLOGYRESEARCH PHILOSOPHY RESEARCH APPROACH RESEARCH STRATEGY DATA COLLECTION DATA ANALYSIS ACCESS RELIABILITY, VALIDITY, AND GENERALISABILITY ETHICAL ISSUES RESEARCH LIMITATIONS Dissertation Chapters For most sections of the methodology, you should include an appropriate rationale for why you chose to use that particular methodology over an opposing methodology. If you choose positivist over interpretivist, why did you do it? RESULTSIf Quantitative, you should include all the figures, along with a description of the results. If Qualitative or Case Study, you should include the relevant findings in a descriptive format.DISCUSSIONJustification of research topic (why you chose that topic) Recap of Literature Review, and Methodology Justification of Sample Brief Recap of Results Analysis – Split the research question into different sections, and answer each one of the sub questions, based on Literature Review and Results. Then eventually, write a summary that answers the whole research question. Analysis – Make sure you answer the research question. The results should be analyzed in line with the Literature you reviewed in Chapter 2.CONCLUSIONRECOMMENDATIONSREFERENCES A ND BIBLIOGRAPHYAPPENDIXYou must be a good storyteller to write a dissertation. You are not expected to interview or survey anybody, but you must be able to understand the organisation, literature review and methodology, up until the point that you can write a convincing thesis to answer your proposed research question (ask for samples if you need them). I suggest and totally recommend that you start from the literature review. We have provided a simple guide called, how to write a dissertation the literature review, that might be helpful to you. Since you are not really conducting the interviews and reports, the literature review would give you a well-rounded overview of the topic. Most social sciences and Law dissertations adopt secondary research, compared to business dissertations that primarily use Primary Research. Ensure that your choice of research is the most adequate for the topic you are working on. Summary Reviewer John – WP Admin Review Date 2017-08-18 Reviewed Item Dissertation Writing Guide: How to Structure a Dissertation? Author Rating 5

Technology Review Essays

Technology Review Essays Technology Review Essay Technology Review Essay Teaches kids about their health, and teaches them about their body. ? Technology Review Technology has become an essential part of our school systems. Schools are now launching websites aimed at enhancing school educational activities, supporting student-teacher communication, contributing to school marketing efforts, and parent-teacher communication. Technology it makes it easier to keep parents informed of student activities and classroom assignments. I did some research and came across five different educational websites such as FunBrain. com, Kids Knowit. com, Brain Pop. com, ed. gov, and Kidshealth. com.I found these websites to be very important because they are based around K-6 students. These websites are very beneficial throughout the years for the students as they progress through their K-6 school. The Fun brain website offers educational games for kids of all age groups. The website can help a child if they are struggling with a certain subject like math, grammar, science, spelling, and history (Fun Brain, 2013). It is an educational website that is more interesting to students and grabs their attention. This website makes students want to learn more about a subject, and keeps them entertained at the same time.The game lessons are free for the children to utilize, and the child can also use the website at home. The next important educational website is Kids know it that teaches children more about history, and teach them about who they are today. Kids know it website is to provide the highest quality educational activities, products, movies, music, and so many other programs (Kids Know It, 2013). Children are given the opportunity to learn lessons from Prehistoric Humans to the French Revolution. They can also play educational games like invasion history, hopping through history, and brick buster history game (Kids Know it, 2013).This website is also beneficial because if they are struggling in other subjects there are educational activities to lend a hand. Another website that is beneficial for student’s education is Brain pop. com. This website can help with subjects in Science, Social Studies, English, math, Engineering Tech, Health, and Arts Music (Brain Pop, 2013). The science part of the website offers lessons about diversity in life, energy, and matter chemistry. These websites offers lessons and a review quiz afterwards. I find this website to be very valuable in these subjects. The next website is ed. ov, and it offers research to parents about how the schools work. This website is run by the U. S. Department of Education and it gives information about funding, policies, and any news that is happening in the education system (U. S. Department of Education, 2013). It is a very important website to teach parents and teachers about education, and any changes that are happening. I find this website to profit the parents more than the students. The final website is Kidshealth. org, and it provides information to s tudents about their health. This website teaches kids about their bodies, puberty, cooking recipes, health problems, and illness.It gives children a chance to watch movies, take quizzes, read articles, word puzzles, and many more activities. This is a very important educational website that can teach students about their body, and if they have questions that they do not feel comfortable asking their parents this website can help. I find this website to help when children are going through puberty. All of these websites are beneficial to students in K-6 grades. It teaches them about many different things about their body, and they can also help them if they are struggling in subjects.I am going to try and use as many different websites to help with my classroom, and teach my students that learning can be fun. I think kids today forget that they can still learn and have fun. As a teacher it is our job to educate and teach the students about the things they will need in their everyday life. In conclusion, it is going to be my goal to incorporate technology into my teaching. I feel that as technology is becoming more important in our everyday life that we need to incorporate it into are teaching so that students are better prepared for the future.I hope that these websites can help if a student is struggling in a certain area. Hopefully schools continue forward on trying to keep up with the technology world. ? References Brain Pop. (2013). Retrieved on February 21, 2013 from brainpop. com// Fun Brain. (2013). Retrieved on February 21, 2013 from funbrain. com// Kids Health. (2013). Retrieved on February 21, 2013 from http://kidshealth. org/kid/htbw// Kids Know It. (2013). Retrieved on February 21, 2013 from kidsknowit. com// U. S. Department of Education. (2013). Retrieved on February 21, 2013 from ed. gov//

Philosophy 3330 interpretive essay final Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Philosophy 3330 interpretive final - Essay Example rgument — often called the cogito argument in reference to Descartes’ most-quoted catchphrase the Latin cogito; ergo sum, or â€Å"I think; therefore I am† — to explain the rise of capitalism in Protestant society is perhaps one of the more interesting takes on Cartesian theory. Weber argues that instead of using Descartes’ notion of self simply as a philosophical proof of individual being, Protestants transformed the concept into â€Å"an ethical reinterpretation† (Weber 80), using it as the basis for a life of contemplation: In other words, Weber argues that Protestants seized on the idea of self-knowledge as a sort of manifesto, not a proof existence but a responsibility of existence. So far, so good, but where does the connection to capitalism come in? How does it relate to the notion of an inner life? What does it have to do with the notion of intellectual responsibility? â€Å"The name of Weber makes it clear that we cannot begin to sense the real ideological function of religious aestheticism unless we place it within that larger intellectual and ideological preoccupation which is the study and interrogation of value,† wrote Frederic Jameson (124). Or, more simply put, the religious contemplation of the Protestants was both a factor in and a result of their historio-economic status. For Weber, this status follows a predictable trajectory, journeying from the traditional to the rational with a brief, joyous moment of transformation Weber calls â€Å"charisma.† (Weber 96) The Protestant Reformation is an example of a charismatic period in the evolution of Western society, a time in which society was moving from traditional values and ethics toward restructured, rationalized ethics. And economic success was an important part of these metamorphosing ethics. Part of this emerges from what Weber sees as the Protestant notion of â€Å"craft ,† or pride in workmanship. The idea of a â€Å"calling† for a career path was no longer restricted to men and women of

Leadership Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Leadership - Assignment Example It is difficult to measure and assess leadership potential as it cannot be calculated by any tool neither it can be measured in a specific value. It can only be analyzed by customers’ and employees’ satisfaction. This indicates that the organization’s leadership is communicating the vision of the company in a right way. Measuring Leadership: Leadership potential can be analyzed on the basis of the skills present in a person who is willing to take the role as a leader. It is imperative for a leader to know the vision of his organization in a clear manner. He should be aware of the vision and the values from the core. A leader should be aware of his strengths and weaknesses. He should know how to positively use his strengths as tools to win the situation and how to overcome the weaknesses to gain power and authority. Training and development are the essential components in measuring the leadership skills and to enhance them further. A leader should know how to buil d trust and how to develop flawless interpersonal relations with the employees or the subordinates. Situational Theory: Situational theory can be very helpful for the leaders to select the best course of action that are dependent on the situation and the circumstances. ... Answer: The Role of Values, Ethics and Morals in Leadership: Leaders are subjected to perform the â€Å"right things† in a right way. These right things should be morally and ethically right. A true leader seeks truth and rightly justification before taking any decision. A leader may fail to inspire his followers if he undermines the value of ethics, moral and truth in his actions. It is imperative for a leader to have a strong ethics and moral values in his personality. Values and ethics help a leader to develop moral conscience and without these basic elements, a leader cannot demonstrate true leadership. These elements define the level of trust between the leaders and the followers. Values help a leader to construct a positive behavior and personality. On the other hand, ethics enable a leader to commence the right conduct and to be more thoughtful in his actions and decisions. Leaders use moral reasoning to make decisions between what is right and what is wrong. Values pla y a central role in developing moral reasoning (Hughes, Ginnett, and Curphy, 2012). Martin Luther King, Jr. can be stated as a true leader who inspired his followers with his leadership based on moral and ethical values. He raised his voice against discrimination and was known in the history for the liberation of African-American nationals in America. His leadership revolved around nonviolence actions against racial inequality. He received Nobel Peace Prize due to his sincere efforts and true leadership. Some other known examples of behaviors exhibiting values, morals and ethics can be unbiased decisions by leaders, choosing the same for the followers what one chooses for oneself, valuing honesty without any fear and making right judgments.

Middle East Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Middle East Politics - Essay Example The government uses oil money to uplift the lives of the residents. Iraq is an unstable political nation (Ayoob, 2006). The country is the threshold of breaking up between the people of both the Kurdish group and the Arab group. There is a continuing rift between Iraqi Sunni Muslims and Iraqi Shiite Muslims. The rift cropped up because Muhammad did not appoint his replacement (Hazleton, 2009). Iran is on the verge of producing its first nuclear warhead. The nation is an open republic. The republic allows suggestions, comments, and other inputs from any member of Iranian society. The drive to set up nuclear weapons is a stop the uninvited political intervention from the United States. Iranian politics is leading towards a democratic government. The religious leaders run the Iran government, especially Shiite Muslim Ayatollah Sistani. The citizens democratically elect their next political leaders (Ayoob, 2006). The Saud family, the political family ruling over Saudi Arabia, is persuaded to grant more democratic power to the citizens (Ayoob, 2006). The granting of democratic freedom strengthens Saud family’s hold on the people. Such democratic movements will allow the people to voice their anti-American politics concerns. Turkey questions why the European Union cannot allow entry of Turkey into the fold of the European Union (Ayoob, 2006). Some residents believe their Islamic faith hinders entry into the European Union. The people happily feel the government grant more democratic freedom. Turkey is deeply involved in the Middle East nations’ political affairs, doing its best as NATO member to keep the peace and unity within the region. The political situation shows there is a continuing political conflict between the Jewish Israel people and the Islam-dominated Palestine people (Ayoob, 2006). The United States is persuading Israel to give up its control over the Gaza strip to Palestine, to reduce the conflict between

Memory Management Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Memory Management Paper - Essay Example Protection helps prevent any malicious or malfunctioning program to make any unauthorized access to memory portions and cause interference in other program’s operation causing system level errors. While protection limits access to memory, it is required that the protection scheme provides some flexibility to allow for sharing of memory space as well e.g. of read only programs. A number of cooperating processes that may be executing the same program should be able to access the same part of main memory containing the same main program instead of having individual duplicates of the same program which would waste a lot of the precious memory space. Concurrency control must be maintained in case of sharing of program data. Relocation is responsible for allocating a user process a place in memory by converting the program’s logical address to physical address. During swap in, it is necessary to relocate a process from the physical disc to main memory. Usually a program occupies the same place in memory when swapped in. However, it may happen that during a swap in, the usual memory place of a program may not be available. So, in that case, the program will have to be relocated to a new memory place and memory references would have to be translated to the actual physical address. Memory is required to be organized in a way that the programs with read only elements are stored in a separate portion within it. Secondly, memory is divided into two types depending on the speed of access; main memory and secondary memory. Main memory is volatile and allows for the programs to be accessed quickly while the secondary memory is long term storage and allows slow access for the long term stored

Doubt Is The Key To Knowledge Discuss.

Doubt Is The Key To Knowledge Discuss. People created proverbs and used to apply them when experiences similar to the one which resulted in the construction of the proverb reoccurred. The Persians had one of the most famous proverbs that are still used in our time; they used to say doubt is the key to knowledge, but to what extent is this phrase true? Through the areas and ways of knowledge, this proverb will be further studied to determine to which extent it is true. In this essay, I will be using the natural sciences and religion as areas of knowledge and linking them to the ways of knowledge; perception and reason or logic. Doubt is one of the earliest ways the human beings started gaining knowledge from the world around them. It is known that doubt is when a person starts questioning a subject that confused him or has been on his mind for a time. It is then that this person starts asking questions in order to gain further knowledge about the subject he wishes to acquire. We can generally say that doubt is the origin of obtaining knowledge as human beings started questioning the world and everything in it; they were able to get the answers they wanted and increased their knowledge. The world famous French philosopher, writer, physicist and mathematician Renà © Descartes believed that doubt could never be the key to knowledge and information from the world. He was considered one of the first thinkers ever to introduce philosophy to natural sciences. Descartes believed that one can gain truth without doubt; he introduced his method called methodological skepticism in which he rejects any ideas that can b e doubted, then reestablishes them so that he can get genuine knowledge from these ideas. One of Descartes books is one called Meditations on First Philosophy. The book has six meditations in it in which Descartes banishes any belief that contains, even if in small quantities, any kind of uncertainty, but then reestablishes the things that are known for sure. Each one of the six meditations were written as if in one day Descartes speculated and came up with the meditation; so the book was authored as if he meditated for six days and developed his meditations. Three of Descartes meditations are discussed. His first meditation is called Meditation I: Concerning Those Things That Can Be Called into Doubt. In this meditation, Descartes remembers that he was once deceived by his senses and since that happened before, it can happen again. So he tells himself, if I am being deceived, then my beliefs are treacherous and uncertain. The second meditation called Meditation II: Concerning the Nature of the Human Mind: That It Is Better Known Than the Body is an acknowledgment to the first meditation. Descartes believed that since he is a thinking thing, then he must exist. Since he is a thing that can deceived and have thoughts and beliefs, he must exist. His third meditation Meditation III: Concerning God, That He Exists argues that God is present and he rejects the idea of God being invented. He proposed three types of ideas; Innate, Factitious and Adventitious. The innate ideas are the ones that are and always have been with us, whereas factitious ideas are from our imagination and lastly the adventitious ones come from our experiences from the world. Descartes believed that God is an innate idea and that he is not improvised. That was Descartes beliefs when it comes to doubt, as he does not believe that doubt is the key knowledge. Let us discuss the natural sciences at first. Ever since the break of dawn, the human being has been trying to know the truth about his origins and the world around him; have we truly evolved from apes or were we simply created by God? These questions have always been present in the humans mind and this is the reason behind his doubt concerning this topic. This issue has raised many conflicts among people, but most importantly, created the Darwin theory of evolution. Darwin believed that all living organisms evolved from much simpler single-celled organisms. His doubt in the belief that God created us from nothing made him seek after the answers he wanted to get. He did not believe in what he was told and sought after the truth after questioning this topic, evidently coming up with his widely accepted theory from different people all over the world. One too many facts from the sciences such as physics and biology were found based on doubt. Take the Arabic Muslim optical scientist, Ibn Al-Haitham. The people who lived in his era thought that the eye itself emitted light rays and causing our sight. Ibn Al-Haitham, on the other hand, did not believe in what these people used to say and doubted this fact, and so he started his own experiments to prove them wrong, and he was able to show that light was reflected off surfaces and became incident on the eye resulting in our sight. People use the logic they have to reason with the things that go around them. And through the logic, they are able to realize that some things do not add up; and this leads them to questioning and trying to find answers if they are unsatisfied with the results in front of them. Through their journey of seeking the answers, these people can find them only by observing or experimenting and then find logical answers. Human beings find answers when in doubt by experimenting and when the results show up they use reason and logic to interpret them, leading them to knowledge based on doubt. However, a different area of knowledge that can be studied to show to what extent the doubt is the key to knowledge statement is true is religion. Let us take the religion for instance. Not all the people of the world believe in religion, but why is that? Why have the non-believers become what they are now? This is all because we, as human beings, doubt the things around us. We are curious beings and want to know more of everything. As time progresses, people doubt what had been told to them by God. Some do not believe that he created Adam and Eve and rather wanted to accept the evolution theories as true such as Darwins. Others do not believe that there is a judgment day, and therefore wish to explain what is happening to our world nowadays from a scientific point of view. As for religion itself, talking about Christianity for example, doubt is not an option. You either believe in God or you do not. It is said in the Holy Bible that Blessed are those who did not see and believe. Through this, it is like God is telling us that there is no need for doubt, and that we only have to follow what our hearts tell us and how our soul guides into believing that there is a God even though we cannot see him. Religion is telling us that doubt has no place in Gods will and he is our source of knowledge on him not doubt. He is the one who will explain everything to believers and guide them through their lives and provide them with answers when they need them; therefore he is a persons supply of knowledge and that person should gain it without having to doubt what God says. All in all, the statement doubt is the key to knowledge is true to an extent as proven earlier by the areas and ways of knowledge. But it is to a certain extent true, not fully true because other areas of knowledge such as the ethics contradict what the Persian proverb says. Doubt can reveal the response of unanswered questions, but on other times, it can blind us from seeing the truth. 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Steam Engines :: essays research papers

The Steam Engine The steam engine provided a landmark in the industrial development of Europe. The first modern steam engine was built by an engineer, Thomas Newcomen, in 1705 to improve the pumping equipment used to eliminate seepage in tin and copper mines. Newcomen's idea was to put a vertical piston and cylinder at the end of a pump handle. He put steam in the cylinder and then condensed it with a spray of cold water; the vacuum created allowed atmospheric pressure to push the piston down. In 1763 James watt, an instrument-maker for Glasgow University, began to make improvements on Newcomen's engine. He made it a reciprocating engine, thus changing it from an atmospheric to a true "steam engine." He also added a crank and flywheel to provide rotary motion. In 1774 the industrialist Michael Boulton took Watt into partnership, and their firm produced nearly five hundred engines before Watt's patent expired in 1800. Water power continued in use, but the factory was now liberated from the streamside. A Watt engine drove Robert Fulton's experimental steam vessel Clermont up the Hudson in 1807. Railroads The coming of the railroads greatly facilitated the industrialization of Europe. At mid.eighteenth century the plate or rail track had been in common use for moving coal from the pithead to the colliery or furnace. After 1800 flat tracks were in use outside London, Sheffield, and Munich. With the expansion of commerce, facilities for the movement of goods from the factory to the ports or cities came into pressing demand. In 1801 Richard Trevithick had an engine pulling trucks around the mine where he worked in Cornwall. By 1830 a railway was opened from Liverpool to Manchester; and on this line George Stephenson's ''Rocket'' pulled a train of cars at fourteen miles an hour. The big railway boom in Britain came in the years 1844 to 1847. The railway builders had to fight vested interests-for example, canal stockholders, turnpike trusts, and horse breeders-but by 1850, aided by cheap iron and better machine tools, a network of railways had been built. By midcentury railroad trains travelling at thirty to fifty miles an hour were not uncommon, and freight steadily became more important than passengers. After 1850 in England the state had to intervene to regulate what amounted to a monopoly of inland transport. But as time went on the British railways developed problems. The First World War (1914-1918) found them suffering from overcapitalization, rising costs, and state regulation.

Progress of Agriculture Before and After Independence of India Essay

Agriculture has been the backbone of the Indian economy and it will continue to remain so for a long time. It has to support almost 17 per cent of world population from 2. 3 per cent of world geographical area and 4. 2 per cent of world’s water resources. The economic reforms, initiated in the country during the early 1990s, have put the economy on a higher growth trajectory. Annual growth rate in GDP has accelerated from below 6 percent during the initial years of reforms to more than 8 percent in recent years. This happened mainly due to rapid growth in non-agriculture sector. The workforce engaged in agriculture between 1980-81 and 2006-07 witnessed a very small decline; from 60. 5 percent to 52 percent. The present cropping intensity of 137 per cent has registered an increase of only 26 per cent since 1950-51. The net sown area is 142 Mha. The net irrigated area was 58. 87 Mha in 2004-05. Presently, the total net irrigated area covers 45. 5 per cent of the net sown area, the remaining 54. 5 per cent is rainfed. The degradation of land and surface as well as ground water resources results in fast deterioration of soil health. Losses due to biotic (insect-pests, diseases, weeds) and abiotic (drought, salinity, heat, cold, etc. ) stresses account for about one-fourth of the value of agricultural produce. The storage, transportation, processing, value addition and marketing of farm produce need to be improved to enhance household food, nutrition and livelihood security. Indian agriculture is characterized by agro-ecological diversities in soil, rainfall, temperature, and cropping system. Besides favorable solar energy, the country receives about 3 trillion m3 of rainwater, 14 major, 44 medium and 55 minor rivers hare about 83 per cent of the drainage basin. About 210 billion m3 water is estimated to be available as ground water. Irrigation water is becoming a scarce commodity. Thus proper harvesting and efficient utilization of water is of great importance. Intensive cultivation as a result of introduction of high yielding varieties in the mid 1960’s required higher energy inputs and better management practices. Land preparation, harvesting, threshing and irrigation are the operations, which utilize most of the energy used in agriculture. The share of animate power in agriculture decreased from 92 er cent in 1950-51 to 20 per cent in 2000-01. For desired cropping intensity with timeliness in field operations, animate energy sources alone were no longer adequate. Farmers opted for mechanical power sources to supplement animate power. Average size of farm holdings gradually reduced from 2. 58 ha to 1. 57 ha (Table 1). Small and marginal farmers have limited resources especially in rain-fed regions where only animate power is used resulting in low productivity. Though agricultural production is high, the per hectare productivity is much lower than world average. There is an urgent need to increase productivity.

Components of Supply Chain Management (SCM) Essay

The main elements of a supply chain include purchasing, operations, distribution, and integration. The supply chain begins with purchasing. Purchasing managers or buyers are typically responsible for determining which products their company will sell, sourcing product suppliers and vendors, and procuring products from vendors at prices and terms that meets profitability goals. Supply chain operations focus on demand planning, forecasting, and inventory management. Forecasts estimate customer demand for a particular product during a specific period of time based on historical data, external drivers such as upcoming sales and promotions, and any changes in trends or competition. Using demand planning to develop accurate forecasts is critical to effective inventory management. Forecasts are compared to inventory levels to ensure that distribution centers have enough, but not too much, inventory to supply stores with a sufficient amount of product to meet demand. This allows companies to reduce inventory carrying costs while still meeting customer needs. Moving the product from warehouses or manufacturing plants to stores and ultimately to customers is the distribution function of the supply chain. Supply chain integration refers to the practice of developing a collaborative workflow among all departments and components involved in the supply chain to maximize efficiencies and build a lean supply chain. 2 Walmart’s Method of Managing the Supply Chain Walmart has been able to assume market leadership position primarily due to its efficient integration of suppliers, manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution to stores. Its supply chain strategy has four key components: vendor partnerships, cross docking and distribution management, technology, and integration. Walmart’s supply chain begins with strategic sourcing to find products at the best price from suppliers who are in a position to  ensure they can meet demand. Walmart establishes strategic partnerships with most of their vendors, offering them the potential for long-term and high volume purchases in exchange for the lowest possible prices. Suppliers then ship product to Walmart’s distribution centers where the product is cross docked and then delivered to Walmart stores. Cross docking, distribution management, and transportation management keep inventory and transportation costs down, reducing transportation time and eliminating inefficiencies. Technology plays a key role in Walmart’s supply chain, serving as the foundation of their supply chain. Walmart has the largest information technology infrastructure of any private company in the world. Its state-of-the-art technology and network design allow Walmart to accurately forecast demand, track and predict inventory levels, create highly efficient transportation routes, and manage customer relationships and service response logistics. 3 Benefits of Efficient Supply Chain Management Wal-Mart’s supply chain management strategy has provided the company with several sustainable competitive advantages, including lower product costs, reduced inventory carrying costs, improved in-store variety and selection, and highly competitive pricing for the consumer. This strategy has helped Walmart become a dominant force in a competitive global market. As technology evolves, Walmart continues to focus on innovative processes and systems to improve its supply chain and achieve greater efficiency. How to Manage the Bullwhip Effect on Your Supply Chain The goal of any supply chain is to get the right selection of goods and services to customers in the most efficient way possible. To meet this goal, each link along the supply chain must not only function as efficiently as possible; it must also coordinate and integrate with links both upstream and downstream in the chain. The keystone for a lean supply chain is accuracy in  demand planning. Unforeseen spikes in demand or overestimations of demand stimulate the supply end of the chain to respond with changes in production. Production and supply issues then impact the consumer end of the supply chain and the effects ripple up and down the chain. This is often referred to as the bullwhip effect. 1 What Causes the Bullwhip Effect? Supply chain management is a complex process. There are several issues that can lead to the bullwhip effect and those issues can be exacerbated by delays in transmitting information, and a lack of coordination up and down the supply chain. Some causes of the bullwhip effect include: Consumer demand swings Natural disasters that disrupt the flow of goods and services Overcompensation when addressing inventory issues Ordering processes, such as order batching, can also contribute to thebullwhip effect. Organizations may accumulate larger orders before processing them in an effort to reduce costs and create transportation economics. They may also wait to place larger orders to benefit from lower prices offered during a promotion. Demand forecasting manipulation is another cause. By padding the forecast to compensate for possible errors, the organization loses sight of true customer demand. Customers can also contribute to the bullwhip effect by engaging in shortage gaming during periods of short supply by purchasing more than they need. Additionally, customers taking advantage of liberal return policies can create problems with developing accurate demand forecasts. 2 How to Minimize the Bullwhip Effect The first step in minimizing the bullwhip effect is to understand what drives customer demand planning and inventory consumption. Lack of demand visibility can be addressed by providing all key players in the supply chain  with access to point of sale (POS) data. Suppliers and customers must then work collaboratively to improve both the quality and frequency of information communication throughout the supply chain. They may also choose to share information through an arrangement such as vendor-managed inventory (VMI). Eliminating practices that introduce spikes in demand, such as order batching, can also help. The higher order cost associated with smaller or more frequent orders can be offset with Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and computer aided ordering (CAO). Pricing strategies and policies can also help reduce the bullwhip effect. Eliminating incentives that cause customers to delay orders, such as volume transportation discounts, and addressing the causes of order cancellations or reductions can help create smoother ordering patterns. Offering products at stable and fair prices can prevent buying surges triggered by temporary promotional discounts. Special purchase contracts can be implemented to encourage ordering at regular intervals to better synchronize delivery and purchase. 3 Adopting Supply Chain Management Best Practices Using sound chain management processes and systems will result in the efficient flow of goods from a raw stage to the consumer while enhancing ROI for the company. Reviewing case studies and other resources detailing best practices can suggest opportunities for improvement. Adopting successful practices such as Walmart’s use of cross docking, or Dell’s process of bypassing the middle man by offering made-to-order computers directly to customers, can contribute to a lean supply chain and minimize the bullwhip effect. Reducing the bullwhip effect requires a thorough evaluation of organizational policies, measurements, systems, and practices. Based on the positive implications an efficient supply chain can have on costs, sales, profits and customer satisfaction, it’s an undertaking well worth the investment and effort.

Free Essays on Metaphor

, there is no single translation. Wabi can denote something one-of-a-kind, or the spirit of something; the closest we can come to a literal translation is â€Å"solitary†. Sabi defines time or the ideal image of ... Free Essays on Metaphor Free Essays on Metaphor Design Principles There are certain intrinsic principles that one needs to grasp to successfully capture the spirit of the Japanese garden. Most importantly, nature is the ideal that you must strive for. You can idealize it, even symbolize it, but you must never create something that nature itself cannot. For example, you would never find a square pond in the wild, so do not put one in your garden. You may certainly use a waterfall, but not a fountain. Another key point to remember is balance, or sumi. You are always trying to create a â€Å"large† landscape even in the smallest of spaces. While that nine-ton boulder looks right at home in the six-acre stroll garden, what effect does it have on a ten by ten courtyard? It would have all the grace and subtlety of a horse in a closet. Choose your components carefully. Rocks can represent whole mountains, pools become lakes. A small stretch of raked sand can become an entire ocean. The phrase â€Å" Less is more† was surely first spoken by a garden master. The elements of time and space One of the first things that occur to western eyes viewing a Japanese garden is the â€Å"emptiness† of portions of the garden. This is unsettling to gardeners accustomed to filling every space in the garden for a riot of color, but it is a key element in the design of Japanese gardens. This space, or ma, defines the elements around it, and is also defined by the elements surrounding it. It is the true spirit of in and yo, that which many of us know by the Chinese words yin and yang. Without nothing, you cannot have something. This is a difficult point to grasp, but it is a central tenet of Japanese gardening. Another key point to ponder is the concept of wabi and sabi. Like so many Japanese words, there is no single translation. Wabi can denote something one-of-a-kind, or the spirit of something; the closest we can come to a literal translation is â€Å"solitary†. Sabi defines time or the ideal image of ...

Hypothesis, Model, Theory, and Law

Hypothesis, Model, Theory, and Law In common usage, the words hypothesis, model, theory, and law have different interpretations and are at times used without precision, but in science they have very exact meanings. Hypothesis Perhaps the most difficult and intriguing step is the development of a specific, testable hypothesis. A useful hypothesis enables predictions by applying deductive reasoning, often in the form of mathematical analysis. It is a limited statement regarding the cause and effect in a specific situation, which can be tested by experimentation and observation or by statistical analysis of the probabilities from the data obtained. The outcome of the test hypothesis should be currently unknown, so that the results can provide useful data regarding the validity of the hypothesis. Sometimes a hypothesis is developed that must wait for new knowledge or technology to be testable. The concept of atoms was proposed by the ancient Greeks, who had no means of testing it. Centuries later, when more knowledge became available, the hypothesis gained support and was eventually accepted by the scientific community, though it has had to be amended many times over the year. Atoms are not indivisible, as the Greeks supposed. Model A model is used for situations when it is known that the hypothesis has a limitation on its validity. The Bohr model of the atom, for example, depicts electrons circling the atomic nucleus in a fashion similar to planets in the solar system. This model is useful in determining the energies of the quantum states of the electron in the simple hydrogen atom, but it is by no means represents the true nature of the atom. Scientists (and science students) often use such idealized models  to get an initial grasp on analyzing complex situations. Theory and Law A scientific theory or law represents a hypothesis (or group of related hypotheses) which has been confirmed through repeated testing, almost always conducted over a span of many years. Generally, a theory is an explanation for a set of related phenomena, like the theory of evolution or the big bang theory.   The word law is often invoked in reference to a specific mathematical equation that relates the different elements within a theory. Pascals Law  refers an equation that describes differences in pressure based on height. In the overall theory of universal gravitation developed by Sir Isaac Newton, the key equation that describes the gravitational attraction between two objects is called the law of gravity. These days, physicists rarely apply the word law to their ideas. In part, this is because so many of the previous laws of nature were found to be not so much laws as guidelines, that work well within certain parameters but not within others. Scientific Paradigms Once a scientific theory is established, it is very hard to get the scientific community to discard it. In physics, the concept of ether as a medium for light wave transmission ran into serious opposition in the late 1800s, but it was not disregarded until the early 1900s, when Albert Einstein proposed alternate explanations for the wave nature of light that did not rely upon a medium for transmission. The science philosopher Thomas Kuhn developed the term scientific paradigm to explain the working set of theories under which science operates. He did extensive work on the scientific revolutions that take place when one paradigm is overturned in favor of a new set of theories. His work suggests that the very nature of science changes when these paradigms are significantly different. The nature of physics prior to relativity and quantum mechanics is fundamentally different from that after their discovery, just as biology prior to Darwin’s Theory of Evolution is fundamentally different from the biology that followed it. The very nature of the inquiry changes. One consequence of the scientific method is to try to maintain consistency in the inquiry when these revolutions occur and to avoid attempts to overthrow existing paradigms on ideological grounds. Occam’s Razor One principle of note in regards to the scientific method is Occam’s Razor (alternately spelled Ockhams Razor), which is named after the 14th century English logician and Franciscan friar William of Ockham. Occam did not create the concept- the work of Thomas Aquinas and even Aristotle referred to some form of it. The name was first attributed to him (to our knowledge) in the 1800s, indicating that he must have espoused the philosophy enough that his name became associated with it. The Razor is often stated in Latin as: entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem or, translated to English: entities should not be multiplied beyond necessity Occams Razor indicates that the most simple explanation that fits the available data is the one which is preferable. Assuming that two hypotheses presented have equal predictive power, the one which makes the fewest assumptions and hypothetical entities takes precedence. This appeal to simplicity has been adopted by most of science, and is invoked in this popular quote by Albert Einstein: Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler. It is significant to note that Occams Razor does not prove that the simpler hypothesis is, indeed, the true explanation of how nature behaves. Scientific principles should be as simple as possible, but thats no proof that nature itself is simple. However, it is generally the case that when a more complex system is at work there is some element of the evidence which doesnt fit the simpler hypothesis, so Occams Razor is rarely wrong as it deals only with hypotheses of purely equal predictive power. The predictive power is more important than the simplicity. Edited by Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.