Mysticism Essays (475 words) - Spirituality, Nondualism, Esotericism

Mysticism In Steven T Katz's essay "Language, Epistemology and Mysticism", the"pre-experimental conditions" he writes of are the circumstances surrounding a person who experiences a mystical occurrence. The argument is that mystical experience is a personal event that happens differently for any person who experiences it. If this is true, there is no "common core" to all mystical experience. This concept brings into view a problem with writing about or verbally communicating about mystical experience in academics. Since mystical experience is an extreme personal event, it occurs within the morals and learned social constructs of the person having the experience. Every human society, even if they vary little by environment, teaches its inhabitants what to value.. Mystical experience will vary greatly around the world, as well as in different parts of the same country. The "pre-experimental pattern" in Katz's essay represents a person's entire life, where they live and what ideals and values their society holds. According to Katz, the "pre-experimental pattern" of a person's life is directly related to the kind of mystical experience they will have. The key tensions here are that of varying life experience (up to the point at which the mystical experience occurs) and the inability to communicate mystical experience, since it happens within the context of many different societies and languages. In Mysticism: Holiness East and West, the point is stated that while studying mystical experience, we are forming both personal and academic views. The mystical experience itself, according to Katz is a varying personal occurrence. If we form our own Opinions about another's mystical experience, this raises a question of whether or not we are actually studying the true experience of another (who has a different pre-experimental pattern than we do), or are we re-translating their experience to fit in the confines of what we ourselves understand personally and socially. "We can learn a great deal from scholars, but textual studies have their limits. Admittedly, all studies are personal, calling for acts of imagination from their readers, humanistic studies most of all."(Carmody 21). The student of mysticism, however, in order to understand the mystical experience of another, must re-create the exact circumstances surrounding the person to which the experience occurred. The student must go beyond the regular visual projection into a studied text, to the deep, personal place of another. This is impossible, according to Katz, since none of us have had the exact same life circumstances. To join all mystical experience into the same category, to say everyone who has had a mystical experience has been to the same "human" place inside themselves, is really all we might be able to say about the subject. It is fascinating that so many thick books have been written on the subject of mystical experience, and that in many, unless the author takes a strict claim on his/her own opinion, the problem of variation and communication of the experience exists. Unless we learn to communicate interculturally without using words, we will never know the true contents of mystical experience.

70 Idioms with Heart

70 Idioms with Heart 70 Idioms with Heart 70 Idioms with Heart By Mark Nichol Idioms that refer to what is the fanciful seat of our emotions as well as the factual core of our circulatory system are understandably numerous. Here’s a list of phrases and expressions that include heart and, for the most part, pertain to human feelings. 1. a big heart: said of someone kind and loving 2. after my own heart: said of someone with similar preferences or values 3. a heart of gold: see â€Å"a big heart† 4. a heart of stone: said of someone without sympathy 5. all heart: see â€Å"a big heart†; sometimes used sarcastically to mean the opposite 6. at heart: basically 7. bare (one’s) heart: share one’s feelings or thoughts 8. bleeding heart: said of someone who is conspicuously or excessively generous 9. break (one’s) heart: cause someone emotional distress 10. by heart: from memory 11–13. capture/steal/win (one’s) heart: make someone fall in love with one 14–16. close/dear/near to (one’s) heart: loved or valued by someone 17. cross my heart: said as an oath to assert one’s honesty 18. didn’t have the heart: said when one cannot summon the will to do something hurtful 19. do (one’s) heart good: said about something that will be beneficial to someone 20. eat your heart out: said mockingly to someone expressing the desire for them to suffer; usually facetious 21. faint of heart: lacking courage 22–23. find a way into/to (one’s) heart: cause someone to fall in love with one 24. find it in (one’s) heart: have the compassion or courage to do something 25. follow (one’s) heart: do what one loves rather than what is expected of one 26. from the heart: with sincerity 27–28. gladden the/(one’s) heart: make someone happy or gratified 29. harden (one’s) heart: become callous 30. have (one’s) heart set on: be obsessed with obtaining 31. have (one’s) (best) interests at heart: be doing something for someone else’s benefit 32. heart goes out to: said in regard to feeling sympathy for someone 33. heart in (one’s) mouth: said of someone who has strong emotions about someone or something 34. heart is in the right place: said of someone well intentioned 35. heart of the matter: essence 36. hearts and minds: said in reference to persuading rather than compelling 37. heart’s desire: what one wishes deeply for 38. heart skips a beat: said of someone excited, frightened, or surprised 39. heavy heart: sadness 40–41. from the bottom/depths of (one’s) heart: profoundly 42. in (one’s) heart of hearts: if one’s true feelings or thoughts were known 43. know (one’s) heart: be aware of one’s true feelings 44. lose heart: become discouraged 45–46. matters/affairs of the heart: said of something pertaining to a love affair 47. melt (one’s) heart: cause someone to experience uncontrollable emotions 48. nearly gave (one) a heart attack: caused someone to feel anxiety or fear 49. (one’s) heart bleeds for: one is sympathetic 50. (one’s) heart is knocking: said of someone excited or nervous 51. (one’s) heart is not in: one does not feel a commitment to or an interest in 52. (one’s) heart leaps: one is excited 53. (one’s) heart melts: see â€Å"melt someone’s heart† 54. (one’s) heart sinks: one becomes discouraged 55. open (one’s) heart: show generosity or kindness 56–57. out of the goodness/kindness of (one’s) heart: because of generosity or goodwill 58. pour (one’s) heart/soul out: see â€Å"bare (one’s) heart† 59. put (one’s) heart into: do something with conviction or enthusiasm 60. sick at heart: discouraged 61–62. strike fear into (one’s) heart/into the heart of (one): cause someone to be afraid 63. take heart: be encouraged 64. take (something) to heart: be affected by something 65. to (one’s) heart’s content: to the extent one desires 66. warm (one’s)/the cockles of (one’s) heart: cause someone to feel positive emotion 67. wear (one’s) heart on (one’s) sleeve: openly show one’s emotions 68. with a sinking heart: said of someone who becomes discouraged or hopeless 69. with all (one’s) heart: with great enthusiasm 70. young at heart: youthful Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Masters Degree or Master's Degree?Anyone vs. EveryoneHow to Treat Names of Groups and Organizations

Speech Comprehension and the Human Language Essay

Speech Comprehension and the Human Language - Essay Example The question therefore is what sets the human language apart from another How is human language defined Moreover, with so many diverse languages known in the world (associated with country, race and culture), can human language actually be characterized as a whole to represent the vast array of languages used by all sorts of people The answer to this, of course, is yes and the unifying elements that weave all these languages into a universal method for communication are the properties of human language that are common to all. These will be detailed in the succeeding section. The other aspect of human language that this paper intends to explore is how people understand the spoken language or speech. It is widely known that humans begin to learn to speak during the early childhood years. As such, what are the processes and elements involved in learning and understanding speech Are these the same for everybody To answer these questions, an overview of speech comprehension shall be provided in the following sections of this article. Speech development generally occurs during the first two years of a child's growth. At the first stage, the infant produces his/her first sounds in the form of cries, vocal grunts and cooing. These are said to be phonetically indicative of the ug, ng or ungh sounds. Studies have shown that the consonant sounds are developed earliest, in particular the consonant h (Goodenough & Tyler, 1959). The infant then progresses to the stage wherein he/she utters single syllables repeatedly such as "da-da-da" or "ngee-ngee-ngee". At first, these utterances are used by the infant to amuse itself. Later on or during the third stage, these utterances already become useful for social interaction with the parents or whoever is considered as the care giver. At the fourth stage, which occurs during the second half of the first year, the infant learns to combine these mono-syllables to two or more different syllables to form a more complex word. Thus to give an example., the "da-da-da" becomes "daddle- daddle-daddle". This is the last period before true speech is actually produced. The infant then proceeds to learn how to select specific sound-combinations out of the wide variety of utterances that it has produced and to apply these sound-combinations to particular situations in which he has heard others use them (Goodenough & Tyler, 1959). Understanding Speech Understanding spoken language connotes a processing level by which meaning is derived from the combination of words and sounds that form sentence structures. Before this happens, however, several other operations occur that eventually lead to meaning attribution. One of these operations is called Semantic Processing which concerns working out what words and sentences mean (Harley, 2001). Syntactic operation, on the other hand, pertains to the recognition of how words are organized within a sentence (i.e., their relationships, how they are transformed by inflections or affixes, etc.) so that the order of the words becomes meaningful. The phonological process, which is the third set of operations, involves the transformation of the message into sounds uttered as speech through the use of the articulatory mechanisms - the tongue,

Searching for the Real Me and We. A Filipino-American Experience Essay

Searching for the Real Me and We. A Filipino-American Experience - Essay Example This essay analyses the US invasion and occupation of the Philippines and the resulting waves of migration of Filipino workers and professionals to this country. It explores, not only the socio-economic results, but also the cultural impact of US direct and indirect rule on the Filipino people’s collective memories and consciousness. The migration of Filipinos to the US was basically determined in the past and at present by the desire of the US for cheap and efficient labor, a desire in keeping with capitalism’s exploitative character and racist framework. Many Filipino-Americans have absorbed the dominant US culture, which prevents them from understanding the realities behind their own migration experience, decolonizing their thinking, and developing their unity with all poor people of color. After defeating the Spanish colonial government, Filipinos were forced to wage another war, this time against the US invading forces. This time it was a vicious racist war that resulted in the death of â€Å"at least 1.4 million Filipinos† from the actual fighting and from war-related starvation and disease (San Juan). Studying history is a important step, and I have started to fully appreciate my Filipino heritage. Understanding myself and the Filipino-American experience, I am starting to understand the reality of the Black experience, the Latino experience, the experience of all the excluded in American society. I know I have to take the next step, going beyond the me and transforming myself into the we of humanity.

Transcontinental railroad Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Transcontinental railroad - Term Paper Example Such policies are implemented by regulatory authorities through budgets and other rules and regulations. However, there are some factors that affect the economy on the very basic level. One of those factors is infrastructure of a country. Infrastructure of a country can play an important role in the strengthening of the economy of a country. This paper analyses one such example of the effects of infrastructure on the economy. The example is that of the First Transcontinental Railroad. This railroad is said to be the first communication revolution of America. The railroad reduced the time of travel between east and west costs from six months to one week and it was indeed a huge achievement. This paper examines the problems faced by the entities engaged in the construction of the railroad and the effects of the railroad on the economy of the country (Heintz, 2009). Infrastructure can enhance the growth of the economy of a country at a very fast pace, specifically in case of developing countries. Developing companies usually have weak economic environment because of lack of sufficient infrastructure. Infrastructure can boost trade in a country which results in accelerated economic activities in the country. This scenario can best be explained with the example of the First Transcontinental Railroad that was constructed between the years 1863 and 1869 in the United States of America. The railroad was built by the Central Pacific Railroad of California and Union Pacific Railroad. These two entities were chartered by the Pacific Railway Act, 1862. This railroad connected the already developed railway network of the Eastern cost with California that was in its developing stages. The railroad was completed in May, 1869 when it changed the economic scenario of the American West for good. The railroad initiated a new series of trade and communication that triggered the economic growth in the USA. Planning for Construction of the Transcontinental Railroad In the year 1862, it was determined that the companies that would carry out the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad would be Central Pacific Railroad and Union Pacific Railroad. The companies started construction from their respective points. Central Pacific started building the railroad eastward from Sacramento, California and Union Pacific started building the railroad westward from Council Bluffs, Iowa. Although the companies had been assigned the task and they had started constructing the railroad, the point where both the railroads would meet was not determined. There were a number of problems that hindered the construction of the railroad resulting from the lack of adequate planning. The construction also slowed down due to the Civil War between the years 1861 and 1865. This factor also added to the problems already present due to the lack of planning. However, a point in the Mormon territory of Utah was determined to the Promontory Point where the railroads being constructed by the two companies would meet. The construction completed on 10 May, 1869 when the two railroads met at the Promontory Point. Problems Faced in Construction A railroad connecting the east and west cost of the USA had always been a dream but it was shaped into reality by the President Abraham Lincoln. However, the railroad was completed after four years of his death. The construction of the railroad was not independent of any problems. There were a num

Approaches to Responding to Discrimination

Approaches to Responding to Discrimination People with mental illness are one of the most marginalised groups in society. Stigma and discrimination affect tangata whai ora’s (TWO) quality of life, prevent them from full access to education, employment, and housing, contribute to lower incomes, increase relapse, and result in exclusion from the society. This damaging effect on the person is often persisting even after resolution of the symptoms. The evidence shows that a combination of approaches and intervention methods at different levels times and in range of settings is the most effective in reducing stigma and discrimination (Gale, 2004). The effective approaches ensuring sustainable change take account of education, promotion, respect, and have to be supported by policy and legislation as essential parts of building a successful, integrated society. (Sayce, 2000) â€Å"Raising awareness and changing attitudes are not enough on their own – because attitudes are not necessarily a reliable predictor of behaviour. Effective approaches also require work to promote social inclusion and empowerment, creating an environment of intolerance to prejudice and ensuring change is sustainable and supported by policy and legislation† (Gale, 2004). Public Policy The New Zealand Government laid its expectation from mental health and addiction services in Te Tahuhu: the second mental health and addiction plan 2005-2015. Te Tahuhu is the policy on mental health and addiction that identifies challenges, ascertains outcome the Government strives to achieve, and provides direction for the continued development of the sector. The main focus is on improvement, recovery and wellness of tangata whai ora. Implementation of the plan, on the other hand, and improving mental health outcomes for TWO is the focus of Te Kokiri. It (Ministry of health, 2006)ascertains specific actions and responsible organisations for achieving them. â€Å"Understanding mental illness and addiction in the general community is critical to reducing stigma and discrimination, both of which can reduce an individual’s sense of belonging and participation in society† (Ministry of health, 2005). The outcomes include full participation of tangata whai ora in society and have the same opportunities as everyone else. Among Ten leading challenges are inclusion and support on the part of employers and effective support, protection and redress for TWO who are discriminated against. The action plan contains promotion of social inclusion, implementation of the next step of the ‘Like Minds like Mine’ project as part of a multi-agency plan to reduce discrimination, develop activities to address the discrimination by addiction users. Mass media campaigns A well-known anti-stigma and discrimination public education campaign in New Zealand â€Å"Like minds, like mine† (Like Minds) started in 1997, funded by the Ministry of Health and the Health promotion Agency, and implemented by 26 regional providers. The campaign is directed at reducing discrimination associated with mental health and increasing social inclusion through advertising, community activities, research, events, education, helpline, newsletters, website, and training. It has been proven by international research that sustained mental health antidiscrimination programs is the best practice in achieving behavioural change. The National Like minds campaign invested a great deal of time and energy in programs aimed at tackling stigma and discrimination, yield improvement in public attitudes towards mental health. â€Å"Advertising involving the stories of well-known and famous people who have experienced mental illness has created significant interest, awareness and improved attitudes among the general public. Local community education and other follow-up activities have also contributed to this success† (Vaughan, G Hansen, C, 2004). For years campaign has challenged public stereotypes, attitudes, demonization and alienation of tangat whai ora. The effective approaches that underpinned the campaign are: Its nature: robust, multileveled, evidence-based and responding to a changing environment The involvement of tangata whai ora in the campaign has been critical to its success. They personally leading the work and dispelling stereotypes and prejudice through their personal experience and knowledge. Amplifying social contact with TWO. â€Å"Face to face contact and community engagement are often the most effective ways to reduce stigma and discrimination† (Alexander, L.A Link B.G, 2003). Famous and everyday people with mental illness spoke to media and employers about their experience made the campaign human and personal. Focus on the positive: emphasising abilities, supporting development of the TWO’s capacity to contribute Modelling social inclusion Education about human rights The new National â€Å"Like minds, like mine† plan for 2014-2019 states that â€Å"the Ministry of Health will continue national efforts to reduce stigma†¦ providing direction for the continuation of the journey towards social inclusion for people with mental illness in New Zealand† (Ministry of Health, 2014). It identified that to this day disrespectful attitudes (stigma) and unfair treatment (discrimination) are among the biggest barriers to social inclusion for tangata whai ora. The role of the programme is to ensure that public demonstrate socially inclusive attitudes and behaviours towards TWO and in so doing, increasing their opportunity to fully participate in community life. Health promotion Mental health promotion refers to the actions taken to strengthen mental health and is a powerful resource with significant potential. Research is showing that its initiatives can have concrete, positive outcomes for the entire population. Building on strength: A guide for action is a practical mental health promotion document designed for the service providers, communities and government bodies of the country that focuses on wellness, healthy populations and the community taking control. Building on strength promotion is consistent with a vision for recovery and participation. Its aims are to: build (inclusive and supportive) healthy communities; work across sectors (i.e. social services, education, housing, employment, ext.) to address the broader determinants of wellbeing; improving skills of the workforce; leadership through policy; to encourage research, innovation and development that can affect mental health and wellbeing of different population groups. One of the principles of the New Zealand health strategy is to promote active involvement of tangata whai ora and communities at all strata of policy development. â€Å"People who have experience of mental illness have vital contribution to make to our understanding of illness prevention and as advocates for mental health promotion† (Ministry of Health, 2001). A central theme for tangata whai ora is their experience of the stigma and discrimination, and the denial of their rights of citizenship. Hence ‘Building on Strength’ supports participation of tangata whai ora in the development and delivery of programmes and continue to work to eliminate stigma and discrimination. The examples of mental health promotion given in the Building on strength guide include Te Pae Mahutonga: a model for Mà ¤ori health promotion, and the Fonofale Model. Both holistic models highlight views of their respective communities on wellness and relational harmony of different elements. Te Pae Mà ¤hutonga is, the Maori name for the Southern Cross constellation of stars, â€Å"used as a symbolic map for bringing together the significant components of health promotion, as they apply to Maori health†¦ Te Pae Mà ¤hutonga model suggests that health promotion is about creating a climate within which human potential can be realised† (Durie, 1999). The four central stars reflect the four key goals of health promotion: Mauriora (security of cultural identity), Waiora (environmental protection and connectedness), Toiora (a shift from harmful to healthy lifestyles), Te Oranga (increasing the extent of participation in society). The two pointers – prerequisites for the effective health promotion are Nga Manukura (leadership) and Te Mana Whakahaere (the level of autonomy and self-determination). Service development and educational measures Service development measures are intended to improve education and training for people coming into the mental health professional services. Support workers who are showing respect and kindness towards tangata whai ora, have the right skills, values and attitudes make an enormous impact on their recovery process. The Ministry of Health developed the programme with the focus on putting the TWO’s needs and lives first. Let’s get real: Real Skills for people working in mental health and addiction builds workforce’s resources and knowledge to provide qualitative and effective service delivery. The framework has seven Real Skills which are underpinned by the essential values and attitudes across the sector to achieve Te Tahuhu outcomes. One of them is challenging stigma and discrimination. â€Å"Every person working in a mental health and addiction treatment service uses strategies to challenge stigma and discrimination, and provides and promotes a valued place for service users† (Ministry of Health, 2008). The latest include understanding, recognising, minimising and challenging of the impact of stigma and discrimination on TWO; using non-judgemental language; promoting and facilitating inclusion; modelling non-discriminatory behaviour; and using non-discriminatory practices.

The Alli Weight Loss Advertisement

Alli Weight Loss Plan Advertisement The â€Å"Alli Weight Loss Plan† advertisement in the January 18th 2010 issue of People magazine is effective because of the informational packed two-page spread, the vibrant multicolored picture, and the way the bold banner intertwines with the emotion in the picture. The â€Å"Alli Weight Loss Plan† advertisement is effective because of the informational packed two paged spread. The first page has six separate informative blocks, with breaks in between the different blocks, to give the reader a chance to interpret the information. The second page is completely covered in a vibrant colorful picture. Consequently, Attention is drawn to reading the six separate topics and viewing the colorful picture. The â€Å"Alli Weight Loss Plan† advertisement contains six informational blocks, each with different brilliant colored titles. Topics the advertisement covers consist of educational information, nutritional information, and governmental information. The first block written in red is titled, â€Å"you and food. The first block covers the relationship between the reader and food, whether or not that relationship is healthy. The first block also entices the reader and relates to the potential consumer, identifying the problem and offering them a solution. The second block is titled, â€Å"real hunger†, in green and describes symptoms of real hunger. Examples from the second block are: real hunger â€Å"grows gradually†, real hunger is when â€Å"you’ll eat anything†, and real hunger is when â€Å"you feel good after eating. The third block is titled â€Å"emotional hunger†, and is colored blue. The third block describes signs of emotional hunger; one example is: emotional hunger is when â€Å"you feel guilty after eating. † The fourth block is titled â€Å"you can eat healthier for life†, and is colored red. The fourth block explains that the Alli Weight Loss Plan can help learn the healthy way to eat and to lose weight. The fifth block is titled â€Å"you can lose weight without losing your love for food†, and is colored green. The fifth block describes how Alli Weight Loss Plan works to boost weight loss. The advertisement emphasizes that consumers taking Alli can still enjoy their favorite foods just in smaller portions. The final block is colored in yellow and is titled â€Å"you can lose weight easier with support. † The sixth block explains how Alli Weight Loss Plan users will be able to have personalized weight plans made for them on myali. com. There is also a small sub topic that states Alli is FDA- approved, which assures readers that the Alli Weight Loss Plan is safe and legitimate. All six blocks provide readers with plentiful amounts of educational, nutritional, and governmental information about the Alli Weight Loss Plan that helps readers decide if the product is for them. The second page of the Alli Weight Loss Plan advertisement is a vividly bright picture of a late twenties to early thirties brunette woman grocery shopping. The young lady has her head thrown way back and has a confident smile on her face. The young lady is pushing a grocery cart bursting at the seams with healthy foods, such as huge succulent pineapple. The background is blurred on the intense, colorful picture, but can still be interpreted as a grocery isle of a grocery store. The second page of the â€Å"Alli Weight Loss Plan† advertisement has an excellent picture, which gives the reader an insight of what the advertisement is about. The bold colorful banner intertwines with the emotion of the vibrant colorful picture. The banner is titled â€Å"eat healthier, live happier. † The vibrant picture shows the exact emotion of the banner. The young lady is extremely happy; she has her head thrown back and has a gigantic smile. The young lady is obviously eating healthy. The writers of the â€Å"Alli Weight Loss Plan† advertisement intertwine the emotion of the picture with the words of the banner, â€Å"eat healthier, live happier. † The â€Å"Alli Weight Loss Plan† Advertisement is directed towards the younger generation of women. Contemporary women are concerned about their appearance and weight. Most young women will do anything to lose weight. The â€Å"Alli Weight Loss Plan† advertisement features a late twenties to mid thirties young lady, who is very satisfied with her appearance. Most readers of People magazine are young women, which is why the â€Å"Alli Weight Loss Plan† advertisement appeals to them so much. Readers want to be as happy as the young lady in the â€Å"Alli Weight Loss Plan† advertisement. Potential customers will be drawn to read the advertisement thoroughly. In conclusion the â€Å"Alli Weight Loss Plan† advertisement is very effective because of the informational packed two-page layout, the vibrant colorful picture, and the way the writers of the advertisement intertwined the picture with the emotion of the banner.

Personal life Essay

Living a â€Å"Good Life. † This is something most people strive for, but what we all question is, what is it that leads to a â€Å"good life,† or what does it really mean to have a â€Å"good life. † Most people would agree that whatever makes a person happy will lead to a good life, but happiness with each individual differs. Whether it be pleasure, wealth, or health many can disregard the virtue of true happiness, and their material desires leads to ignorance. Aristotle’s answer to this is that we must enjoy the proper things in life in order to be happy; and it is through proper activities that we are able to live the Good Life. I would have to agree with Aristotle’s beliefs, because of my upbringing, simple material things will not make me fully happy; one must live a just life filled with happiness. There is this woman named Janice, she s a manager for a major corporate office. Janice believes her happiness and the happiness of her children relies on her success in her career, and how much money she makes. She will do whatever it takes in order to rise up in the company to get any extra bonus or raise—even if it means stepping on other people to get there. Aristotle would say Janice is not living the Good Life by concentrating on the wealth and mistreating others for her own personal gain, because what she is doing is not a proper activity. I believe Aristotle may believe that the way Janice is living is irrational, and not the â€Å"good life,† because her happiness relies on her material wealth. According to J.L Ackrill from the Princeton university press Aristotle’s argument is as follows: 1) proper activities are those activities that best represent or fulfill the unique nature or purpose of humankind; 2) the unique nature or purpose of humankind is found in that particular quality which separates us from other species of beings; 3) that particular quality which separates us from other species of beings is reason; thus, 4) those activities that best express our reasoning abilities are those activities that will allow us to lead the Good Life; therefore, 5) some activities, like Janice’s activities, are not able to lead us to live the Good Life because again it is not a proper activity. Happiness isn’t simple, and living a good life isn’t easy. We can’t all just focus on the material; we have to focus on reason, on the virtue of our decisions. I was raise in a Christian home, so by default I was taught about being a servant to others, spreading the word of Jesus Christ, living a good life—according to what God has declared for me. But I believe that Aristotle’s belief of a good life coincides with some of what God has planned for me, by doing what is proper, and in my interpretation what is proper for me is following my path that God has laid out for me. We all have a purpose to life, everyone and everything. We are pieces to an order, a design t our universe, everything somehow fits together, we see the good and the truth through living justly with values and virtuous lifestyles, doing what makes us happy but only things that are â€Å"proper. † Aristotle believes that happiness is God given, and we need to live right by God.

law in the end of a policemans nightstick essays

law in the end of a policemans nightstick essays Police brutality has been a long lasting problem in the United States since at least 1903 when police Captain Williams of the New York Police Departmen coined the phrase, There is more law at the end of a policemans nightstick than in a decision of the Supreme Court. In the 1920s the Wichersham Commission had a number of instances of police brutality. Many of these included the use of the third degree (beating to obtain a confession). This is a very effective way to get a confession out of somebody. However, beating the accused could easily elicit a confession from a scared and innocent person. Also, this puts the accused persons life in danger. Police officers must make snap life and death decisions daily. Officers work in an environment where death (theirs, their partners, and an innocent or guilty person) is one decision away. How does that constant fear effect an officers perception? Unfortunately, many that are attracted to law enforcement are aggressive and prone towards violen ce as a solution. Police officers have a lot of power. With this power comes responsibility. Police brutality can be defined as the excessive or unreasonable use of force in dealing with citizens, suspects and offenders. A nationally known example occurred on the morning of March 3, 1991. Rodney King was pulled out of his vehicle and beaten by two Los Angeles police officers. The LAPD had originally given chase to Mr. Kings vehicle due to a failure to yield. Officers fired a 50,000-volt Taser electric dart gun at Mr. King. They also hit King with batons. Mr. King, according to police officials, was hit approximately 56 times. Mr. King had 11 broken bones at the base of his skull. Also, the bones holding his eye in the right socket were broken (LA Times March 19, 1991 p. A20). The policemen reported that Mr. King appeared to be on PCP at the time he was pulled over. Subsequent tests indicated Mr. Ki...

Book Review of The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Book Review of 'The Road' by Cormac McCarthy Add the post-apocalyptic The Road to Cormac McCarthy’s growing list of masterpieces. It combines the terse but poetic meditations on the horrific depths of human depravity of his Blood Meridian with the taut, thriller writing found in his, No Country for Old Men. What separates The Road from his other works is McCarthy’s ability to capture moments of lyrical and emotional beauty in a father and son’s haunted relationship even as a silent cloud of death covers the world in darkness. Synopsis of  The Road A nameless man and his son trek to the coast in search of food, shelter, and some sign of life.Encounters with other humans are devastating affairs of cruelty, savagery, or despair.Even in a seemingly hopeless struggle for his son, the father notices moments that bring warmth.Though weary, moments of luck or providence seem to catch them before death’s grip can take hold.The Road doesn’t turn away from ultimate horror  but also doesn’t hide defiant love. Pros Sears its mark into your mind from the first sentence to weeks after you’ve put it down.Reveals the strength of a father’s love for his son in the bleakest of circumstances.Written by a master author who knows how to make every word count.Involves a post-apocalyptic world that is frighteningly realized. Cons Only recommended for aged and bold readers. Full Review of The Road â€Å"When he woke in the woods in the dark and the cold of the night he’d reach out to touch the child sleeping beside him.† A father and son are striving to survive in a wilderness that used to be a country that used to be the most prosperous nation on earth. All that is left is ash, floating and falling when the wind chooses not to breathe. This is the setting of The Road, a journey of survival only Cormac McCarthy could envision. McCarthy carves this world in a harsh, stark lyricism reserved for those who speak unflinching prophecy. Both the father and son are surrounded by a nightmare and are frightened by others when they sleep. They are always starving, always cautiously alert, only having a grocery cart with a few blankets and a gun with two bullets, either to protect against the cannibalistic humanity following their tracks or for the father to finish their lives before despair consumes them both. As they journey to the coast in search of something, the father tells the boy it is better to have nightmares because when you start dreaming, you know the end is near. McCarthy allows the reader to dream for them, striving on with them until a conclusion that whispers, under the pain and futility, of a sovereignty that is older than the destruction ever looming in the world. The Road is a brutally astonishing work. If your book discussion club is up for the dark themes, it is a book that will leave you wanting to discuss it with others. The movie adaptation is also available for those who prefer that medium. Check out our discussion questions for The Road to guide your exploration of the book further.

Hammurabi's Code - An Overview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hammurabi's Code - An Overview - Essay Example Various parts of the law were written in systematic way so that reading of the Code by the people was easily understandable and people could derive what was expected of them from the written laws. The code was inscribed upon a black stone monument, eight feet high, and clearly meant to be erected for reading by his people. This famous stone-carving was found in the year 1901, not in Babylon, but in a city of the Persian mountains, as some later victor must have taken it in victory. The code starts and finishes with calls to the gods. It shows how regard for gods was mandatory before reading a law code although the prayers were mainly curses for non-abiders of the law (Horne, 1915). The code commands in lucid and sure strokes the making of society. The judge who commits mistakes in a law case is to be ousted from his position and rank forever, and heavily penalized. The falsified witness is to be beheaded. In fact, all the serious crimes are awarded death. For instance, if a man const ructs a house poorly, and the structure comes down and kills the owner, the builder is to be beheaded. If the owner's son is killed, then the builder's son would be beheaded. The Hebrews imbibed from here the law of "an eye for an eye.† These serious retributive punishments do not count excuses or clarifications, but only of the truth--with one noticeable exception. An offender was permitted to drown himself into "the river," the Euphrates. Clearly, people were not familiar with swimming; if the waves brought the culprit to the river banks alive he was pronounced not-guilty, if he could not swim back he was declared guilty. It shows Hammurabi’s belief in the justice of the reigning gods, although a bit childishly, it was implanted in the minds of people (Horne, 1915). There are thousands of rulings of the ancient times based on Babylonian laws, the so-called "contracts," including a vast range of deeds, conveyances, bonds, receipts, accounts and, most critical of all, t he actual legal verdicts awarded by the judges in the law courts. It helped in conserving the so-called "Sumerian Family Laws† (Johns, 1911). One can not find any symptoms of tribal tradition from the law of the Code. It is a ruler’s law; similar to self-help, bloody fights, marriage by seizure is missing; though family unity, district duty, and difficult times – these ancient traits are visible. The king is a kind-hearted ruler who can be available to all his people, he is equally capable and ready to safeguard the oppressed against the noblest oppressor. The royalty can excuse such a high profile culprit only if there is no resentment among the people for the oppressor. The judges are regularly observed and appeal is permitted. There are feudal holdings, masters of the levy, and police. There exists a postal system. There is free movement by people from Babylon to the coast of the Mediterranean. Women hold a rank of respect and reverence in the Hammurabi code ( Johns, 1911). The Code did not just personify the customs of that time or safeguard ancient law. The law-abiding citizens and litigation had a record of centuries in the temple stores in each city, huge enough, of past decisions and copies of judicial awards, getting mixed with the city traditions. The ever-prevailing habit of writing and practice of written deeds even more

Puerto Rico - A commonwealth with U.S.A Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Puerto Rico - A commonwealth with U.S.A - Essay Example The enjoining of Puerto Rico, according to analysts and researchers in historical studies, as a commonwealth in USA, is one that requires a detailed understanding of the events that took place prior and after the 1952 event. With the USA developing a relationship with Puerto Rico in the 1898 Spanish-American warfare, by the 20th century Puerto Rico was under the martial support of USA. In regards to the words by Levy & Bahrawi, by the year 1947 Puerto Rico was granted the right to select their own ruler, thanks to the US government (28). With Munoz Marin taking over Puerto Rico, the country arrived at the rank of US commonwealth in October 1950. Levy & Bahrawi indicate that the signing of the Puerto Rico Commonwealth Bill guaranteed the country’s status as a commonwealth of USA (28). On the other hand, the citizens of Puerto Rico consistently supported this status by voting for spiraling of the rapport between Puerto Rico and USA. However, it is vital to note that though the ratio for the commonwealth status was extremely high as opposed to the advocates against the commonwealth status, the nationalist movement was extremely willing to campaign for independence. Levy & Bahrawi are of the view that by January 2005 when Anibal Acevedo-Vila was elected the governor of Puerto Rico, the country was driven towards a struggle for autonomy or statehood of the country (29). It can, therefore, be argued that the commonwealth status of Puerto Rico was attained after granting of American citizenship to the Puerto Ricans. This was to later be a conflict especially after the disasters that faced the country under the American rule. In this case, the Puerto Ricans wanted change to be on their own. Puerto Ricans- USA citizens In the research compiled by Thomas, Puerto Ricans attained what would be referred as an exceptional status of US citizens (136). Though the Puerto Ricans were viewed as burdens to the New Yorkers especi ally in terms of distribution of resources in the city, Thomas is of the opinion that the Puerto Ricans were already US citizens and a long struggle would see to their independence (137). In the year 1917, the then US president, Woodrow Wilson signed the Jones- Shafroth Act which legalized the Puerto Ricans to be U.S. citizens. This is unlike the previous years when the Puerto Rico was a commonwealth of US. Upon signing of the Jones- Shafroth Act the Puerto Ricans became full US citizens. The Puerto Rican government was made similar to that of USA, as well as the Puerto Ricans enjoying civil rights in the country according to Sanchez (41). Of essence, Sanchez indicates that the Puerto Ricans became USA citizens after the signing of Jones-Shafroth Act (42). Though a lot of resentment resulted from this move, a majority of the Puerto Ricans would be forced to participate in US wars against other states, an aspect which did not please the Puerto Ricans. Protests followed soon after to campaign against USA control over Puerto Rico’s constitutional rules and the U.S. Congress. (517 words) Summary From the depictions by the authors of the works of the history of Puerto Rico, I not only like the pieces of compilations, but I am also impressed by the quality and depth of research conducted by the authors. In the work by Levy & Bahrawi on Puerto Rico for example, it is easy to get a glimpse of the history of Puerto Rico and commonwealth from the headings in the work. These headings allow the reader get a quick search of the related chapters and the facts behind the years. Levy & Bahrawi are also keen to give the accurate dates of the chronology of events that took place during that particular time in history, an aspect that makes me believe the facts inscribed in the book. The context of events is also evident from the piece, which gives the author an idea of what happened before, at the particular time and after the event. The reader therefore gets a clear pict ure of the entire theme brought forward by the authors. Having