What is Philosophy Philosophical Conceptions Of Life Essay

What is Philosophy Philosophical Conceptions Of Life - Essay Example It was believed that the gods were volatile and unpredictable and thus man was at their mercy because they controlled everything. Philosophers introduced a very different line of thought, divergent from the first assumption. They are referred to as thinkers, implying that they ushered in an era where man started to come to conclusions about the issues of life through reason and observation. Philosophy has grown over the years and has been subject to religious and ethical; considerations. This is because religion and ethical standards determine how people act and philosophy tries to explain why things happen and how people act in certain ways. Philosophical history started to appear in ancient Greece in the 6th century B.C.in the city of Miletus (Russell 3). This early group of philosophers is known as the Milesian philosophers because of the city they came from.These early philosophers may have had findings that would seem odd today, such as some claims made by one of the Philosophers, Thales, that everything was made of water and everything is full of gods, but all the same, it was the gods that triggered man to shift from his earlier position and to examine other ways to explore why things happened the way they did and why man also behaved the way he did. Man started to observe life from a completely new perspective due to the influence of philosophers. Ancient Greece went on to produce some of the greatest philosophers in the western world, and this revolutionized the whole world in its way of thinking as man started to thirst for and seek wisdom (Kenny, 19). Philosophy has been referred to by some people as the love o f wisdom. Philosophy is important to man because it looks at basic issues through reason and observation, and thus enables us to choose the way to do things and also how to live with one another in harmony in any given situation and grouping. It enables man to come to conclusion about issues from a point of knowledge. Today, philosophy has developed over the years and covers mainly for different areas which are logic, epistemology, metaphysics and axiology. Logic involves the obtaining of knowledge by looking at the evidence and listening to the arguments brought forth and analyzing them philosophically (Brown). People may say what they do not mean but a philosopher can bring out the truth through philosophical reasoning. Epistemology, which is a branch of philosophy, is the ability to support what we believe with facts about it. It looks at what conditions must be satisfied so as to assert that what we say is true about something. As man makes statements about issues, epistemology is very important. Metaphysics is the study of what things exist, their nature and the reasons why they function the way they do. It also deals with examining why people behave the way they do. It examines whether it is through their free will or as a result of other factors. This is an important shift from the pre philosophy period where all was attributed to the gods and other personalities. It enables man to know his world better and even integrate better. Axiology is the study of different types of values, and these are beauty and art, social and political aspects and ethics (Brown). Political philosophy has facilitated the setting up of good political systems while ethical behavior is important as people live with one another in the world because it examines right and wrong and good and evil.

Analysis of No Exit and Existentialism Essay Example for Free

Analysis of No Exit and Existentialism Essay No Exits central themes of freedom and responsibility come from Sartres doctrine that existence precedes essence. Sartre believed that a being-for-itself differed from inanimate objects, or a being-in-itself, since humans have the ability to choose and define their individual characteristics. But with this freedom of choice comes the absolute responsibility for ones action. The fear and anxiety of this responsibility leads many people to ignore both their freedom and their responsibility by letting other people make their choices for them, resulting in bad faith. This bad faith is what causes Garcin to be unable to leave the room when the door opens. He cant handle the responsibility of confronting his decision to flee his country, and thus leaves it up to Inez to judge him and define his essence. Similarly, Estelle does not think that she exists unless she looks in a mirror, seeing herself as others do. When Inez pretends to be her mirror and says Estelle has a pimple on her face, Estelles bad faith causes her to accept someone else literally creating her essence. Both Estelle and Garcin are not only condemned to be free, but are willing to condemn themselves in order to avoid being free. This emphasis on bad faith establishes Sartres underlying argument of the play: Hell is other people. Using only three people and an empty room, Sartre evokes scenes of utter torture and despair. Garcin and Estelle refuse to let go of their pasts, each looking at their friends and loved ones back on earth. They attempt to justify their existence by only thinking about their past experiences: as Garcin explains, his fate is the evaluation of his past actions by other people. Inez however, sees her past as meaningless and inaccessible, choosing to exist in the present instead. Inez is the only character in the play intent on confronting both her responsibility and her suffering.

Ken Keseys One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest Essay -- Ken Kesey Flew Cu

Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest The theme of this story â€Å"One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest† according to Daniel Woods is â€Å"Power is the predominant theme of Ken Kesey's 'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest': who holds power, who doesn't, who wants it, who loses it, how it is used to intimidate and manipulate and for what purposes, and, most especially, how it is disrupted and subverted, challenged, denied and assumed† (http://www.gradesaver.com/ClassicNotes/Titles/cuckoosnest/essays/essay1.html). No, it is not McMurphy who flew over the Cuckoo’s nest, or Harding, or Taber. It wasn’t Martini or Cheswick, or Bibbit, Chief Bromden or Bancini. The journey of crazies that flew over the Cuckoo’s nest was in the asylum, but they were not patients. The mad people in this scenario were paid to be mad. Nurse Ratched, Dr. John Spivey and other staff, like Washington, were salaried each day to come into the asylum and impose dreadful doses of mental (and sometimes physical) hurt on the so-called "nuts" whose lives consisted of white hallways and white floors. McMurphy lost his life because he saw the reality in the asylum, the Cuckoo’s nest. He lost his life because he had not yet been in long enough to grow resistant to the brutal treatment that he received. He lost his life because he figured out who the real nuts were and, unlike the other inmates, McMurphy still knew enough of fairness to comprehend and want to remove the dreadful unfairness being done to the powerless patients inside the asylum. Randall McMurphy is ushered through the hospital doors by two attendants dressed in white. Among the white walls and floors, McMurphy, wearing scuffed blue jeans, a black leather jacket and a black tight cap, represents a figurative interference of the exterior world entering this sterilized, bitter hospital. Upon entering the ward that is too become his final resting place, he jokes with the current patients, wears a deceitful smile and a deck of cards is rolled up in his sleeve. Immediately he questions the rule of the institution to require all the patients to take medicinal pills, regardless of their sickness or disease. In just these opening scenes of the movie, director Milos Forman has foreshadowed Randall McMurphy’s future: McMurphy enters the asylum wearing black, the color of death, and right away he shows disobedience against authority by questioni... ...o. Nurse Ratched can be easily recognized as a bad character and McMurphy as the gallant rogue that challenges her authority. The movie was so successful that â€Å"In February 1976, one flew over the cuckoo’s nest was rewarded by the academy with nine Oscar nominations†. (Entertainment Weekly). When McMurphy returns from getting his second dose of electroshock therapy and a lobotomy, as punishment for his attempt to strangle Nurse Ratched to death, he is barely human. Two doctors tuck him into bed because he is too weak to do it himself. The arrangement has beaten Randall McMurphy at the game of life. He lies like a vegetable in bed, unaware to the outside world. He is not able to rebel against the doctors. He cannot lead the patients in a rebellion. Chief Bromden sees that McMurphy’s future has been stolen, along with his manhood, and suffocates him to death with a pillow. McMurphy lies dead in bed. In dying this way, his recollection is sealed among his fellow patients. He can die as a sort of martyr for the men in the little microcosm of a world inside the hospital walls. In one sense, McMurphy was crazy. It was optimistic and crazy to think that he could change such a system.

Critical Analysis of The Awakening Essay -- Kate Chopin The Awakening

Critical Analysis of The Awakening The Awakening, by Kate Chopin, is the story of a woman who is seeking freedom. Edna Pontellier feels confined in her role as mother and wife and finds freedom in her romantic interest, Robert Lebrun. Although she views Robert as her liberator, he is the ultimate cause of her demise. Edna sees Robert as an image of freedom, which brings her to rebel against her role in society. This pursuit of freedom, however, causes her death. Chopin uses many images to clarify the relationship between Robert and Edna and to show that Robert is the cause of both her freedom and her destruction. Birds are a sizable image in The Awakening. Edna feels like a caged bird, and wishes to be freed. When Madame Ratignolle plays the piano, Edna often creates pictures in her head that represent the music. Edna's picture of a musical peice called "Solitude" is "the figure of a man standing beside a desolate rock on the seashore" (71). "His attitude was one of hopeless resignation as he looked toward a distant bird winging its flight away from him" (71). Edna feels like this man, as though she is trapped and cannot spread her wings and fly. This is a danger, however. Caged birds, although they are not free, are safe. They do not know of the dangers that can come with freedom. Once Edna tastes freedom, she does not want to go back to the safety of a caged life. She does not know of all the possible dangers, and being naive, she is very s...

Male vs Female Crime Rates Essay

Statistics indicate that men are more likely to commit crime than women. For example, in 2002 80% of known offenders (481,000+) were men. As there are a number of problems with the reliability and validity of statistics, an alternative to information are self-report studies. These are anonymous and some believe because they all but guarantee anonymity they encourage respondents to be more truthful than if they were involved in an interview. In the past, sociologists tended to pay attention to only males committing crimes and ignored gender differences. This began to change in the 1970’s when feminists such as Carol Smart looked into woman and crime and began to ask questions such as: †¢ Why do woman commit fewer crimes than men? †¢ Why are woman more likely to commit to social norms compared to men? †¢ Is there anything distinctive about a woman’s experience as an offenders and as victims of crime? †¢ Are woman treated differently than men in the justice system? There is now an agreement within sociology that when studying crime and deviance we must take into account gender. This means we must also ask questions about men. What is the relationship between crime and masculinity? Sex role theory: this theory argues that boys and girls are socialized differently, therefore resulting in boys becoming more delinquent. There are different versions of this theory. Edwin Sutherland (1949) stated that there are clear gender differences when it comes to socialization. Firstly, girls are more supervised and more strictly controlled. Secondly, boys are encouraged to take risks and to be tough and aggressive. Therefore, boys have more of an opportunity and an inclination to commit crime. Talcott Parsons (1995) believes that there are clear and obvious gender roles within the nuclear family. The father performs roles which show him to be more of the leader and provider, whilst the mother performs the expressive role of giving emotional support and socializing children. These roles are rooted from the birth of their children as mothers have to give birth and nurse children. Girls have a readily available female role model at home (their mother) whereas boys have less access to their male role model as traditionally the father was out at work for most of the time. Boys will be socialized largely by their mother and will tend to reject behavior that is seen as feminine as they compulsively pursue masculinity. Because of the emphasis on toughness and aggression this encourages anti-social behavior and delinquency. Albert Cohen (1955) believed that if boys don’t have that readily available role model, socialization can be a difficult process. Boys can experience anxiety about their identity as a young man and a solution for this is all male peer groups or street gangs. In these social contexts, aspects of masculinity can be expressed and rewarded. The idea of being tough and breaking rules can help to conform to the idea of masculinity. The feminist perspectives on who is involved in crime starts from the view that society is patriarchal and woman can only be understood under male dominance. Pat Carlen (1990) stated that a woman’s crimes can be known as ‘the crimes of the powerless’ as many woman who commit crimes are powerless in some way. For example, they live in poverty with little power to change the situation; as children they may have been badly treated and looked after, perhaps being abused by fathers. As adults they have often lived under the dominance of male partners who asserted control – perhaps in the form of violence. After interviews with 39 woman aged 15 to 46 convicted of various offences, Carlen drew on the control theory – saying that woman turn to crime when the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. It appeared that the interviewed women turned to crime as a rational choice. Low paid work and unemployment had not led to the standard of living they hoped for, and living an unhappy life as children and as adults was very unfulfilling. Unrewarded by family and the workplace and with little power to change the situation, crime was a rational alternative. However, critics of Carlen claim that her sample of woman was too small to make generalized statements. Her research also suggests that conformity to social norms tends to break down when the rewards for doing so are absent. Conformity and control: According to Frances Heidensohn the striking thing about woman’s behaviour is their conformity to social norms. Taking in mind the control theory, women have more to lose than men if they deviate from social norms. And looking from a feminist view, she argues that in a male-dominated society the control of woman by men discourages deviance from norms. In the home and family, women still have the primary responsibility for raising children and taking on the domestic work. Their commitment to this also means they are committing to the conformity of the traditional mother-housewife role and socializing their children in terms of society’s norms and values. Women have been socialized to conform. Girls are more strictly supervised and given less freedom, they are expected to perform household duties. These expectations and control have been carried on into adult life. As adults, women are not only controlled by their childhood socialization but also by their male partners. Woman who challenge these traditional roles are often brought into line by men’s financial and physical power. According to Heidensohn, wife battering is an assertion of patriarchal authority. Women’s socialization, domestic responsibilities plus the control imposed on them by men discourage the deviance from social norms. Their lives are centered on the home so they have less freedom to go out. As a result they have less inclination, less time and fewer opportunities to commit crime. Beyond the home a woman’s freedom to deviate from social norms is also limited in a number of ways; for example, some women do not want to go out after dark as they are in fear of getting attacked or raped by men. A young woman’s fear of being attacked by a stranger is five times greater than a young male’s. They are also less likely to deviate from norms of respectability for fear of being labeled promiscuous. In a working environment men are more likely than women to be in control, in positions such as supervisory or managerial roles, and surveys indicate that sexual harassment is common in the workplace and it is a further indication of male power and control which is often experienced as intimidating by women. Both inside and outside the home, there is pressure for woman to conform- and this is reinforced by male power. Crime and masculinities: Research into gender over the last 25 years has mainly been concerned with woman and crime as it was seen as a new topic after decades of research into men and crime. Feminists would focus on woman and men would enter the equation in terms of the control men had over woman. Researchers now recognize that there is another side to gender and crime and start to ask questions such as: Why are men more likely to commit crime than woman? And is there a relationship between male crime and masculinity? Gender identity is a vital part of the individual’s sense of self – it is something that people accomplish. People are continuously trying to express and present their masculinity or femininity. And in relation to crime, you can say men commit crime as a means of constructing this masculinity to express to others and themselves. There are a number of different masculinities which are shaped by social class, ethnicity, age and sexual orientation. Men’s position in society provides them with different access to power and resources which leads to different constructions and expressions of masculinity – and this leads to different types of crime. The most dominant form of masculinity is known as hegemonic masculinity. It’s the most ideal form, which is defined through work in paid labour, the subordination of women, heterosexism and the uncontrollable sexuality of men. Most men wish to accomplish this. The alternative is subordinated masculinities. They include masculinities which develop in some ethnic minority and lower class groups and homosexual masculinity. Young middle-class white males are usually able to demonstrate some of the characteristics of hegemonic masculinity through success at school or college. But this comes at a price – subordination to teachers. Some assert their masculinity outside of school through vandalism, petty theft and heavy drinking. White working- class males are less likely to be successful in education. They sometimes resist school and construct their masculinity around physical aggression, anti-social behaviour, delinquency and some cases violence towards gays and members of ethnic minority groups. Lower working class men from ethnic minority groups with little expectation of educational success or secure employment sometimes assert their masculinity in street gangs. With little chance of accomplishing hegemonic masculinity by legitimate means, they are more likely to turn to robbery and serious property crime. Even middle class males who have the resources to accomplish hegemonic masculinity use crime to express masculinity. James Messerschmidt argues that white collar and corporate crime are not simply a means for profiting the individual or the organization. There are also a means of accomplishing hegemonic masculinity as a successful breadwinner and as an aggressive risk-taking male Working class crime in the workplace can also be seen as a means of accomplishing masculinity. Workers sometimes resist the authority of management by theft and industrial sabotage. Messerschmidt uses the example of African-Americans to illustrate a subordinated masculinity. Lower class African-Americans males often lack the resources to accomplish hegemonic masculinity. The pimp and hustler are long-established roles in African-American subculture and are often seen as an alternative to subordinated masculinity. The pimp looks after a number of prostitutes and lives of their earnings. With their expensive car, diamond rings and power over women, Messerschmidt argues that the pimp demonstrates a highly visible alternative masculinity to himself and others.

Stalwart

Stalwart Stalwart Stalwart By Maeve Maddox A reader asks for clarification regarding the word stalwart: I am confused about the meaning of â€Å"stalwart† in the following context: â€Å"One of the most influential companies in high technology right now may be a 135-year-old industrial stalwart.† According to OED, as a noun, stalwart means â€Å"loyalist, hard-working supporter.† Nonetheless, I fail to grasp the meaning of stalwart qualified by industrial as adjective. As a noun, stalwart has more than one meaning; â€Å"loyal supporter† is only one of them. Stalwart began as an adjective. The Old English adjective stalworth was applied to things like ships to mean â€Å"serviceable.† When applied to people and animals, it meant, â€Å"strongly and stoutly built.† The meaning extended to include brave, courageous, and valiant. In Scots dialect, the word became stalwart and was reintroduced into English thanks to the popularity of the novels of Sir Walter Scott. In modern usage, stalwart functions as both adjective and noun. Adjective As an adjective, stalwart means, resolute, unbending, and determined, as well as brave, courageous, and valiant. For example: The epic valor of the Greeks in driving back the Italian invaders together with Britain’s stalwart resistance to Hitler’s crushing blows, has given new meaning to human courage in war. Her stalwart defense of the environment in Maryland is embodied in her support for building a green jobs workforce, protecting the Chesapeake Bay, and for a clean energy economy. Noun â€Å"A stalwart† can be a person who has achieved wide recognition in some business or pursuit: Hollywood stalwart Ernest Borgnine dies at age 95 Josh H. Groce, a  noted stalwart  of the Texas trial bar Or it can refer to a company or institution that has been in operation for a long time. This is the sense in which stalwart is used in the sentence submitted by the reader. Here are some more examples of this use of stalwart to refer to a company: Sales for the New York-based pharmaceutical stalwart  were $13.56 billion against last years $13.89 billion. The remaining companies experiencing growth last year [included] electronics retailer HHGregg Inc. and pharmaceutical stalwart Eli Lilly and Co. And while many of its architects are well-known Silicon Valley companies, longtime Milwaukee industrial stalwart Rockwell Automation Inc. has positioned itself at the heart of the phenomenon, which some consider the next industrial revolution. Finally, in the context of politics, the noun stalwart means, â€Å"a sturdy uncompromising partisan†: AIPAC lauds re-election of pro-Israel stalwarts First deficit panel picks are Democratic stalwarts Utah is overall a conservative state much in line with the public policy principles of Republican stalwarts like Gov. Mitt Romney, Gov. Michael Leavitt and Gov. Jon Huntsman.   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?44 Resume Writing TipsPersonification vs. Anthropomorphism

Hampton

Hampton Introduction The Hampton-Newport Community Services Board (HNNCSB) offers a broad range of mental well-being and drug abuse services and care for people with mental and developmental disorders (Hampton-Newport News Community Services Board, 2013).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Hampton-Newport News Community Services Board specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These services are available to people of all ages in Hampton and Newport News. The agency’s vision is to create a community in which individuals can find their own purpose and be self-determining (Hampton-Newport News Community Services Board, 2013). The HNNCSB’s mission is to offer an inclusive range of services and supports by encouraging avoidance, recovery, and independence for people impacted by mental disorder, drug use, and intellectual and developmental disabilities, and encouraging health of societies it serves (Hampton-Newport News Communi ty Services Board, 2013). In order to achieve these goals, the agency has adopted critical core values, which include collaboration, continuous improvement, cultural competency, development, dignity and respect, professionalism, quality, and stewardship and accountability. The agency believes that these core values have enabled it to offer effective services. Services provided by the agency and any associated costs The agency offers a number of services to its clients. These services are mainly case management and supports. Case management involves the provision of services to people with serious mental disabilities to allow them to live productively in society. The agency has divided its services into several different areas in order to provide critical care by monitoring individual’s specific needs and engaging the required agency in the provision of care. The agency has case managers, who are mainly â€Å"mental health therapists, nurses, or social workers† (Hampton -Newport News Community Services Board, 2013). Case managers work with clients or their families in order to develop personalized plans, which are based on strengthens and preferences of clients in order to manage their disabilities effectively. Case management for adults Intellectual development disability services (IDDS) is a case management service for adults with mental problems and developmental challenges (Hampton-Newport News Community Services Board, 2013). The agency offers services to allow such adults to live independently. Case managers work with the client and the family of the client to develop interventions for specific needs.Advertising Looking for report on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Case managers also ensure that clients get other services, arrange for these services and transportation. They also support clients from hospitals and home care facilities to start new life in society, a s well as counseling and psychosocial support to overcome normal challenges in life. There is also IDDS for day services. This service allows adults with mental retardation to be independent and find meaning in life. These services involve support, training, and other initiatives, which can facilitate improved life at homes, workplaces, and in societies. The final service for adults is IDDS, which entails diagnosis, evaluation, and psychological assessment. The agency conducts a thorough evaluation of all individuals who require its services with the aim of determining the most effective services for such persons. Evaluations involve psychological assessment in situations where clients require them. The agency works together with certified psychoanalysts and psychologists (Hampton-Newport News Community Services Board, 2013) in the provision of these services to its clients. Case management for Children and Adolescents The HNNCSB offers services for children and adolescents. The IDD S focuses on providing service after school and summer holidays. Children who suffer from mental disorders and other disabilities get effective services from HNNCSB after school. They get high quality services and school bus transportation to the program. The agency provides services for children and adolescents with hearing problems, deaf, blind, and deafblind or deaf children. The HNNCSB offers gender-related substance abuse interventions. These services are available through other clinics in the vicinity such as, â€Å"Hampton Roads Clinic, Partners in Recovery, Project LINK, Men’s Substance Abuse Case Management, and South-Eastern Family Project† (Hampton-Newport News Community Services Board, 2013).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Hampton-Newport News Community Services Board specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Common characteristics of clients served The Hampton-Newport Community Services Board ser ves children, adolescents, and adults, i.e., it caters for people of all ages. The agency’s clients are mainly people with the following disorders or challenges: Mental retardation problems Drug and substance abuse Blindness Deaf Deafblind Hearing problems The presence of a social worker in the agency, if any The agency has social workers, who it refers to as case managers. However, case managers could be any specialist in the agency. Article Summary Gwinner, Knox, and Brough (2013) observed that there were developing interests in research evidence in mental illnesses in order to provide evidence-based practices in providing care in health facilities and social work fields (Gwinner, Knox Brough, 2013). The article explored recovery and illness among eight people. Researchers used a Participatory Action Research approach to conduct the study. The researchers acted subjectively as clients with mental illness, who were also artists. The study noted a specific issue of concern during recovery by using a clinical term in order to achieve prior standards set by health workers for their clients in recovery. The researchers concluded that individualized interventions and values for mental illness and recovery patients were related to several dynamics and complicated perceptions, which patients acquired from their life experiences and objects in their environments. References Gwinner, K., Knox, M., and Brough, M. (2013). Making Sense of Mental Illness as a Full Human Experience: Perspective of Illness and Recovery Held by People With a Mental Illness Living in the Community. Social Work in Mental Health, 11(2), 99- 117. DOI: 10.1080/15332985.2012.717063.Advertising Looking for report on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Hampton-Newport News Community Services Board. (2013). Who We Are. Retrieved from hnncsb.org/who-we-are.html