Monday, November 25, 2019

In the Words of Frank Lloyd Wright

In the Words of Frank Lloyd Wright American architect  Frank Lloyd Wright was known for his Prairie Style house designs, his tempestuous person life, and his prolific writings, including speeches and magazine articles. His long life (91 years) gave him time to fill volumes. Here are some of Frank Lloyd Wrights most notable quotations- and our favorites: On Simplicity In contrast to his tumultuous personal life, Wright spent his architectural life expressing beauty through simple, natural forms and designs. How does an architect create beautiful yet functional forms? Five lines where three are enough is always stupidity. Nine pounds where three are sufficient is obesity....To know what to leave out and what to put in, just where and just how, ah, that is to have been educated in knowledge of simplicity- toward ultimate freedom of expression.The Natural House, 1954 Form and function are one. Some Aspects of the Future of Architecture (1937), The Future of Architecture, 1953 Simplicity and repose are qualities that measure the true value of any work of art....An excessive love of detail has ruined more fine things from the standpoint of fine art or fine living than any one human shortcoming; it is hopelessly vulgar. In the Cause of Architecture I   (1908) Organic Architecture Before there was Earth Day and LEED certification, Wright promoted an ecology and naturalness in architectural design. The home should not be on a plot of land but be of the land- an organic part of the environment. Much of Wrights writings describes the philosophy of organic architecture: ...it is in the nature of any organic building to grow from its site, come out of the ground into the light- the ground itself held always as a component basic part of the building itself. The Natural House (1954) A building should appear to grow easily from its site and be shaped to harmonize with its surroundings if nature is manifest there, and if not try to make it as quiet, substantial, and organic as she would have been were the opportunity hers. In the Cause of Architecture I   (1908) Where does the garden leave off and the house begin? The Natural House, 1954 This Architecture we call organic is an architecture upon which true American society will eventually be based if we survive at all. The Natural House, 1954 True architecture...is poetry. A good building is the greatest of poems when it is organic architecture. An Organic Architecture, The London Lectures (1939), The Future of Architecture So here I stand before you preaching organic architecture: declaring organic architecture to be the modern ideal... An Organic Architecture, The London Lectures (1939), The Future of Architecture Nature and Natural Forms Some of the most famous architects were born in June, including Wright, born in Wisconsin on June 8, 1867. His youth on the prairie lands of Wisconsin, especially the times he spent on his uncles farm, shaped the way this future architect incorporated natural elements into his designs: Nature is the great teacher- man can only receive and respond to her teaching. The Natural House, 1954 The land is the simplest form of architecture. Some Aspects of the Past and Present in Architecture (1937), The Future of Architecture, 1953 The prairie has a beauty of its own.... In the Cause of Architecture I   (1908) Primarily, nature furnished the materials for architectural motifs...her wealth of suggestion is inexhaustible; her riches greater than any mans desire. In the Cause of Architecture I   (1908) ...go to the woods and fields for color schemes. In the Cause of Architecture I   (1908) I have never been fond of paints or of wallpaper or anything which must be applied to other things as a surface....Wood is wood, concrete is concrete, stone is stone. The Natural House (1954) The Nature of Man Frank Lloyd Wright had a way of seeing the world as one whole, not differentiating between the living, breathing home or of the human being. Human houses should not be like boxes, he lectured in 1930. Wright continued: Any house is a far too complicated , clumsy, fussy, mechanical counterfeit of the human body. Electric wiring for nervous system, plumbing for bowels, heating system and fireplaces for arteries and heart, and windows for eyes, nose, and lungs generally. The Cardboard House, the Princeton Lectures, 1930, The Future of Architecture What a man does- that he has. The Natural House, 1954 A house that has character stands a good chance of growing more valuable as it grows older...Buildings like people must first be sincere, must be true.... In the Cause of Architecture I   (1908) Plaster houses were then new. Casement windows were new....Nearly everything was new but the law of gravity and the idiosyncrasy of the client. The Natural House, 1954 On Style Although realtors and developers have embraced the Prairie style home, Wright designed each home for the land it was on and the people who would occupy it. He said: There should be as many kinds (styles) of houses as there are kinds (styles) of people and as many differentiations as there are different individuals. A man who has individuality (and what man lacks it?) has a right to its expression in his own environment. In the Cause of Architecture I   (1908) Style is a byproduct of the process....To adopt a style as a motive is to put the cart before the horse.... In the Cause of Architecture II   (1914) On Architecture As an architect, Frank Lloyd Wright never wavered in his beliefs about architecture and the use of space inside and out. Homes as different as Fallingwater and Taliesin have the same natural, organic elements he learned about as a boy in Wisconsin. ...every house...should begin on the ground, not in it.... The Natural House (1954) Form follows function is mere dogma until you realize the higher truth that form and function are one. The Natural House (1954) The house of moderate cost is not only Americas major architectural problem but the problem most difficult for her major architects. The Natural House (1954) Had steel, concrete, and glass existed in the ancient order we could have had nothing like our ponderous, senseless classic architecture. The Natural House, 1954 ...architecture is life; or at least it is life itself taking form and therefore it is the truest record of life as it was lived in the world yesterday, as it is lived today or ever will be lived. So architecture I know to be a Great Spirit. The Future: Valedictory (1939) What is needed most in architecture today is the very thing that is most needed in life- integrity. The Natural House (1954) ...architectural values are human values, or they are not valuable....Human values are life giving, not life taking. The Disappearing City (1932) Advice To The Young Architect From the Chicago Art Institute Lecture (1931), The Future of Architecture The influences of the old master, architect Louis Sullivan, stayed with Wright all of his life, even as Wright was more famous and became the master himself. Think simples, as my old master used to say- meaning to reduce the whole to its parts in simplest terms, getting back to first principles. Take time to prepare....Then go as far away as possible from home to build your first buildings. The physician can bury his mistakes, but the architect can only advise his clients to plant vines. ...form the habit of thinking why....get the habit of analysis.... Regard it as just as desirable to build a chicken house as to build a cathedral. The size of the project means little in art, beyond the money matter. So, architecture speaks as poetry to the soul. In this machine age to utter this poetry that is architecture, as in all other ages, you must learn the organic language of the natural which is ever the language of the new. Every great architect is- necessarily- a great poet. He must be a great original interpreter of his time, his day, his age. An Organic Architecture, The London Lectures (1939), The Future of Architecture Quotations Popularly Attributed to Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright quotes are as abundant as the number of buildings he completed. Many quotations have been repeated so many time, its difficult to accurately source when they were said, or, even, if they are accurate quotes from Wright himself. Here are some that often appear in collections of quotations: I hate intellectuals. They are from the top down. I am from the bottom up. TV is chewing gum for the eyes. Early in life I had to choose between honest arrogance and hypocritical humility. I chose honest arrogance and have seen no occasion to change. The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen. The truth is more important than the facts. Youth is a quality, not a matter of circumstances. An idea is salvation by imagination. Get the habit of analysis- analysis will in time enable synthesis to become your habit of mind. I feel coming on a strange disease- humility. If it keeps up, man will atrophy all his limbs but the push-button finger. The scientist has marched in and taken the place of the poet. But one day somebody will find the solution to the problems of the world and remember, it will be a poet, not a scientist. No stream rises higher than its source. What ever man might build could never express or reflect more than he was. He could record neither more nor less than he had learned of life when the buildings were built. The longer I live the more beautiful life becomes. If you foolishly ignore beauty, you will soon find yourself without it. Your life will be impoverished. But if you invest in beauty, it will remain with you all the days of your life. The present is the ever moving shadow that divides yesterday from tomorrow. In that lies hope. I find it hard to believe that the machine would go into the creative artists hand even were that magic hand in true place. It has been too far exploited by industrialism and science at expense to art and true religion. The screech and mechanical uproar of the big city turns the citified head, fills citified ears- as the song of birds, wind in the trees, animal cries, or as the voices and songs of his loved ones once filled his heart. He is sidewalk-happy. Note: Frank Lloyd Wright ® and Taliesin ® are registered trademarks of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Classification of Data Collection and Analysis Depending on the Assignment

Classification of Data Collection and Analysis Depending on the Research Methodology Employed - Assignment Example This research is significant because it is based on surveys, experimental and other various research methods. Therefore, the dissertation will utilize this research method in order to determine whether the leadership styles employed by both directors of nursing and social serves have a positive impact in the psychological well- being of nursing home residents. Experiments: The research will collect data through the use of experiments that may involve completing various tests for measuring the leadership abilities. The researcher will then compare and contrast various results obtained from different tests. The aim of the tests is to judge leadership styles employed by both directors or measure their so-called aptitude (Fulton, Lyon, and Goudreau, 2010). However, it will focus on the relations between their performance level and other factors. The researcher may be interested in observing  the way both directors reacts or behaves before or after the intervention programs such as training. This will enable the researcher to compare the leadership styles between the director of nursing and director of social services effectively. Sample surveys: The researcher will gather information from a fairly larger sample group of participants by use of questionnaires, interviews, observation and other techniques. The effective means of carrying out a survey is to sample the population at a time (Thomas, 2003). In this case, the researcher will survey the nursing home residents in order to determine the effective services they receive from both directors. Case studies: This usually involves detailed research analysis on a certain case or group of people (Bernard, 2000). Various data collection methodologies such as interviews, questionnaire, and observation, may be applied in this case. For instance, the researcher may interview both leaders about their personal records of leadership performance. He or she will narrow the results in descriptive data, in the environmental settings; thus challenging the existing theories or approaches of the domains.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

The Declaration of the Immediate Causes Research Paper

The Declaration of the Immediate Causes - Research Paper Example The document argues that the agreement between the US and South Carolina is subject to the law as stipulated in the constitution which establishes responsibilities on both sides and denounces the agreement or contract if either of the party fails to live up to the expectations of the responsibilities. Further, the document highlighted that the Federal government of the US had failed to honor their responsibilities to the State of South Carolina. For instance, some States were not willing to adapt the Fugitive Slave Act (Watson and Batchelder 1860, 77-8). Due to this and other problems, the document asserted that South Carolina had withdrawn from the Federal Union. The main purpose of this document was to protest against the Northern States that were seen as violating the constitution by failing to extradite slaves. Further, it is through this declaration that the State of South Carolina aimed at showing its resentments on the efforts made by the federal government and the Northern States to abolish slavery, which they viewed as constitutionally guarded. Therefore, South Carolina thought that the federal government and the Northern States had violated the agreement, and thus, it was not bound by it (Watson and Batchelder 1860, 76). Initially, South Carolina had issued other documents. This declaration was the second document to be issued by the State of South Carolina secession or withdrawal convention. The first document to be issued in South Carolina was the ordinance of secession.

Monday, November 18, 2019

The Constitution Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Constitution - Thesis Example He further contends that many were disenfranchised and discriminated by the common law and thus were not represented in the Convention during its drafting which included countless adult males. In addition, most of the states at that time imposed property qualifications on the voters and consequently barred non-taxpayers. As most of the members of the conventions were lawyers and representatives of personalty, these individuals were 1'directly and personally interested in the outcome of their labors' and would economically benefit from the passage of the Constitution (Beard 59). Furthermore, Beard asserts that since these men were mostly merchants, shippers, bankers, speculators, and private and public securities holders, the Constitution was not crafted by 'the whole people.' Beard's assertions remained undisputed until 1956 when Robert Brown's critique titled Charles Beard and the Constitution: A Critical Analysis of An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution dispels and attacks Beard's thesis and conclusions for their lack of merit. Brown, attacking Beard's objectivity, argues that Beard failed to collect compelling data and evidence to support his contentions. In his critique, Brown scrutinizes the support for the Constitution among diverse economic and social divisions, the democratic character of the country, and the franchise within the states in eighteenth-century America. He holds that Beard was misguided and further added that, eighteenth-century America was democratic, the franchise was common, and there was extensive backing for the Constitution, alleging that his evidence contradicts Beard's arguments about the lack of democracy and the insubstantial support for the Constitution. According to Brown, since the Founding Fathers upheld the F ederal voting system done by indirect representation, the ratification of the Constitution was a democratic process and everyone's interests were aptly represented. Brown further argues that the constitution was not merely an economic document in which property was protected but it also stressed safeguards to life and liberty. This protection of property, Brown adds, is also essential to the protection of the individual and liberty. A close scrutiny of the US Constitution is necessary in order to resolve this conflict as the issue has its precedence in the Constitution itself. The textbook, 'We The People,' states that the charter 2'attempts to create a government that would be strong to protect commerce and property rights yet weak enough to threaten individual liberty.' The statement strengthens Brown's contentions that the provisions governing the protection of property are significant parts of the constitution. The Constitution also emphasizes that that the framers, 3'feared the call of equality' which could result to equal allotment of property, and consequently violate the freedom of property owners. Although Beard is right with his assertions that the economic interests of the framers and those who represented the public were given utmost importance, the focus on economic interests and rights to property as well as protection of those rights fortified individual freedom. It is also important to note that these economic interpretations of the

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Poetry on War An Analysis

Poetry on War An Analysis Opening with Auspices, an astonishing performance by Susan Mason which straightaway reminds of the African workers singing blues in 19th Century South American coltures, Poets on War clearly committed to the sufferings of war and imprisonment from the very beginning. Held on 1st February 2017 at the Southbank Centre, London, as part of The Poetry Librarys special edition, which takes place every first Wednesday of the month, the event was based on the participation of four contemporary poets, Ruth OCallaghan, Adnan al-Sayegh, Jenny Lewis and Hylda Sims, who tried to look at war with the sentiments of horror, sympathy and humour. As a result of a splendid collaboration between the diversity of such poets and their poems and the way they decided to lead them, the event immediately took the shades and the features of the so-called world literature, moving from London artistically and linguistically for a couple of hours. Ruth OCallaghan and some extracts from her collection Vortices (Shoestring, 2015) directed the first part of the evening. Approaching the idea of war and borders between countries and people, Ruth discusses and traces conflicts from bibical times to present day, raising the thought-provoking reflection that war has been an unfortunate constant in human beings lives and that poetry has followed it, giving voice to its effects and consequences. Hotel Owner is the poem that opens the first section and meditates on the idea of the hotel as a country without boundaries, in which people could feel safe, live and escape the world outside. 1914, on the other hand, treats the more technical part of the war, accounting for the ways in which slaughters have been perpetrated over history and particularly how death had different ideas in 1914. However, the most interesting points came out from Meine Liebe Mutter, which outlines the horrors of the war touching sensitively and respectfully the theme of son-mother relationship on the background of the Second World War. In concentration camps death had become ordinary and Ruth profoundly describes how the prisoners used to confront it: we never turned our face against the enemy, as killing is an intimate act. This striking idea of a connection between victim and murderer had a chilling impact on the whole audience: it placed a real difficulty in deciding with which part the reader would s ympathise. The relation established is so close but we are still so far from understanding the private, perpetual awareness of death. At last, before ending accompanied by a singing duet by Susan Mason and Emelia Lederleitnerova, Ruth quoted Tony Blair in his famous 1997 victory speech in which he claimed that his would have been the first generation ever not going to war or sending their children to war: as the poet observed after, he did not make the dream last long, declaring war on Talibans in 2001 and giving life to a new generation of soldiers and war poets. The second part of the event left space to the distinguished Iraqi poet-in-exile Adnan al-Sayegh. Experienced imprisonment during the Iran-Iraq war and sentenced to death in 1996 for the publication of the poem Uruks Anthem, Adnan took refuge in Sweden and has been living in London since 2004. His poetry, translated in several languages, is actively political and set against oppression and injustice, demonstrating an intense passion for freedom, love and beauty. In Poets on War, he gave the audience the pleasure to hear his lines recited in Arabic, their original language and then read out loud in translation thanks to the collaboration of Jenny Lewis, writer and teacher in poetry at Oxford University. Adnan transported the audience into another world: the melodic sound of Arabic was incredibly effective in trasmitting the sufferings and despair of the Iraqi experience and gave the event a touch of powerful originality. Delivering the message in the original language, the poet made clear how feelings such as pain and fear are universal and how languages and cultures become a way to make their acquaitance under different perspectives. Wars have broken out terribly equally everywhere and have made people escape their homelands in search of safer places, devastating lives and families: if nowhere is immune to war, then, as it was remarked in Second Song to Inanna/Ishtar, Let poetry be our country. The Iraqi poet actively shared the stage with two wonderful women: Jenny Lewis, who collaborated with him and participated with some poems of hers and Hylda Sims, who elegantly challenged all the skeptics who claim that war cannot be approached with any kind of humour. Gripping her guitar under her arm, she started singing her famous Bin Laden: Bin Ladens in my garden outside Canada Square!Shall I bring him a cup of tea?Im afraid hes got to go! Making the atmosphere lively and vibrant, Hylda gave a huge contribution to the structure of the event: she offered a new modern view on the theme of war by also incorporating the genre of the song and involved the audience in it teaching them her version of Adnans Sketch to sing, which made the small library look much more familiar. Besides being the elder component of the troop of Poets on War, her voice and tone proved to extremely grasp our times with consciousness, from the side of common people. Introducing her poem 21st Century War, which is very much about the 11th September 2001 terroristic attack, Hylda made a salient point about how war is still thriving around us but we are not always directly aware of it, even when we see its brutal consequences: as the events programme stated, The 21st century appears to already have equalled previous centuries for death, displacement, terrorism, political misjudgement and religious conflict and we as historical witnesses should keep a better pace with it. Overall, meant to be a travel in war poetry, this reunion of thoughts successfully caught the attention of the audience by mentioning contemporary and modern issues and by involving them in a friendly, accessible musical environment.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

The Changing Role of the Secondary Educator Essay examples -- Educatio

The Changing Role of the Secondary Educator Teaching high school in the late twentieth century is a complex matter. As a secondary English teacher, my classroom is much more than discussions of novels, plays, poems, and the memorization of numerous grammar rules. The high school has become a site of contention: it's where students make decisions that create their futures. The educational system/community expects secondary teachers to find a happy medium between the order and disorder found in both the elementary/middle schools and the worlds of college and beyond. This essay discusses how knowledge and power are created, communicated, and eventually assessed in secondary classrooms. High school teachers often rely on a highly structured environment for fear that any attempt at providing students with pedagogical freedom will result in classroom chaos or anarchy. I ague that it is necessary for teachers to break from this structural binary of discipline. When they engage in radical pedagogies they create spaces for dialogic lea rning and the possibility for change. This essay is a result of many important influential forces on my professional life: teaching high school in the Pittsburgh Public Schools, the writings of John Dewey, and the radical and critical pedagogies expressed by Paulo Freire, Henry A. Giroux and others. I will first provide a bit of personal background--my learning experience in high school, and the shortcomings I have seen in it. I will then use John Dewey's essay, "The Education Situation: As Concerns Secondary Education" to provide a historical framework to my study. Next, I will examine how classroom management (discipline) affects students' learning. Finally, using recent work in critical and radical... ...7. Giroux, Henry A. with Patrick Shannon. "Cultural Studies and Pedagogy as Performative Practice." Education and Cultural Studies: Toward a Performative Practice. Eds. Henry A. Giroux with Patrick Shannon. New York: Routledge, 1997. Glasser, William. Control Theory in the Classroom. New York: Harper & Row, 1986. McLaren, Peter. "On Ideology and Education: Critical Pedagogy and the Cultural Politics of Resistance." Critical Pedagogy, the State, and Cultural Struggle. Eds. Henry A. Giroux and Peter McLaren. New York: SUNY Press, 1989. Macherey, Pierre. A Theory of Literary Production. New York: Routledge, 1988. Miklitsch, Robert. "Punk Pedagogy, or Performing Contradiction: The Risks and Rewards of (Anti-)Transference." Education and Cultural Studies: Toward a Performative Practice. Eds. Henry A. Giroux with Patrick Shannon. New York: Routledge, 1997.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Assess the Role of Faith in Supporting Religious Belief Essay

In 1877, William Kingdon Clifford propositioned in his book â€Å"Ethics and Belief† that belief in something without sufficient evidence is irrational. Whilst he accepted that in many beliefs there is often an epistemic gap between the evidence and the conclusion (inductive reasoning) he did also claim that â€Å"It is wrong always, everywhere, and for anyone, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence.† Furthermore he claimed that that tolerating credulity (a tendency to believe readily) and superstition will damage ultimately society. He concurred with David Hume (1711-76) when he said â€Å"All wise men proportion their belief to the evidence.† This stance – that belief without sufficient evidence is irrational – is called evidentialism, and is adopted by many atheists (including Clifford and Hume) in their view of theology. However, natural theology instead attempts to meet evidentialism on its own terms by trying to show that belief in God is actually rational. It draws collectively upon all of the a posteriori arguments for God’s existence including the teleological, cosmological, moral and experiential arguments. However, it is rare that an atheist will be convinced by the evidence of these arguments anywhere beyond the point of agnosticism. It is generally accepted that belief in God requires some element of seemingly irrational faith. Indeed, the stance of fideism states that reason plays no part in belief. â€Å"Whoever attempts to demonstrate the existence of God†¦is an excellent subject for a comedy of higher lunacy.† – Soren Kierkegaard. Moderate fideists suggest that reason can actually be destructive to one’s faith. They claim that reason leads to arrogance by encouraging the idea that human reason alone will suffice and that God unnecessary for moral or spiritual direction. Whilst moderate theists view reason as a barrier to true faith however, (thus disregarding natural theology as irrelevant) extreme theists go so far as to agree with Tertullian when he said (AD 155-222) â€Å"Credo quia absurdum est.† or â€Å"I believe because it is absurd.† Aquinas (1225-74) claimed that there were two ways in which to know God. The first is through natural theology, including his five a posteriori proofs constructed by human reason. The second is through â€Å"revealed theology† which cannot be found by human reason alone, but must involve divine intervention or revelation. The acceptance of these revealed truths requires faith, and this is fundamental to the Christian religion. For example, only faith can reveal the truth behind the statement â€Å"God is the father, the son and the Holy Ghost† or that â€Å"the bread of communion is the body of Christ†. Thus revelation provides us with a body of truths, which must be taken on faith alone. Aquinas claims that faith is a combination of reason and opinion. It involves reason since it is propositional i.e. claims certain beliefs to be true and therefore similar to scientific knowledge. On the other hand these truths cannot be proved, and so involve an epistemic gap. It is this epistemic gap that makes faith a matter of opinion and so allows humanity free will over their belief. The stance that it is our choice whether or not to take a leap of faith was also held by Soren Kierkegaard (1812-1855). Alvin Plantinga (1932-) proposed that the classical foundationalism upon which evidentialism is based is flawed. Foundationalist beliefs are described by Plantinga as â€Å"the starting points for thought† and he summarises their definition as: â€Å"I am entitled to believe X without any evidence if and only if it is self-evident, incorrigible or certain to me in some way†. He argues that this is flawed, since this statement is itself neither self-evident, incorrigible nor is it certain in some way. It appears therefore that foundationalism defines itself as irrational. He also states that there are many beliefs that can be held rationally, but that do not fall under the foundationalist criteria or that can be justified contingently. For example, the trust we have in our memory, or the belief that other people have minds of their own. Plantinga argues that we must ultimately reject classical foundationalism on the grounds that it is incoherent, and also because it rejects many beliefs that common sense tells us to be properly basic. He propositions that his reformed epistemology should take the place of classical foundationalism, and because of this: â€Å"It is entirely right, rational, reasonable and proper to believe in God without any evidence at all.† A theist might claim that it just appears obvious to them that God exists, and for Plantinga this is good enough. However, surely this would mean that anything we like can be a properly basic belief? Could a child’s belief in Santa Clause not be defined as properly basic? Plantinga would respond by saying that it is the beliefs directly connected to God’s existence that are properly basic, rather than the belief in God’s existence itself. For example, the guilt felt after committing a bad deed or the sense that something must have cre ated and designed the universe. Blaisà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Pascal (1623-1662) deemed that it was reasonable to have faith in God by a sheer act of will, so certain was he that he put forward a wager: â€Å"Let us weigh the gain and loss in wagering that God is (exists)†¦If you gain, you gain all, if you lose, you lose nothing.† By this, he meant that the theist stands the chance of gaining entrance to heaven at the risk of nothing, whilst the atheist however risks damnation to hell. However, surely this basis of self-gain is at odds with the teachings of the Christian church? W.K.Clifford suggested that God would deny heaven to those who followed Pascal’s wager on the basis that faith should be founded upon trust and morality, not self gain. Pascal might have responded that true belief would arise from the habit of religion i.e. baptism, mass, prayer etc. However, this is contradicted somewhat by his opinion that one’s relationship with God should be somewhat deeper. â€Å"It is the heart which pe rceives God and not reason.† Furthermore, Pascal’s definition of faith appears to ignore the recognition of God’s immanence and His affect on our everyday lives. William James (1842-1910) found Pascal’s proposition that we can change our beliefs by an act of will entirely ridiculous. He claimed solidly that our beliefs are contingent i.e. each new belief is connected to the previous one. He does agree however that it is rational to sustain a belief even without sufficient evidence given certain circumstances. The first circumstance is where the evidence is indeterminate between two beliefs i.e. favours neither option. The second circumstance is if we are faced with a genuine option i.e. one that is living, forced and momentous. By living James means one that is a reality, as opposed to a dead option, that whilst theoretically possible, isn’t actually going to happen e.g. a devout Catholic supporting the gay pride movement. A forced option is one that cannot be avoided, e.g. choosing whether to go to school or to have a lie in when your alarm goes off at 7:30. A momentous option is one that is unique and irreversible e.g. joining the army – as opposed to a trivial option which is reversible and one that happens regularly throughout life. James states that it is therefore sometimes rational to believe in God without sufficient evidence if the choice is a genuine option. He disputes Pascal’s wager as necessarily being a genuine option as it is not necessarily forced (one could deny the possibility of going to hell) nor is it necessarily living (one might be a devout follower of a different religion). However, he does accept that for a person who perceives the evidence as indeterminate and is already open to belief in God, Pascal’s wager might succeed in tipping the scales and getting them to make that leap of faith. James does believe however that faith can in some instances be a genuine option, and a decision that involves seizing the opportunity and taking a risk. He states that when faced with a genuine option and without sufficient evidence, making a decision will then reveal the evidence to us. For example, one cannot be sure of a stranger’s kindness until they have decided to trust the stranger and give them a chance. Similarly, by making a leap of faith in God, the definitive truth will be later revealed by eschatological verification. However, natural theologians such as Aquinas would certainly dispute James’ claim that the evidence is indeterminate, for the cosmological, teleological, moral and experiential arguments – whilst inconclusive – can be extremely persuasive. Furthermore, like Pascal, he seems to ignore faith as an acceptation of God’s immanence and active presence in our lives. The version of faith held by Aquinas, Plantinga, Pascal and James is propositional in that they all claim that faith about believes in God’s objective existence. However, faith can also be seen existentially as an attitude incorporating God subjectively into the believer’s life. For instance, when I say â€Å"I believe that murder is wrong† or â€Å"I believe in free speech† I am not stating anything about existence, but rather about my commitment towards certain values. H.H.Price (1899-1985) claimed that the statement â€Å"I believe in God† is similar to this in that it is a way of perceiving the world using certain values. â€Å"to see oneself as a created, dependent creature, receiving life and well being from a higher source†¦the only appropriate attitude is one of grateful worship and obedience.† – John Hick. To conclude; each of the arguments examined above vary in their relationship with reason, but what they all have in common is that faith is central to the believer and must work independently of reason to some degree. Some of the arguments incorporate reason, some reject it entirely, but the transcendent nature of God can never be proved, can never be indubitable, for faith is an integral part of religion. Perhaps then natural theology is not trying to prove God’s existence to the point where faith is cast out and certainty resides in its place, but rather it is merely trying to explore God’s nature. â€Å"I do not seek to understand so that I may believe, but I believe in order to understand† – St. Anselm (1033-1109) Proslogian 1. Natural theology could therefore be seen as an expression of faith, rather than a foundation for it. The majority of theists argue that faith is necessary, for if God proved himself to us, we would no longer have free will over our belief and so would be robots without dignity. On the other hand, surely God in His omnipotence could find some way of maintaining our freedom whilst simultaneously providing us certainty of his love? Why not give certainty to the millions of His helpless and suffering children who have lost faith; for where is their dignity?

Friday, November 8, 2019

International Logistics and Supply Chain Outsourcing

International Logistics and Supply Chain Outsourcing Logistics refers to the systematic flow of resources from the point of origin to the right destination. Business logistics involves putting an item in right quantity at the correct time and place (Waters, 110). This is meant to deliver the expected benefits to the organization (Waters, 111). For efficiency purposes, business logistics should involve all the industrial sectors so as to achieve the main objective of the company (Rushton, 266).Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on International Logistics and Supply Chain Outsourcing specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Previously, location was a significant element in business. Proper location of business guaranteed fruitful business. However, things have changed today since business is done globally with markets opened everywhere. The world has developed an ability to deliver things where they are needed at the right time. It has enabled business entities to reach out and keep in touch with their customers. Logistics has made business ventures to expand the market for their goods and services. They do not target a limited number of consumers. Instead, they have changed their focus by reaching out to the global market. This in return has enabled the companies to maximize their profits. Due to logistics, organizations are able to make their customers satisfied by creating a suitable supply chain, which has saved money for many of these businesses. Consumers develop confidence with a supplier who is consistent in production. They are able to get products at the right time, when needed. The confidence makes them stick to the company, making the organization develop, raising from one level to another. Satisfaction of clients should be a priority to the company staff and management. All the stakeholders should work hand in hand to ensure that consumers’ needs are met. Logistics has separated success from failure. It is a powerful tool that has erupt ed to improve service, and lower costs in the global economy. Logistics has caused a change in the functioning of companies. The world is experiencing a lot of competition today. Business ventures are expected to come up with new innovations because consumers’ demands have increased. Everything starts at the reception when the client enters the business premises. Firms that serve clients half-heatedly may lose customers since the rate of competition is high. Such customers may opt to buy from firms that treat them with courtesy. Therefore, business logistics has taken center stage in the operations of the company. The actual delivery of goods is sensitive to buyers and the willingness and promises to deliver no longer rule them. This suggests that the leading business ventures in providing products to the clients at the right time and place will benefit (Tate 9). Those that do not take priority in putting clients’ interest first are on the road to failure. Firms with e ffective systems in place achieve success, which proves that logistics is a driving force that brings positive results. The chain of supply is identified as a route that connects the producer and the user. A delay on the part of any partner may affect the whole system of the chain. The improvement of technology has facilitated consumers to make orders when needed. This, on the other hand, has equipped production firms to ensure that clients are served when demand arises.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More As mentioned above, commodities sold and delivered on time save several things. Therefore, business ventures should look out for the most convenient ways of operating to ensure low costs. Rushton, Alan. International Logistics and Supply Chain Outsourcing: From Local to Global. USA: Kogan Page Ltd, 2007. Print. Tate, Karen. The elements of a successful logistic s partnership. International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management 26.3(1996): 7-13. Print. Waters, Donald. Global Logistics: New Directions in Supply Chain Management. USA: Kogan Page Ltd, 2010. Print.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Mental Health Essay

Mental Health Essay Mental Health Essay Alessandra, who was a senior in college and just finishing up her final year at her university. The hustle of being a senior was overwhelming. The last 2 weeks of college is the most laborious for anyone graduating with finals, graduation, the goodbyes and the tedious preparation of packing up all four years of belongings to take home. Much like her peers, Alessandra was ready. Ready to see her family, begin looking for her career and finally reuniting with her boyfriend, Mike, from back home. It was during her strenuous week of final exams when she noticed that she wasn’t feeling her best. It started with a tickle in her throat and a stuffy nose. â€Å"The inevitable is happening. I’m getting sick† she thought, but quickly realized that there was just no time to worry about a cold. Finally after finals, she found some time to go to the doctor and get something for her cold. The doctor prescribed her a common antibiotic that she would have to take for ten days. â€Å"This is great news,† she thought, â€Å"the antibiotic will fight off whatever I have, so I can finally start my life and move in with Mike.† Everything was falling into place for the bright young graduate. Graduation came and went and finally, after two days of packing, she was ready to head home. It was a long three hour drive, but felt like an eternity since she wasn’t well. Why hadn’t the antibiotics kicked in yet? It was the fourth day of taking the medication when she realized she wasn’t feeling any better. In fact, the medication she was taking was making her feel really nauseous. After completing the antibiotics, she realized she felt worse. She looked awful. She had lost weight, had rashes on her body and had developed difficulty swallowing. After multiple doctor visits, it was diagnosed that she had developed thrush from the antibiotics and had a severe reaction to it. More medication was given but once she started feeling physically better, she started feeling anxious. Anxious that she would get so sick again and eventually die. She didn’t leave the house for days. She felt safe only at home with her parents. â€Å"I can only depend on themà ¢â‚¬  she thought. When the time came for her to see Mike, she started to feel anxious and afraid because she knew he wanted to live together. She wanted to stay at home where her parents could take care of her. Her parents didn’t understand how their independent successful daughter with a bright future had changed so drastically. It was like anxiety had taken over her whole body. She started wondering if she would ever feel normal again. After about a month of feeling anxious, and reading that medication was the solution to her problem, she decided medication was not for her. She decided to tackle her anxiety head on with a method called Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. This method is based on 3 key facts to reduce anxiety. The first is the Relaxation technique. Learning how to relax can be a helpful part of therapy. Whenever our bodies react to anxiety, our muscles tense and our breathing gets shallow. This is where the panic usually sets in for people like Alessandra suffering with anxiety. Calm breathing which involves slowing down the breath helps regulate your

Monday, November 4, 2019

The Lucrative Sectors of the South African Economy Research Paper

The Lucrative Sectors of the South African Economy - Research Paper Example The mine worker continues to be over-exploited by the current regime just like the over-exploitation of the black South African in the apartheid period. Furthermore, they are lowly paid and suffer due to poor working conditions. This has led to a class struggle between the rich ruling people who take shares in the ownership of the countries factors of production while leaving the poor people at their mercy. In August 2012, the mine workers at Marikana experienced a massacre which opened the eyes of the workers to the types of neo-colonization with a class struggle that made the mine workers poorer and their working conditions worse. With regards to the working conditions of the mine workers in South Africa, apartheid effects are still felt from the successive governments. The African National Congress (ANC) presents the â€Å"neo-apartheid regime with typical features of historical apartheid† such as overexploitation of workers, poor wages, poor working conditions, protects, a rrests and murder of protesting workers (Clark and Worger 23). During the Marikana massacre, 69 black protesters were killed and approximately 18,000 activists arrested. Although the African National Congress has led South Africa for about 20 years now while advocating for equality in all sectors of the economy and declining the effects posed by the colonial masters during the apartheid time, all the talks of â€Å"post-apartheid† South Africa have resulted into an equally similar leadership like that of apartheid.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Analysis of the individual causes of the problem on the production Essay

Analysis of the individual causes of the problem on the production system of Toyota - Essay Example Toyota is one of the best known automobile manufacturing companies in the world. Toyota however went into crises last year due to some technical problems that are related to its operations management systems.Two million cars were recalled because of defects. The defects have been traced to the production lines and the company has announced that the problem can be solved if cars with defects are sent for repairs with authorized dealers.So far, 77 complaints have been lodged in the Japan and about 100 in the United States. About 7 different brands are due for mass recall in Mexico as well. There have been mass recalls of some of the cars that are affected by these defects.The defects are related to accelerator pedals and out of position floor mats. This causes the accelerator system to jam and leads to overspeeding which can and have caused accidents in Japan, United States and Mexico. Preliminary research has shown that the overspeeding does not happen suddenly but gradually, and it i s not connected to the electronic systems of the affected cars. Clearly, the problem with these defective Toyota cars can be traced to the production systems of the manufacture of these cars. This research is a proposal on a diagnostic system for the analysis of the operations management system of the defective cars and a diagnosis of the source of the problems in the manufacturing system. The aim of the research is the diagnose and identify the cause of the defects in the Toyota cars affected by the accelerator system problems. ... Objectives: The objectives of the research is to: 1. Examine the normal manufacturing and quality control systems used by Toyota in the United States, Japan and Mexico (the affected countries of the problem). 2. Analysis of the research, design and manufacturing lapses that are responsible for the accelerator defects in the cars in question and the failure of quality control to detect the problems. 3. The scope of the problem and future implications of these problems in the production line of Toyota and analysis of best way of solving the problems at hand. Literature Review The case of Toyota indicates that there were numerous levels of problems and challenges that hit the company. Hiles (2011 p582) gives a series of empirical evidence that is collated from the Kelley Blue Book Survey which shows the impact of the recalls on various levels to Toyota. These affected the customers, suppliers, the worth of vehicles and dealers. Competitors also increased interest in their brands due to Toyota's lapses. Although one might be tempted to think that the problem of Toyota was mainly an Operations Management problem, these outstanding statistics and facts show that the problem had a knock-on effect on the various stakeholder interests of Toyota. This is because the nature of the car manufacturing industry is such that the engineering systems and operations are at the core of the activities of a given entity. And due to the potential fatal effect of any mistake or error in manufacturing, a car manufacturer needs to take care to ensure that the best is done to ensure that cars parts and assembling lines do the right thing to prevent defects. Thus the scope of the problem and any effort to rectify it will mean correcting the lapses in the operations of Toyota and